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The Garden Plot
Hosted by Adrian Higgins
Washington Post Garden Editor
Thursday, April 3, 2003; 11 a.m. ET
Got a chronic case of green thumb? Like getting your hands dirty? Adrian Higgins, garden editor for The Post's Home section, is here to help. Higgins is a firm believer in "tough plants for tough times" -- the varieties that combine good looks with stiff resistance to disease and pests. He currently rules over a garden filled with spring bulbs, daffodils, ornamental onions, perennials, asters, yarrows, hostas and day lilies. Higgins, an avid organic gardener who believes chemicals are a last resort, also tends his own herb and vegetable gardens where he grows peas, garlic onions, lettuce, rhubarbs, radishes, carrots and more.
Higgins is the author of two books, "The Secret Gardens of Georgetown: Behind the Walls of Washington's Most Historic Neighborhood" and "The Washington Post Garden Book: The Ultimate Guide to Gardening in Greater Washington and the Mid-Atlantic Region."
The transcript follows
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Silver Spring, Md.:
Hi Adrian,
I'm growing small "Signet" marigolds from seed this year for the first time. After germinating they quickly lose their leaves and die. I've tried not to give them too much water in case the problem is that they are damping off but so far only a few have made it past an inch. They are planted in those pellets made for seedlings.
Do you have any thoughts on what the problem might be?
Thanks!
Adrian Higgins: It is important to use sterile, soilless seed starting mix. If you use soil, it contains pathogens which might be attacking your seedlings. You might also try starting them now outdoors in a sheltered spot away from sun, remembering to bring them in when nights drop below 50 degrees or so.
Washington, D.C.:
Adrian,
I have a small garden with a southern exposure. I want to grow lettuce from transplants, but don't when to plant or how to harvest. Any advice you can give would be great.
Thank you.
Adrian Higgins: You really don't need to grow lettuce from transplants unless you have them. They germinate readily from seed and grow quickly. If you have transplants, space them four inches apart in a row. Water them after planting. From seed, just make small furrows eight to 12 inches apart and sow the seed. After they germinate, thin them out to about two inches apart. About a week or 10 days later, thin them again to about four inches apart. Use the thinnings for a salad. They should be ready to harvest in late May.
Hillsboro, Va.:
Hi, I'm sorry if you've answered this already -- I've got HUNDREDS of bunches of what looks like a round/thick grass coming up in my mulch beds and throughout the yard! Last year I noticed maybe 10 bunches.
They're some sort of bulb plant (like an onion grass) and sometimes have a large purple flower. It's not wild crocus from what I can tell from pictures online. I didn't plant them and they're EVERYWHERE! Do you know what they are?
Adrian Higgins: It is wild garlic or onion. The only effective way to rid yourself of them is to dig them out, using a fishtail weeder or narrow trowel. The soil is nice and moist at the moment and they should yield without too much of a fight.
Leesburg, Va.:
Hi. I need to plant a tree to replace my Bradford Pear that got struck by lightening last year. Is now a good time to plant? I would like to plant near the same place, but will have the roots to contend with. Any suggestions? The stump and all are still in the ground. Thanks!
Adrian Higgins: Now is a good time to plant. Just make sure you follow the planting instructions given by the nursery. It is important that you not set the new tree too low, the junction of the trunk and the rootball should be about two inches above the soil line. Make a saucer of soil around your new tree to capture water, of which it will require much to get established. Make sure you remove all the twine around the trunk to prevent future constriction. Don't worry about the pear roots, they will rot away in time.
Wash, D.C.:
Can clematis self-seed, or spread voluntarily somehow? I have one in pot on my deck, and in the pot next to it, there is something new growing that looks suspiciously like the clematis. I'd be happy if it were a clematis, but don't want to be in the habit of growing weeds.
Thanks!
Adrian Higgins: There is one species that seeds freely, it is the autumn flowering clematis, and you may wish to pull seedings.
Shaw, Washington, D.C.:
Hey Adrian,
I read that you can "plant" moss on rocks, wood and pavers by mixing up moss, clay, and even buttermilk in a blender and painting it on to a surface. I'd like to give this a try if the idea is sound. What do you think? As long as the area is shady and moist, what do you think my chances of success will be?
Adrian Higgins: This seems to work better in England with its milder climate than here. Moss needs shade, acidic soil, compacted soil or some other hard surface, and a place where it can remain moist. Moss on masonry often takes several years because of the alkaline effect of the mortar, etc. One way to allow moss a foothold on masonry or statuary is to etch the piece with muriatic acid. This is nasty stuff and should be used with care. Also, you wouldn't want to apply it to any sort of valuable garden piece. But do try your recipe, and let us know how it works.
