Question:
After removing a couple of trees, I need to relocate two blooming Camellias as they’re going to receive too much sun. When is the best time of the year to transplant them?Answer:
- Camellias are best transplanted when they are in bud and bloom and not actively growing. This is when evergreen plants are dormant or in a resting period. So, now is a perfect time to relocate them.
- When transplanting Camellias, the mortality rate increases dramatically if they are bare rooted. So, be careful in digging them out of the ground. Camellias are shallow rooted, so most of the roots will be close to the soil surface.
- You start digging about a foot or more from the edge of the drip line. The shape of the root ball should be more like a trapezoid than a cube to accommodate the surface roots. The new planting hole should also be a trapezoid shape.
- The backfill is amended with an Acid or Azalea, Camellia and Rhododendron Planting Mix. It could be a fifty-fifty mixture with the native soil or a hundred per cent planting mix. To allow for settling, you need to place the root ball a half-inch above the soil grade. In about a month, you would then begin your feeding schedule.
- After all of this your Camellias, shouldn't miss a beat in their new home.
Question:
Recently, I purchased a new Philodendron plant and now I have little, flying gnats all over the house. In addition, they’re in my morning coffee and going up my nose. What a pain! How do I get rid of them without getting rid of the plant or using any chemicals?Answer:
- These flying gnats also referred to as a fungus gnat, are a harmless, non-biting nuisance pest. Although, they have nothing to do with a fungus problem. You usually first noticed them when the adults are seen flying around the house, gathering at a nearby window or invading your personal space.
- The adult gnats are not strong fliers, have a short life span and multiply quickly much like fruit flies. Once you understand their life cycle, they’re very easy to control without chemicals.
- The gnats breed and thrive in rich, moist, organic conditions; hence, the top layer of any potting soil is an ideal breeding ground. The adult female lays her eggs in the organic layer which then hatch. The larva feed on the root hairs, other organic materials before they emerge as an adult, starting the life cycle all over again. The larva feeding on the roots usually doesn’t do much damage.
- Interrupting the lifecycle by creating a dry, sterile environment, is your solution as it stops the breeding. You remove the top quarter to half-inch layer of soil and replace it with Growstone Gnat Nix. Gnat Nix is a recycled glass material that is very porous so water drains and dries quickly. Another solution is small decorative or Aquarium rock.
- Within a few days, the dry, sterile conditions stop the breeding practices and ends the problem.