Question:
My white Azalea has grown about three feet tall and four feet wide. The white flowers cover the plant when it blooms. How do I prune it and still maintain the heavy blooming?Answer:
- The best time to prune Azaleas is after they finish blooming. However, it still can be done now.
- You can shape the plant by trimming it lightly with a pair of hand shears or heavily with an electric trimmer.
- Pruning doesn't interfere with the blooming cycle. The size of the canopy usually dictates the mass of color as Azaleas bloom on the current year's growth
- . I wouldn't expect you to see much new growth if you prune now. So, the canopy size would be smaller than last year, and so would the mass of color. You could also consider waiting until next year to prune.
- I'd continue fertilizing with Azalea, Camellia, and Rhododendron Food to encourage the growth. This should be done monthly through October. Osmocote, a time-release fertilizer, is another option. Osmocote releases some nutrients with every watering, and you can apply it twice a year, four months apart.
Question:
What is the difference between moles and gophers? I believe I have a gopher in my garden; others say it's a mole. My onion and bean plants are disappearing, and the roots of one of my roses have been eaten. I've tried gopher poison pellets, but they remain untouched.Answer:
- In California, moles and gophers are too different problems with different controls, while in other states, they are the same pest.
- Moles do not eat plants. Instead, they forge or tunnel the soil surface for insects, grubs, and earthworms. There are traps and poison baits, but I think the best way to control moles is to eliminate food sources.
- Without a food source, they move elsewhere to feed. Mole Med or Grub Beater is a repellent made from Castor Oil. It coats the soil bugs, making them undesirable. Another option is Beneficial Nematodes. They seek out and destroy grubs and soil insects but not earthworms. Both products are environmentally safe and are recommended for use around pets and kids.
- Gophers, on the other hand, will eat plants. They live in burrows, travel about two feet under the soil in runs, and come to the surface with exit holes. Gophers are much harder to control than moles.
- Flooding, trapping, poison baits, and gas bombs are the primary methods of controlling gophers, along with hundreds of home remedies. It's all trial and error, as there is no sure-proof answer. The major mistake people make with gopher controls is not wearing gloves. The human scent traces alert the gophers so they avoid the control.
- Also, the controls need to be placed on the major runs, not the exit holes. From your description, you have a gopher(s).
- Living next to an open space makes the problem much harder to solve. You may need to contact an exterminator that controls rodents.