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The Garden Guru answers the following gardening questions for February :
1. Getting oxalis out of the garden
2. Reblooming aloe plants
3. Powdery film on bromeliads
4. Keeping a fat happy raccoon out of the garden
5. Starting a new Christmas cactus
6. Ants in potted plants
7. Composting citrus rinds
8. Getting rid of gnats
9. Frost damage in lime tree
10. Yellow lower leaves in houseplants
QUESTION 1
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
I have very abundant oxalis in my garden beds. We just moved to this flat, our neighbors have just been spraying weed killer every now and again to keep it at bay. They haven't planted the beds and stopped the weed killer
when we told them we wanted to plant the beds. I want to plant vegetables and flowers including, bulbs, sweet peas along the fence and abutilon, clematis etc. Any thoughts? I have two sections of about 15 by 5 ft beds.
- Nalani in San Francisco
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A: Dear Nalani,
You should attempt to dig as much of the Oxalis out as possible. Mature plants have many small bulblets at the base. Sifting the soil after you have dug what you can will help capture any loose bulblets. Cover your beds with the lasagna method of mulching. First wet newspaper, then cardboard, then compost or forest mulch, then more newspaper, planting mix, cardboard, then compost. You can plant directly into your lasagna layers. Any Oxalis trying to resprout will be depressed by the mulch layers.
QUESTION 2
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
I have an aloe plant that is about 3 - 4 years old. I believe the plant is getting ready to bloom. It has many baby plants growing on the base. Should I remove the little babies? Should I expect the plant to bloom every year? How many blooms should I expect? How long does it take to bloom? Thank you!
- Isis in San Francisco
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A: Dear Isis,
You do not need to remove the babies unless you want to start more Aloe clumps. Eventually, all the plantlets will bloom along with the parent giving you that much more of a show. You can now expect that the "mother plant" will flower each year. The Aloe flower stalk will elongate 1' to 2' above the plant. There are usually 6 to 12 flower buds on each stalk that last about a month.
QUESTION 3
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
My bromeliad has 2 pups about 8" tall. Is this a good time to transplant? Also, just noticed the plants looked striped, and when touched, this "powdery" film does come off. Is the plant sick? Infested? What should I do to correct? Thanks.
- Bobbi in Burlingame
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A: Dear Bobbi,
The powdery film is nothing to be worried about. Many Bromeliads are covered with fine scales that are used by the plant to better absorb water or foods. They will readily rub off, leaving the leaf shiny beneath. There is nothing you need to do. Though the pups are of good size, now is not the best time to remove them. It would be better to wait until March to repot them.
QUESTION 4
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
What are your suggestions for keeping a fat happy raccoon out of the garden -- my garden is small and totally fenced, but that is not a deterrent.
- Sheila in San Francisco
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A: Dear Sheila,
If this critter is a regular visitor, it is possible that he/she lives on the property. Look about for openings under stairs, access under the house or into the garage. Make sure all these openings are screened. Do not leave garbage cans and pet food outside. Harvest ripe fruit from trees. If it is a lawn area or bed that is being dug up, use one of the granular repellents such as Critter Ridder or Repels All in the areas being disturbed. If there is standing water such as a birdbath that can be used for drinking or "hand washing", empty it.
QUESTION 5
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
How do you make a new start from a very full Christmas cactus?
- Lynn
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A: Dear Lynn,
You can start a new Christmas cactus by breaking off a branch at one of the joint segments and rooting it. Simply dip the moist end in a rooting hormone and stick into a sandy soil or seed starting mix. Place the cutting in a warm, well lit location. Keep the soil moist. The plantlet should begin to grow in about 2 or 3 weeks.
QUESTION 6
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
I have teeny tiny ants, millions of them, in the soil under some of my potted plants. How do I get rid of them? They are climbing up into the pots and that can't be a good thing for my flowers. Thanks.
- Elizabeth in San Rafael
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A: Dear Elizabeth,
You can get rid of your ants with the Green Light Slug and Snail (it also is effective on ants, sow bugs, and earwigs). Sprinkle some under the pots as well as the soil in the pots. This is an organic remedy based on boric acid.
QUESTION 7
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
We have a number of citrus trees; lemon, lime and orange. I liked to compost as much as possible, but I've read that citrus rinds shouldn't be added to worm boxes or standard compost bins. Is there another way to compost that works for citrus rinds? Also, which plants would benefits from citrus compost?
- Anne in Greenbrae
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A: Dear Anne,
It is true that Citrus should not be added to worm bins regularly because they create too acidic an environment for the worms. Even then, an occasional peel would not break the farm. There is nothing wrong with adding Citrus to regular compost as long as you provide enough carbon (brown) to balance the nitrogen (green) of the oranges. The resulting compost will be on the acid side so would be ideal for alkaline soils, and for use around acid plants such as Azalea, Rhododendron, fern, Hydrangea, Gardenia and Camellias. You might consider starting a separate pile so that you are "manufacturing" 2 separate mixes.
QUESTION 8
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
What is the best way to get rid of gnats? I have tried the vinegar trick, the water trick, the potato trick and none seems to work. I even tried a few different sprays. Please help.
- Kelvin in San Francisco
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A: Dear Kelvin,
You don't say what type of gnats are bothering you. I will assume you are referring to gnats in your potted plants. The best way to get rid of them is to apply beneficial nematodes to your containers (Fungus Gnat Destroyers). The nematodes will feed on the hatched maggots and pupae in the soil thus breaking the cycle. You can attach yellow sticky traps (Gnat Stix) to trap the adults at the same time. The gnats are attracted to soils rich in organic matter (peat moss, manure, compost) and kept too wet.
QUESTION 9
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
I have a 5 year old lime tree that has been frost damaged. Is there anything I can do to save the tree?
- Pete in Novato
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A: Dear Pete,
Of the citrus, limes are the least tolerant of cold weather. They are notorious for defoliating. After our cold snap, I imagine that your tree looks forlorn but do not lose hope for its recovery. You will not know the extent of cold damage until March. It may be that some of the branch tips and twigs have been killed but the rest of the tree should still be quite alive. If you scrape off the bark and see green beneath, it is alive. Wait to prune or feed until late March. New leaves should resprout in April. If the tree is in a container or planted where it will not receive rain, water periodically through the winter to keep the soil from completely drying out. If there is a chance we will have another freeze, cover the tree with burlap, a sheet or frost blanket to prevent further injury.
QUESTION 10
Q: Dear Garden Guru,
In my house plants, about once every week or so the leaves at the bottom of the growth area would turn yellow . I then would pick them off. Why does that happen? I would love for it to grow and have continues leaves on the stalk.
- Anna in Berkeley, CA
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A: Dear Anna,
When lower leaves turn yellow and drop off, it is usually caused by under watering (the plant is kept too dry) or lack of fertilizer. It could also be a combination of the two. Another factor, though less common, is lack of humidity. When you water your houseplant, be sure to add enough water so that all the soil is moistened and the planter drains. It may be that you have to do this in the sink or tub if you are concerned with water harming the floor or furniture. I normally would not advise feeding houseplants in the winter months but you will do no harm if you were to feed with a half strength solution of Maxsea All Purpose once a month through February. This may arrest that lower leaf fall. The lower leaves (older) turn yellow because the plant is pulling all the nutrients and energy out to disperse to the upper (younger) leaves.
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