Gardening Tips Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-712 -- More Projects »
Every now and then certain plants in your landscape need a little maintenance. Master gardener Paul James shares some quick tips for tweaking the landscape:
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Figure A
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Figure B
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Figure C
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To avoid spearmint's tendency to take over a garden, grow it in a container. Besides being invasive, spearmint can also get very leggy, so routinely pinch the terminal growth (figure A), thus forcing the plant to develop a bushier form. Use the pinched portions of spearmint to flavor beverages like iced tea.
While this Japanese native vine is a vigorous vine, akebia may need some help clinging when it's first starting out. To make a vine support system, tie jute twine around the posts that the vine is growing on, and carefully weave the vine under the twine (figure B). Space the twine about one foot apart and continue to add more twine as the plant grows.
James started a wisteria recently, and believe it or not, in a few years, the vines should grown out over the roof of his deck like this mature vine (figure C) in a nearby yard. "In fact, it can sometimes grow so rampantly, that it will actually pull the gutter right off your house," says James. If your beginning wisteria vines are having trouble staying attached to a structure, consider using the twine support system to help hold and guide the young vines.
According to James, one of the most commonly asked questions is, "Why do some wisteria plants refuse to bloom?" To determine the cause of bloom decline, consider how the plant was first propagated. If it was grown from seed, it may not mature for 10 to 15 years, and consequently may not flower for that period of time. If grown from a cutting or graft, a wisteria should bloom within three to four years, depending on the species. If you have a wisteria that doesn't want to bloom, there are three things you can do: First, root prune the plant by backing off from the plant base and piercing the ground with a shovel to cut the roots. Then prune the top growth back. Finally, use a fertilizer high in phosphorus, the middle number listed on a fertilizer package. Still, you may not be successful. "There are simply some wisteria that refuse to bloom," says James.
This weeping white pine's main trunk is hanging too low across a walkway. An easy way to help raise the branch is to use a bamboo splint. Cut a piece of bamboo to size, and tie one end of the bamboo with twine to the trunk just below the point at which it starts to bend (figure D). Raise the weeping portion of the tree up so that the pathway is clear, and secure the other end of the branch to the remaining end of bamboo with twine. In a year or so the tree will probably grow strong enough to stay in place on its own. Of course, the tree's natural tendency is to weep, so you may have to maintain the splint forever.
Even the best gardeners sometimes forget to water, and the result can be damage like this dwarf dappled willow (Salix integra 'Hakura Nishiki') shows. To revive an extremely dried-out plant, prune back the dead portions to living plant tissue (figure E), and with care, the plant should begin rebounding within a few weeks.
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