In the Garden with Janet B. Carson
January 30, 2010
We have a hibiscus plant in a pot that we moved inside for the winter, it is
about 30" high. Should we cut it back before spring? If we plant it in the
ground this spring will it survive the winter?
There are hardy hibiscus plants that are perennials (Hibiscus moscheutos)
as an example, but the tropical forms (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) will
not overwinter outdoors regardless of how much mulch you give them. If they
still look fine indoors, leave them alone until closer to time to move them
outdoors in mid to late April. If they have shed a lot of leaves and died
back, you can begin pruning now. You will want to prune all tropical
hibiscus plants back by 1/3 to ½ every year in the spring before moving them
outside. The goal is to encourage new growth, where they set flower buds. I
would also suggest repotting them every spring when you move them out. I
tend to simply buy new plants every year, since they often perform so well
during their first year, and can struggle in subsequent years unless you own
a greenhouse or sunroom for overwintering care.
Can you tell me what this plant is? It blooms in late April and early May.
The tall stalk comes up and the bloom forms, then little pods start opening from
the bottom of the bloom. The plant stays green all year long.
The plant in question is commonly called red-hot poker or torch lily. The
Latin name is Kniphofia uvaria. The plant is a perennial and comes in
several different forms, from dwarf ones to standard. Full sun is best. It
is also very drought tolerant.
We built a new house and moved into it in November. The sod is tiff
Bermuda. There are no trees nearby. The front yard has a very slight
slope, the back is a little more steep. With the warmer weather these last
few days, I noticed weeds starting to poke through the sod. What do I need
to put down, and when, to kill the weeds and fertilize the grass? I have
never had the opportunity to have a "blank canvas" for a yard. I want to
plant a red maple in the front yard, is there anything special I need to do for
it?
For the winter broad leaf weeds that are encroaching into your yard, spray
with a post-emergent herbicide containing 2,4-D. There are many brand names
including Trimec, 33 Plus, Green Light Wipe Out, and Weed-b-gone. These
products should kill the winter weeds. Hold off on fertilization until the
Bermuda has completely greened up, which usually happens mid to late April.
There are some excellent lawn calendars on our website at
http://www.arhomeandgarden.org/lawns.htm Red maples make a nice yard
tree. To guarantee fall color, either choose one in the fall when in color,
or go with a named cultivar such as October Glory or Red Sunset. The only
concern with red maples is surface roots, which they have and you will have
to deal with down the road.
I have a large outdoor pot of lavender. Does it need to be cut back, and if so,
when?
Lavender is a beautiful herb that blooms on the current season growth. I
would recommend cutting it back by a third to one half when new growth kicks
in to encourage bushiness and to get more flowers, but don’t do it now. They
can suffer from winter damage, and pruning it now would expose the plant to
potential winter injury. Typically lavender lasts three or four years in the
garden before it starts getting woody and not as pretty. I usually recommend
replacing them when that happens.
If you would like to see all of the Q& A's that Janet writes
they are archived in the
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