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“Dear Ruth” Column
Category: 'Dear Ruth' Column, Presenting "The Curious Gardener"
The “Dear Ruth” Column for Gardening Questions
Ruth Rogers Clausen is a horticulturist, journalist and author who is partnering with Womanswork to produce the “Dear Ruth” column.
Ruth grew up in Wales and studied horticulture at Studley College in England. She has contributed greatly to her profession as a writer of tomes (Perennials for American Gardens, Random House; Essential Perennials, Timber Press); an editor of gardening magazines; and a lecturer, advisor and judge for botanical gardens and flower shows all across the country and around the world.
For many years Ruth gardened in Westchester County, NY (Zone 6), and more recently has been gardening in Maryland where she grows an eclectic range of plants. Her plant choices reflect those plants that do well in her region and throughout the northeast and mid-atlantic.
Ruth wrote a book for Timber Press titled 50 Beautiful Deer-Resistant Plants: The Prettiest Annuals, Perennials, Bulbs, and Shrubs that Deer Don’t Eat, and more recently co-wrote with Tom Christopher a book, Essential Perennials, also for Timber Press.
Write your questions in the Comments section below and Ruth will respond in a timely manner.
Sarah Hi,
I think I did miss your post-sorry. Why not try hardy geraniums like ‘Rozanne’ that blooms a long time? Also Astilbes come in various heights with white, pink, or red flowers; ferns always look attractive in front of hydrangeas, especially variegated Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum). Lady’s mantle ((Alchemilla mollis) blooms earlier, but the foliage is really pretty and the deer don’t like it. I hope these will work for you.
Happy Spring.
Hi Karen,
Sounds like you will have a nice crop of veggies later on. Some people use powdered cinnamon as a dust to get rid of mold on soilless mix and find it successful although i have not used it myself. Unless the plants are dying from damping off, the mold probably will not be a problem. It feeds on decaying material in the mix not on live plants. I would not spray with vinegar or isopropyl alcohol. Are you keeping the soil too wet? Although the plants are in a warm place (perhaps too warm), it is still easy to overwater. Good luck.
Good to see you here again Nel. You are confusing Christmas cactus with poinsettias that need a period of darkness to color up the next year. With Christmas cactus, just remove the spent blooms or allow them to shrivel and drop off. I assume the plant is still indoors until after all threat of cold weather is passed. I put mine outdoors in a lightly shaded spot for the summer. Keep it watered (don’t allow to dry out; this is not a desert cactus) and feed very lightly every couple of months. When temperatures drop in fall, look for tiny buds forming on the ends of the leaves. These develop in response to cooler days and nights. Bring the plant indoors before frost to a cool, bright room. Depending upon the variety, flowers may come into bloom at Thanksgiving, Christmas, or later as yours did this year. Enjoy.
Dear Ruth,
We have an abundance of bunnies in our area. How high a fence does one needed to protect tender vegetables. We love the bunnies but prefer they eat clover. Thanks! Georgia and Katie
Hi Georgia and Katie,
I wonder if you have already been unsuccessful with keeping the bunnies out with a low fence? It is best to have one 2ft or so high (insert bamboos or canes at intervals to keep it upright) with about 6″-8″ buried in the ground and bent inwards towards the garden. Some bunnies burrow but this should keep them out. Chicken wire mesh works well with holes no larger than 1″. Better luck this time.
Dear Ruth,
My spring bulbs came up healthy with blooms that shriveled and dried. What do you think? Sharyn
Hi Sharyn,
That is a disappointment. I expect that they got frozen while still in bud, as well as the tips of the leaves. Do you remember how cold it was after they were up and it appeared spring was here?. We had a very cold snap here as well and experienced some of the same problem as you did. Hope for more even temps next spring. Don’t cut the foliage until it is really brown. The bulbs will be fine.
Dear Ruth,
Sorry to bother you so soon ,but here in Raleigh, we are going to have freezing weather Sat. night. What can I do for the grapes, blueberries, roses already blooming?? Thank you, Sharyn
Hi Sharyn,
Hope the frost wasn’t too bad last night. We had it as well and I have lost a few leaves but nothing serious. If you have time and energy, cover anything that is frost-prone with bed sheets or towels just to keep the frost off; remove as the temps warm during the day. If the roses for example have been frosted, they will probably putout another flush of bloom soon. Grapes and blueberries MAY rebloom as well. Keep your fingers crossed and stay warm. Ruth
I have an established nectarine tree that has “peach curl”. The tree already has lots of fruit on it so I guess it is too late to do anything about the peach curl until fall. If I try to take off all the leaves, the tree will be bare. Help, can I do anything now? BTW, I live in the Bay Area and we have had both rain and very warm weather.
