The vining hydrangea – Hydrangea petiolaris – rarely needs pruning, largely because it grows rather slowly. Nevertheless, it’s a magnificent and underused deciduous vine that produces beautiful white flowers.
Q: IS IT NECESSARY TO PRUNE CRAPE MYRTLES?
A: No. There’s absolutely no botanical or horticultural reason to prune crape myrtles (Lagerstromia indica), even though it’s a common practice. My theory is that landscape contractors, in an attempt to increase billable hours, began the practice of pruning crape myrtles (called “crape murder” in some circles, even though pruning won’t actually harm the plant). When other folks saw the results of landscapers’ efforts, they figured they should go home and prune theirs in the same way. Again, the only reason to prune is to remove damaged or diseased growth, or to improve the overall look of the tree or shrub.
Q: I HAVE A LOW SPOT ALONG THE BACK OF MY YARD ROUGHLY 30-FEET LONG THAT STAYS FAIRLY MOIST AND GETS ABOUT A HALF DAY OF SUN. I’D LIKE TO PLANT A LOW-MAINTENCE SHRUB. I GARDEN IN ZONE 6. ANY IDEAS?
A: Try Itea virginica, better known as Virginia sweetspire, which is native to the southeastern U.S. and hardy to Zone 5. It’s one of my favorite shrubs, and it offers four seasons of interest. In the spring, it produces lime-green leaves followed by beautiful white flowers in early summer. The fall color is a gorgeous red, and in winter the stems are also red.
Sweetspire loves moist soils, where it will spread via underground runners. The most readily available sweetspire is known as ‘Henry’s Garnett. The standard grows to five or six feet. The dwarf tops out at three feet.
Q: I GARDEN IN ZONE 5 AND NEED A SMALL TREE FOR A COURTYARD AREA THAT GETS FULL SUN UNTIL AROUND 5PM. I’D PREFER SOMETHING THAT FLOWERS. WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST?
A: The obvious answer would be a redbud (Cercis canadensis). It’s a great tree, and it rarely grows taller than 20 to 25 feet. However, I’d encourage you to try Styrax japonicus, the Japanese Snowbell. It’s rarely seen in American gardens, but it’s perfect for small properties, topping out at 15 to 20 feet. It leafs out in early spring, and produces literally thousands of small, white, bell-shaped flowers in early summer. What’s more, it has no serious pest or disease problems. Just make sure you plant it where you want it because it doesn’t transplant well.
“Parents are not interested in justice. They are interested in quiet.” – Bill Cosby
“We had a quicksand box in our backyard. I was an only child, eventually.” -- Steven Wright
“Adults are obsolete children.” – Dr. Seuss
“The most important time you can spend in the garden is the time you spend not gardening.” – Paul James
“You have to live life to love life, and you have to love life to live life. It’s a vicious circle.” -- Unknown
”In spite of the cost of living, it’s still popular.” – Kathleen Norris
Q: WHY ISN’T YOUR SHOW ON MORE OFTEN? AND WHY IS THE TIME SLOT SO EARLY?
A: I have no control over when or how often my show airs. Those decisions are made by the powers that be at HGTV. I suggest you record them if you don’t like getting up so early.
By the way, the show is no longer in production. After 13 years and 19 seasons, the network has decided that they have all the inventory they need. I did shoot 26 new episodes in 2008, and they should start airing soon. What’s more, the show will likely be on the air as reruns for another 3 or 4 years.
Q: WHEN SHOULD I PRUNE MY HYDRANGEAS?
A: A better question is Why should you prune your hydrangeas? I don’t prune my hydrangeas – I have 25 or so of them – unless they are diseased, damaged, or just look weird.
But if you insist on pruning them, you need to know which hydrangea you have, because the flowering patterns differ depending on the species
The most familiar of the lot – Hydrangea
macrophylla – also known as the big-leaf hydrangeas, blooms on old wood. (‘Nikko Blue’ is a popular example.) In other words, it produces flower buds on the previous years’ growth. As a result, you should wait until after it flowers spring to do any pruning.
Hydrangea quercifolia – the Oak-Leaf hydrangea – also produces flowers on old wood and rarely needs pruning. It is, however, stoloniferous, meaning it sends up shoots via underground runners, but it’s not the least bit invasive.
PeeGee hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata)
and wild hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens) bloom on the current seasons’ growth. They can be fairly aggressively pruned in late winter to early spring and still put on a showy display of flowers.
