QUESTION: How should we care for the Italian stone pine we used as a living Christmas tree? It had brittle needles when we bought it. We transplanted it to a larger pot, and we water it only when it is dry. How can we help it survive? K.B., Flower Mound
ANSWER: An Italian stone pine is easy to grow even in a container, but it would fare better if it were planted in the ground in a full-sun location. It is one of the toughest pines.
Plant the tree with the top of the root ball 1 or 2 inches above the surrounding soil level, and backfill the planting hole with soil you dug to create the hole. Do not use amendments in the backfill.
QUESTION: Our son recently purchased his first house and started working on the yard. His new pickaxe bent after the second swing into the dirt. We found shale ½ to 1 inch below the soil surface. His budget won't provide for a major makeover of the yard. What do you recommend?
T.S., Granbury
ANSWER: Build soil on top of the rock by adding a mixture of 50 percent compost, 25 percent expanded shale and 25 percent decomposed granite. You can add other amendments such as organic fertilizer (2 pounds per 100 square feet), rock minerals (4 pounds per 100 square feet) and sugar or dry molasses (2 pounds per 1000 square feet). Mix all of the ingredients evenly to create new soil. Trees can be planted by placing them on top of the rock and building soil up to the crown or root flare of each tree.
QUESTION: We need to transplant mature hydrangeas. When and how should we do it?
R.B., Arlington
ANSWER: Hydrangeas and other perennials can be moved successfully during winter. Pick a shady spot, prepare the new planting beds and then transplant the hydrangeas.
To prepare the beds, add a 6-inch layer of compost, molasses at a rate of 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet, rock powders (granite sand, greensand, lava sand, zeolite or soft rock phosphate) at a rate of 40 to 80 pounds per 1,000 square feet, and organic fertilizer at a rate of 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Don't use pine bark, peat moss, concrete sand, artificial fertilizer or weed-block fabric.
QUESTION: We planted a Chinese pistache, but the tree is not doing well. The company we bought it from says our soil is infected with cotton root rot. We plan to try your Sick Tree Treatment, but does this problem call for a different approach?
G.D., Carrollton
ANSWER: Chinese pistache is susceptible to cotton root rot, but the disease normally isn't a problem if drainage is good and the site is not overwatered. If you want to try a Chinese pistache again, plant this non-native tree so that the root flare is well above the surrounding soil surface, and use my Sick Tree Treatment on the entire yard.
Most trees are planted too deep. The root flare is part of the trunk and should remain above ground. When planting, remove burlap wrapping material, excess soil and mulch from the surface of the soil around the roots to expose the true top of the tree's root ball. The top of the root ball should be above the level of the surrounding area after the tree is planted.
The best option for success in the situation you have described would be to switch to a native tree that is suited to the growing conditions on your site.
QUESTION: Why is there a color difference between the yolks of farm-fresh eggs and organic eggs sold in supermarkets? I used to think the difference between yellow yolks in store-bought eggs and dark orange yolks in farm-fresh eggs was freshness. What do you believe causes the color difference in the yolks? C.W., Pattonville
ANSWER: This is one of the advantages of a natural organic program. The more synthetic the life and diet of chickens, the yellower and runnier the egg yolks. When free-range birds eat bugs, scraps and things nature intended, their eggs have a thicker texture and are dark orange. The eggs also taste better. When birds are healthy, the eggs are healthy. |