Hi Ginger,
Sorry to hear about your peach leaf curl. You are correct in thinking there is not much you can do right away. However I suggest you rake up and destroy any leaves that fall. (no composting) . This disease is caused by ‘Taphrina deformans’, an aptly named fungus that causes the leaves to become deformed. However flowers, fruits, and young shoots are also affected. In fall prune out as much affected growth as you can.When the tree becomes dormant spray with a copper-based fungicide. You would be wise to contact your local Cooperative Extension office (in the blue or yellow pages, or online) for sprays that they recommend for your area.
Thank you for the answers. Should I prune out the tree and remove all the nectarines that already are on the tree? There are many, so I don’t know if the tree will bear any more fruit this year?
Hi Ginger,
No, don’t prune anything now, wait until FALL. Many of the fruits will drop I expect anyway, but don’t get upset about it!
Hi Ruth-
I have two ornamental cherry trees. One is Okame, the other a weeping bariety. They flowered several weeks early this year because it got so warm for a short time. Then it got very cold again and the leaves that would have followed the flowers all died. Now, there are very few leaves on either tree. They look terrible. Do you think thry will bounce back? Thanks
Hi Ruth,
Moved and want to do potted herb garden, I have 2 big round planters/pots…any suggestions on what goes good together…
I.E. basil, rosemary, chives, parsley….how much can I fit in these pots they are about 1.5 feet in diameter
Thanks:)
Lauren
Wire worms have infiltrated my strawberry patch. I know that there is nothing registered in the U.S. that I can use on them. Besides, my garden is organic, so I hesitate to use any pesticides. Much as I hate to, I think I am going to have to dig them up, leave the bed fallow for a year and then replant a different crop. I would like to know if I am doing the right thing or ifyou have any recommendations that perhaps would save my berries? Thank you.
Hi Maude,
So sorry for the delay and for the problem with your cherry trees. I think they will bounce back and put out another crop of leaves, now that the weather is more settled. No more flowers this year though. Make sure you keep them watered if it gets dry. Good luck with them.
Hi Lauren,
You can pack small potted herbs in quite tightly. Combinations that I like include tall rosemary in the middle surrounded by parsley, chives, and thymes tumbling over the edge. With basil, look for different colored foliages and habits. There are so many different kinds. I saw a huge container of blue basil outside a bar in Budapest once and it looked terrific all by itself. If you like, add feathery dill. If you start dill from seed put several seeds in the pot together-just one is really wimpy.
Hi Susan,
I think it might be wise to leave the bed fallow for a year and then replant the bed with another crop.Contact your local Cooperative Extension office for good advice and ask them about beneficial nematodes (Scanmask®). I have not had personal experience with wireworm infestations, but I think the Extension office probably has good advice. Do let me know what they suggest.
Hello There, I have 2 peony plants that are about 5 or 6 years old. They are healthy, have lots of leaves, but only 3 or 4 flowers. How can I get more flowers?
I enjoy womanswork products very much.
Thank you,
Mary Burgess
Dear Ruth,
Can you give any insight on Iris that look good with no blooms. These are established plants. Thank you for all your expertise. Sharyn
Hello,
I’d like to know why my two climbing hydrangeas, planted on my semi-shady patio in a deep raised bed against a wood lattice on a wall, hasn’t bloomed for several years. They did produce blooms for about the first two years when I planted them about eight years ago. The lovely green leaves always come out in spring and climb aggressively, but that’s it.
Thanks,
Helen
Hi Helen,
Do you fertilize your climbing hydrangeas?You say they grow well and put on a lot of growth but with no flowers. Too rich a soil (maybe next to a lawn that gets watered and fertilized?) is often the culprit with plants that have tons of vegetation but few or no flowers. Try to keep the soil a little on the dry side as well. I hope this will work for you. If not, the plants may need a good pruning to shock them into bloom. Good luck.
Hello Mary,
No flowers on your peonies eh? I wonder if the plants ever bloomed? Often they are planted in full sun but then surrounding shrubs and trees grow up and create too much shade. Peonies MUST have full sun and rich soil to do well. A nice mulch to keep the roots moist and cool in summer and plenty of manure or rich soil for them to grow in usually does the trick. Hope it works for next year.
