Ask and Answer Flower Questions Archive - May 2008

By Bev Elerding: When and how often do i feed my Rhodedendrons?

Answer By The Flower Expert: After the Rhododendrons flowers are finished you must disbud. This is the removal of the spent flowers and must be done very carefully because the new growth is immediately behind the spent flowers, though some buds will also occur in the leaf axils.

Disbudding:

Their removal directs the plants energies towards producing new growth and the flowers for next year. After disbudding gently remove the mulch by hand carefully so as not injure their very shallow root system. Now add a layer of mulch. Alternatively you can just add the new mulch over the old mulch.

Feed your Rhododendrons at this time with an acid based fertilizer. Do not feed them after July 1st. Feeding after this time encourages late season growth that may not harden off before winter set in and reduces flower set.

By Debra Wilbanks: Will it hurt my rose bush if i cut the roses?

Answer By The Flower Expert: No, you will not hurt the rose bush, if you cut back the spent roses.

By Dr.T.Pulger: Which month is suitable for planting Japanese Cherries in Gangtok,Sikkim,India

Answer By The Flower Expert: This season, Spring is the ideal season for planting Japanese Cherries.

By Joe: What would be some good choices for flowers that dont get much water and a lot of sun most days?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Daylilies are grown on perennial flowerbeds, but one can also create groups of different varieties.

Peonies have large, abundant inflorescence because which they are willingly grown in gardens.

These above said perennials can be best grown in sun with yucca as backdrop as you said.

By Cynthia: How Ginger Plants grow in hot conditions?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Watering:

Ginger doesn't need much watering. The important thing is that the soil must be kept moist and must not dry up.

Water it thoroughly first, and keep it damp further on, but do not overirrigate. Wait until the soil surface dries out, andthen water again.

It is best to use rain water.

Unless you live in the hottest part of the United States (USDA zone 10), you'll have to grow this tender herb in a pot and bring it indoors in cold weather.

You can Plant ginger in spring when you can supply warm enough temperatures, whether indoors or out. The dormant tubers will sprout only when the mercury hits 75 to 85 degrees F.

By Penny: How to make Flower Boxes to fix plants accurately?

Answer By The Flower Expert: If you want to use wooden troughs or baskets, make sure that your wood is of a solid quality. And The wooden box should be finished with a plant-proof preserver.

If you use barrels, make sure that the hoops are secure. Wood containers fare well in colder weather and also provide more insulation than do terra cotta pots.

By Doris: When should you cut back lavender?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Lavender plants should be pruned every year immediately after bloom.

Pruning should not be confused with harvesting.

Pruning is necessary to extend the life of the plant. Lavender flower wand stems are usually a bright green while Lavender leaves are gray.

Cut back not only the flower stem, but also about a third of the gray-leaved stems as well.

If the plant has been neglected, it can be cut back further, but avoid pruning back so far that only woody stems with no leaves are showing.

By Amber: Is there a such thing as a BLACK Bleeding Heart?

Answer By The Flower Expert: There is no Black colored Bleeding Heart Vine.

There are colors like pink, and white.

By Kathy: What do you put in the water to make cuty daffodils last a long time?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Floral preservative is good stuff for flowers like daffodils in water.

It contains anti-bacterial water conditioners along with flower food and acidifying agents.

If you don't have it, a dash of clear sugar-based drink like Sprite will work.

By Tee: How to care Potted Tulips in Spring?

Answer By The Flower Expert: If you receive potted spring-flowering bulbs, tulips, as winter gifts, you may want to plant them in the garden in spring. However, it often takes two to three years for bulbs to re-bloom after they have been "forced" for indoor use.

If you want to try, start by keeping the plants actively growing until the leaves mature and die back naturally. To prevent seeds from forming, remove the flowers after they bloom. Place the potted plants in a cool, very sunny location and keep the soil moist to the touch. Fertilize with a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer according to label directions. The longer the leaves stay green and healthy, the larger the bulb will become.

When leaves dry down, store the bulbs in a dark, cool place until fall planting time. Because few homes have a good storage place, it may be better to directly plant the bulbs outdoors. If the leaves have died back, plant bulbs outdoors when the soil is workable. If the leaves have not died back, wait until after the last frost to plant the bulbs with their leaves. Care for the bulbs outdoors as you would other spring bulbs. With luck, they'll bloom again - eventually.

By Ludmila: How do I make Miss American Presentation Bouquet?

To create a presentation bouquet, choose long flowers, such as elegant calla lilies with their emerald stalks, delphinium, French tulips, Asiatic lilies or orchids. A colorful burst of an Oriental lily, or the delicate petal profusion of a garden rose is also the best.

In just takes a few minutes, you can create a gorgeous -- and very romantic -- bouquet.

Steps in making a Presentation Bouquet:-

Choose the longest flower, and lie it on your work table.

Then arrange the flowers in height order alongside the longest stem, creating an arrow shape. Gently gather the flowers into your hand, and tie them with a bow a few inches from the base of the flower heads.

A bouquet of long, willowy flowers nestled in the crook of your arm, will become a Presentation bouquets. They were the flowers of choice for 1920s brides, and that look is coming back.