Arlington, Va.:
Please forgive this question from a complete gardening neophyte -- we are soon to move into our first home, and I'm looking forward to gardening. The backyard is beautifully landscaped, but I want to add some vegetables and herbs, along with flowers. When do I need to start planting? Can you recommend any good books or Web sites for a complete (and I mean complete) beginner.
Adrian Higgins: Vegetables and herbs, many of which can be planted or sown now, need good, well drained soil and a sunny site. You can haul the good soil in in bags, especially if you create a raised bed or in large pots. Sow lettuce, radishes, and carrots now and plant thyme, parsley and cilantro. All will respond quickly to warm spring weather and make you feel like a pro.
McLean, Va.:
Hi, I have a river birch and a weeping cherry along with other trees that aren't doing so well. Weeping cherry's main limb hasn't budded for two seasons now and the birch isn't getting that many leaves on it either for two years.
I don't know what's wrong with them.
Adrian Higgins: Both are probably manifesting two years of severe drought. If stems are dead, remove them. The birch in particular needs lots of moisture, which it has been getting in recent weeks. When it turns dry and hot again, as it surely will, make sure both trees are given a soaking every seven to 10 days, as needed.
Alexandria, Va.:
Last year I collected many bags of the free mulch from the City of Alexandria’s mulch site. What a find! Anyway, we had a LOT of centipedes crawling around our yard and sometimes into our house last June-September. Do you think it was a result of this mulch?
Adrian Higgins: Possibly, but centipedes are not particularly pesty animals. I believe there is one in Africa the size of a dachshund that can give you a nasty bite. I would rather have leaf mould and centipedes than no centipedes and no leaf mould.
Boyds, Md.:
Hi Adrian!
I would like to plant wildflowers in a daffodil bed -- my idea is to create a low maintenance perennial bed that has something flowering from spring to frost. I have found some wildflower seed mixes that seem to fit my needs but I am unsure when to plant them -- now or in the fall -- for best results. The seed package indicates either time and I was going to plant now but my mom says fall is the best time. Please help!
Adrian Higgins: Any plants started from seed are going to take a while to become established. Perennials take longer than annuals to beef up. While they are trying to grow, weeds will move in. This might make them difficult to establish amid daffodils. You might wish to go with perennials in four inch pots now. More expensive, but bound to be more successful. Your mother is correct, wildflower seeds are best sown in the fall.
Scotland Yard:
Adrian, do you tend your own garden or have a gardener(s)?
Adrian Higgins: I have a legion of underlings, and if they don't remove every last weed or doff their caps and avert their eyes when I patrol, I give them a taste of the lash. Actually, it comes down to me and my wife. One child has fled to college to avoid yard work, the other pretends to be engaged in sporting activities. On weekends, we garden.
Arlington, Va.:
Hi, Adrian:
Thanks for answering questions today.
I have two:
If I have some ornamental plants for which multiple trunks are normal (a witchhazel and a serviceberry), does that mean crossing branches are OK? Both were purchased from a good nursery, and presumably pruned in youth, but they have a couple crossing branches (or trunks, really) and I always thought that was bad.
Also, if I have some tulips in decline that don't bloom anymore but keep sending up foliage, can I just cut the foliage off now to keep them from coming back -- or do I need to dig up the bulbs themselves?
Thanks for your help!
Adrian Higgins: Ideally, you don't want stems of any size to be rubbing against each other, and in such a case you remove the weaker branch. However, if doing so would disfigure the whole shrub, you should leave well engough alone. This is why it is vital when a shrub or tree is very young (but after getting established) to shape the plant by removing branches that would otherwise grow into each other or create a tangle.
Maryland:
How do you get frogs and toads to stay out of your yard?
Adrian Higgins: If you have them, you are very lucky and should do all you can to keep them. They eat noisome insects. Toads, in particular, are wonderful for eating slugs. Unfortunately, populations of both amphibians have declined, much of it attributed to the use of lawn pesticides.
Great Falls, Va.:
Hi,
Our yard has lots and lots of crickets last summer. Some of them entered our house. I'm afraid of they come in again since we have a 17-month-old baby. Do you know how to get rid of them from the yard?
Thanks!
Adrian Higgins: There are camel crickets, which are distateful insects that inhabit moist areas indoors, particularly basements and garages. If you prevent undue moisture, you should eliminate them. The regular, chirping black cricket is not a particularly heinous creature and efforts to eliminate either type using pesticides may end up doing more harm than good. Personally, I would foster the presence of garter and black snakes, or chickens, all of which will take care of the problem.
Woodbridge, Va.:
Adrian...
Good Spring Day to ya!
