Q: A person hired to do yard clean up did not follow instructions and cut a nice group of sweetshrub down to ground level. Where can I get more? Robert Searl, email
A: You don't need any more plants. Sweetshrub, Calycanthus floridus, spreads vigorously by underground runners. My bet is that there are plenty of roots and runners still left that will sprout as soon as the soil warms up.
Q: When can I put my ferns out on my covered porch? Nancy Pfeiffer, email
A: Assuming you have Boston ferns, they can go outdoors when night temperatures are reliably above 45 degrees.
Q: I planted new bermuda sod last summer. I used 10-10-10 fertilizer the remainder of the year. Should I stick with the 10-10-10 or go with products that have a higher first number, like 29-0-4? Doug Torres, Duluth
A: Do you eat your entire day's meals at one sitting or do you spread them out? 10-10-10 fertilizer releases all of its nutrients at once, giving immediate green-up for your lawn. But after the first couple of rains, the nutrients have all been dissolved and used by the plants, leaving nothing for them until the next feeding. Turf fertilizers are coated with various products that slow the release of nutrients. This gives your lawn constant nutrient availability for several weeks, which is much better for the grass.
Q: I planted daylilies on a small slope where they get direct sunlight for most of the day, but they haven’t spread in several years. It’s probably due to all the red clay. What should I add to the clay to soften it up? Sondra Blackmon, Gwinnett County
A: I've become a big fan of expanded slate (PermaTill, Soil Perfector, etc) as a soil amendment for beds in which you grow perennial flowers. The material isn't cheap but adding it, plus a bit of compost, to your soil makes it soft permanently. Ask your local independent nursery to get some for you, then till it in to the daylily bed after temporarily removing the plants. The plants will thank you.
Q: For the last couple of years, my daffodils have gotten to the stage of showing flower buds but the buds won’t open. What went wrong? Gary in Gwinnett County
A: It sounds like a condition called bud blast. It's commonly ascribed to severe weather conditions, of which we have had plenty this winter. Some varieties are more susceptible than others. Double daffodils seem more likely to have bud blast than the single flowered types. Try this: clip off the bad buds and dispose of them; do not remove the leaves until they turn yellow and fertilize the bulbs in December this year.
Q: When is the best time to sow white Dutch clover? I want to grow it as a living mulch in the permanent areas of my garden. Chuck Rigdon, Lithia Springs
A: The best time is in September but you might get acceptable results planting the seed now. It's important to keep the planted area moist but not soggy during establishment. Irrigation will also be needed when summer temperatures are above 90 degrees. Though white clover is a perennial under favorable conditions, leaf diseases and root rot eventually kill it in the South. Reseed dead patches in fall.
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