Magnolia is slow to bloom

By Walter Reeves

For the AJC

Q. My parents planted a store-bought magnolia tree 10 years ago. It has never bloomed or even shown buds. My mom is still around and would love to have blooms. -- Neel McMaster, Avondale Estates

A. Magnolias are famously recalcitrant in blooming. They might do so a few years after planting or might wait much longer. Nothing you can do will hurry the process. Tell your mom to enjoy the glossy foliage of her tree, but you make sure to clip blooms from a neighbor's tree and float them in a bowl of water so she can enjoy the smell, too.

Q. I have kept a tomato garden in the same spot for five years. For two years, all of the plants have succumbed to various diseases. Is there anything I can clean the soil with? -- Vincent Owens, e-mail

A. Once diseases have built up in a spot, it's hard to get rid of them. One method would be to plant "non-kin" plants like beans, squash or peas in the spot for a few years before trying tomatoes again. If you have only a small garden plot and this is impossible, try planting grafted tomatoes. These plants have an heirloom tomato grafted onto a disease-resistant rootstock. You can do the grafting yourself (xrl.us/tomatograft) or buy them already joined. I don't know of local sources for grafted tomatoes but Territorial Seed (www.territorialseed.com) sells them.

Q. Last year I purchased 11 queen palms from a local store. During the winter they all turned brown; they look like they might be dead. Will they come back in the spring? -- Pete Lammers, Acworth

A. Queen palms can survive 25 degrees and maybe as low as 20 degrees in a sheltered spot. Your neighborhood went down to 13 degrees on Jan 9, so I doubt the trees will survive. Check the top of each tree to see if there is any green growth there now; if not, it is a goner. Does your local store have a plant guarantee?

Q. I am afraid I’ve created a monster by having a salt lick in my backyard. The deer love it. I recently counted eight there taking turns. I had hoped to put out impatiens to get some color. Do deer like impatiens? -- Rose Sanders, Marietta

A. If I installed a swimming pool in my front yard without a fence, I'd be accused of creating an attractive nuisance. By putting a salt lick in your backyard, you did the same thing for deer. They will be a nuisance to you and your neighbors as long as the salt is there. Taking into account that deer are fickle, impatiens are a plant usually consumed by them. You can try repellents like Liquid Fence, Deer Defeat, PlantSkyyd or Milorganite to see if you can keep them at bay.

Q. Are there any plants with the name Daniel in them? Our children are named Daniel and Heather. We’ve always had heather plants but we’d like to find a plant for Daniel. -- Susan Miller, Marietta

A. Using Google, I only found the ‘Daniel Ost’ rose but my Facebook fans came through! Anne H. suggested ‘Daniel Deronda' clematis; Andrea P. found ‘Daniel Boone’ daylily; Allison H. discovered ‘Daniel’ peace lily; Sarah B. heard about ‘Daniel’ apricot; and both Carmen N. and Jana R. proposed ‘Daniel Weeks' hardy ginger. Marion S.’s husband generously said you can have all the “daniel-ions” you like from his garden.

Listen to Walter Reeves Saturday mornings on AM 750 and now 95.5 FM News-Talk WSB. Visit his website, www.walterreeves.com, or join his Facebook fan page at xrl.us/wrfacebook for more garden tips.