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Oleander (Nerium oleander) | Today's Featured Plant Oleander (Nerium oleander)
Read the full profile of this plant | | Q&A: Ants in the Garden Question: Our backyard has always had lots of ants (not the biting kind). They are most numerous in the fruit trees, often on the fruit that we are harvesting. Other than being annoying, are they causing any problems? If so, how can we get rid of them?
Answer: Some gardeners assume that most bugs are bad and are to be eradicated, but in your case I think you've got it pegged -- the ants can be a nuisance, but they aren't causing any real harm. Ants sometimes indicate the presence of aphids -- the ants are attracted to the sweet "honeydew" the aphids secrete. One way to cut down on the presence of ants in trees is to wrap tree trunks with a sticky substance that catches them when they travel up and down the tree. There are two types -- a sticky tape and a gluey substance that you spread on the bark. You'll need to check it often to make sure the ants haven't found a route around the sticky stuff. A non-toxic way to deal with ant mounds in the garden is to pour boiling water on them. Be sure not to cook nearby plants. | | Q&A: Preparing Hedge Roses for Winter Question: I planted hedge roses this year, and I've been diligently deadheading them. should I continue to deadhead the roses right up until the frost hits? Is there anything else I should do to help them prepare for winter?
Answer: There isn't much you need to do to winterize a hedge rose; they are pretty carefree. Be sure to stop fertilizing at least six weeks before the first frost. If you apply fertilizer later than that, you can get a flush of new growth that will be quickly destroyed when the cold weather hits. Also, stop deadheading at this point and let the spent blooms turn into hips (seed pods). When this occurs, it triggers the rose to begin going into dormancy. Other than that, you should remove any damaged or diseased canes before winter.
To help minimize disease problems, be sure to clean up any leaf litter or plant debris from around the roses--pests can overwinter on this material. | | Tip: Plant Winter Pansies In warm winter areas, plant pansies and violas. Select stocky plants, plant in well-drained soil amended with compost with their crowns planted ?-inch above the ground. This will prevent them from rotting during winter rains. | |
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In warm winter areas, plant pansies and violas. Select stocky plants, plant in well-drained soil amended with compost with their crowns planted ?-inch above the ground. This will prevent them from rotting during winter rains. |
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