Recent Q&As
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Q&A – Why are my chrysanthemums blooming in April?
Question:
I bought several small pots of chrysanthemums. They are SUPPOSED to bloom in the fall. My chrysanthemums started blooming in April. Is this because of the weird weather? Answer: Chrysanthemums are thought of as a fall blooming plant. They are photoperiodic which means they will start to bloom as the days get shorter in the fall. These mums were probably grown in a greenhouse and subjected to short days. As a result, they bloomed. Next year, they will probably bloom in the fall like you expect. It is also possible that they are a newer day-neutral variety that bloom all year. Related Resources: Chrysanthemums Care of Flowering Potted Plants Growing Garden Mums for Fall Sale |
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Q&A – Why didn’t my columbine and Virginia bluebells bloom this spring?
Question:
Why didn’t my columbine and Virginia bluebells bloom this spring? Answer: Horticulture expert, Dr. Lelia Kelly, says these plants take a few years to bloom after they are planted. They will probably flower in future years. Virginia bluebells are spring ephemerals meaning they only grow for a short time, so by summer they are dormant again. They like very well drained soil and consistent moisture. Columbines are short-lived perennials. If you don’t let them go to seed they will die off in a few years. If you let them reseed naturally you will have younger plants growing while the older plants are flowering. They like partial filtered shade like they would get in the forest. Related Resources: Rain Garden Plants Eastern Columbine 25 Fast Growing Perennials Wildflower |
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Q&A – What kind of grass is this and how do I get rid of it?
Question:
Can you help me by identifying this type of grass? It's taking over the football field. How do I get rid of it? Answer: This is crabgrass. It thrives in compact soils that hold a lot of moisture. To control crabgrass, make sure the environment does not favor it: fertilize according to a soil test, mow at the correct height, aerate, and water deeply but infrequently. To get rid of crabgrass chemically you can use a pre-emergent like Dimension and Pendulum which are applied in the early spring before the crabgrass germinates. Once the crabgrass is sprouted you can use Quinclorac. Related Resources: Crabgrass Species Control in Turfgrass Grassy Weeds Turfgrass Weeds |
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Q&A - What are these green caterpillars by my peanut plants?
Question:
Hey Chris! I was pulling weeds around my peanut plants today and ran across several of these green caterpillars in the soil. What are they, and what should I do about them? Answer: This is an alfalfa caterpillar. They feed on legumes. They can cause major damage to alfalfa. If you would like to control it, a BT product will do the trick. Related Resources: Alfalfa Caterpillar and Butterfly Controlling Caterpillars in Vegetable Gardens How to Treat Common Garden Pests |
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Q&A - What are these plants in my flowerbed?
Question:
Hello Chris. These purple plants keep coming up in my flower bed. Any idea what they are? Answer: This resembles purple basil, but it is not. This is purple perilla. If in doubt, smell it. Purple perilla can be weedy and it self-sews seeds. It is an annual and likes full sun. Keep pulling it up and eventually it will go away. You can also cut off the seed heads if you can’t keep up with pulling the plants. It is used in Asian cuisine as a green in salads. Related Resources: Perilla Mint Herbs in Southern Gardens Beefsteak Plant |
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Q&A - When is a good time to plant pecans from seed?
Question:
I planted a Pecan in a pot in March. It is now eleven inches tall. When is a good time to put a pecan sapling in the ground and how long do they take to mature? Answer: Planting a pecan from a nut is not a good way to grow a pecan tree. Pecan trees cross pollinate so only half of the new tree is from the mother plant. It is best to buy pecan trees from a nursery. The best time to plant pecans is in the late winter. Old pecan varieties can take up to 15 years to start producing. There are some newer precocious varieties that will produce in five years. Related Resources: University of Georgia Pecan Page Pecan Planting & Fertilization Home Nut Tree Plan |
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Q&A - Does my Japanese maple have verticillium?
Question:
My Japanese Maple Acer Bloodgood has lost limbs of leaves. I read about Verticillium. Is there a simple way to confirm whether my Japenese Maple has Verticillium? I already tried a granular treatment to kill soil pests, with light fertilizer. Previously had a Yoshino Cherry in this same spot that had to be removed several years ago due to similar symptoms. Answer: Verticillium can affect Japanese maple trees but in this case it is more likely that the tree is stressed because of heat. When the tree is in full sun with intense heat and wind the tree will have whole branches of leaves dry out and fall off. If watered well. the affected branches will leaf out again. Japanese maple trees prefer some shade like would be found at the edge of a forest. This condition is not detrimental to the tree long term unless it happens many years in a row. Related Resources: Japanese Maple Common Japanese Maple Questions Verticillium Wilt of Woody Ornamentals |
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Q&A - How do I stop an armadillo from
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Q&A - Why are my peppers not producing?
Question:
I have 5 pepper plants and they are tall but are not producing and peppers? Is this common? Answer: Pepper plants have problems setting fruit when the daytime air temperatures are above 90 degrees and nighttime temperatures are above 75. When they don’t set fruit the blossoms fall off the plant. If this is the problem, when temperatures cool down they will set fruit. Another problem may be a lack of pollinators. Peppers are pollinated by insects. Pollinator plants like flowers will attract bees that will pollinate the peppers while they are there. Related Resources: Pepper Growing Sweet Peppers in Missouri Home Gardening Series: Peppers |
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Q&A - Where do tomato hornworms come from?
Question:
Can you please explain to “us gardeners” about these awful tomato hornworms? How and when they come to be on our tomato plants? Do hornworms come out of the soil or are they from eggs laid by large moths? Answer: Tomato Hornworms are the caterpillar of the large Sphynx moth (sometimes called hummingbird moth). The moth lays an egg and once hatched the hornworm caterpillar eats until it grows to approximately four inches in length. The caterpillar the goes into the soil where it pupates. The hornworms are very well camouflaged on tomato plants. You can see where they have eaten because of the leafless stems and they can often be found by looking for their excrement. They are easily controlled by picking them off, or by using BT (Bacillus thuringiensis). Tomato hornworms and tobacco hornworms both eat tomato leaves. The tomato hornworm has light colored V markings on the side while the tobacco hornworm has light colored slashes on the side. Related Resources: Hornworms and “Hummingbird” Moths Tomato Hornworms in Home Gardens |