Why doesn’t my Crape Myrtle bloom? I planted it last year and it has not grown and has not bloomed. Did you plant it deeper than it was in the pot – did you cover the top of the soil ball with soil? Did you plant it in a slight hole so water would get to it? If you answer yes to these, that may be the problem. NEVER place a plant in a hole deeper than the rootball. Actually raise it at least 1-2 inches above ground level and then as you are planting, bring the soil up to but not covering the top of the rootball. Planting it too deeply will stunt its growth and therefore it may not bloom. Also, did you fertilize it after it had been planted; just before new growth emerged in the spring? If you do not give it fertilizer at that time, it may not get enough nutrients from the soil to produce active new growth, which is what a Crape Myrtle really needs. Remember to fertilize the root zone, not the trunk.

  I love trees, but the leaves make my pine straw and bark mulch look so pitiful in the fall. What can I do to make my landscape look better? We have to look at these falling leaves as a part of Nature’s cycle. These leaves litter the ground and eventually make a deep layer which gradually breaks down to form an organic soil that feeds insects and earthworms which aerate the soil around the plants. Nutrients that were present in the leaves on the tree will be nutrients that are in this organic soil. So, rake those leaves off the lawn and spread them beneath your shrubs (better still, cut them up with the lawn mower and then spread them beneath your shrubs). When all leaves have fallen, then is the time to renew your mulch around the trees, shrubs and flower borders. This leaf layer will decompose readily and you will not have to use as much of the purchased mulch. If leaves fall on thick pine straw mulch, turn the mulch over with a pitch fork or your hands. Fluff it!

  My collards, turnip greens and other fall crops are not growing! What did I do wrong? Did you fertilize them? Plants that produce short term yields like vegetables use a lot of energy quickly. They need help. Chemical fertilizers like 10-10-10, or 5-10-10 or 6-12-12 produce almost instant results if sufficient water is available. Organic fertilizers like seaweed, blood meal, manures from several sources and other non-chemical ingredients are slower to affect the growth, but very good for the plant and the soil. If the seeds are not germinating, you still have plenty of time to replant. We have a long growing season for winter crops.

  I never know when I’m supposed to prune my landscape. How do I know? Is there a pruning calendar or rules about pruning? There are definitely rules for pruning. These are different for each plant in your garden. Make a list of the plants in your landscape. Then spend some time researching each plant to find its specific need (if it has any) and when to prune it. Be sure to check with sources locally. There are some rules of thumb (these are to be applied with caution): If a deciduous tree or shrub blooms in the summer after June 1, it is probably blooming on new wood so you can prune it in the winter before the new growth develops in the spring – Crape Myrtle, Buddleia, and Vitex are some examples. If it blooms before June 1, prune it immediately after the last bloom falls off. Forsythia, Azaleas, Spiraea, are just some of these. Prune berry-producing shrubs after the berries have made their show, but before the new flowers appear. Hollies, Pyracantha, and Nandinas are some (prune fruiting stems of Nandinas back to ground to encourage new shoots to fill in and make the plant more dense). If you have unruly shrubs after the summer growth, then cautiously remove these unruly shoots, but this is not the time to do severe pruning unless you want to look at bare stems throughout the winter. For the most accurate information go to https://extension. uga.edu/publications and put Pruning in the Search Area. Use your extension service often for all your gardening and homemaking needs. 

  Fall is planting time – trees, shrubs, perennials, groundcovers, lawns, vegetables. Have fun gardening!