By Kim: How can I rid flower beds of wild onions?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Chemical control of Wild onion is difficult and may not provide the expected results. Although these weeds appear grass-like, control can be attempted with post emergent broadleaf herbicides. Applications of herbicides containing 2,4-D, MCPP, dicamba, clopyralid, or triclopyr should be applied for Wild onion and garlic during early to mid spring. And unlike most other broadleaf weeds, mowing immediately before the herbicide application may improve uptake and control.

Control in lawns:

Since Wild onion weeds are more of a problem in poorly drained lawns and thin turf areas, control begins by maintaining a dense, healthy turf stand through good cultural practices including proper mowing height and frequency, as well as proper fertility with emphasis on fall nitrogen.

By Richard: Why did you not include daffodils in your list of spring flowers?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Daffodils should be planted between late August and November with the best time betweeen late September and the end of October.

By Becka: Where to find a list of flowers that are in season and at the best price of the year?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Bachelor's Buttons, Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus

Calendula (Pot Marigold)

Diascia

Larkspur

Lobelia

Nasturtium

Nierembergia

Petunia

Snapdragon

Viola and Pansy

By Karen: Agapanthus plants aren't blooming in shaded area What is wrong?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Agapanthus plants are heavy feeders and do not bloom well if undernourished or grown in too shady a location.

Agapanthus (African lilies) are big plants and usually summered outdoors in tubs where the root system can spread.

By Erika: What kind of flowers can I plant now and will last until September?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Calystegia

Calochortus venustus - Fairy Lantern

Chincherinchee - Ornithogalum

Clematis - Aromatica

Clematis - Border/Prairie - Chinook

Clematis - Border/Prairie - Gazelle

Clematis - Piilu

Honeysuckle

Delphinium Pacific Hybrids - are some of the flowers growing from spring till september.

By Beverly: What Flowers Grow Best in Full Sun?

Answer By The Flower Expert: These are some of the flowers grow in Full Sun.

Lupins [Lupinus polyphyllus]

Knautia - Melton Pastels [Knautia macedonica]

Lychnis [Lychnis chalcedonica]

Birds of paradise

Jasmines

Annual statice (Limonium sinuatum)

Bachelor's button, cornflower (Centaurea cyanus

California bluebell (Phacelia campanularia)

Chinese forget-me-not (Cynoglossum amabile 'Firmament')

By Freda Hymiak: Can I move Hyacinth Bulbs from one bed to another on April 4th of a year?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Yes, you can transplant Hyacinth bulbs in spring.

Make sure the soil you are putting them in is well drained and healthy.

The bed should be deeply prepared to keep them from rotting during the winter.

How to plant them:

Plant them 6-11 inches deep and throw in a few handfuls of Bone Meal before you set them down. Bone Meal won't burn the roots and it is great for the soil and the flowers.

By Mary: Shall I cut off the dead Gardenia branches and also there are 2 live branches?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Yes, You can cut off the dead Gardenia branches and leave the live branches an see what happens.

By Madonna: How to care for a Baptista Plant?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Botanical Name is Baptisia australis

Yes, you can prune the planyt.

Care for Baptista plant:

Baptisia prefers open, porous, well-drained, even sandy, soil.

To keep it in a more mounded form after flowering, you can shear or prune Baptisia into a low rounded form.

It tends to get big and floppy during flowering.

It will self-seed.

By Terry: I was wondering if iris plants can be grown in containers? What precautions etc?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Yes, Iris plants can be grown in containers.

Put a layer of gravel on the bottom of a clay, pottery or cement container, then fill part way with a sandy (even stony) soil mix.

In the fall, plant dwarf iris (Iris reticulata), 7.5 to 10 cm (3" to 4") below the surface.

Place the pot outside during the late fall and early winter, then move it to a sunny spot outdoors in early January.

The reward will be a blue, white and yellow mid-winter display.

Once the bloom is over, fertilize the greenery with a few drops of diluted fish fertilizer, set the container aside in a dry, partly shaded spot and leave until next mid-winter for another blast of bloom.

Botanical crocuses, now available in a wide array of colours, also make wonderful container bulbs.

Some Great spring flowers for containers include:

Anemone blanda -Greek windflower

Chionodoxa -glory of the snow

Crocus -all crocus species and Dutch crocus cultivars

Galanthus -snowdrop

Hyacinthus -hyacinth, all cultivars

Iris -miniature iris, I. danfordiae and I. reticulata hybrids

Leucojum snowflake

Muscari -grape hyacinth, especially M. armeniacum and M. botryoides album

Narcissus -daffodil, including strong-stemmed taller cultivars and especially, shorter-stemmed and miniature varieties

Puschkinia, P. libanotica

Scilla siberica (early), S. campanulata [or Hyacinthoides hispanica] (late)

By Hansel: What climate zone is best for the Kangaroo Paw?

Answer By The Flower Expert: The climate zone is best for the Kangaroo Paw is USDA Hardiness Zone: 10 to 11

By Sondra Howel: Where can I order a book with pictures of various floral designs?

By Webmaster: Mastering the Art of Floral Design by Paula Pryke's is the best book it gives good information and pictures of various floral designs. You can buy them at Amazon. Mastering the Art of Floral Design by Paula Pryke's is the best book it gives good information and pictures of various floral designs.You can also look at these books also The Complete Book of Floral Design and Wedding Bouquets: Over 300 Designs for Every Bride.