Janet Carson is a horticulture specialist for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Write to her at P. O. Box 391, Little Rock, Ark. 72203, or e-mail her at jcarson@arkansason line. com QI bought potted tulips for my wife a few weeks ago. The flowers have dropped and the plants are looking bad. What do I need to do in order to replant them in our flower garden ? Do they prefer morning sun or afternoon ?
AYou aren’t going to like my answer, but I would add them to the compost pile or throw them away. We don’t have great results with tulips reblooming every year even when they are planted outside in the garden. Those that are forced have even less potential to rebloom. Tulips, like all spring bulbs, need a minimum of six weeks of foliage growth following blooms. Forced plants usually decline within a week or two following flowering, giving the bulbs little time to replenish any flowers. They are also planted shallowly and close together, again leaving little hope of flowers next year.
QI planted several gallons of Encore azalea bushes in my flower beds last year. When is the best time to prune these ?
AThe only time you should prune is immediately following flowering in the spring. Encore azaleas bloom nicely spring and fall, with occasional scattered flowers throughout the summer. You would not want to prune after fall bloom, since it would expose the plant to winter weather. While I typically say prune only if needed, I have found with Encore azaleas that a light pruning after spring bloom every season encourages a fuller plant with a better display of fall blooms.
QMy mother has a plant in her yard with small fragrant brown flowers. A friend called it a spice plant. I am sure it has a more official name. I want to move it and need to know if I can cut it back before I try. It is almost three feet tall.
AThe plant is called Carolina allspice or sweet shrub Calycanthus floridus is the genus. It is an old-fashioned pass-along plant and pretty tough. If possible you should move it in the fall when it goes dormant, but if it is in the way and needs to be moved you could do it as soon as possible. Don’t prune it unless you damage limbs in transit.
QWe purchased a wisteria about four years ago and have a beautiful plant with no blooms. It was quite small when we bought it and now it is a good size. What do we need to do to see some of those pretty flowers appear ? It is in direct sunlight all day.
AWisteria needs as much sunlight as possible to bloom well, so your site should be ideal. I would also advise you to either train it to a trellis or tree-form it. Do not let it grow unchecked or it can take over. Avoid nitrogen fertilizer, since that tends to put even more energy into foliage growth. Wisteria can be slow to start blooming, especially if it is growing vigorously. It is not unusual to wait four to eight years for first flowers. Once it begins to bloom, you should have flowers annually. Prune as much as needed now and avoid pruning throughout the growing season, since it sets flower buds in late summer to early fall. You can also help to slow down growth by root-pruning it. Take a straight-edged shovel and make several slices into the soil two feet away from the trunk. Don’t make a complete circle, but stagger the cuts. This will sever some of the roots and should slow down the top growth while the roots regenerate. Sometimes this is enough of an impact to make it set flower buds. Otherwise, you just have to have patience.
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