More recent landscape questions and answers

Horticulture

Hydrangea help

I had a nursery plant five Annabelle hydrangea bushes in my back yard, against a brick wall. The plants are shaded, but not heavily. Within two weeks the plants started to wilt and what flowers there were looked dead. The nursery stopped by the house and said to wait over the winter to see how they do. There is green growth at the bottom of the plants, but the tops of the plants look absolutely dead. They have looked this way all summer. I have watered, then worried about overwatering, then gave up. They still look okay at the bottom, but friends tell me these shrubs need full sunlight. They look awful, spindly, brown and dead. Can I move them? Should I wait until spring to see how they do?

I am not quite sure what is going on with your hydrangeas. They prefer good light, but not full afternoon sun, which is too intense and too hot for them. They bloom better with morning light, but it's not absolutely necessary. Being along the brick wall, there is a chance they are too hot and dry, and therefore succumbing to spider mite activity. The winter and spring freeze were also very hard on all hydrangeas, and especially Annabelle. Most saw complete dieback of any foliage above ground. I would wait until next spring to see how they are doing then. If they come back fine, and look good, you know they are okay. If they start to get sick looking when temperatures start to heat up in July, you may check for spider mite problems.

Mary K. Kroening
Horticulture Specialist

Azalea grown indoors

I was given an azalea this summer. I was told I could not plant this azaleas outdoors. How do I take care of this plant?

In nature, azalea is a plant that must go through a period of cool temperatures in order for it to be induced to bloom. This process is called vernalization. This can be done for an azalea kept in its original container and grown as a houseplant by setting the plant in a cool place outdoors for about 8 to 10 weeks during the winter months and then bringing it back inside to bloom. Make certain the roots of the plants are well protected since they are more sensitive to cold temperatures than is the shoot system of the plant. Mulching around the pot with compost or sawdust is a good way to protect the root system. If temperatures drop below 20 degrees Fahrenheit during the period the plant is outdoors, protect it by covering it with something insulative such as a cardboard box. It will take several weeks for the buds to enlarge once the plant has received vernalization and is brought back indoors.

David H. Trinklein
Department of Horticulture

Money plant propagation

How can I take a cutting from a money plant?

I am not sure if you can successfully take cuttings from a money plant. I have always known propagation from seeds. It is a biennial, therefore does not live past two years as a plant, but rather self seeds and comes back via seed.

Mary K. Kroening
Horticulture Specialist

Tending mums

The mums I planted in the spring are doing great. Should I cut them down once the flowers have spent? If I trim them, how much? What do I feed mums and when?

Chrysanthemums are one of the showiest and reliable perennials in the fall garden. However, for optimum performance, some simple steps should be followed in early spring to mid-summer. Mums should be divided once a year in early spring. Dig up the entire plant and separate growing shoots and discard older, woody, central parts of the plant. To get compact, bushy plants with lots of flower buds, pinch the growing tips as soon as the plants are 6 to 8 inches high. This stimulates branching and the onset of more flower buds. Within weeks after pinching, new shoots will form. When these new shoots are 6 to 8 inches long, pinch back again. In Missouri, pinch three to six times until mid-July. After the second or third week in July, discontinue pinching and allow the plant to fully develop flower buds. Mums also need regular watering because their roots tend to be shallow. Drought will cause woody, stunted growth. Mums are also heavy feeders and require regular fertilizing until mid-August. To increase mum's survival rate in the winter, avoid pruning them back after frost hits.

Mary K. Kroening
Horticulture Specialist

Eggplants turn yellow

Why do my Black Beauty eggplants turn yellow sometimes instead of purple?

When an eggplant gets overripe, the skin turns a dull bronze color, at least of the purple fruited varieties. I wouldn't call it yellow. Varieties that are white or light colored turn a yellow color.

You can still eat the fruit, but the skin is tough, so be sure to peel it.

James Quinn
Regional Horticulture Specialist