Master Gardener^sm Column for the Week of November 8, 2004
Brenda Mills
Brunswick County Extension Master Gardenersm Volunteer

Get the basic stuff right first. Success depends on some things you cannot see--like the pH on your soil and the micronutrients in it--so get a soil sample.

• Follow nature's example and replenish your soil. Recycle your lettuce leaves, coffee grounds, eggshells, etc., in a compost bin. You can buy a plastic bin, with a lid, which you can turn by rolling, no heavy turning required, through a garden catalogue or gardening site on the web. Don't fight Mother Nature--grow plants native to the area.
• Have a plan. The recommended method is to draw it out on squared paper and mark where you intend to or have put your plants. This really is worth the effort and helps prevent trying to plant a tree on top of your precious
• Remember where you put your plants--tag them with sturdy markers. You will need at least twice as many as you expect, so buy plenty. Equally important is a good marking pencil--best to ask your friends for recommendations. Seedlings
• In general, it is best to plant new plants, seedlings, etc., in the late afternoon--so they have the cooler night to settle in. If it is windy or sunny, put a light-colored or clay pot over the baby plant for a day or two to shield it from excessive transpiration.
• When setting out new young plants, be sure to plant them at the right depth--too shallow and they will dry right out--and also mulch them. But watch out for slugs; cedar mulch or crushed eggshells will help deter slugs. Moving Plants
• Few plants seem to know what size they are supposed to be. Also, many gardeners initially plant closer than recommended to get good coverage. However, quite large plants can be dug up and moved. If the plant is actively growing, choose a cloudy, damp day, with rain expected overnight or the next day. Otherwise, wait until the plant is dormant and weather cool, but frost-free. In all cases, water well.
• If a shrub has outgrown its space, consider "limbing up." This is a pruning technique that works very well in many bushes, especially larger azaleas, wax myrtles, nandina, etc. Select three or five main stems and prune out the rest. Remove the lower branches so that the shrub now resembles a small multitrunked tree, and now you have planting space under your shrub. Cultivation
• Keep your garden clean. Clean up leaves, dead plant matter, old pots, etc. Inspect your plants and spray with a mild product, i.e. insecticidal soap, at the first sign of a problem. Use preventative measures and such as a winter oil spray in spring to kill overwintering insects, eggs, and larvae.
• Grow plants suited to your environment. Desert plants will not grow under trees. Woodland plants will not grow in full sun. Watch your pH. Trying to grow lime-loving plants (lavender, pinks, clematis) next to acid-loving azaleas does not work. If you have an area with a lot of shell fragments (oysters or other seashells), this may be the place for your lime lovers.
• It is a lot easier to overwinter a tender, subtropical plant than it is to provide a winter chill for a plant that requires, say 60 days of below 40? each year. Grow Carolina bananas and forget about lilacs, tulips, and peonies; however, it is possible to grow some much loved plants if you research varieties carefully and adjust cultivation. Tulips can be chilled in the refrigerator for several weeks and planted in late November--some varieties may even perennialize.

Send your gardening questions or comments to: Brunswick County Master Gardener Column, P.O. Box 109, Bolivia, NC 28422, or call (910) 253-2610. Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope if requesting information or a reply. Answers may be printed in this column.

For further information or assistance, please e-mail:
Charlie Spencer, Brunswick County Extension Master Gardener^smVolunteer

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Date Created 11/3/2004