Ask and Answer Flower Questions Archive - Dec 2008

By Robert: The California Poppy after blooming numerous times, has stopped blooming. Should I cut it down to ground level. These flowers are in a small flower bed and now has become somewhat unattractive. I want to see them bloom again next year. Should I let them stay like this.

Answer By The Flower Expert:

The California Poppy plant grows vigorously in dry places. It especially likes areas where soil has been disturbed.

If there are favourable conditions they thrive well and really good, they will continue to flower over several years.

If they are not blooming, it means that now they will set seed.

California Poppy seeds have an impressive seed dispersal mechanism.

Those long, slender pods explode when ripe, scatter tiny seeds useful for planting.

Sow the seeds and enjoy the Poppy flowers again for the coming years

By Wendy: How does thinning down the foilage on Gerbera Daisies affect the plant?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Yes, you can thin out the Gerbera Diaises.

Thinning the Gerbera Daisies will not pose any problem to the plant.

By Tosha: How tall do a dwarf crape myrtle grow, and is it good to plant up next to the house?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Crape Myrtle Semi-Dwarf 'Hopi' is one of the best growing Dwarf varieties.

It grows to a height of 6 - 10 ft at maturity.

You can grow the dwart Crape Myrtle, next to the house.

But leaving a space of 5 - 6 feet, next to the house is recommended.

By Marjean: The leaves of my Morning Glories are full of little holes, in fact they look like lace they're so badly damaged. What's wrong and what do I do?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Your Morning glories are under the attack of Aphids.

As they are badly affected, probably Neem Oil and Permethrin based sprays are best for the use in eradicating Aphids.

Contact a local gardener for the amount of sprays to be used.

By Rosina: This is year 2 for our rhododendrom. It is full of blossoms but I am noticing the leaves look they are being chewed on. What can I do?

Answer By The Flower Expert:They are the Iris seed pods containing seeds in them.

These seed pods have to turn from green to brown before they open to disperse seeds.

When these seeds are sowed, they germinate and come out as Iris plants.

By Stephanie: I was wondering if Heather plants could be cut and transplanted?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Transplanting the Heathers is not much successful.

Though you may try.

As far as pruning, only cut out dead or diseased branches that have browned and withered, but Heathers cannot stand Transplanting.

By Corinne: I have a number of Agapanthus in my garden plus some I am growing in pots. For several years both new and dstablished flowered well but last year and this, some have no flower buds at all, whilst others have perhaps four, whereas they may normally have 300 buds.

Answer By The Flower Expert:

I think its time for you to divide the clumps of Agapanthus, because Agapanthus root system spreads.

And also, Agapanthus are heavy feeders and do not bloom well if undernourished or grown in too shady a location.

Check out whether there are any unusual things.

By Jennifer: I planted about 250 oriental lily bulbs 5 years ago. The first three years were AMAZING! Last year, a neighborhood deer ate most everything. This year few lilies have surfaced, and of those only a handful look like they will bloom.

Answer By The Flower Expert: Oriental lily bulbs should be grown in full sun. (probably they are receiving less light)

You can get away with early morning shade, but they should have a minimum of 8 hours of full hot sunshine including the noon sun.

Oriental lilies that do not receive enough sunshine flop over and are weak.

By Becky:it is a mid-green plant about 2 feet tall, has small white flowers that when die, turn into pod-like things with hundreds of small black seed inside. It has many stems and seems to spread out

Answer By The Flower Expert: Intermediate bearded iris usually grow from 1 to 2 feet in height.

Iris flower fade and turn into green colored pods, which turn brown when ripe and disperse seeds.

Probably they are bearded Irises.

IF not, please funish some more details of the flower or a flower picture.

By Jan Mitchell: The larvae on sunflowers are a light brown colour, about the size and shape of a sesame seed. They are 1/8th of an inch long, and they burrow through the leaves making little wiggly trails. Eventually, they emerge as little black knats/flies, that are the same size only with wings.

Answer By The Flower Expert: Probably the culprit on sunflower might be Suleima helianthana (Riley)

By Jan Mitchell: My dwarf sunflowers, planted in garden pots seem to have a strange bug attacking their leaves. It looks like a larvae leaving trails across the leaves until the leaf is pulverized. The buds continue to form and the stalks seem very strong, but I'm wondering how to stop the larvae. By the way, the larvae eventually turn into a little black fly/aphid?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Probably the culprit on sunflower might be Suleima helianthana (Riley)

By Barbara: However how deep should I plant the seeds. They are green now and on the tree. Last time I tried they were dried and I just laid them in a flower pot.

