A: I want to relocate a sizable hydrangea plant to a different area of my garden. What time of year is ideal for this?
A huge hydrangea plant can be moved, but it will be very heavy so plan to seek assistance. Make sure to remove the largest portion of the hydrangea root ball.
Hydrangea shrubs can be planted in spring or fall, but the majority of the publications I read advise waiting for cooler weather and moving the bushes in late fall or early spring, when the plants are dormant but the soil is still usable.
The plant’s mature, unpruned size should fit in the new planting location. Pick a location with soil that drains effectively. Rich organic matter in the soil will help it retain moisture. Keep in mind that soil that is damp can nonetheless be effectively drained. A spot where water pools or takes a long time to drain should be avoided after a strong downpour.
An excellent location will not be completely shaded in the afternoon. To blossom, hydrangeas require sunlight—not intense sunlight, but also not complete shadow. Each kind of hydrangea has a different tolerance for sun exposure.
After relocating, give the transplanted hydrangea one good soak in water. After relocating, avoid overwatering, but give the plant additional watering over the course of the following two summers as it gets acclimated.
A: I have two healthy fig trees (same cutting), but for the second year in a row, neither of them has produced any figs. Advice?
A fig tree is something I’ve never grown. I’ve looked at a few sources and can suggest the following. I am aware that the cuttings are from the same tree and of the same age, but I am unaware of the reader’s growth practices.
Starting with the potential causes of a fig tree not producing fruit:
It isn’t old enough: A fig tree usually starts bearing fruit between the ages of two and six. It makes sense that two trees that were grown from the same cutting will develop similarly and reach maturity around the same time.
An issue with gardening is having too much nitrogen. A plant with too much nitrogen will have healthy leaves but no fruit. The majority of the sources I looked at advised making only one sparing spring fertilizer application.
Fig trees don’t like to be too wet or too dry, which causes water stress. Make sure the soil has good drainage, and keep it evenly moist but not soggy or humid.
Does this resolve the issue? I’m not sure, but I think the first step would be to look at the circumstances that each plant is facing. Do you drink more or less water? Does one plant receive run-off fertilizer from an adjacent lawn if it is planted in the ground? Does the soil differ in any way? What has changed?
If you’ve grown figs and have any tips for this reader, send them to me and I’ll share them with them.
Even though it’s only September, you should get your amaryllis bulbs from the previous winter ready to bloom once more as there are only roughly 15 weeks before Christmas. If you followed my instructions, you would have cut the flower stems back after they bloomed and preserved the greens through the winter. You will then plant them this spring and let them to thrive throughout summer. The containers are filled with lush, deep green leaves.
Move the pots inside and stop watering them right away. The bulbs need to become dormant.
They should be kept in a dark, cool (not cold) place. Once the leaf has dried up and become shriveled, remove it. Before they begin to grow once more, the bulbs will rest for eight to twelve weeks.
Water the bulbs and relocate them to a location with bright but indirect light as soon as you see fresh growth. After emerging from dormancy, the bulbs should flower four to six weeks later. After 12 weeks, if they still don’t sprout, try watering them and moving them into light.
Until the first frost, I normally leave my amaryllis outside. Because of this, I had lovely flowers in February, when I really value them. For my Christmas display, I usually buy fresh bulbs, however after a while, I have a lot of bulbs. Can there ever be too many amaryllis flowers, though?
I have finally recovered from Lyme disease symptoms after taking medications and avoiding sunshine for more than two months. Every time you walk outside, take precautions against ticks to spare yourself a lot of pain. Although that is a story for another day, the garden is a jungle.
This orchard is nearby, accessible, and reasonable—only it’s 15 minutes from my house. James Hamilton founded it in 1974, and his twin sons Ron and Rick now oversee it. The family website states that the orchard started providing pick your own in 2015. On a Saturday afternoon, my friend Betty Cauler and I went and came home with a lot of gorgeous nectarines and peaches (Flaming Fury) (Fantasia).
There are now also apples accessible. Find a local producer and enjoy the delight of freshly picked, locally grown fruit if you are unable to do so yourself.
