Mulberry weed tough to defeat

By Walter Reeves

For the AJC

Q: I have a weed with flowers along the stem which grows in my flower bed in late summer. How do I get rid of it?

-- Gail Harden, Fulton County

A: The most common fall weed I see is mulberry weed, so named due to a slight resemblance of its leaves to those of a mulberry tree. It is the very devil to get rid of. Each plant can have hundreds of seeds and they seem to have a 110% germination rate. The weed can be prevented with a pre-emergent but it grows so vigorously in places where flowers self-seed that this may not be practical. Personally, I use a non-selective organic spray to kill it whenever it shows itself. I prefer not to use glyphosate (Roundup, etc.) because the weed is so often snuggled close to my garden plants and I don’t want to risk hitting a good plant with a chemical that can travel from the affected leaf site to the rest of the plant. With rigorous attention to pulling it out, I have less mulberry weed now than three years ago but it still pops up more than I’d like.

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 the long hummingbird-like bills adapted for nectar-feeding. Still, as you've observed, the songbirds try and sometimes they succeed.

Q: In general, is it best to cut down perennial plants after they have finished flowering for the season when they appear to have died out?

-- Brad Driggs, Canton

A: My rule of thumb is that if it is green, it is good. Leave green foliage (but not brown flower stems) on your plants until frost kills the leaves. Remember that the cold, soggy soil of a Georgia winter is often the downfall of perennials. If you’re not certain that the soil in your perennial bed drains quickly after a rain, consider digging up the plants now, adding soil amendment plus gritty sand and replanting.

Q: I am coming for a Savannah vacation and was wondering if I could find big bags of Vidalia onions now.

-- Sherry Boggs, Chester, Va.

A: The fresh Vidalia onion season ends in early summer in Georgia but some producers have special storage facilities for out-of-season sales. Unlike common onions, Vidalia onions are very perishable. They have a high water and sugar content, making them susceptible to bruising when shipped in bulk. See www.vidaliaonion.org for a list of shippers who can send you these delicious treats.

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