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Dealing with mole damage

Moles tore up my lawn and garden this summer. What can I do this fall and next spring to keep them from returning? R.N., Troy

Moles damage lawns while looking for insect larvae and earthworms for food. They love prepared gardens since the soil is soft and pliable. Cutting a trench between lawn and garden can help prevent moles traveling between areas as they prefer to stay covered.

If you fertilize frequently, mow frequently, and water lightly and often so the soil surface is often wet, you are setting up the perfect accommodations for lawn disease and pests. Therefore, once you repair the damage done by the moles, examine your lawn maintenance procedures and adjust those three conditions. You can apply a lawn product at the correct time in late spring to address grubs, the larval form of many beetles. Eliminating the food source after your repair work is beneficial.

To repair the damage, all the tunnels and mounds must be flattened out, pressed back into the soil, and excess soil scattered. If necessary, set mole traps to eliminate the main culprits. Fill in sunken low areas with a mixture of 50/50 topsoil and compost. Lightly rake the soil areas to scuff up the surface. In smaller areas you can spread turf seed appropriate to your light conditions. In larger areas you may need to lay down pieces of sod on that prepared bed of 50/50, pressing the pieces in to make thorough soil contact. Protect seed with a top dressing of straw and water well. Keep the soil moist but not saturated to get proper germination in the seed areas. Keep the sod areas moist as well so that the roots adhere to the soil surface. Fall is a good time to do the repair, and spring is a good time to apply the grub pesticide to prevent future generations.

Growing hydrangeas from seed

I received hydrangea seeds in late August. When and how do I germinate and grow them on so they are mature enough to plant outside? If germination occurs in the fall, how do I get them through the winter months? D., Kalamazoo

Growing from seed is exciting because seed-grown hydrangeas are unique. They are not clones of their parent plants. Each of the seed hydrangeas could be considered a new cultivar. If you were hoping for a clone of the hydrangea whose seeds were gifted to you, they will not be identical replicas. Only asexual propagation (such as cuttings or tissue culture) from the desired plant can give you that duplication. The seeds themselves are tiny and almost look like dust.

Place the seeds in potting soil-filled starter seed trays, much like you would any other seed-grown plant. The seeds should simply be set on top of the soil. Do not bury them under the soil or mix them in with it. Make sure that the soil is well-drained but that it is moist the entire time. The best way to do so is with a mister. Put the containers in a sunny area where they will be exposed to direct sunlight. An appropriate grow light could be helpful during winter.

Watch for germination and as they grow, thin and weed out the less robust ones so that each seed pod has one good seedling. Once they transform from young seedlings to small plants, follow the same steps you would if you grew your hydrangea from a cutting. Transfer the propagated plant directly to your garden or a container.

If germinating in fall, you will have to keep them over the winter in containers in a sunny location in your house away from drafts and heat vents, or use grow lights. Since they grow rather slowly, starting the germination process in the fall may have them a decent size for transplanting outdoors the following year. Or, you can keep them in their containers during their first year outdoors to give them added protection before transplanting them in another year to ground soil. Since they take about 14 months to get to an outdoor size, timing is everything in this seed-growing adventure.

Dividing lilies

May I separate my hybrid lilies after they are done blooming for the season? P., Montague

Late summer to early fall is a good time to lift and divide hybrid lilies. You can dig up the clumps, divide the bulbs, checking for borers or rot, and immediately plant them back in the ground with greater spacing. It is a good housekeeping chore to do on a regular basis to maintain the health and vigor of the lilies. Transplant the larger bulbs 4 to 6 inches deep, and the smaller bulbs 2 to 4 inches deep. Make

sure they are getting 6 to 8 hours of sunlight for the best bloom. The smaller ones may not bloom next season, but the larger ones will.

Healthy sunflower growth

We planted a couple rows of sunflowers and they first grew in looking very strong. Now the petals look wilted and some of the flowers stalks are falling over. Why is this and is there a way to fix it?

Most people think sunflowers are low maintenance and easy care. Plant them and forget them. Unfortunately, what folks do not realize is that because of their rapid growth and generous height for many of the varieties, sunflowers need deep watering on a regular basis. They are growing to reach mature height, make flowers and produce seed as quickly as possible. Not enough water to support stem growth can easily lead to the symptoms you describe.

Make sure there are no root pests such as carrot beetles or stem weevils that may be contributing to the wilting. Also check for fungus issues, such as verticillium wilt. Remove the infected plants if you find any. You can also amend the soil with compost mixed with sanitized cow manure. Any annual such as the sunflower that must grow tall, fast, and produce seed in such a short time needs extra nutrition. They are using up available nutrients rapidly due to their accelerated growth. Hence the need for deep, regular watering to make those nutrients available in the soil.

The immediate fix is checking for insect or disease problems, watering the roots regularly, and amending the soil.

Overwintering banana plants

I planted banana plants this spring. Since they were rather expensive, how do I save the plants for next year? Ideas on how to store them? L.L., St. Clair Shores

Bananas are some of the easiest tropicals to overwinter. Overwintered bananas can become extremely large and even more exotic the following season. If the banana is container grown, cut the plant down to about 4 to 6 inches just before you bring it indoors. Store the container in a cool (45 to 50 degrees), dark area. Generally, in Michigan this is a basement. Sometimes it can be a cooler greenhouse. The key is cool temperature to drive it into dormancy but not kill the roots. Keep the soil dry. In the spring, increase watering and a new shoot will push up from the center of the stem. You can place it outdoors after frost when temperatures start to warm.

If the banana was grown in the ground, dig it up before frost. Leave the soil around the roots and wrap the root ball in a plastic bag. Do not cut the plant back unless you are trying to accommodate the bag. Store the plant in a cool, dark location away from drafts and potential moisture. The stem will dry down naturally. In the spring, cut the old stem off and replant after danger of frost is past.

Answers provided by Beverly Moss, owner of Garden Rhythms.

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