Dear Helen: When we moved this summer I took cuttings from a favourite rose that I did not want to part with. One cutting rooted. The plant is now in a small pot at a bright east window. I know roses don鈥檛 do well indoors. Should I move it into a听larger pot and place it outside in a sheltered location for the rest of the winter? Should I bring it in at night?
J.B.
I would not repot the rose at this point. Rather, place its current pot inside a larger one and fill the area beneath and around it with coir, peat, wood shavings or sawdust to insulate it. Place a little of the filler material over the soil surface as well.
Look for a period of mild weather and start the insulated plant off at a window in an unheated garage or in a carport for a few days before placing it against a sheltered house wall, under a roof overhang that will prevent the soil from becoming flooded in winter rains. Water lightly once or twice, just enough to keep the soil from drying.
If freezing weather threatens, return to plant to carport, garage, or some other shelter. A move back into a warm house would be a shock for the plant.
In the spring, ideally as growth buds begin to swell on the plant, move to a larger pot and continue to grow the plant until it听has sized up enough to transplant into the garden.
听
Dear Helen: A large bed with a variety of trees, shrubs and perennials sprouted a multitude of mushrooms in the fall. I dug them out and limed the ground. After that, in November, it rained heavily and the mushrooms returned with a vengeance. Any suggestions?
D.J.
The main mushroom season begins in late summer or early autumn, usually with the arrival of rain. Pulling or raking the mushrooms away when they first sprout, before they form and shed spores, will help. The mushrooms, however, are just the 鈥渇ruit鈥� of a web of fine hair-like threads (the mycelium) growing under leaves, other debris or soil.
The mycelium develop and fruit most prolifically in dark, moist conditions rich in organic matter, often in places with poor air circulation.
If the area growing problem mushrooms fits this description, take care to avoid over-watering. Keep the soil around plants cleaned of debris and cultivate the soil to keep it well aerated. If shade and congestion are present, try opening up the site to admit more light and air by pruning. Removing low-slung tree branches is especially helpful.
听
Dear Helen: I鈥檝e noticed that you鈥檝e been answering questions about dahlias. I have another. Should the plants be pruned? If so, how?
E.F.
The main pruning to be done on all dahlias is to remove the faded flowers so that the plants continue to look good and keep producing blooms through to frost.
Dwarf dahlias, suitable for edging, bedding and containers, usually stay neat and tidy without any pruning. Other dahlias can be manipulated to suit your desired outcome.
If you are after the largest possible blooms for display purposes, pinch off small flower buds as they appear on side stems, leaving only the bud on the main, centre stem to develop and open.
For a bushy, flower-filled plant, pinch out the centre growing tip when the stem has grown to about 50 centimetres tall. This second system is preferred for a pleasing display of garden colour.
A third option is to leave the plants alone (except for dead-heading) to develop their own shape.
听
Dear Helen: You have occasionally described your garden鈥檚 soil as being sandy and fast-draining. Have you had any personal experience dealing with clay soil?
B.T.
One of my Okanagan gardens was a half acre of brick-hard clay. It was the most wonderfully productive garden I鈥檝e ever had. I found that grass clippings from the large lawn, mixed half and half with aged sawdust, made a perfect summer mulch between rows and around plants. Dug or cultivated into the soil in the fall, that blend worked better than anything else I tried to break up the dense clay.
Of course the climate was different. Our winter rains tend to keep clay soils saturated into spring, when plantings often must be delayed until the ground is no longer wet. For faster draining and warming, raised beds help, and additions of organic matter do improve soil texture over time.
