It’s time for garden questions and answers again! Remember, send
your questions to
ga*******@jp*.net
. Or you can send questions by
mail in care of this newspaper. Please include a stamped,
self-addressed envelope if you want a personal response. And now,
on with this month’s garden questions and answers.
It’s time for garden questions and answers again! Remember, send your questions to
ga*******@jp*.net
. Or you can send questions by mail in care of this newspaper. Please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope if you want a personal response. And now, on with this month’s garden questions and answers.
Q. Some of my potted geraniums have never sprouted new growth ever since our freezing winter. I’m tempted to dump them, but don’t want to throw them away if they’re still alive. What should I do? Also, a few of my palm trees still have brown, dead leaves hanging from limbs. Should I cut those off, too?
– B.L., Morgan Hill, via e-mail.
A: Unfortunately, we had an especially harsh winter – at least in terms of frost, with a couple weeks or more of constant nights in the upper 20s. I, too, lost several geraniums that I have had growing in containers for many years. Geraniums that I had in the ground have all come back because they had extensive root systems. However, potted geraniums have limited roots, which is why some never bounced back. Go ahead and toss any that have no evidence of new growth because they all should have sprouted by now. As for the brown, dead leaves on your palms trees, by all means cut them off. Those are not going to change, they look bad and are taking up space so new fronds can’t grow.
Q. With our warm weather apparently here to stay, I want to save as much water as I can, particularly with my container plants. I’ve heard of a soil additive that is gel-like. It can be mixed into potting soil and it retains water in the pot. What is this soil additive and is it readily available?
– V.K., Gilroy, via e-mail.
A: What you’re referring to is a soil polymer. Many of the more expensive brands of potting soil already have soil polymers mixed in. What these do is expand when wet, retaining moisture and releasing it into the soil when needed. Of course, you can always add more soil polymers to your potting soil. Soil polymers are available under a number of brand names. Check for them at any local garden center. Simply mix the polymer into your potting soil before potting.
While on the subject of waving water, add a two to three-inch layer of mulch atop bare ground to save water. Mulch will not only help evaporation, but may prevent thirsty weeds from sprouting. Mulch can come in the form of top dressing, redwood soil conditioner, organic compost, sawdust, etc.
Q. I have grown an avocado tree from a seed. It is about 5-years-old, and almost seven feet tall. It looks very healthy and seems to be growing at a good rate. Can I expect to have fruit on this tree some day?
– J.K., Hollister, via e-mail.
A: I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but your avocado tree probably is never going to bear fruit unless you graft a branch from another variety of avocado onto it. I’ve heard of some avocado seedlings bearing fruit after many years, but the vast majority will not. Congratulations and growing a healthy avocado tree. Enjoy the glossy green leaves, just not any fruit.
