Question:
I have planted an Apricot and Plum tree in the wrong location. They're getting too much water from the other nearby plants. So, they need to be relocated. When is the proper time to move them?Answer:
- I'm glad you recognized the water problem from the nearby plants before it was too late to correct things.
- Apricots and Plums, along with cherries, peaches, and nectarines, do not like constant water once the rainy season concludes, while apples, pears, and Asian pears thrive with frequent watering.
- Hence, it's not recommended to plant herbaceous and ornamental plants under their canopy. Also, add citrus to the list of those fruits that like frequent summer watering.
- Established plants' transplanting window opens in mid to late November and extends through mid-March. Roses, ornamental shrubs, and conifers could move citrus after the danger of frost has passed.
- Apricots and plums have a branching root system, so the root ball must be rectangular, not square. I'd prune the trees first to reduce the canopy and make moving easier.
- The planting holes should be twice as wide and eight inches deeper than the root ball. Also, dig the new planting holes ahead of time.
- Amend your backfill at a fifty-fifty ratio of soil conditioner or homemade compost with the native soil.
- The next and most critical transplant step is not to bury the root ball. I'd remove the excess soil to expose the first root and plant it so it is at or above the soil surface. Remember, the root ball will sink in the amended soil, so pat it down aggressively so it is firm.
- After the rainy season concludes, apricots and plums are watered once every two to three weeks, June through mid-September.
- Each tree should have a six-inch high watering basin that extends from the trunk to the drip line. This watering basin should be filled to the brim several times every time you water.
- Since these trees are not stressed, the transition to a new location should be successful.
Question:
I have planted sunflowers seed in my garden with great success. Most plants have a single flower, but a few have multiple flowers, like twenty-five individual blooms. Does this happen often?Answer:
- Many sunflower varieties produce multiple flowers, such as Stellas, Sunspot, and Teddy Bear, so it's not unusual for this to occur.
- But it's not common for single-flower varieties also to produce multiple flowers. What I think happened was that the seed got mixed during the packaging process.
- The packaging equipment was probably not cleaned properly in between packaging runs. This would leave some seed in the equipment mixed with the following variety packaged.
- It is not a genetic thing, only human error. Both types of sunflowers do well in our area, and there are some dwarf varieties, so I would look to plant both types next year.