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Greg Quinn's Thought For The Day:

If white wine goes with fish, do white grapes go with sushi?

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Hi - I have 2 Butterfly bushes and want to know the best time and how to prune them. They get very long and thin branches with flowers only on the ends. Last year I trimmed them back a little in the early spring, but it didn't seem to work very well. Thanks, Lynne Patterson

Hi Lynne, You can cut your budlea back now fairly hard. Then feed it with a 5-10-5. Mine always came back fine.

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Hi Greg! Thanks for responding to my query about a pyramidal tree shaped like a pine (but with dediduous leaves). Using your guess, I investigated further. You were right! It must be a Lark (or Tamarack) since it also has tiny cones. Thanks for solving the mystery. Pat D.

Hi Pat, Thanks for getting back. I'm glad I guessed right!

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Dear Greg, Thanks so much for your advice on my tuliptree. My husband fenced it in (it looks terrible) but it's working. The deer have left it alone and it looks much healthier, even now. I will leave it fenced in for at least a few more years until it gets tall. Thanks so much. GINA LOWN, Maybrook, NY

Hi Gina, You're welcome! Tulip trees grow very fast so it won't be long before the leaves are beyond their greedy little reach.

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Hi Greg Help! Lilacs are my favorite and for Mother's Day I received a lilac tree from my son. It lasted 2 seasons and died. He bought me a replacement; it never bloomed and also died! I planted both according to the directions, in full sun and watered them regularly. Is there something I should know? I have the same problem with Rhododendrons. I am bewildered since both these plants seem to grow in my area (Shrub Oak). I'd love to do it right this coming season. Thanks!

Boy, this IS a mystery. Lilacs and rhodies are both fairly easy to grow. My guess, without seeing the area, is that you have something going on with the soil or in the area where they are planted. Check whether there was something that spilled on the soil in that area, i.e., oil, herbicide, cement, etc., and be sure they're not planted near the down spout of the house, a cement wall or the pool. Try planting them in a different part of the property and see if that works. Good luck.

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Ref:Tomato trees Are these things a hoax or do they really grow edible tomatoes? Thanks, Jeff Falk

Hi Jeff, They will really grow tomatoes. They may not be your favorite tasting tomatoes but they're all right

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Hi Greg, My honeysuckle is at my house at Jersey shore and is beautiful with yellow flowers,but I wish to move it to another spot in my garden! When would be the best time to transplant this??? Thanking you in advance! Jeanne Clamp

Hi Jeanne, You can transplant your honeysuckle the first part Of April. Good luck.

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Dear Greg, I have a number of hemlocks on my property and this year the deer seem to have finally found them. They have eaten the whole bottom of one and only the top is green. I am aware that some evergreens will rejuvenate, like arborvitae, but will the hemlocks come back? Should I give them some Holly Tone in the spring, will that help? Thank you for your time. Linda

Hi Linda, Unfortunately, hemlocks will not refoliate at the bottom. You can plant small hemlocks under and close to the big guys and they will fill in but you have to protect them from the deer. Fencing works pretty well and if combined with a repellent is even better.

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Greg, I have recently purchased an old home that is overgrown with bushes/shrubs/trees right next to the foundation. Some are quite large. Other than the obvious way to get rid of them by, digging them up, can I cut them down and treat them with something that will kill the roots, and not harm the grass? I will want to plant something there after this is resolved. Also I have an overgrown Arborvitae can I cut that back. Thank you, Art Baisley

Hi Art, I don't know what species you have but generally speaking, they can be cut down and if and when the resprout, promptly cut off the new shoots as soon as they appear. This way the plant can't produce chlorophyll and will eventually starve and die. It should take a season or so. As far as the Aborvitae, It can take light pruning over several seasons to bring it back. Good luck.

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Last fall I removed several hemlocks along the south side of my property. Two large Norway spruces remain. The area was repeatedly rototilled with lime and all the leaves worked in. The soil has a good deal of clay. What should I do now to prepare the bed for planting in the spring? I have two large maples and would like to plant something around the base to cover the roots and create a smooth mowing path. What would you suggest?