Native Plant Sale at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., September 17 and 18, 414 Center St., Bethlehem. There are more than 1,300 plants and more than 55 different species of potted native perennials available ($3–$6, larger pots $10). The Lehigh Valley’s green spaces profit from the sale. While you are at the plant sale, complete the native plant survey for the Lehigh Gap Environmental Educational Center to earn a voucher good for $10 off your plant purchase.
- Planting:
- Plant pansies for early spring blooms and fall color, if you choose winter pansies.
- Mums and asters are beginning to show up on the market.
- Plant seeds that need a period of cold weather for germination.
- Keep fresh plants indoors until it gets cooler.
- Seasonal:
- Let the last flush of blossoms mature and set seed.
- For planting in the fall, place an order for asparagus, rhubarb, bulbs, flower and fruit plants, and shrubs.
- Frequently weed and remove the blossoms from any weeds that you are unable to get out.
- Keep irises and day lilies from setting seedpods by deadheading the flowers and trimming any damaged, diseased, or dead foliage.
- Lawn:
- Through mid-October, sow, overseed, dethatch, and aerate lawns.
- Apply weed control for broadleaf plants from mid-September until mid-October.
- As the weather begins to cool in September and October, prepare sodding projects and lay sod.
- Treat for sod webworms and chinch bugs.
- Fill up the lawn’s holes and low areas.
- Apply weed control made of corn gluten to the garden; repeat every four to six weeks.
- Chores:
- Don’t water amaryllis bulbs anymore. Let the bulbs dry up and enter a dormant state. Keep them dry and cool until they grow again in 8 to 12 weeks.
- Regular crop harvesting should occur, ideally every other day.
- often, water containers.
- Garden hoses and broken screens should be repaired or replaced.
- Remove any standing water
- Protect delicate plants from deer, rabbits, and groundhogs. Reapply taste or odor inhibitors.
- Regularly clean and restock birdbaths and feeders.
- Rainwater runoff should be directed away from building foundations by clearing gutters.
- Equipment, supplies, and tools:
- Verify the seed supply for planting in the fall and late crops.
- Pots and trays used for seed beginning and transplanting should be cleaned and sterilized.
Can hydrangeas still be transplanted?
The majority of people are aware that “transplanting” refers to the act of digging a plant up and planting it in another spot.
The BEST TIME to transplant hydrangeas, according to experts, is when they are dormant, or after the majority of their leaves have dropped. Hydrangeas were transplanted when I lived in South Carolina in late November or early December, but if your ground isn’t frozen, January or February work just as well.
How soon may I relocate and dig up my hydrangea?
The optimal time to transplant hydrangeas is right after the autumn dormancy of the plants. This indicates that all of the flowers have withered away and that most or all of the leaves have fallen.
- The optimum time to move hydrangea shrubs in colder locations is in November, when the bushes are dormant but the ground is not completely frozen.
- You can transplant hydrangeas in warmer regions where the ground doesn’t freeze between December and February.
While these are the ideal times to move hydrangea bushes, you may actually do so at any time of the year as long as it is not the hottest part of the year.
Can I move my hydrangea by digging it up?
Don’t worry if this advice makes transplanting seem difficult. In reality, hydrangeas are remarkably hardy and relatively portable plants.
Your plant should be alright as long as you wait until it is dormant, keep its roots moist when you move it, and give it lots of attention once it is settled. Make sure it receives an adequate amount of sunlight for growth and shade for protection from the heat of the day. These crucial pointers will ensure that your Hydrangea’s big transfer goes off without a hitch.
Could I have a transplant in April?
A good time to move perennials is one that is not picked poorly. Perennial plants shouldn’t be moved while they are blooming. Picking up the shovel should be delayed for at least a few weeks after a plant blooms. One general rule is to transplant perennials with fall blooms in the spring and perennials with spring blooms in the fall.
Additionally, avoid transplanting perennials in hot climates. Every time you move a plant, some of its roots are lost. This root deficiency may prevent a transplant from cooling itself during hot weather.
The months with cool weather are ideal for transplanting perennials. Fall is one of the best seasons for transplanting, however spring can still be effective.