Ask John

I like for pots to have year round appeal. So to get something 3 to 4 feet tall, I would first start with an evergreen like rosemary and tuck seasonal plants around it that are tough. For spring perhaps crocus or dwarf daffodils, summer lantana if in sun, impatiens in shade, and for fall marigolds, and pansies for winter. Most of these plant have to be watered and fertilized occasionally but are easy care.

Probably, cut the old rose buds off and keep clean water in the vase by changing it when it gets cloudy. If after a few weeks you will start seeing small rises on the stems that are in water they will generally put out roots if not they will eventually die.

In all likelihood it’s either oriental fruit moth or plum curculio.

Oriental fruit moth early in the season lays eggs in new shoot tips, larvae feed on the new growth, and there’s flagging of the tips (appears wilted). Once wood hardens and fruit are growing, subsequent generations of larvae go into the fruit and eat them on the inside. Best control is sanitation – cleaning up old fruit and leaves from previous year. Also use of a general home fruit tree spray can be helpful. Spraying just after petal fall (so bees are not affected) can help reduce populations and then spraying every couple of weeks during growing season could be helpful.

Plum curculio also affects fruit. The female lays eggs in fruit usually with a small crescent shaped cut, eggs hatch, and larvae eat internally in fruit. Spray control probably beginning about mid-May could be helpful.

For both insects, once larvae are inside the fruit, they are well protected from insecticide treatments. Only way to get them is spraying the adults prior to egg laying.

This is from a friend of mine who is an expert

That is a complicated recommendation. Put the superphosphate on first then wait a week to start your fertilizer applications. Since it is a berm, I would water throughly after each application but not to water run-off. Hope you have beautiful plants this year-john

I take all the old fronds off in general but with this mild winter if there are some that look good it is ok to leave them alone. It will not hurt the plants.

I am not sure. Certainly bees are attracted to clover in flower but that is a question for an entomologist-jaf

Sugar snaps, onions, greens and cole crops plant any time. I usually wait on seeding lettuce and spinach until the first of march.

The Library at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens has a local seed exchange program and would love for you to participate. Got to the Library and ask for Hope Long and she will be glad to help you.

Early to mid-march as the weather warms but before bloom and new foliage appears.

In you case- I would use the granular Bayer Tree and Shrub product that says lace wing control on label. I am sure the bigger hardware stores carry it.

My quick guess is you accidently let it get a bit dry. It should be ok if it blooms and start trying to put out a few leaves if it is in sun.

Of course you can cut it back, but don’t cut to the ground as I have lost mine cutting it back too much.

Any time between now and the first week of January.

Endless Summer should be pruned immediately after flower if you want to have flowers next year as they bloom on old wood. In the case of limelight the time to prune is in the late winter as these produce flowers on new growth.. As for daffodils and tulips you can purchase them now and refrigerate them until planting. I have waited as long as the first week of January but for me anytime after Thanksgiving is good for the metro area.

If you move them this winter say late December or early Jauuary you might not miss their late winter blooms. At transplanting I would remove all the old or ugly leaves. It is one of my favorites