GARDENING Q&A

Q:We had six red tips along our fence for privacy. Last year they were about 30 feet tall and growing outward toward the neigh bor's driveway. We decided to trim them to about 10 feet. They looked really ugly after that but we figured they would come back this year -- WRONG! They've only sprouted about 20 leaves each. I say it's time to cut them down completely and start over with something else. What is your opinion?

Answer: It's hard to tell if your red tips will ever fully recover. If you cut them back so far that there were no green leaves left, it may have weakened them beyond repair. Also, if you did this pruning in the fall, it could have done serious damage by removing too many leaves before winter. Evergreens need their leaves during the winter, for insulation and to feed the roots.

However, if the roots were healthy before you cut the plants, they might eventually start to produce new growth at the base. The bottom line is, if you don't like the way they look, and they aren't giving you what you want from a hedge or screen, why not replace them with something you want?

The plants I like for screens include: Nellie Stevens holly, bayberry or wax myrtle, eastern red cedar and American holly. All four are evergreen and relatively free of pests. They can grow in a mixture of sun and shade.

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Answer: Ants in the mulch should not be a major problem. However, if you want to get rid of them and you don't like using pesticides, you can tear open the bags, but leave the mulch in them. Then spray the ants in the mulch with an insecticidal soap. Soap is an effective control for many soft-bodied insects, such as ants. It dries on their exoskeleton and suffocates them. Consequently, it will only kill the ones you actually get it on, so you might need to treat them more than once.

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Answer: Maples can have destructive roots. Actually, any large roots growing adjacent to the foundation can apply pressure to the wall. As the roots increase in size, the pressure also increases and can lead to cracks in the foundation. The problems, as you can imagine, won't come for years, but the potential is there. If your tree is at least 20 feet away, you should be all right. However, if it is closer than that, you might want to think about replacing it.

I don't recommend planting any tree within 20 feet of a house. If you do decide to move the maple and plant something else in its place, consider a small ornamental tree, such as dogwood, flowering plum, crabapple or crape myrtle. Their roots aren't as threatening to a foundation as those of large trees such as maple, oak and hickory.

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Answer: Rust on morning glories is caused by a fungus. It is spread easily and the spores can lay over in the soil from year to year. First, don't plant them in the same area next year. If the rust shows up anyway, you can treat it when it first appears with a fungicide. The Pest Management Guide from Virginia Cooperative Extension recommends using a fungicide called Immunox. This is a common product and most good garden centers will have it.
Richard Nunnally is a freelance writer and speaker as well as host of WCVE's monthly gardening show, "Virginia Home Grown." Questions can be sent to or P.O. Box 3690, Chester, VA 23831.