In the garden

Q Last year our beautiful Bradford pear tree lost its leaves during the drought.

This spring I thought it was coming back but it seems to have many large branches without buds. What should we do? We hate to lose it. We live in Hot Springs Village.

A Many gardeners are going to need to assess the health of their trees and shrubs this spring as they leaf out. We don’t know yet how well they have made it through two terribly dry summers, coupled with last winter’s ice and snow. We have had a slow green-up this spring, so don’t throw in the towel just yet.

I would give it another week or two of warmer weather to fully leaf out and then decide. You can thin out dead branches if there is enough life left to make the tree salvageable.

Consider, however, that ornamental pear trees tend to fall apart in storms, so you may be better served by removing it and replacing with a tougher tree. For all plants that have suffered damage, prune out dead or damaged branches, and give them extra care this growing season. Adequate water is critical for success, so don’t let them get overly stressed this summer. A light application of fertilizer broadcast throughout the yard can also help, but water is vital. Let’s hope it isn’t another bad summer.

Q Due to projected construction on the street behind our lot, I will lose part or all of my asparagus bed. I want to leave it intact until after it bears this month. Can I then dig up and store the roots until after the construction is finished and then re-establish a bed? How should I handle the roots during storage?

A Definitely wait if you can, until after harvest, which is happening now. When you have finished, your best bet would be to find another area of your yard and basically “heel” the plants in. Bring in a few bags of compost and dump them in an unused part of the yard, then dig up the asparagus plants and move them there, mulch them and keep them watered. When construction is over, move them back to their original spot. You may not have as much production next year, since you are crowding the plants all in one spot,so don’t over-harvest next spring. Stop picking when spears are smaller than a pencil in diameter. This option is better than putting the crowns in dry or cold storage all summer, which will deprive them of new growth that replenishes the crowns to bear in future years.

Q My husband gave me an Easter lily for Easter. It has finally finished blooming and I was wondering if I planted it outdoors would it thrive, or do I keep it inside? I had heard that when plants such as lilies or tulips are “forced” in a hot house they have pretty much used up their life. Is this true?

A While it is true that spring bulbs like tulips and hyacinths don’t do much after they are forced, the same is not true of Easter lilies or lilies in general. They have a longer growth period and the foliage will continue to grow outdoors. If they get enough new energy, they will bloom year after year.

Plant it outside in a well drained spot with at least six hours of sunlight. If the foliage gets stressed and begins to die back when you plant it, don’t panic.

It will put up new growth soon. Next year, the plant will come up and bloom,but usually not at Easter; late spring to early summer is normal. Over time, the plant will multiply and you will have a reminder of your husband’s thoughtfulness for years to come.

Q What is the best mulch for tomatoes that can be tilled into the soil in the fall? We have a large vegetable garden.

A Mulch is an important part of gardening and using organic mulch will help to improve your soil over time. Any organic mulch will work, from shredded leaves or paper, newspaper, compost and even dried grass clippings.

Remove spent tomato plants at the end of the season, as they often have disease issues that you don’t want to add to the soil. Adding organic mulch will improve your soil. Many people worry about the acidity of pine needles, but they may also be used as mulch. They break down more slowly and will make the soil more acidic over time, so lime would also need to be added.

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

[email protected]

HomeStyle, Pages 35 on 04/20/2013

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