O U R GA R D E N E X P E R T A L L E V I AT E S YO U R G R OW I N G PA I N S
TOSS ’EM › I have a container of tulips that were forced into bloom indoors. If I keep them in a sunny place, can I save them and then plant them outside later? —MICHELE » It sounds like that should work, but it doesn’t. Toss forced tulips in the compost or trash once they are done blooming. Buy new bulbs next fall, either for forcing or planting in the ground. MITE-Y EFFECTIVE › I found red spider mites on the leaves and stems of my ‘Meyer’ lemon tree that I grow in a pot. What is a good organic control? —ELISSA
» Spider mites attack many plants brought indoors for
“Bugs like newspapers? Stop the presses!”
the winter, because they like the dry air and lack of predators. An easy, safe (and cheap!) method for killing them is to add two to three drops of liquid detergent to a quart-size spray bottle that’s filled with water and apply on the leaves and stems. Be sure to wet both the upper and lower leaf surfaces. DISTURBING THE PEACE › The tips of my peace lily’s leaves are turning brown. What causes that? —BARBARA
» This is probably a watering problem. Let the water sit out overnight before use so it can reach room temperature and the chlorine can evaporate. Be sure to keep the soil evenly moist. Water your plant thoroughly so excess moisture drains from the pot. This leaches out fertilizer salts that can burn the leaves. Protect the foliage from hot sun or cold drafts. If you can, take your plant outside several times in the summer before a good rain. Peace lilies love this. STUPID SNAILS › Last year, snails ate every bit of new vegetation in my garden and made it difficult to grow anything. How do I prevent this from happening again? —DENISE » Slug bait is the most effective control for shielding your plants from both smart
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30 FEBRUARY 2018 / SOUTHERNLIVING.COM
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S T EV E B E N D E R
GRUMPY’S GRIPE OF THE MONTH February is the ficklest month. Sometimes, it behaves responsibly and provides the weather it’s supposed to—chilly days and cold nights. This tells our hardy plants that it’s not quite time to wake up so they remain dormant. But almost invariably, it perversely dupes our gardens with a week of 70-degree temperatures, coaxing trees, shrubs, and bulbs to bloom too early in the season. Then it snaps its jaws with a sudden freeze, and the hoodwinked flowers die.
and stupid snails and slugs. There are two popular kinds of the product—one contains metaldehyde, and the other consists of iron phosphate. Both of the baits come as granules that you sprinkle around your plants. Be careful when and where you use these products, because they are both toxic to wildlife if consumed. It’s important to follow the label directions and keep them safely away from pets. Â
ILLUSTRATIONS: MICHAEL WITTE
HEADLINE NEWS › An organic yard service suggested that we use newspapers to mulch the flower beds around our home. “What a wonderful idea!” we thought. Several weeks later, our flower beds were infested with earwigs, grubs, and millipedes. We ended up having to call in a professional. —MARY » Newspaper pages used as mulch absorb a lot of water. As you’ve discovered, many insects love the moist, dark environment beneath them. In the future, I recommend recycling the newspapers and mulching with ground bark or pine straw instead. This will discourage weeds without attracting all of the creepy-crawlies.