Q I hope you can help.
We were late getting our grapevines cut back this year and didn’t get around to it until mid-March. Now it appears that water is coming out of the vines where they were cut. Have we ruined our grape crop this year, and is there anything we can do?
A Don’t be concerned. This is a common occurrence when pruning is done at the same time the sap is flowing upward freely. It alarms the gardener, but it really won’t hurt the grapevines - they won’t “bleed out.” Most of our plants have gotten a late start, so late pruning should not affect the plant in the slightest. In fact, I am still encouraging people to prune if they have not done so. Unpruned vines and fruit trees will beless productive than a pruned plant.
Q Fifty percent of our 20-year-old English boxwoods are turning copper in color. Any thoughts or suggestions? We are really concerned.
A Some varieties of boxwoods will turn bronze every fall and winter, while others only do so when stressed by cold or dry winter weather. As new growth begins, they should revert to their natural green color. If the bronze color persists, there may be another underlying problem with a disease or insect, but before doing anything, wait for the plants to begin new growth and then assess.
Q I absolutely love massed caladiums as opposed to thinner, lined-up ones.
How do I achieve the massed look in the flower bed and in containers? I’ve read that jumbo-size bulbs produce the most leaves. Do you agree?
A There is a correlation with the size of the bulb and the size of the plant, but I have had good luck even with the smaller bulbs.
You can also encourage a fuller, albeit slightly shorter plant by de-eyeing the bulb before planting. Caladium tubers (bulbs) have small eyes or sprouts on the bulb.
If you carefully remove the center or dominant eye with a small knife, the plants will produce more leaves and be shorter. The center eye, like the top bud on a branch, is dominant, and if left intact will result in a taller, thinner plant. Then, of course, plant spacing can also result in a fuller bed. Wait for the soil to warm up before planting caladium bulbs.
Q I’m sure this has been addressed before, but my granddaughter wants me to show her how to garden.
The problem is that at her home they have deer and lots of them. They consume everything, including even thorny roses. So, other than fencing, do I have any other options? Are there certain vegetables they don’t eat? We could put tomatoes in pots on the porch but would like to try other vegetables.
A I think that deer eat almost all vegetables, and they like most of them as much as you do. Electric fences are the foolproof method, but they don’t have to be left on all the time. You can actually put some peanut butter on a piece of aluminum foil (or duct tape), then turn it on. This will attract them; they’ll get zapped, and then they will stay away for a while. Turn off the fence until you see new signs of damage.
Q I was surprised to read your comment recently about not scalping your lawn. For bermuda and zoysia, it is recommended to do this once to remove all of the dead material from last year’s growing season. My lawn service company recommends it and so does the University of Arkansas Extension Service (uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/FSA-6023.pdf).
A There is a difference between scalping and low mowing. If you read the fact sheet you mentioned, it tells you not to scalp, but to mow at a lower level in the spring. The fact sheet states: “Before bermuda grass and zoysia grass begin to grow in the spring, mow the turf slightly shorter than normal to remove dead leaf blades and other debris.” Scalping can cut to the soil line, which can be damaging to the turf.
Janet Carson is a horticulture specialist for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Write to her at 2301 S. University Ave., Little Rock, Ark. 72204 or e-mail her at
HomeStyle, Pages 35 on 04/13/2013