Hi Sharyn,
I’m sorry about your no- bloom irises. You don’t say what kind they are–maybe bearded or German iris with grayish leaves?. These like sunshine and not “wet feet”. Usually they are pretty tough and bloom freely although for only a week to 10 days. Were you away at the wrong time? Siberian iris are also tough but do OK in shade for part of the day. They thrive in average soil but should not become desiccated in high summer. Japanese iris prefer wetter soil and will grow even on the edge of shallow water. They also will take a little shade for part of the day but don’t require it. Average to rich soil is fine for them. Hope this helps.
My shasta daisies grow beautifully and about 2 1/2 feet tall. It never fails that as they begin to bloom, there is a windy thunderstorm that leaves them lying down on the ground. Is there a variety of daisy that doesn’t grow as tall? I live in northeast Tennessee.
Hi Rita,
Not all Shasta daisies are tall. I don’t know what kind you have but 24″-36″ (‘Becky’, ‘Crazy Daisy’) is about the usual range although several varieties are at least 3′ tall & ‘Chiffon’ may reach 4′. Here are a few that do not grow so tall: ‘Daisy Mae’ 12″-24″; ‘Little Miss Muffet 12″; ‘Esther Read’ 15″; ‘Broadway Lights’ 18″-24″; ‘Laspider’ 12″-14″. Hope you will try some of these and find they fit your garden better. Cheers Ruth
I am getting ready to plant some Florence fennel in my yard but have been given the impression that it may be too hot for it to grow successfully in Central Florida. Would appreciate your thoughts, Ruth.
Hello, Ruth,
I am wondering about my hydrangeas, which are behaving differently this year. In the past, the “sticks” that are left from last summer develop buds, which turn into new growth. I only prune out the ones which are obviously dead. This year, with a mild winter here in Westchester, NY, nothing is happening with those sticks, and new leaves are only developing at the bottom of the plants. Is it safe to just cut down the sticks, or will I be destroying potential flowers?
Thanks for your advice!
Hi Holly,
Since Florence fennel does not care for overly hot conditions for germination, it is advisable to wait until September or October to sow your seeds. They are slow growing and may take as long as 100 days from sowing the seed to having decent sized “bulbs”. However you can harvest leaves along the way and enjoy them in salads etc. If you see young transplants in the garden center, check with the staff there: it may be fine to put in young plants now or in a few weeks time.
Hello Jean,
I wonder where you are in Westchester Co., NY where I used to live! No, go ahead and cut back the “sticks” to the ground. They just look ugly I expect and will not put out new buds at this point. Probably you had a blast of cold at some point that froze the buds on the old stems. It’s good that there is strong growth coming from the base of the plant which you shows the plants are healthy. These may bloom this year, but should next year.
Thanks, Ruth. I was about to decide to cut them off, since they look pretty dead, but I appreciate your comments.
I live in Chappaqua, probably near your former stamping grounds!
Jean
Dear Ruth,
Can you diagnose an ailing acanthus in Philadelphia? I planted one in the shade in the greatest soil, with even moisture 5 years ago. Nuthin’ happened. It didn’t die, but never really grew. I moved it to full sun with good soil and a regular wetting and drying out routine. Worse. It puts out sparse foliage that has already yellowed by late June. A friend planted the same plant at the same time in shade and has a 3 foot mound of heroic foliage and a truly regal bloom. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Laura,
Too bad about your acanthus. They are reasonably flexible as far as water goes but should never be waterlogged. Also too much shade or full sun are not good–an even mixture of sun and shade work best usually –I think your friend is lucky!.
Is it possible that the soil is contaminated, near a gas or oil leak or something? I would try again with a healthy plant in light shade, with not overly rich, but well-drained soil. Wish I could help more.
Hi Ruth,
I have a peony bush and was wondering if it’s okay to cut it to the ground right now?
It’s pretty hot right now where I live and wasn’t sure if this would effect it next year from coming up.
Thank you
Thanks for this, Ruth. I suspect you are rigt on track with your observations. I’m going to move it again to a more steady spot and keep my fingers crossed.
Hi Regina,
Do you really have to cut your peony down right away? As long as it still has good-looking foliage I would be inclined to leave it alone. It will die back naturally in a few months. If it is necessary to cut it down, go ahead but be careful that only the leaf stems (petioles) get cut. There may be some buds close to the surface.
