Boardash: ArcaMax Gardening Daily Tips for Monday November 9, 2009

Monday, November 9, 2009

ArcaMax Gardening Daily Tips for Monday November 9, 2009

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Advice from Carolyn Hax

Gardening Daily Tips
For You
Monday November 9, 2009

Lamb's Ears (Stachys byzantina)
Q&A: Using Landscape Fabric for Winter Mulch
Q&A: Rejuvenating Neglected Orchard
Tip: Harvest Citrus
Advice from Carolyn Hax
Reader Photos

Lamb's Ears (Stachys byzantina)

Today's Featured Plant
Lamb's Ears (Stachys byzantina)

Read the full profile of this plant at ArcaMax.com.

Interested in reading about other plants? Search through hundreds of plant profiles and helpful articles by keyword.

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Q&A: Using Landscape Fabric for Winter Mulch

Question: After the growing season, can I put black landscape fabric over my perennials? Will the fabric hurt the perennials if they are covered for about five months? I'm hoping to stay ahead of winter weeds. I plan on rolling back the fabric once the weather gets warm again.

Answer: Rather than landscape fabric, which might smother some of the more sensitive perennials, you might simply use a layer of several inches of organic mulch such as shredded bark or chopped leaves. Place the mulch around but not quite touching the plants' crowns. This would inhibit those early weeds and also feed the soil as it breaks down. It can easily be brushed aside or, if fairly decomposed, dug into the soil when you add plants in the spring. The other option is to permanently install landscape fabric over the whole bed, cutting holes for the plants and covering the fabric with a thin layer of decorative mulch.

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Q&A: Rejuvenating Neglected Orchard

Question: I just bought an old house with two equally old apple trees, an old pear tree, and an out-of-control grape vine. These trees and vines probably have not been pruned in more than ten years. Can I prune these over the next few years to restore health and order, or should I give up and start with new plants?

Answer: It depends on what you're hoping to achieve. It is possible to rejuvenate old trees with a program of pruning, soil enrichment, and pest management. On the other hand, if you are hoping for a predictable harvest, you may be better off starting over with new trees.

If you decide to keep your venerable old trees, plan to prune over a three year period. Do the pruning in late winter or very early spring. You can safely prune out up to a quarter of the crown of your tree; any more than that and you will simply encourage a flush of new growth.

You can prune your old grape vines right back to the ground; the roots will send up new shoots. Choose 3 of the most vigorous shoots to grow the first year; the following year, cut back to the one best shoot and keep that one properly pruned each year by checking the diagrams on grape pruning in books at a local library (it's hard to describe without a picture).

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Tip: Harvest Citrus

Citrus fruits mature slowly and don't ripen after harvest. Use the taste test to determine peek maturity, but don't rely on fruit color. The orange color doesn't show up until the fruit has been exposed to cold nights.

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Advice from Carolyn Hax

Advice columnist Carolyn Hax is famous for her ability to get to the root of people's problems -- not just what they say, but who they are and what they're thinking.

The resulting advice is often ruthless, sometimes controversial, and always hilarious.

See for yourself what great advice Hax has to offer. Subscribe to ArcaMax's Carolyn Hax ezine, and receive her witty, helpful advice free by e-mail!

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-- From the ArcaMax editors

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Today's Reader Submitted Photos

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Sincerely,
ArcaMax Editors

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