Ask the Garden Guru
Garden Guru Topics
Rose Transplanting
Dear Garden Guru,
We would like to transplant our roses. They are in an area that does not appear to be the best and the leaves are being eaten by something. When is the safest time to move them and what do we need to do to make sure the move is a successful one? Thanks for your help.
Shauna in Pacifica
Hi Shauna,
If you can wait, the best time to transplant your roses is late November or early December. This is the time that they begin their dormancy. You can do all your pruning before you move them and treat them like a bareroot, meaning you won’t have to get the entire rootball. It is best to have the holes already prepared, usually about 1′ deep and 2′ wide. You will want to amend your soil with organic matter such as EB Stone Rose Mix. Additional Alfalfa meal and or bone meal at the bottom of the hole will help the plants “bounce back” rapidly when the weather begins to warm again in February.
As for holes in the leaves, as a general rule, if the middle of the leaves are being eaten it is slugs or snails. If the outer edges of the leaves are being chewed, it is caterpillars. At all of our Sloat locations near you (San Bruno – 675 El Camino Real; 2700 Sloat Blvd, San Francisco) we have products to help fight these insects/bugs. Of course, you can also try plucking them off your plants early in the evening or a bit later with a flashlight too!
I hope this helps steer you in the right direction. And as always, visit our stores for more expert guidance.
Moving a lilac tree
Dear Garden Guru,
We have a large lilac already in our back yard, but we are re-designing the garden in a modern/asian style. I would like to move the tree from the center of the garden to a place across the yard that is by the steps and therefore not the first thing you see. It will still get about the same light. Will it die if I try and move it? What steps can I take to ensure it's health and how do I dig out all the roots? Thank you!
Stephanie in San Francisco
Hi Stephanie,
You would be best waiting until late fall to transplant. Follow the steps below.
- Ensure that the plant has been watered in the previous 72 hours.
- The top growth of the plant should be pruned back at least 25% to lessen the stress on the soon-to-be damaged root mass.
- Have the new hole dug and prepared with organic material and some agricultural lime.
- Begin to dig around the plant (24-36″ away form the trunk) with the goal of creating a root ball 18-24″ across and 24-30″ deep.
- You will need two people with shovels to gently work the root ball loose and surround it with an old sheet or burlap tote.
- Once wrapped, the plant can be moved to the new hole and planted at the same depth, adding Sloat Forest Mulch Plus, Agricultural Lime and Sure Start fertilizer
- Water heavily and wait. All remaining leaves may drop off but that is OK as long as the branches and stems remain firm and don’t turn black.
- Come spring you should see a surge of growth. Don’t be surprised if the plant does not bloom that first year after transplanting.
Mildew on Begonias
Dear Garden Guru,
I've had a Semperflorens begonia for many years that has been continuously beautiful and free of pests. This year it has become infected with mildew. What's the best, least toxic remedy?
Debra in San Francisco
Hi Debra,
Begonias get mildew when the humidity increases and we have cool nights followed by warm days. The easiest and safest way to get rid of the mildew is to spray with Serenade. This is a non toxic (except to funguses) spray certified by OMNI. It is safe to use on Begonias and will not burn leaves.
Caring for Fuchsias
Dear Garden Guru,
I'm somewhat worried about one of the potted Fuchsias I have. The one I'm worried about gets watered every day for about 10 minutes. About a month ago this plant was growing very well, then all of a sudden it's lost all of it's leaves and buds, have I killed this plant? I also need to know when is the best time to prune Fuchsias?
Ritch in Hayward
Hi Ritch,
Is it that your Fuchsia still has no leaves after a month? And you are still watering it everyday? If this is the case, I think that your Fuchsia may be dead. Watering everyday, especially when the weather is hot will cause root rot. This is probably what happened to your plant initially. If you scrape the bark on the main stem of the plant, you should see some green, if the plant is still viable. If you see green, cut the plant back now by 60-80% and stop watering until it begins to grow again. If you don’t see any sprouting by the end of 3 weeks, the plant will most likely not come back. As far as the best time to prune healthy Fuchsias, we suggest late February.
Pyracantha
Dear Garden Guru,
Can you please tell me what plant is in the December red pottery picture. I inheritedone of these plants when I bought this house and use the berries as Christmas decoration, but if it is an invasive, I would like to get rid of it. Also, the berries dry out quickly when cut. Any ideas on how to keep them looking better for longer?
