| Question - Myra | Is it O.K. to trim back Rhodendrons right now in Regoin 7. How bout other shrubs? Thanks for your help |
| Answer Melinda Myers:
| Spring flowering shrubs like rhododendron, azaleas, forsythia, bridal wreath spirea and lilac set their flower buds on the previous season's growth. Wait until after they bloom if you want to control their growth and still have spring blooms. Summer blooming plants like potentilla and summer blooming spirea can be pruned during the dormant season. I like late winter pruning since the plants are able to recover quickly from the pruning. |
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| Question - Jane of Milwaukee | I had a large silver maple tree removed about five years ago. Now I have a problem with mushrooms growing where the tree use to be. I have tried digging them out but this doesn't seem to help. Any suggestions on how I can permanently get rid of this mushroom colony? |
| Answer Melinda Myers:
| Time is the best cure. Once the food source, the decaying tree roots and stump, has decomposed the fungus has no nutrient source and disappears. In the meantime the decay fungus continues to feed on the tree roots breaking them down into valuable organic matter for the soil. The mushrooms (fruiting body) appear during wet weather. The mushrooms wither and disappear as drier conditions return. Rake the mushrooms to break them apart making them less unsightly and tempting for kids and pets to eat. |
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| Question - Julie of Brookfield | What type of bush would you recommend for a hedge? I need something tall and dense to run along my fence line. |
| Answer Melinda Myers:
| I prefer a mixed hedge whenever possible. If you have enough room Julie consider using a mix of evergreens and deciduous plants, those that lose their leaves in winter. Arborvitae has been a long time favorite. Some of the newer upright junipers are great choices for hot dry full sun locations. Hedge cotoneaster, dwarf Corneliancherry dogwood, gray dogwood (it will spread quickly), and arrowwood viburnum are a few of the deciduous plants that provide seasonal interest and can be used for hedging. |
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| Question - Cherie of Waukesha | I recently went out and took a look at my rose garden. All the stems look brown, no green anywhere even slightly. Are they dead? Please say they are not. |
| Answer Melinda Myers:
| The dry season, followed by a sudden temperature drop in December, warm January and constantly fluctuating temperatures has been hard on all our plants. Don't give up on your roses. If they are hybrid teas and you planted them with the graft several inches below the soil surface they may be alright. Many years ago we had major rose dieback and I saw hybrid tea rose die back to the ground but send new growth from the graft union in mid June. If the graft is killed, new growth often sprouts from the hardy rootstock. It is usually stouter, thornier and may not bloom. If it does bloom the flower is different than the grafted rose you purchased. Shrub roses are on their own roots and have been known to dieback to the ground and still recover. This is going to be a spring of wait and see. As temperatures remain at or above freezing you can start your pruning. Look at the inside of the canes to determine if they are living or dead. Canes that are brown in the center are dead and can be pruned back to the point where the insides are white. This is also a good time to remove diseased or brittle canes. Then wait. |
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| Question - Margaret of
Brown Deer
| I receive many catalogs from which to order flowers, trees, shrubs, etc. I have heard horror stories about some of them. Can you recommend a reputable company, either online or mail order, from which to order? Thanks. |
| Answer Melinda Myers:
| I think all of us are overwhelmed by the many garden catalogues that arrive each January. Ask friends and relatives for recommendations on companies they have had success working with. You may want to check out the Mailorder Gardening Association (MGA) website. They are a nonprofit organization that works with mail order companies to help them better serve their clients. They also provide tips to gardeners on ordering and handling mail order gardening products once they arrive. There web address is www.mailordergardening.com. |
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| Question -
| I learned from your recent Great Lakes Gardeners show that, as soon as the ground thaws I must rearrange the mulch around my 3 year old apple trees to eliminate the "volcano effect". Beneath the mulch I have a landscape fabric to suppress weeds. Is that a good or bad idea? |
| Answer Melinda Myers:
| It would be better for the tree and you in the long run to remove the weed barrier. This material does not allow the organic matter from the decomposing woodchips to mix with and improve the soil below. IN addition as the woodchips decompose they form a nice compost that is perfect for weed seeds to land in, sprout and grow. I have even seen surrounding grass grow into the composted woodchips and root right through the weed barrier. This makes it difficult to remove. So John, pick a good day for a work out or gather a few strong friends and remove weed barrier beneath the woodchips. This product works well under stone where you want to keep the rock mulch out of the soil. Thanks for watching Great Lakes Gardener. |
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| Question -
| How can I get rid of whiteflies in my garden? |
| Answer Melinda Myers:
