Q There is an old someplace on my property in Beebe that contains hundreds of daffodils. I have a dear friend who wants some. Can they be moved now, or do I have to mark them and wait until November?
A You have several options. One is to dig up the bulbs after they finish blooming and replant immediately in the new location, allowing the foliage to die down naturally. Sometimes the shock of transplant causes the leaves to die too quickly and they don't get the requisite six to eight weeks of green growth after bloom that is needed to set good flowers for the next season. This would result in fewer flowers next spring; but by the following year they should be back to peak bloom. The second option is to let them bloom and wait six to eight weeks before you dig them up and move them. You can immediately replant if you know where you want them, or cut off the foliage, dry the bulbs and wait to replant next fall. I would not wait until November to move them, since they would still be dormant then and you wouldn't know exactly where they are: You might damage the bulbs digging them up.
Q About eight years ago I bought a 4-foot banana plant. The plant was simply labeled "Banana Plant" so I don't know the variety. I planted it in a large pot and it lives in a protected corner of our deck. It has never had any fruit or flowers. Each November, we haul it into the garage (I assumed freezing weather wasn't good for the plant) and then haul it back out at the end of February. This year when we wrangled it into the garage, we had to bend some of the leaves as the plant was scraping the 12-foot ceiling. I've read online you can cut potted banana plants down to 12 inches before spring but I'm hesitant to take a knife to it. When and how should I trim this lush beauty to get it down to a more manageable size?
A In recent years, some of these plants actually have been overwintering outdoors with a little extra protection, but I'm not sure how they fared this winter. There are several ways to store banana plants. The options include what you have been doing -- or you could cut it down before moving it into the garage. Another tactic is to take it out of the pot, wrap it in old bedsheets and store it in the crawl space of the house or in the garage. If you aren't concerned about flowering or setting fruit, it doesn't matter if they are cut back. But I would cut back in the fall, not the spring. You have already suffered through all winter with all the leaves. Next winter, cut it back when you move it.
Q I have two beautiful loquat trees that were frozen this winter. They are normally lush and green throughout the winter, but this season they just couldn't handle the single-digit temperatures. When should I prune back the damaged foliage?
A Unfortunately, this is a common refrain this year. We have winter-damaged foliage across the state. Loquats only overwinter well in southern Arkansas, but even southern Arkansas had bitter cold. Start cutting back gradually. Some of the damage I have seen is mild. Only the foliage was burned, and there are viable buds beneath the leaves that are beginning to leaf out. Prune until you come to green wood and then let them rebound.
Q I planted six Pindo palms poolside in 2012. The landscaper said they would survive south Arkansas winters just fine, and they did, until the bitter cold this winter that we had even here in Camden. Now most of the fronds have turned brown or gray, although there are still a few that are somewhat green. Are they dead? Cutting off the dead branches would sure give them a butchered look. Should I just cut my losses? Not sure how I can get them dug up other than with a backhoe.
A You are not the only one with this question. The only answer I can give is I am not sure. I have seen some that still had some green in some of the trunk. If the centermost frond on your palm is still green and doesn't pull out easily, chances are good the palm is still alive. It is not going to be a gorgeous plant any time soon. Palms will not begin putting on new foliage until the weather warms considerably. If it does begin to put out new fronds, don't be alarmed if they are somewhat deformed at first; with time they should fill out. Cut off all the brown fronds and keep your fingers crossed that the plants will leaf out.
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
HomeStyle on 03/17/2018