Lantana needs fertilizing each year

By Walter Reeves

For the AJC

Q: I have Miss Huff lantanas that seem to have gone into a decline. They’re half the height of last year. I pruned in spring but did not fertilize. Von Woods, Peachtree City

A: I’ve noticed the same thing with my mother's plant near her front door. Although lantana isn’t noted as a heavy feeder, it does need fertilizer each year. ‘Miss Huff’ comes back in April but the previous year’s dead stems are typically removed each winter. This inevitably depletes soil nutrition. Lantana blooms on new growth so it’s important to keep it fed continuously. Apply a slow-release fertilizer (Osmocote, Dynamite, cotton seed meal, etc.) next April and see if your plants don’t respond beautifully.

Q: I would love to grow elderberries to eat for my health and to make wine. Any hints? Leigh McCollum, Maysville

A: Native plant expert Theresa Schrum says to collect the fruits of wild/roadside elderberries when they turn dark purple. Extract the seed from the fruit and plant six seed per six-inch pot. Leave the pot outdoors for the winter, then watch for sprouts next spring. Transplant the sprouts when they are six inches tall. Note that our native elderberries grow 12-15 feet tall and up to 20-feet wide. They require full sun but aren't too fussy about soil conditions.

Q: What songbirds would be attracted to the nectar of a hummingbird feeder? I see one or two each day perched on my feeder, dipping their beaks into the feeding holes. Lily Cantor, Atlanta

A: Naturalist Charles Seabrook says many songbirds have a sweet tooth. In Georgia, they include various woodpeckers, flickers, chickadees, wrens, catbirds, goldfinches and orchard orioles. House finches are especially notorious for competing with hummingbirds at nectar feeders. The problem for songbirds, though, is that they don't have long hummingbird-like bills adapted for nectar-feeding. Still, as you've observed, the songbirds try, and sometimes they succeed.

Q: I am a new homeowner and I do not know anything about when to water or fertilize my grass. Where can I find a schedule of what to do in the summer, fall and winter? Emily Carter, Smyrna

A: The first step is to determine what grass you have. I have identification tips and pictures of turfgrasses at xrl.us/grassid. Each lawn grass we grow in Georgia has a different schedule for care. I’ve collected lawn care calendars and care tips at xrl.us/lawncalendar.

Q: I have a potato vine in a large ceramic pot. It grows like kudzu and is covering everything close by. Any problem with trimming? John Wages, Lawrenceville

A: There’s no problem at all with cutting the vine when needed. Some early varieties of ornamental sweet potato are known for their vigorous growth. More recent introductions, like the Sweet Caroline series of ornamental potatoes and ‘Carolina Purple,’ are more restrained in their habits.

Listen to Walter Reeves Saturday mornings on AM 750 and 95.5 FM News-Talk WSB from 6 to 10. Go to www.yoursoutherngarden.com for details on his TV show or visit his website, www.walterreeves.com.