In the garden

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Q Last year my dog didn’t want to go in the yard in the spring because there were so many stickers.

I know you said something about preventing them, but have I waited too late? I know when I asked last year when we had the stickers it was too late, but I would really like to know what to do to prevent a similar problem this year.

A Spurweed is a winter weed that is up and growing now, but there shouldn’t be any stickers yet. The stickers are the seeds that form after it blooms in later winter to early spring. Pick a warm day and use a broadleaf weed killer in the area where you had the problem. If you are seeing greening in your dormant lawn, chances are good that the green you are seeing is winter weeds.

Spurweed, chickweed, henbit and wild onions and garlic are all up and running. You don’t have to spray everywhere, just where you have problems. Remember, a thick, dense lawn can also be a good deterrent to weeds. Don’t spray on a windy or particularly cold day.

Q My friend gave me a poinsettia the weekend after Thanksgiving, and all the leaves are turning yellow and falling off. I have watered it pretty well and it gets light for a few hours in the morning. What could the problem be?

A Possibly too much water. If it still has the decorative foil around the base, make sure you pull it away from the base of the plant, or better yet, remove it and put it in a saucer or decorative bowl to catch runoff.

If there is water sitting in the base of the foil and the pot is heavy, the soil could be waterlogged. Let it dry out slightly between waterings, give it very bright light and with luck it will recover and last through the holidays and beyond.

Q I have had a Christmas cactus for about five years and I only had blooms on it the first year. It is a nice green plant, and it puts on new growth every year but it never blooms. What am I doing wrong? It stays in my spare bedroom so it doesn’t get a lot of light at night, a condition I was told it needed. How much dark does it need?

Should I put it in a closet, and if so, for how long?

A The holiday cactus can bloom at Thanksgiving or Christmas but the main thing it needs to set flower buds is cool weather. Temperatures below 55 degrees for several weeks should initiate blooms. If you have it in a heated room all the time it won’t matter how many dark/light cycles it gets. It is considered a short-day plant, which means it likes short days and long nights - but it doesn’t want total darkness. I move mine outside in the spring and leave it until the days get pretty cool in the fall. Once I see flower buds setting, I bring it inside and typically it is in bloom in three to four weeks. After the first round, you can move it to another cool spot in your house or garage, and it can set flower buds again. Don’t let it freeze, but the lower temperatures are needed for flowering.

Q I found a great close-out on spring-blooming bulbs and bought a boatload.

I have been told they won’t bloom this year because it is getting too late to plant. She said they had to be in the ground by November. Have I just wasted my money? If not, tell me what to do.

A You have plenty of time to get the bulbs in the ground. Many people plant in early January, but they can be planted starting in October. Spring-blooming bulbs need 12 or 14 weeks of cool weather before the stalks can stretch and perform at their best. If you wait too late, they will still grow and try to bloom, but they won’t get very tall. People often find in May a bag of bulbs they forgot to plant and then it is too late. Find a nice day and plant them outdoors in a sunny location that has well-drained soil. They also do nicely in containers. Plant them in the ground, two or three times the size of the bulb deep. Then sit back and wait for spring. If you really have a lot, pot some up or give a bag as Christmas gifts.

Q I think my hydrangea plant has frozen to the ground. It had not gone totally dormant when we had the winter weather. Should I go ahead and cut it back now?

A Don’t cut back anything yet, unless you have broken branches. Leave the plant until spring and see where new growth begins. If it starts at the soil line, you were right and it was frozen but hopefully it will sprout from the old growth and you can have pretty flowers next season. Even if the plant was damaged, that damaged growth can help to protect the rest of the plant.

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 email her at

[email protected]

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