Answer By The Flower Expert: Collect the palm seeds when the palm fruit is completely ripe or as soon as it falls from the tree. The fresher the palm seed, the better results.

Plant the palm seeds just even with the surface of the planting medium.

By Lisa: What if anything can a Lamium confertum be used for?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Lamium confertum is a Vigorous perennial grown for its attractive, chartreuse foliage.

The genus Lamium (deadnettle) includes both annual and perennial species; they spread by both seeds and stems rooting as they grow along the ground.

By Alison: Im looking to use White Pompon Chrysanthemums for my wedding in Sept, but when I have ordered them to trial table displays I keep getting Yellow ( cream )ones - they say they cannot gaurantee that White ones will be available in Spet. Is this true?, Is there some hwhere I can order them from that can garantee that they can get white ones?

Answer By The Flower Expert: I think you can order white pompom chrysanthemums from the flower sites in Japan, because they are in bloom during that time in Japan.

In Japan, the chrysanthemum has its own holiday, a festival of happiness celebrated every September 9.

By Jose: How long dose it take for the morning Glory to flower the first time?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Morning Glory if planted in March, will bloom in July.

By Melinda: What do I do with the flower and stalks of my kangaroo paws after they fade and seem dried up? Do I cut the stalk back?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Cut spent flowers of kangaroo paws back to the ground for continued bloom after flowering.

They go from spring through fall.

Kangaroo paw is a tropical plant.

They will flower this year.

By Dan: I just received 2 Bird of paradise plants which are about 2 years old. the outer leaves are yellowning is this normal for young plants?

Answer By The Flower Expert: As the plant leaf ages, they become yellow, and drop off.

By Cathy: The leaves of my Calla Lilly are being eaten away, yet the plat continues to bloom. No other plants (including Day Lilly) are suffering. What to do?

Answer By The Flower Expert:

Probably they are some caterpillars eating away calla lily leaves.

These caterpillars chew on the leaves. Try to identify what insect is eating your leaves. Try insecticidal soap.

By Cathy: I bought a perennial flower at a local nursery. It did not have a name marker on it. A man who worked at the nursery said it was a perennial names something like lychne. I cannot seem to find it online. It bloomed in June and still has some blooms now. It is about 3 to 4 feet tall on a thin stalk and at the end of the stalk is a rounded dark pink flower.

Answer By The Flower Expert: Probably you are talking about dark pink Hibiscus.

IF not send us the flower picture.

By Margaret: Is the marigold flower used to help people that varicose veins?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Yes, Marigold is very essential.

Marigold is chiefly used as a local remedy.

Its action is stimulant and diaphoretic.

It is used internally in chronic ulcer, varicose veins, etc.

It has been asserted that a Marigold flower, rubbed on the affected part, is an admirable remedy for the pain and swelling caused by the sting of a wasp or bee. A lotion made from the flowers is most useful for sprains and wounds, and a water distilled from them is good for inflamed and sore eyes

By Heather: When cutting the spent bearded iris stalks, I have been leaving 6 to 8 inches of the stalk. Should I be cutting it right to the ground, leaves & all?

Answer By The Flower Expert: The Iris spent bloom should be cut off at the stem below the flower.

Since, The part of the iris that bloomed, will no longer produce, but, there will be two new plants on either side of it, that will bloom during their second year.

By Helen: Are the Oriental Lilies Perennial? Can I save the bulbs for next year and how?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Yes, Oriental Lilies are perennials.

Oriental Lilies No, you are suppose to let them flower and then wait until they turn completely brown before u cut them down to the ground.

This way they will come back rejuvenated the next year.

By Rosina: I was wondering if the plant Jasmine would be able to survive winters in Eastern Washington? Also if Ivy was going to be planted near the jasmine would the ivy take over the jasmine and kill it?

Answer By The Flower Expert: I do not think that jasmines can be grown in Eastern Washington.

Though the summer temperatures are good for the plant to thrive, winters are bad for the plant.

The winter season snowfall ranges from 10 to 20 inches. I think cannot survive such cold, as they are tropical plants.

Jasmines and English Ivy are great ground covers. They grows like crazy. They will not kill each other

By Viola: Are gardenias and tuberose related? They have a similar sweet scent

Answer By The Flower Expert: Gardenias and Tuberose are not related.

Gardenias are one of the most popular exotic flowers. Gardenias are very fragrant creamy-white flowers and glossy, dark-green leaves. Gardenias are waxy, white and very fragrant flowers.

