Page 22

Hi!, I have a beautiful white rose bush that my oldest daughter gave me at our old house,HOWEVER,when we moved,I don't think that it survived !!! I transplanted it into good ground,fertilized it,watered it and LOVED it to pieces!! It USED to be BEAUTIFUL & had enormous WHITE ROSES at our old house! I just can't seem to get it to bloom here(we've been here 3 years this Oct.) Was it too late in the year to transplant it when we moved?Have I done something wrong?I really miss my BEAUTIFUL roses,especially because they came from my daughter!!! Can I get them back??????? I also have a small pot of Pink Tea Roses that a cat ATE!!! I don't know if I can get them back either!!! Someone said that if I cut them back & water them & feed them with a Jobe's (or other) food stick that they should come back,WILL they??? The Tea Roses came from my husband(one of his BEST gifts!) I SURE HOPE THAT YOU CAN HELP ME!!! .I look forward to your reply,and always listen to you on WHUD & sometimes catch you on Channel 5(Fox).You are one of the MOST insightful people that I have EVER heard on the subject of Flowers & Plants! You NEVER talk down to anyone AND you NEVER make anyone feel foolish if they screw up!!! Thank you for being so NICE!!!! Looking forward to your reply! Sincerely, Betty Anne Krob P.S. Thank you for your time-BAK

Hi Betty Ann, Wow! I'll have to wait for a while for my head to back to its original size. Thanks for all your compliments. Sounds like you transplanted the rose at a fine time; I suspect it may not be getting enough water. Roses are big transpirers! Especially during the hot summer months, a moist soil increases recurrence of bloom and improves the quality and number of flowers. Watering also produces a larger and more vigorous plant, and prepares it for winter by allowing the leaves to function better throughout the summer. When you water, soak the soil to a depth of 8 inches. A well drained soil eliminates the danger of overwatering. Try not to get water on the leaves. If your tea roses still have leaves left, they will probably come back. Cut them back hard; down to 8-12 inches in the early spring and feed them 5-10-5 or a good rose food according tom label directions. Good luck!

Hi Greg, My wife and I try to listen to you every Thursday morning while we're getting ready for b My problem for you involves what is called the "hardy kiwi" which grows in our climate. (not the "true kiwi") I had the plants (male & female) for several years when they were accidentally cut down. Prior to this they had been producing fruit normally each year. Since this happened, the plants have grown back but never bloomed or produced fruit. I would appreciate anything you can suggest. Sincerely, Joe Misuraca

Hi Joe, I am going to assume that you have the hardy kiwifruit which is much like a vine. It needs a sunny location and a trellis-like support, and generally you need a male and a female plant to produce fruit. They are heavy nitrogen feeders so they need to be well fed during the first half of the growing season. Assuming all those conditions are met with your kiwi, you may not be pruning, or pruning incorrectly. For best fruit production, pruning in the winter is a must. Cut it just behind where the growth ends in an entanglement. A new shoot will then grow from the leaf base. After two years multiple shoots will emerge. The next winter, prune off the older cane at the point that it connects with last summer's new shoot. Repeat this process every year.

I always cut my dead roses off, of course, but this last time I cut them down after after sixth leaf instead of every fifth. I fear I may never get roses again. Will they come back, usually they bloom until December but there are no new blooms on. Thank you for your help. Marie Gordon

Hi Marie, No Problem! You can cut the rose as far down as you want but cut it "at least" after the second 5 leaflet set to insure reblooming

HI GREG, THERE IS A LOT OF CONTROVERSEY ABOUT PRUNING AZALEA'S. IS THE FALL THE BEST TIME OR THE SPRING? AND WERE DO YOU CUT.... ONE INCH TWO INCHES BELOW THE NEW GROWTH. I'M CONFUSED. PLEASE HELP. CATHERINE

Hi Catherine, I like to give my azaelas a "haircut" of about an inch or two each spring. This should be done right after blooming. If you have to cut a lot more than that, you can prune them back very hard but do it in the early spring before bloom realizing you'll get no flowers for a year or two.

Hi Greg. I really enjoy listening to you on Thurs. on my morning drive. Two questions: I hear people asking about squirrels, but I have a real problem with chipmonks. They are especially bad in my perennial bed. How can I get rid of them? Also, we had a tree taken down & the rhododendron that was near it is in very bad shape-we cut off the dead branches, & now the remaining leaves look very sick. It's a very unusual color. Can it be saved? Thanks for the help. Sheila A.

Hi Sheila, You can persuade the chipmunks to move to a different yard by diligently putting moth balls in their burrows for a full season each time you find one. You Rhodie can be cut back hard this coming spring long about April 1st. At that time feed it with a 10-6-4. in subsequent years, feed it with a 5-10-5. It will take several years to come back but should do so in fine form.

Dear Greg, Is it true that putting an aspirin in the water of a fresh cut Xmas tree will help keep it fresh while indoors? This year we purchased a fresh cut tree for the holidays. I would like to keep the needles from falling off to fast. What do you recommend? Thanks, HL Hi HL, While aspirin has been recommended for years, I like using 7-UP at the rate of 2 parts water to one part 7-UP and a capful of bleach.

