Questions From the Nov 18 Happy Hour

Questions From the Nov 18 Happy Hour

Here are the questions that I didn’t have time to answer in our November 18th happy hour.

I had answered Donna’s question about her Montauk daisies splitting in the middle. I told her that this plant (Nipponanthemum nipponicum) is most upright when it’s grown in full sun, not very fertile soil and not watered very often. She responded that “My Montauks are on the street, planted in what is almost asphalt, never watered, shaded by fence….they were beautiful and they are separating in the middle. I don’t know how I can be any ‘meaner’ to this plant” If they are shaded by the fence, that’s the problem. They do best in full sun – 8 hours or more. Could you move them away from the fence?

Tony asked, “Planted roses in Spring, some are quite leggy.  Should I prune them?  How much to prune?  Besides mulch, should I do anything else to protect them?” Don’t prune them now, Tony. Prune them in the spring. You don’t mention what type of roses these are, but know that the hybrid teas tend to be what people describe as “leggy.” Next April you can cut most roses back by 1/3 to 1/2. Be sure yours are in full sun, because they will stretch and be more “leggy” if they are not getting 6 to 9 hours of sun a day that includes the noon hour. On Cape Cod we don’t have to mulch roses to protect them, but a nice layer of an inch of compost or composted manure in the fall will help your roses be very happy come spring.

In the November Happy Hour we talked about rose care. These virtual presentations usually run about 35 minutes long, and then I answer questions afterwards until 6 o’clock. We normally have one Horticultural Happy Hour per month, so look on our Events page for dates and registration information.

Patti asked “Any ideas to keep coyotes away?” I’m afraid that I’m the wrong person to ask about this since I value the coyotes on Cape Cod. They help keep other critters (bunnies, rats, squirrels, chipmunks) from becoming problems in our gardens. We need a balance of predators so that we are not overrun with rodents and other critters. Yes, we can’t let pets out unattended. Yes, you need to be alert in the evening and early morning hours. But we share our land with coyotes, and that’s a good thing.

Susan asked “Can you leave ceramic pots outside in winter?” No, Susan…they are likely to crack or the color flake off if left out in the winter. Bring them into a shed or garage in November and then put out again in the spring.

It was great to spend time with 99 other enthusiastic plant people on November 18th. See you in December!
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