Gardening Q&A with Richard Nunnally

RICHARD NUNNALLY Q:I use lots of mulch that I get from the city's mulch pile. Some of my neighbors warn me against using it on beds near the house because they claim it will attract termites. Is this true? I have used this mulch for years and have never seen any bugs in it at all.

Answer: Your mulch should be fine. Normally, mulch available from localities has been double shredded. As a result, there shouldn't be enough solid wood left in the material to give termites a place to feed. Most of us already have termites in the soil in our yards. They are part of the natural process to break down dead wood. They are as natural in the Richmond area as ants. That's why we have our homes treated to repel and control the termites.

Mulch cools the temperature of the soil at the surface and holds some moisture. When the ground gets hot and dry, this can be an inviting area for the termites already present in your soil to move closer to the surface. As a result, sometimes people will discover a few termites when they dig in soil under a heavy layer of mulch.

Q:I have several older hostas and a newly planted hydrangea that are being eaten by some sort of bug. I haven't seen the bug, is spraying with soapy water helpful?

Answer: There is an insect called the black vine weevil that lives in mulch and feeds on plants such as hosta during the night. You never see any critters. Soapy water works only when you can spray it on the bug. It dries on their skin, clogging their pores, and causes them to suffocate. You could use an insecticide such as Sevin. If you don't want to treat the leaves, you can apply it on the ground around the plant. Apply it after dinner so it will be fresh when the weevils start feeding after dark.

Q:I want to overseed my yard in the next week or so and apply some fertilizer for the fall. How long do I have to wait after I seed before I apply the fertilizer?

Answer: Depending on the fertilizer, you may not have to wait. Most garden centers carry something called "starter fertilizer," which can be applied the same day you plant your seed.

Q:My sasanqua camellias are gorgeous, but they've gotten mighty big. When is the best time to prune them?

Answer: Your sasanquas should be pruned as soon as they finish blooming. Wait until very early spring, before they start to make new buds.

Q:I planted two dragon lady hollies in the spring of 2008, and they were full of berries. All the berries fell off soon after. I thought it was because of the shock of transplanting. This year, they grew about a foot, looked very healthy and were full of berries. The berries have all dropped off again. What could be causing them to drop off?

Answer:The fact that they grew about a foot might be the problem. Fast-growing plants will kick off their blooms and fruit in order to make more vegetative growth. The more vegetative growth they can produce, the more sunlight they can absorb and the more food they can manufacture for their roots.

You didn't mention fertilizer, but my suggestion would be to keep any fertilizer away from them for the next year or so. This goes for lawn fertilizer, if they are anywhere near the lawn.

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