Greetings, Ruth, my question regards my Mozart Iris. I have lots of greenery but not many blooms. Should I cut back the greens? I appreciate the opportunity to contact you. Margaret
HI Margaret,
I am not familiar with the iris ‘Mozart’ but feel sure that it must be an old (maybe 1800s) bearded cultivar. It sounds as if you are feeding it a bit too much. Is it growing next to a lawn that is fertilized and watered regularly? Bearded iris prefer to be a little on the dry side, in not very rich soil. Both result in excess foliage and fewer blooms. Yes, cut the foliage to about 12″-15″ tall to allow the rhizomes (fat roots) to ripen in the sun. They should be about 1/2 exposed i.e.. planted horizontally to only about 1/2 their diameter. Good luck with these. I hope next year they do better.
Hello, I had milkweed in my rough garden up north in Michigan specifically for the Monarch’s & they’re awful plight. It was so bad year after year I’d get less and less in my garden. Now I live in Spring Hill, FL year round. Can I plant it here? Does it need to rest? How can I buy or get a few plants?
Dear Marcia,
Monarchs are having a difficult time as we know. In Florida there are actually some 35-40 native species, some such as swamp milkweed and butterfly weed that you are already familiar with from Michigan. So yes, you can plant in your new garden. Check your local garden centers and nurseries as the plants are probably readily available there. They do not like to be disturbed so I suggest you leave the ones that you had in MI and start with new plants. Hope the monarchs come.
Will my alstromerias come up for a second crop tis late summer?
thank you for your time
My lilac bushes have been on the property over 40 years. Other than thinning occasionally, they have required no other care. Although located in 3 different areas, all are now showing these symptoms – branches having leaves leaves with yellow edges, black spots, then dying; other branches with a white powdery look. What is needed to have healthy bushes again.
RUTH,
I have a red leaf plum variety on the east side of the house. Red leaves turning yellowish into the fall. I am told that it is rare. It is nine feet tall with a ten inch diameter trunk. The bark has fallen off over an area of three inches wide and ten inches long on the lower portion of the trunk. Facing west. The branches fan out like the fingers of my hand. I have had the tree for over fifteen years. No problems with the tree. No evidence of insects. I have another tree like this on the east side of the house. No problems. Is this something to be concerned about? I live in central NJ.
The tree that my previous message referred to is a “CORAL BARK MAPLE”.
Charles Engelberg
Susanna,
i am so sorry to have overlooked your email about your alstroemerias. By this time you will have realized that they usually only bloom once per season, although sometimes a few with throw a few blooms later. I hope it has been a good season for young that you will have a good crop next year.
Hi Rosemarie,
It sounds like your lilacs have a case of powdery mildew. This is very common on lilacs especially after a hot and humid summer. You can spray if you want, although the leaves are gong to drop soon anyway. Be sure to rake up and destroy all fallen leaves as the spore of powdery mildew will overwinter on them.Prune out any badly infected shoots next spring as soon as you see them. Keep free of weeds and apply mulch next spring to retain soil moisture and reduce stress.You may need to thin the branches again.After 40 years consider replacing them if they are unsightly next year. They have done well for you.
Hi Charles, seems you have a couple of questions here. Is the tree facing west the one losing it’s bark? If so, I think it may have been due to sunburn which happens from time to time in very sunny seasons or frost burn in severe winters. It really prefers an easterly or northerly facing location. Prune out old and dead branches in winter to encourage young red-stemmed growth. If the leaves are yellowing prematurely, it may be due to fusarium wilt, in which case you may lose the specimen. Hope this helps.
I have a rose bush which has something stripping the leaves off the stem, and creating holes in the leaves. Do you have any idea what I should do to combat this?
Concerned about mulch I used in rose and flower garden these last two summers [dark dyed mulch]. Wanting to change to another healthier choice for garden and me. [I contracted both a nasty tick bite and this year a fungal infection from mulch and rose thorn]. In Kansas City area and need something to help with weeds but still letting my full mixed flowers, bulbs, dahlias and garden roses thrive. What would you suggest for mulch?
Dear Joyce,
It sounds like you have rose chafers attacking your roses. Have you seen any beetle-like visitors on the flowers or foliage? Are the flowers also attacked? They are similar but a little smaller than Japanese beetles. If you see either of them, pick them off by hand and drop them into a jelly jar of soapy water to drown. Next year keep a sharp look out for young ones and destroy them before they become a real nuisance.
All the best, Ruth