Hi Greg I have several piles of leaves that I shredded earlier this fall. Can I use these for weed control around my shrubs and then cover it in the spring with a decorative mulch? There is nothing mixed in with the leaves. Thanks Len Hi Len, There is the possibility that the leaves can contain diseases such as botritus. I would prefer to see the leaves composted and just go ahead and put down the mulch now.

HI GREG, I LOVE LISTENING TO YOUR GARDENING ADVICE. I AM UNABLE TO CALL IN WHEN YOU ARE ON WHUD SINCE I AM GETTING THE KIDS READY FOR SCHOOL. MY PROBLEM IS THAT I HAVE TULIP , ALLIUM DRUMSTICK, WINDFLOWER AND STAR OF BETHLEHEM BULBS AND I FORGOT TO PLANT THEM BEFORE THE GROUND FROZE. THEY ARE IN MY GARAGE WHICH IS ABOUT 50 DEGREES STILL IN THE BAGS THEY CAME IN. SHOULD I PLANT THEM IN POTS AND PUT THEM OUTSIDE? WHAT WOULD YOU DO? I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR ADVICE. THANK YOU. NANCY LOUGHLIN

Hi Nancy, Thanks for the compliment. I love being listened to! Do NOT pot them up now they will die over the winter outside in pots. Keep them as cool as you can (40 degrees is ideal) without freezing and put them in the ground as soon as the ground thaws in the spring. You can keep some to "force" in pots inside for a jump on the spring in the house.

Hi Greg! Bought bulbs this past Fall...and just discovered that I did not plant all of them in October (when I was supposed to). What can I do with them? Keep cold and plant in Spring? Help! The bulbs are crocus and blue snowglories. Thanks. Lisa Cypher

Hi Lisa, It's a common problem. See my answer to Nancy above.

Hi Greg! I love to listen to your solutions and suggestions on the Mike and Casey show. I can't believe I caught the tail end of the discussion for prolonging the Christmas tree. Mike had mentioned at the end to use 7- up? Please help me with additional info! Thanks Debbie. By the way... Happy Holidays! Hi Debbie, Thanks for the kind words and the happiest of holidays to you too! I use 7-UP at a 2 parts water to 1 part 7-UP solution with a capful of bleach.

Hi Greg - I love listening to you! I caught the tail end of your Christmas tree instructions,and I thought I heard that they would be on the website, however, I can't seem to locate it. We have just returned from Millett Farm in LaGrange and our tree is in the garage in a bucket waiting to go in the stand tomorrow. Please let me know how I can maintain it's very fresh state. Thank you very much. HDonna Meyers Hi Donna, Thanks. See above for the magic mix!

On your show you mentioned to keep your Christmas tree fresh longer, to add 7-up to the water. Should the soda be cold or room temp?

Thanks, Carol Hi Carol, The water and the 7-UP should be at room temp which it will be anyway after a short while.

Hi Greg I heard you say to shave the bark off the trunk of a tree before putting it in water to help keep it fresher. I cut down a fresh tree at Battenfelds tree farm in Red Hook and they had prominent signs warning not to do that because it will cause the needles to drop! What is really the best way to keep my tree its freshest? Thank you Peggy Dwyer Hi Peggy, I have always cut the bark off the bottom 4 inches of the trunk slightly tapering into the wood a bit. I do this because the ring of wood immediately below the bark contains the cambium layer which is where the Phloem and Xylem are. The is the plumbing system for the tree and more exposure will allow for more absorption

Pointsetta-How often do I water them, is to much water killing them?

It's hard to kill a poinsettia by overwatering unlike most other house plants. They like a lot of water

Greg: First off, I enjoying listening to you on Thursday mornings. It's always a pleasure to hear you bantering with Mike and Kacey and then answering listener's questions. I think you should be on the air more often, say Thursday and Friday! Now (after that buildup) my question... Due to unforeseen circumstances I was not able to remove the leaves from my back yard this year. I was wondering if it is all right to leave the leaves on the lawn and then in the spring rake up the survivors? Is it good to leave the leaves as they deteriorate or does that kill the underlying grasses? Thanks in advance for you advice. Looking forward to hearing more of your comments on the Voice of the Hudson Valley, WHUD! - Billy Hutner P.S. Be bad while you are young -- then you can spend the rest of your life repenting and improving. - Ashleigh Brilliant P. P.S. Keep those witticism's (at the end of the show) coming....

Hi Billy, Thanks for all your encouraging words. I'd love to be on more often. The more people that tell the station manager the more likely it is to happen. It's not the best idea to leave the leaves because the will provide a covering on the turf creating conditions that may lead to disease proliferation. If you must wait till spring, remove them as early as possible so that the new grass will dry out and be exposed to the sun to produce chlorophyll as early as possible.

Could you please let me know the proper care of poinsettias? I've been told everything from keeping moist to letting dry out and then only a little water. HELP! Thank you. Liz B.

Hi Liz, Poinsettias need to be kept fairly moist, especially in most of our home where it is often very dry they like cool nights and sunny days.