THE GARDENER GUY’S Q&A
When I do personal appearances, the format is a simple Q&A. It’s more like a cheesy nightclub act than a traditional gardening lecture. But I like hearing what concerns gardeners most, and I like interacting with the audience. So here’s the online version of my live act. And by the way, the questions are pulled from emails you provide, so keep them coming. Just go to the “Comments / Contact Us” tab. I’ll update this page weekly.
MAY 15 UPDATED Q & A
Potting Mix for Containers
Ty in Chicago is growing all kinds of fruit trees in large containers, and wants to know about a good potting mix. Well Ty, just about any all-purpose potting mix will do, but you might call a few area nurseries to find out if they make their own. In my experience, such mixes are superior to those found at other retail outlets such as box stores. And they may be available in bulk, which can save you some money. The only thing I don’t like about them is that they often contain slow-release synthetic fertilizers, but you might be able to get them without the stuff.
And by the way, say hello to Savannah and Maddy from “the crazy guy on TV.”
Pepper Flower Power
Jill in Missouri say her neighbor advised her to remove the flowers from young pepper plants, and wants to know whether she should take her advice.
The answer is yes, Jill. Young pepper plants – as well as tomatoes and eggplants – will often begin to flower while the plant is quite young, say no more than a foot tall. It’s a good idea to remove the flowers as they appear to divert energy back into root and foliar growth. Just pinch them off with you fingers.
Once the plants are nice and bushy and a tad taller, you can stop the process and let them develop fruit.
Eye Strain a Pain
Norma says the white text on a black background makes my website difficult to read. Well, Norma, I was worried about that myself when we set out to design the site, so we conducted tests and concluded that the color scheme did not seriously affect readability. However, if we get more complaints we’ll consider changing the colors.
Facial Hair
Finally, here’s a comment from Terri, who didn’t mention where she was from:
“Keep the mustache above the lip, please.”
C’mon, Terri. I like experimenting with facial hair. Although to be honest, I don’t think my wife likes it either.
OH!!!!! MY EYES!!!!!!!!
Nice Soul Patch
May 1st Q & A
Mower Deck Washer
Tom is looking for the mower deck washer I used in a show, and again, I’m sorry to say that particular product is no longer available. However, I did find a similar version at www.hectorshardware.com. It goes for $41.99. It too attaches to the mower deck and uses water pressure from the hose to clean the underside of the deck. I’d send you mine but I gave it to my boys.
Broadfork
Okay, so I promised to update the Q&A weekly, but failed miserably. Sorry. Now it’s time to redeem myself and regain your trust with answers to questions I’ve received since the first of the month. And by the way, when submitting a plant question, please remember to include your USDA hardiness zone, and tell me as much about the site as possible, in particular the quality of the soil and the amount of sunlight the area receives.
Source for Topdressing
Jim in Nevada and Todd in Ohio asked where they could obtain a topdressing I used in a show that was shot in 2008.
Topdressings are basically sifted compost products that can be applied to garden beds. If they’re sifted properly (with the larger chunks removed) they can also be applied to lawns using a broadcast spreader.
Unfortunately, topdressings have never really caught on. And that’s too bad. They are an excellent source of organic nutrients and amend the soil in a way no other product can. Fact is, if you apply a topdressing once or twice a year and use a mulching mower, you’ll never need to buy another bag of lawn fertilizer.
Even more unfortunate is that the manufacturer of the topdressing I used in the show no longer makes the stuff. Try calling local nurseries or feed stores or even farm-supply companies to find out if they have a similar product. And realize that some folks have no idea what topdressings are, so be prepared to explain yourself. They may actually have what you’re looking for in the form of composted and sifted chicken or turkey manure, cow manure mixed with alfalfa, or just plain compost. They may not be exactly the same thing I used, but they’ll do the trick.
Wants to Buy a Broadfork
Jackie from Maryland wants to buy a broadfork for her husband, John. Broadforks are heavy-duty tools that are used to open up and aerate the soil without destroying its structure or disturbing soil layers. A good garden fork will work, but a broadfork will work even better.
The broadfork I used in my show, which is called a Gundaroo Tiller, is available for $175 at www.allsun.com.au/. Another model, designed by renowned gardener Eliot Coleman, is sold by one of our sponsors, Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Archive Q and A
