Question: 281-5201
My soil is very hard. What can I use to plant bulbs? Gabriela, Cumberland, RI

Mort's Answer:
You can put the hose under pressure into the hole to soften your task. Allow the holes to dry out after the soil has been extricated. Your holes should be two and a half times the size of the bulbs. Fill the holes with a blend of 50% old soil and 50% coarse sand. If you plant in your old soil, there is a strong possibility that the bulbs will not do well.

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Question: 193-5201
I have 165 arborvitae in a hedge row. I was told to use 7 pounds of fertilizer to a plant . That sounds like a lot of fertilizer. Donald, Cranston, RI

Mort's Answer:
That is a half a ton. That is a lot of fertilizer. You can use a tire iron and punch a hole just beyond the leave drop in between each arborvitae on both sides. Each hole goes down about 6 inches. Fill the 328 holes with 10-6-4 fertilizer. This will take about 500 pounds at the most and will take care of your arborvitae for 5 years.

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Question: 194-5201
We have a screened porch that is not heated in the winter. We are building an aviary for finches. What plants can you recommend? Bob, Johnston, RI

Mort's Answer:
You can have a indoor Japanese garden with dwarf shrubs. Hanging fuschias, verbena, lantana and long throated flowering hanging plants will enhance the environment in the spring, summer and fall. They will need to be moved to a heated area for the winter. Dwarf evergreens of Andorra or San Jose Juniper in containers will add color in the winter. Robin¹s Nest Spruce is a low compact dwarf that birds love. A dwarf Japanese maple, Acer Palmatum, has red or green finely cut leaves. It will defoliate in the winter. I prefer clay pots in a third sand and two-thirds potting soil mix.

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Question: 195-5201
What is the best way to get rid of Japanese Bamboo? Ann, Skoharry, NY

Mort's Answer:
Japanese Bamboo or Mexican Bamboo is not really bamboo. This reed like plant is the most invasive and persistent weed on the east coast. Many target sprays only knock them down. I have found that I need to be as persistent as the weed itself. Cultivating the area every week will discourage them but not kill them. You have to dig out all the roots. If you cut off one little hair root, the plant will come back to haunt you like Dracula from the grave. Before the leaves unfurl, they look like little red asparagus spears. When the spears pop up, is the best time to attack them and dig out all the root. This means loosening all the soil around them and gently pulling out the root. If it does not come easily, then you have probably broken the root and will have to dig deeper into the bowels of the earth to get all the root. Often times, because of the breaking off of roots, you will find a little stump under the ground.

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Question: 197-5201
How do you get rid of Bamboo? Nancy, Essex, CT

Mort's Answer:
Some folks mistake Knotweed for bamboo. Simply digging out bamboo will work. This is not the case for Knotweed. You will have to dig out all the small fibrous roots of the Knotweed. It is definitely a weed and the herbicides just knock it down without a permanent solution. It may take years to eliminate it. Dig it out as soon as the little red tops appear of the surface of the soil.

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Question: 198-5201
I am getting stung by bees in my flower garden. What can I do to prevent this? Delores, Quaker Hill, CT

Mort's Answer:
Apply protection to yourself in a spray or spray the plants. Sevin will kill bees but will also injure the flowers. Sevin can be applied before the flower buds open. Timing is of the essence to avoid the sons of bees.

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Question: 199-5201
We have been getting red beetles on our storm door glass in the late summer. There are mulched beds not to far away and we live not too far from woods. What are they and how can we get rid of them? Jean, Garrison, MN

Mort's Answer:
There two dominant kinds of beetles that show up in the fall. Soldier and Asiatic beetles eat wood and breed in soil. Your nearby mulched beds can be protected by putting a barrier between the soil and the mulch. Black plastic or landscape matting will provide the needed divider. A downside is the beetles are breaking down the wood mulch to create a richer nitrogen based soil for your plants. Ammonia glass cleaner will drive them away temporarily. Spraying the area with a insecticide will kill them. Sevin or malathion applied to the surface of the mulch will work. Follow directions on the labels.

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