10:57 a.m. Thursday, October 8, 2009

Hydrangea blooms should return

Print
E-mail

By Walter Reeves

For the AJC

Q: My purple hydrangea has not bloomed for two years. It used to be beautiful. Do I need to prune it to the ground or what? — Laura Jordan, McDonough

Enlarge photo

Walter Reeves , for the AJC The drought and a freeze in January left many hydrangeas without flower buds.

More Homefinder stories »

A: Big leaf hydrangeas were hit with a 1-2-3 flurry of punches during the last three years. The drought did most of the damage. Flower buds didn’t form unless the shrubs were watered regularly in summer. This past January brought 11-degree temperatures, freezing off any buds that formed in 2008. I noticed that my hydrangeas growing in shade were not frozen severely. They bloomed fine this summer. The ones in fuller sun at the edge of a pine tree stand have not bloomed vigorously since 2006. Don’t prune now. I am confident there are lots of bloom buds present for next summer. Wait until July of next year to shape them up.

Q: In April, I planted 10 Bronze Beauty cleyera. They get mostly shade. Is there any type of fertilizer to help them grow faster? — Leslie Wise, Marietta

A: Sunshine and a healthy root system make plants grow faster. If these are lacking, no amount of plant food will make your cleyera bigger.

Consider putting a thin layer of Milorganite or horse manure under them now and then a half-cup of 10-10-10 in April and June. Still, I predict that in “mostly shade” they will be slow growers.

Q: What type of mulch do you prefer for garden plantings? — Dennis Brown, Villa Rica

A: I alternate between pine straw for shrubs and trees and mini-size bark chips for perennials and annuals. I use wheat straw around vegetables to promote beneficial insects. I was pleased with the process of planting my pansies a week ago. The petunias in the bed were mulched with chips back in April. I pulled them out and inserted the pansies in their place, through the chips. No additional mulch was needed!

Q: I have some green peanuts that I would like to save to plant next spring. Should I freeze them or just dry them out and store them in a dry cool place? — Frank Cook, DeKalb County

A: Dry the peanuts in the shell and save them in a cool place until next spring.

You can plant them outdoors in early May, when the soil is very warm.

Take care cracking the peanuts to get the seed: Broken nuts will not germinate.

Plant them an inch deep and 8 inches apart in sandy soil.

Soil consistency is important because the peanut flowers must “peg” into it. If lots of clay is present, the pegs will not grow into the nuts you enjoy.

Listen to Walter Reeves from 6 to 10 Saturday mornings on WSB-AM (750). Go to www.gardeningingeorgia .com for details on his TV show or visit his Web site, www.walterreeves.com.