| Cold winter temperatures in northern gardens will eliminate the outdoor whitefly population each fall. Most of our garden plants can tolerate their feeding throughout the growing season. The relatively small population and good growing conditions make them a minimal threat to the garden. If they are damaging the plant you can hang yellow sticky traps in the garden. The insects are attracted to the yellow, stick and die. Insecticides can also provide control but repeated applications are needed. I worry that we are causing more harm by spraying unnecessary chemicals in the garden. You might want to save these for the damaging pests. |
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| Question -
| One of the six apple trees which I planted in the summer of 2003 (a Honeycrisp), although it produces lots of foliage, has never had a single blossom. Is there anything I can do to get it going? I have never pruned it. |
| Answer Melinda Myers:
| No blooms and all leaves are great. The first few years after transplanting you want you apple tree to put down a large root system and establish a healthy framework. You should start pruning now to help your tree develop a strong and productive structure. Consider using the central or modified central leader system. You will have a main trunk with several large branches spiraling up the trunk. Train 5 to 7 main branches for dwarf trees and 7 to 9 for standard apple trees. See my Month by Month Gardening in Wisconsin, Month by Month Gardening in Minnesota or the University of Wisconsin Extension bulletin Growing Apples in Wisconsin for more details. Dwarf trees should start blooming and be allowed to develop fruit in about 4 or 5 years while standard trees take a bit longer, 6 or 7 years |
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| Question - Diane of Cedarburg
| Could you email a list of pool side plants, both flowers and small trees that would be appropriate for near a swimming pool. The area is 8' by 12' so I can put an assortment of plants in it. Or could you recommend a time and person that I could meet at the Port Washington Road location that could advise me what choices I have so I can begin the planning stages. |
| Answer Melinda Myers:
| Flowering plants always look nice near a pool but the dropping petals and fruit can mean more work. You may want to opt for something with nice form. A weeping katsura is a beautiful tree but will eventually fill the space. Some gardeners like the weeping forms of artic willow or dappled willow. These are plants grafted on straight trunks. You contain the size by pruing the canopy.
Many gardeners like ornamental grasses. The movement and fine texture is nice near a pool. Team this with a few perennials that bloom at different times throughout the season or annuals for summer long color. Add a few dwarf evergreens for structure and you have a nice mixed border.
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| I have had several e-mails from gardeners concerning termite infested mulch coming from the Hurricane Katrina area. I want to thank the Wisconsin Green Industry Federation for forwarding the following information. Hope you find it helpful |
| Melinda Myers:
| “The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Office of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has quarantines in place in the Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita affected parishes of Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St.
Charles, St. John, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington.
All woody debris in the quarantined areas is going to an approved landfill within the designated quarantine area. There are a multitude of government (state and federal) agencies that are looking at this debris every day as it is deposited into these landfills. The contractors mulching and hauling the debris know the regulations and are abiding by them according to the quarantine requirements. “ Assistant Commissioner
Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry
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| Question -
| My pond had always been relatively clear, some Algae Fix used weekly, until a Labrador Retriever decided to take a dip in my pond. Now, and I don't know if the dog had anything to do with it, I am struggling to rid my pond of sludge. I have used sludge remover products galore to no avail, and I haven't vacuumed because there is no way I could get it all since it has covered everything from the gravel on the bottom to the lily leaves that float on the top. |
| Answer Melinda Myers:
| This is a common concern and can be a problem for pond owners. Let’s start by looking at the pond as a whole. Algae needs light, water and nutrients to grow. Keeping much of the water surface (1/3 to ½) covered with plants will help reduce algae problems. Next look at the plant fertilization and fish population. Overfertilization of water plants and too many nitrogen emitting fish (their feces) can cause problems with algae. Consider the fish manure your plants’ fertilizer. Only add more if the plants show signs of nutrient stress. Now look at the area around your water garden. Make sure lawn fertilizer is not washing into the pond. These extra nutrients can lead to more algae growth. Evaluate your pump and filter system. These should be rated to handle the volume of water in your pond. Circulating water will help reduce algae problems. An effective filtering system is also important in keeping the pond’s ecosystem in balance. A balanced system means you do minimal work to keep it healthy. One last thing. The green slimy algae found on the sides and bottom of the pond is actually a good part of the pond’s ecosystem. It provides as much as 60% of the oxygen in the water. Avoid scrubbing this off the pond during spring and fall cleanup. |
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Thank You all for joining me for another chat session. This was our first month of chats, and I hope you are enjoying it. I would love any feedback you can offer!
Until next time Happy Gardening! 
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