Two questions for you, if you've time:
(1) what's the best exposure for basil plants along/in flowerbeds by foundation walls, and are there any complimentary plantings that would repel bugs from visiting the basil and,
(2) what would you plant on the boundary of a utility easement/backyard to encourage birds to visit/build nests? We've had some limited luck with north exposure for the basil, and would like to "re-screen" the easement with some things that require only minimal maintenance/pruning.
Thankee!
Adrian Higgins: Basil demands a sunny site. No sun, no basil. As long as you can keep slugs away from young basil plants, they soon get established and other pests are not a problem, although leaf hoppers can be. I plant mine next to rue, which does seem to repel insects I don't like. You can't plant basil until after nighttime temperatures warm up some more and all danger of frost is past.
Birds like shrubs that are evergreen and thorny, pyracantha comes to mind. I would visit the website of the National Wildlife Federation, they will guide you in making a wildlife habitat garden with appropriate plant habitat for birds.
Falls Church, Va.:
Hello, I'm getting ready to sow my first garden and would like plant herbs and flowers complimentary to their neighboring vegetables to aid in keeping pests away (I'd heard that marigolds near vegetables deter deer for example). Any suggested pairings you can recommend? It's a large, mostly sunny yard, and I'm thinking of growing lettuce, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, herbs and some flowers.
Adrian Higgins: Marigolds are a classic example, as I say, I like to use rue, which has a sap that is distateful. But the veggies you speak of grow quickly before pests can get a foothold, so don't fixate on companion plantings. Grow you vegetables, patrol them for slugs and aphids. Slugs can be hand picked and aphids simply washed away. You wouldn't want to use any synthetic toxic with food you intend to eat, at least I wouldn't.
Deciduous = bare?:
If I plant deciduous ground cover such as sweet woodruff, what do I do when it drops its leaves? Mulch over it? Thanks for the advice!
Adrian Higgins: Do nothing. With sweet woodruff, the old leaves wither and depart over the winter, the new stems are growing now. They like moist, rich soil.
Annapolis, Md.:
how do you GET frogs and toads to come to your yard, if you live in a typical city house and can't yet afford to put in a pond? (and by the way -- cats are a great way to take care of the cricket problem... crickets also "spit tobacco" like box elder bugs. Yuk.)
Adrian Higgins: I don't know. I built a pond and for some reason cannot get frogs, I think because the sides are vertical and there is no easy access in or out. I have introduced tadpoles but the fish eat most of them.
Another cricket solution:
Our cats consider crickets to be both amusing toys and tasty snacks. This is fortunate because we're not zoned for chickens.
Adrian Higgins: Cats win by a majority decision.
Fairfax County, Va. Re: Crickets:
Can I tell the county that Mr. Higgins said I should get a chicken for my backyard?
Adrian Higgins: Call it fancy poultry and maybe the bureaucrats will leave you alone.
Arlington, Va.:
Hello, I'm happily moving to a house with a large flat sunny yard, with some shady spots due to a couple of scattered trees (I believe they're dogwood). I'm renting, but my landlord says I can do whatever I want, so I'm plotting my first vegetable, flower, herb garden. Any advice on where to start? I have myriad books on the topic, but they all seem to lay out different plans. I'm looking for something that will allow me to be a mostly on-the-weekends gardener, so nothing too needy!
Adrian Higgins: Pick a site that is sunny, well drained and out of public view. A small plot of say 20 feet by 10 feet will yield lots of room for veggies. Site the plot so that you can expand it as your tastes and ambitions grow.
Clarksburg, Md.:
Is it too late to treat the lawn for crabgrass and other weeds? I know I'm supposed to lay down preemergent early, but snow covered the ground for so long I couldn't do it. Can it still be done this weekend?
Adrian Higgins: I think you are still OK. I have not seen crabgrass germinate yet in my warmer garden.
Arlington, Va.:
I have obtained a large number of canna rhizomes and was wondering when the right time to plant them will be. I have heard varying things such as to put them in the ground when the forsythia are blooming (now!) to wait until after danger of frost is gone.
Thanks.
Adrian Higgins: The bulbs themselves won't be harmed by any late frosts now, but they won't grow rapidly until the soil warms up, so you can put them in now but you might want to wait until May. Again, watering and occasional fertilizing will help them along.
Peonies and ants:
Hi Adrian,
I want to plant a peony by our front stoop. The area gets full, blazing sun from sun up to sundown, so I think it would do well there. But I'm concerned about the peony attracting ants, particularly since it would be close to the front door? Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Not-quite-newbie gardener in Fairfax
Adrian Higgins: The ants they draw are non stinging small black ants. I would not deny myself the pleasure of growing a peony because of a few harmless ants.
Arlington, Va.:
Where can I find some Giant Elephant Ear bulbs in Northern Virginia? And is it too late to plant them now?