Barb in Oakland
Hi Barb,
The plant pictured was a Pyracantha. They are not considered invasive. Once branches have been cut, it is very difficult to keep them looking fresh for long if they are not in water. Spraying your cut foliage and berry sprays with Cloud Cover will help seal in the moisture. Floral foam will also hold water. Try making arrangements on a plate or saucer. The greenery stuck in the foam conceals your plate and you can keep adding water as needed.
Dalia Tubers
Dear Garden Guru,
I have dahlia tubers that I have dug up since I saw that some were rotting but what about my dahlia hybrid that I've grown from seeds and the species bishops children. they're all dried up, do I just keep them in their pots till next summer when they'll come back?
Margarita in Daly City
Hi Margarita,
Thank you for your question. You may want to lift the small tubers from the pots as well and store them in paper bags with some peat moss. This will allow you to replant them in fresh potting soil next spring. If you choose to leave them in the pots, store them dry until February when you can rewet them. I have had hybrid Dahlias last for years by doing both.
I hope this helps. As always, feel free to visit any of our Sloat locations for more expert advice.
Pacific Iris and Brugmansia/Datura
Dear Garden Guru,
A few years ago Sloat offered special varietes of Pacific Coast Iris (different colors, etc) Are they available this year? If not, what are the botanical names? Question #2 Do brugmansia and datura have different cultural requirements? What are they? Thanks so much!
Grace in San Rafael
Hi Grace,
Sloat will indeed have many varieties of Pacific Iris. The greatest selection is to be had in March. There are so many named varieties that it would be difficult to list them all. Most of the stores still have a few 1g cans but they are dormant right now. As far as the difference between Brugmansia and Datura, the cultural requirements are very different. Brugmansia require a sheltered location from wind and hot sun. They grow naturally under the high canopy of the Amazon rainforest, so a part sun location suits them best inland. They will take full sun on the coast, provided they are out of the wind. Give them regular water and composted soil. Datura are desert loving plants that require fast draining soil. They will take more sun and less watering.
Toyon
Dear Garden Guru,
I have had a toyon shrub for 4 years. It has never flowered or developed berries and I have always assumed this is because it doesn't get enough sun. {I am in the Twin Peaks area} However this spring we took down a tree and the toyon received significantly more sun and it did flower heavily but still no berries. Do you think berries are a lost cause on this shrub?
Charlene in San Francisco
Hi Charlene,
I would not give up hope on your Toyon. Getting it more sun so it would bloom was half the battle. I believe the problem was a lack of pollinators. The freeze we had last winter killed many beneficial insects. As well, the bee population has been compromised by one disaster or another for close to 10 years now. It is also possible that the young berries aborted early in the season right after flowering. We had so little rain this past season, many unirrigated plants set poor fruit crops.
Shade Plants
Dear Garden Guru,
Hello, I am creating a plan for my front court yard. i have a large Magnolia tree that blocks 85% of the sun. Could you please suggest some hearty shade plants/flowers? I live on the water and there is much salt air. Thanks!
Joe in Novato
Hi Joe,
Shrubs that will work in that shady spot are Viburnum tinus, Pittosporum tobira (which also comes as a variegated variety), Aucuba, Boxwood, Camellia, Fatsia, Hydrangea and Nandina.
Perennials and flowers that will thrive are Calla Lily, Fuchsia, Heuchera, Lamium, Liriope, Foxglove, Campanula, and Hellebore.
Some annual flowers that will work are Impatiens, Coleus and Primrose.
Apple Trees
Dear Garden Guru,
I have a 40 year old golden delicious apple tree up to two years ago lots of fruit. Last year and this has grey moldy spots on the trunk and limbs and white fuzz at the tips and leaves. causing the leaves to fall and bearing the limbs. I tried to spray with soap and blight spray but, it is higher than the two story house and not getting any better Should I cut it down and start all over??
Sara in San Francisco
Hi Sara,
What you describe on the bark of the tree and tips of branches is lichen. This will not kill the tree but usually invades very old bark. The best way to control this fungi/algae symbiosis is to spray the bark of the tree with Kop R Spray. This spray will also control powdery mildew which creates a white coating on leaves and causes them to turn brown and die. When powdery mildew is really prevalent, there will be much leaf drop. Less leaves means less energy to carry and bear fruits. I would recommend possibly having the tree reduced in height. It is advisable to begin spraying now, again in February and once again when the flower buds begin to swell. I would give your older tree the benefit of the doubt for a couple more years. Consider that 2006 was the wettest year on record and a horrible fruit production year and last year was very very dry, equally stressful.
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