Sounds like you did a good job. Just test the soil for pH which should be about 6.8 and you're all set. Try pachysandra or vinca.

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I enjoy listening to your gardening tips on The Ed Bear Affair. In past winters deer have destroyed my azaleas, so after replacing them I protected them with fencing. As a precaution I followed am HGTV tip about hanging nylon bags with Irish Spring soap in them all around my landscaping. I thought that it actually worked until this year. This year, for the first time in eighteen years, the deer annihilated my rhododendrons from the ground up to about six feet leaving 12 to 18 inches of leaves at the tops. The rhodos are 18 years old and have been fertilized , deadheaded, and pruned when necessary. Each year they are covered with a profusion of flowers. My questions are these: Will new leaves form on the branches attacked by the deer? Is there something I should do now before spring is in full swing? Do you have any suggestions in terms of better protecting my landscaping against deer?---- Thanks from a former deer admirer, Olaf

Hi Olaf The Rhodies will come back as long as you protect them from future "pruning." Feed them this spring and try some of the new repellents such as 'Bobex' or 'Chew-not' and also consider netting or fencing. I also have some good venison recipes....

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Hello Greg Quinn Gardening Expert! I live in Putnam Valley, NY. I took a peek under the mulch covering my spring plants, Daffodils,Tulips etc, mostly Daffodils. They are starting to come up. The foliage looked a bit yellow so I removed most of the mulch. (I was using a mixture of hay and leaves as mulch.) Isn't it a bit too early for Tulips and Daffodils to be coming up? Last year they did not appear till May! Lisa Mulzoff Putnam Valley, NY

Hi Lisa, Actually, you're mistaken. The bulbs had all sprouted well before May last year. You are suffering from a condition called horticultural amnesia. Everyone gets it this time of year. Everything will be fine with the coming cold and snow. It's the perfect time of year to give them a little snack of 5-10-5 fertilizer then step back and enjoy!

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I had extensive tree work done lastfall and as a result there a great deal of sawdust on parts ofthe lawn. Some of it can't be swept or raked. Do I need to get rid of it ? If so, how. I did put lime down after the sawdust. Thanks

Saw dust is nothing more than a type of mulch. It can cause minor problems by decreasing the amount of available nitrogen in the area which can be addressed with fertilization. Lime only changes the pH. It won't do anything to eliminate the sawdust. Remove as much of the sawdust as you can and the rest should be gone by this time next year.

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Hello Greg, thanks again for teaching all of us! Two questions and one suggestion I have three apple trees. When is the best time to prune them and from where? Also, the leaves have yellow nasty stuff on them during the season. What is it and how do I get rid of it? Suggestion: While looking through you questions and answers I saw lots of questions about the same stuff. I know it's a little work, but how about grouping the answers into sections, i.e.. Fruit Trees, Flowering Trees, Lawns, Bushes, Indoor plants, etc. Then we could all search for information quickly on one related subject! Just a thought.....thanks again for all your wisdom. Deborah Deborah Monroe Training Manager Visiocom USA

Hi Deborah, You should prune your apples in January but can still do it now for this year. Prune off all of the suckers (the branches growing straight up) and shape it in the form of an umbrella. Then start spraying it with a 'Home Orchard Spray' according to label directions when the first buds start to appear. Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, I do this service without remuneration and without help and I'm busy in a lot of other areas so setting up even the simplest of groupings or data bases is just not possible at this time. Thanks for your interest and kind words.

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Greg, I really enjoy you on WHUD and I hope you can help us. 1) I have a snowball bush that needs to be trimmed - can you tell me the best time to do this please? Also it has spiders all over it when it blooms - what can we do?? 2) We have a Lilac tree that looks terrible - it looks old and it barely blooms. People have told us to cut it down and it will grow better. Is this true? If so, how far should we cut it down and when is the best time to do this? Thanks for all your help. Kristin

Hi Kristin, You can prune back your snowball bush now. If they are indeed spiders, leave them alone. They are beneficial to the environment. If they are spider mites, spray them with a miticide. Cut 1/3 of the oldest, thickest trunks of your lilac at the ground after bloom. Repeat this for two more years and your lilac will be rejuvenated and never put out of bloom.