Adrian Higgins: They will be available soon, I am sure, from mass merchandizers or independent nurseries. The bigger the bulb, the larger the plant. They can be planted in May. They make great potted plants for the patio.
Cumberland, Md.:
I have read that you can use Moss instead of grass in shady areas -- some catalogs I have gotten sell Moss. Is it really a useful alternative to grass in hard-to grow areas? Will it spread quickly?
Adrian Higgins: It is difficult to cultivate and takes quite a bit of work, principally in keeping the moss bed weeded and free from fallen leaves. It is also something that takes years to spread widely. This is why good moss gardens are highly valued. Moss that grows in other regions may not do well in yours. It is much better I think to harvest from other parts of your garden, or friends' gardens, and plant them as plugs.
Tuscan wannabe:
I would like to mimic the look of the vine-covered arbors we saw all over Tuscany and loved. We have an arbor (it's about 15 feet long, 6 feet wide) that covers almost half the deck. However, I don't have a clue what type of vine to use or how to go about it. We get pretty good sunlight all day back there but the arbor is somewhat in the shadow of the two story-deck next door. Another factor is that we don't have grass in our backyard, just white rocks (backyard is pretty small so the deck covers most of it). What kind of plant should I use? Do I put several in pots and let then grow up over the arbor? Do I have to plant them in the ground? Many thanks!
Adrian Higgins: Vines planted in the ground will ultimately get much better established and have more vigor than those in containers. Tender vines like mandevilla and passiflora, though, love to be grown in containers. I would try some grape vines, planted in the ground.
New York, N.Y.:
HI Mr. Higgins, what do you think of reel mowers? Do they cut grass well? Are they difficult to deal with? Are there and brands of reel mowers to stay away from or any important features that one should look for in a reel mower? Thanks!
Adrian Higgins: I love reel mowers, the problem for us is that you really need to cut the grass no lower than three inches and the highest setting on most reel mowers is 2.5 inches. Why manufacturers don't allow taller settings, I don't know. In New York, you may be able to cut the grass at 2.5 inches without the same heat stress of those of us below the Mason Dixon Line.
LeDroit Park, Washington, D.C.:
Thanks for the chat! Is it OK to start planting annuals yet? I'd like to start putting some hanging baskets together this weekend with the incredible fuscias I saw at Johnson's in Tennlytown. Is it too early still?
Adrian Higgins: Fuchsias are hardier than most tender plants. YOu can go ahead but do watch the weather forecast and bring the hanging basket in on cold nights.
Cumberland, Md.:
How often should you fertilize perennials and shrubs during the summer months?
Adrian Higgins: Watering is far more important, and fertilizing drought stressed plants is bad for them. The best course is to work on building the soil with twice a year thin layers of shredded leaves. This way the whole spectrum of nutrients is allowed to establish itself in a medium teeming with good micro-organisms.
Candy Cane City:
Hi Mr. Higgins: I got a forsythia on sale and I know they are plenty hearty but my question is, how difficult are they to dig up if you want to move them down the road? Thank you.
Adrian Higgins: I have known people unable to budge them with farm tractors and chains.
Fairfax, Va.:
Enjoyed your article today on botanical art. Any suggestions for places in this area where such art is sold?
Thanks. washingtonpost.com:
Plant Painters of the World Unite in a Show, (Post, April 3)
Adrian Higgins: There is a group called the American Society of Botanical Artists. I don't know if they have a website, but I would contact them to see about sales. The show at the Natural History Museum is well worth a visit, even on a glorious day like today.
A Novice Question:
Thank you for your ground cover suggestions, both online and in your wonderfully helpful book. I'm probably going to go with sweet woodruff. Please answer a very basic question for me: If I plant a ground cover that is not evergreen, what shall I do with my tiny front yard in the winter? Mulch over the ground cover and wait for spring?
Adrian Higgins: yes, that would be a good solution. We don't have plants covering every square inch of ground all year long. As you can tell I am partial to shredded leaves. Shredded hardwood mulch looks dark and rich and makes a good winter blanket.
Arlington, Va.:
Hi Adrian,
Are mountain laurel good candidates for a screening hedge? If not, do you have any recommendations? We would like to plant a hedge in our (20 ft. wide, 40 ft. deep) side yard that flowers and stays green in the winter to screen out the neighbor's carport. Ideally, it would grow to about 10 - 15 ft. high or more. The site has full sun.
Thanks.
Adrian Higgins: It would take a very long time for mountain laurel to attain such a size. I would go with hollies or maybe some of the hardier varieties of camellia. Thanks for all your questions, I can sense a great deal of spring fever and a busy weekend at the garden centers. I am sorry that we don't have enough time to answer all your great questions. We'll be back here next week.
washingtonpost.com:
That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the
discussion.
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