IN THE GARDEN

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette peach illustration.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette peach illustration.

Q I recently heard that having cedar trees around can cause your peach trees to not produce fruit. Is this true and how much distance should be between the trees?

A Cedar trees and peaches are not an issue. There is a disease called cedar apple rust that affects apple trees. This disease requires a cedar tree as its host plant. You would see orange, gelatinous spores on cedar trees in the spring, and then orange spots would appear on the leaves and fruit of the apple tree. Removing cedar trees in the vicinity of apples is typically not feasible, so you simply follow a spray program or get a resistant variety of apples. The disease does not seem to hurt the cedar trees.

Q I was told that to grow forsythia, all you had to do was stick it in the ground, and it will grow. Do you think that will work? If not, how would you do it?

A Forsythia cuttings do root easily, but at this time of year, just putting a stick in the ground and expecting great results would be naive. It might happen, but the plant finds rooting increasingly difficult as the temperature rises and conditions get drier. If you are taking cuttings now, I would try rooting them in a container that you could cover to keep in the moisture. If you have a mature plant, you can create new plants by layering. Bend some of the limbs down and weave them in and out of the soil, using rocks to keep the parts you want to root in place. They root while staying attached to the mother plant. Forsythia plants are also readily available as container-grown plants.

Q I planted some irises last fall, and the fans look good. However I read online that I should feed in April and that all mulch should be removed. It stated the rhizomes should be exposed to the sun. I use pine straw mulch; do you agree that the straw should be removed? Little Rock gets very hot and dry in the summer. I would think the mulch would be good to hold in the moisture. I see irises growing in places where they get no care, and they are growing out of leaves and blooming.

A Iris rhizomes often rot if they are covered with mulch. This does make it difficult to keep grass and weeds at bay. You can mulch between the beds to help with weed control, but for best results, put no mulch in contact with the rhizome. If division is needed, that can be done six to eight weeks after bloom.

Q I saw some beautiful vines called bougainvillea when I was on Catalina Island. Will they grow here in Arkansas and if so, how do I care for them?

A Bougainvillea is a tropical plant that will grow well outdoors in the summer but would need to be moved indoors for the winter. It is readily available at nurseries. It tends to bloom better if it is slightly pot-bound. Be aware there are small thorns on the stems, so use caution when handling this plant.

Q My wife and I always read your column and she suggested I send you these pictures of an uncommon tree (to us anyway). I know of five of them, three just across the Missouri state line and two in Bella Vista. Please tell us what this tree is. The trees are quite large and have really showy purple clusters of flowers.

A The tree is called a Royal Paulownia tree or empress tree, Paulownia tomentosa. Those beautiful clusters of purple flowers will be followed by woody seed capsules. In late summer to fall, they pop open and disperse their seeds, which readily germinate. Where you see one tree, you usually find a grove. They are fast growing and somewhat brittle at maturity. On seedling trees, the leaves can be quite large, looking like big elephant ears. As the trees age, leaf size reduces.

Janet B. 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

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HomeStyle on 05/30/2015

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