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Greg Quinn's thought for the day:

A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.

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Dear Greg: I have several white pines (15 25 ft. tall) which this year were attacked by deer and the lower 4-5 feet of branches are now bare. I'd like to get needles back but my experience has been that only the un-eaten tops will grow if I just let things be. Suppose I cut all the growing tips off. Seems that that would either force new growth all over or kill the tree altogether. If it will only kill the tree I'd rather not waste a lot of time trimming a zillion tips. I'd really appreciate uour guidance. Thanks Al

Hi Al, As you suspected, pines will not refoliate at the bottom. A good way to thicken the existing foliage is to cut one half of the new growth, called candles, before they open up in April. As far as the bare, lower regions, I have had great visual success planting other plants as close to the pines as possible such as other pines, rhododendrons, etc. Of course you must protect this from the deer as well.

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I have 2 Reliance Peach trees and we live in Milford, PA. I would like to know at what time of the year I can prune them. Would I only prune the previous year's bearing growth and what percentage of the tree can be safely pruned. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Larry

Hi Larry, I prune my peaches in January, but if you hurry you can do it now. I prune off all the suckers (the vertical growth) as well as any crossed branches and shape them into the classic umbrella shape. Good luck.

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Hello Greg, I listen to you on WHUD and enjoy the segment. My question is I would like to know if there is anything I may do to protect my Bulbs(Tulips, crocuses, daffodils) from any frost. Since we are having such warm temperatures they all seem to be coming up. It is still relatively early in the season so I'm afraid that a frost will come and once again I will get no flowers. Last year that's what happened. The bulbs started to come up we got hit with a frost and no flowers bloomed I just got the green stems. Is there any way to protect them, I figured hay but that would project more heat and make them come up sooner. Please help, any suggestions. Thank you for your time. Flora Scanga

Hi Flora, The last frost date in this area is May 15th, every year! Frost will not hurt any of the spring bulbs. If you didn't get flowers, it was not because of the frost, it was because you cut off the foliage too soon last year. You must let the leaves remain on all the spring bulbs until they turns yellow. You can cut the flower stems but leave the leaves! If you cut that foliage last year, the same thing will not get flowers this year. Don't worry about the spring temperatures. Everything will be fine.

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Greg, I cannot get grass to grow where a pine tree was uprooted during a heavy snowstorm. I have tried everything, and nothing works. Can you please tell me what I have to do to prepare the soil to enable grass to grow? Thank you. Linda

Test the pH of the soil first. You will probably have to add lime. To bring it up to at least 7.0. Dig in large amounts of compost into the area. Plant the seed this spring with a 10-6-4 fertilizer, applied at half rate. Make sure the new grass gets at the minimum of 8 hours a day of full sun. Good luck.

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After wintering tree Hibiscus inside, what is the best way to reintroduce them to a very sunny deck? The hibiscus do very well inside and have continued to bloom all winter. Is it a good idea to reshape and prune them right before taking them back outside, will this reduce the risk of sunburned leaves? Since the plants are very large it is difficult to keep them in a protected place when they go back outside. Is there a material to cover them with temporarily? Thank you

I usually prune back my hibiscus before I move them outside and then reintroduce them into the sun slowly because they will get sunburned. Try covering them with cheese cloth less and less each day to slowly introduce them to the light.

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Enjoy you show. I have a hibiscus tree that gets eastern light. My house only gets easter, northern and western light. Most of the leaves fell off during the winter, but there is new growth at the ends of the branches. Should I cut the branches back or just wait and see what happens? Thank you for your help. Claudia Foley

Hi Claudia, I prune my hibiscus every year before I move them outside. It will spur new growth.

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Can my husband and I register now for your next course on home landscaping at the Botanical Gardens?

Thanks for asking. I actually don't teach a course on "home landscaping." I teach part of a course a course called "gardening for beginners," in April and part of "Landscape Design Intensive" given in July. Also I teach some courses in the winter. The number for information, catalogs and registration is (718) 817-8747.