The tuberose has white flowers and grass like leaves and stems. The fragrance these flowers produce is sweet, strong, and similar to the that of a gardenia. Even though the flowers open at night they can still be smelled during the day.

By Dianne: My yarrow plant has developed grayish-brown leaves and stems at the bottom of the plant. We have had a very wet spring, could it be from too much moisture, or does it have a disease?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Your Yarrow plant might have got infected with a disease called Botrytis.

It is (gray mold) appears as brown dead areas and under proper moisture may have a gray fuzzy appearance. It attacks buds, flowers, leaves, and stems.

By Some One: how can I treat the disease Botrytis on Yarrow?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Fungicides and sanitation are helpful.

Apply when disease first seen. Spray every 7-14 days.

You can use Chemspray Mancozeb, Chemspray Lawn & Garden Fungicide.

By Jane: My Iris have developed green pods where the flowers once were. What are these pods?

Answer By The Flower Expert: They are the Iris seed pods containing seeds in them.

These seed pods have to turn from green to brown before they open to disperse seeds.

By Lennie: When do morning gloies bloom

Answer By The Flower Expert: Morning Gloiess bloom from early summer to mid fall

Morning glory flowers are vines, which are saucer-shaped, opening at morning time.

By Tori: My mountain laurels keep dying. Some are in sun; some in shade. They get ample water, are fertilized, and have black pine bark mulch around them. Can you help me?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Probably Various leaf spot fungi are causing the dying up of mountain laurels.

By Steve: I was wondering if you could help identify a small outcrop of flowers that are growing in a field close by in Essex. They are about 1.5 metres high and are large yellow bell shaped flowers about 2 inches across. They are clustered around the top of the stem and also grow high up on the stem. The leaves are about 1.5 inches long and lily like, growing up the stem.

Answer By The Flower Expert: Is this the flower in the attachment you are talking about.

It is Allamanda - Yellow Bell Flower

It is a moderate growing evergreen shrub that gets 4-5 ft. in height.

It look slightly mounded, spiky shape, which are Small yellow, bell shaped flowers that flower throughout the year.

By Jolene: I planted diffent varieties of Morning Glories and out of six different plants only one is blooming. They all look very heathy but no blooms

Answer By The Flower Expert: Give your Morning Glories, a little compost or a slow release organic fertilizer mixed in with a quality soil is all you need.

If you give too much fertilizer, you'll get lots of green and very few flowers.

Be careful in giving fertilizers, act according to the labelled instructions.

By Pat: My aster plants are growing too tall for the location they are in. Can I cut them back a little?

Answer By The Flower Expert: You can pinch the asters.

After you pich the plant, flower buds develop before heavy cold strikes.

Pinch shoot tips when the stems are 4 to 6 inches high.

Pinch again three weeks later.

Pinch a final time in late June.

You can cut asters back completely after they bloom.

Every few years, divide your aster plants or they will become weak and die out.

They prefer being divided in the spring.

By Bonnie: When should you cut off the blooms of agapanthas?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Agapanthus need to be cut back at the end of the growing season. You can remove all of the dried leaves and flower spikes.

By Kathleen: I have a Jasmine plant growing in a twenty gallon container, approximately 4 years old. It winters inside, and summers on my southwestern exposure balcony in Toronto, Ontario. It is getting too big for the container, and I would like to split it if possible. The main stem is about an inch around and woody. It forks into 4 main stems which are approximately 4 feet tall and all produce new green vines and flower beautifully. So, is it possible, how and when would I do it?

Answer By The Flower Expert: I do not think that established Jasmines can be splitted or transplanted.

What you can do is, you need to plant a cutting by the end of the summer, later it receives rain fall where it gets established.

As it has become mandatory for you to transplant, try it.

By Prym: can you give me a history about islamic flowers?

Answer By The Flower Expert: In Islamic culture, flowers especially Roses are often seen as symbols of the Kingdom of Allah.

By Diana: my gardinia for 3 years now and it's never bloomed. the plant is very healthy... dark shiny leaves... but no flowers. It is planted in an area that get sun in the morning... I fertilize with flower blooming Miricle Grow... What am I doing wrong?

Answer By The Flower Expert: The gardenia needs minimum of five hours of full sunlight each day.Gardenias should be placed in a south or east facing window.

The fertilizer you are using should be given for every two weeks when plant is actively growing. Wait and see for the blooms.

By Judy: When should you cut off the blooms of agapanthas?

