Richard Nunnally’s gardening column

Over the years I've planted lots of daffodils but only about 1 in 10 bloom. Most of the ones that don't bloom are in the shade. I've planted the bulbs in the fall, making the holes with a bulb planter. I use bone meal and blood meal for fertilizer. Could the lack of sun be the reason?

Answer: The lack of sunlight could be a major part of the problem. Daffodils will survive in full shade, but they really need sunlight to make their best blooms. Bone meal is a good amendment for bulbs but it would be most effective if it were mixed into the entire area, rather than just put at the bottom of the hole.

This fall you might use another method of planting. Try working up a planting area, rather than digging individual holes. Work a little organic matter and your fertilizer into the soil about 6 inches deep. Then place the bulbs where you want them and push them down into the soil to the proper depth.

Don't forget, you need to leave the fading daffodils alone until their foliage turns completely dead. It's during this time that they are storing food for next year's blooms. If you cut them off too soon, they won't set bloom buds.

Q:Is it advisable to add sand to clay soil to improve the drainage? A friend of mine said he adds about one-third sand and some compost to improve his Chesterfield clay soil. However, I called my local nursery and was told that sand adds no value to the soil and that I shouldn't mix it with my clay. What do you suggest?

Answer: I agree with the nursery; adding sand to clay makes cement. Organic matter is the answer and I suspect it was the compost your friend used that actually improved his soil, not the sand. Adding compost and tilling it in will help change the texture of that clay to a nice loam. It prevents the clay particles from packing back together and allows plants to get more oxygen to their roots and better use of any water you add. It also adds nutrients to the soil.

Q:In a previous column, I remember you saying that a tree with suckers growing along the trunk indicates that the tree is under stress. We have a dogwood that is thin at the top and has lots of suckers growing off the trunk near the ground.

Answer: The first thing you should do is remove the suckers immediately. They are using food that could be sent to higher branches and leaves. Next, you can try to determine why the dogwood is under stress and correct that if possible. It could be suffering from the root damage from drought during the past two summers. It could be infected with dogwood borers or it could have been hit by the powdery mildew fungus that has become quite common on dogwoods in central Virginia. If you can't determine the problem, you may want to have a certified arborist examine the tree to help determine the cause of the stress.

Q:I would like to move my iris bulbs now that the blooms are about gone. Is this a good time to dig them up? What should I do with the foliage?

Answer: You can divide iris in late June or early July. Simply dig them, clean off the tubers and then use a sharp knife to cut the tubers. The "joints" will be obvious so you'll know where to cut them. Next, cut the leaves back into fans about 3-4 inches long. You can then replant them, being sure to leave the tops of the tubers right at the surface of the ground. They should do fine next year.

Richard Nunnally is a freelance writer and host of WCVE's monthly gardening show, "Virginia Home Grown." He can be contacted at .