Answer By The Flower Expert: It is better of cut the Agapanthus flowering stock close to ground level.

In this way, plants pick up a bust of energy and perform best.

By Raven: Can you name some flowers that can grow into the fall?

Answer By The Flower Expert: One of the most popular fall flowering plants are the Garden Mums.

Some of the popular fall flowering flowers are,

The French marigolds (Tagetes patula)

The African marigolds (Tagetes erecta).

Rain Lilies (Zephyranthes species),

Autumn Crocus or Meadow Saffron (Colchicum species)

Crocus (Crocus species)

By Belinda: are coffee grounds good food for houseplants?

Answer By The Flower Expert: I think they are too good nor too bad for the houseplants.

Yes, it is OK but not a lot when you add organics like coffee grounds it tends to make the soil acidic this is good for some plants and bad for others. my advice use only a few table spoons to a large plant per week. less for a smaller one.

The majority of folks use grounds outside in the garden.

If you wish to use coffee grounds for your house plants it will probably be a good idea to gently scratch the grounds into the surface of the potting soil and/or cover with some appropriate mulch for your indoor houseplants.

By Bala: I live in michigan. I love jasmine flowers. Is it possible to grow jasmine plant in michigan?. If so where can I get the plant?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Yes, you can have lovely jasmine flowers be grown in Michigan, as Michigan has temperate type of climate, where Jasmines will thrive well.

Search for an established online nurseries in Michigan and order them.

By Shelley: what is the bulb like part of the iris that is on the flower stem after th bloom is gone?

Answer By The Flower Expert: When the flower shrivels and dries up it develops into an Iris seed pod.

It can easily be snapped off below the swollen area.

Take care not to break off any new flowers buds.

When all blooms are spent, allow the stem to die back on its own.

By Roger: When should I cut my iris back and how far

Answer By The Flower Expert: After Iris plant finishes blooming, you can cut back Iris. Only cut back the stem where the spent flowers are preesent.

The plant stores up food for next year's growth in the rhizome. Do not cut too much of the plant, as cutting off too much of the leaves may hinder food production/storage which may affect flowering the next year.

Trim only dead or injured leaves and cut off the flower stalks.

Remove only occassional dead leaf and flower stalks after blooming.

By Cindy: I need some advise. I need to move my iris bed soon as new ditches are going to be dug and they will be destroyed if I don't. They are finished blooming. What is the best way to transplant them this time of year?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Irises can be transplanted in August.

You can transplant Iris 2-3 weeks after finished blooming.

Dig the clump up and pry the rhizomes apart, discarding all shriveled and diseased parts.

Stalks which produced flowers this year will not produce again.

They provide food to the new side shoots which will be next summers bloomers, so be sure to leave these new shoots attached to the mother.

Cut the leaves back to about 6-7 inches.

When replanting, be sure to dig in a good granular bulb food into the soil.

Dig a hole of ample size for root development and mound the soil in the center so that the roots may be spread over the saddle.

Barely cover the rhizomes with soil.

When you plant your irises, make sure the top surface of the rhizome is level with or just slightly below the soil surface.

If you bury the rhizome too deeply, the plant may refuse to flower.

Do NOT mulch directly over the rhizomes.

For multiple plantings in the same hole, arrange the rhizomes so that the leaf-ends point away from the center and plant 8 inches apart.

By Linda: My lilies are all about done blooming. They bloomed in month of June. Can I cut the foliage back (it is still nice looking) & if I do will they bloome again this year. I guess my question should be -is there any way to get the lilies to keep blooming all summer?

Answer By The Flower Expert: To keep lilies( mist if the lilies )longer you should remove the anther(male part of the plant)with the yellow pollen on it. As leaving it on shortens the life span of the flower.

Take care not to get the pollen on your clothes as it will stain.

Asiatic lilies and hybrids bloom once per season about 2 - 4 wks. Only daylilies will bloom for an extended summer season.

By Bill: What are Micronutrients?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Micronutrients are plant nutrients that are essential for plant growth but are only needed in small amounts to be effective. There are six micronutrients:

Boron (B), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Molybdenum (Mo), Zinc (Zn) .

These micronutrients are essential but in a lesser quantity. They should be given in high quantities. If they are given in excess, then the plants are susceptible to salts injury.

Micronutrient toxicities can occur if substrate pH is too low.

Excess micronutrients on the plants can cause dieback of the growing tips, marginal necrosis of leaves.

New Guinea Impatiens need only moderate levels of micronutrients.

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.