Q: My problem, which I haven't had in two years now but showed up on my lawn two days ago, is groundhogs. Oh my God, I hate them, hate them, hate them. Needless to say, I just stocked up on a HUGE container of powdered cayenne pepper. Did I mention that I hate them?
A: If the pepper doesn't work, try a product called Shake Away for Small Critters. All this sort of stuff, pepper included, has to be reapplied after a rain. Incidentally, the reason the groundhog may have shown up after a few years absence could be because a wanted food has appeared in your yard! Has anything changed? Are there more veggies in the garden this year or maybe grubs in the lawn? Groundhogs primarily eat wild grasses and berries, grasshoppers, insects, snails and other small animals. They're omnivores.
Good luck! It's so defeating to have them mow down the garden overnight.
Q: Can I transplant rhododendrons, peonies and divide irises immediately after they bloom instead of waiting until fall? I need to get some plants moved around and don't want to wait. Thanks again for all your great advice.
A: Sure, go ahead and transplant after they bloom, but be ready to give the plants a lot of special TLC this summer, especially if the weather is very hot. All will need extra water and do try to transplant during a cool, cloudy period.
Of the three you mention, your peonies will suffer the most from being moved, and may take a year or more to bloom again, so choose the new growing spot carefully. Plan that they'll be there for the next several decades.
The iris will require mulching. Remember not to replant them too deeply. The rhody will need mulch and extra water. They're easy to transplant, but slow growers.
All of these plants, with the extra care, will benefit from having the warmer summer months of growing time to establish their roots before winter comes. Happy gardening this year and for many years to come! And thank you for being a reader.
Q: I planted some Heavenly Blue morning glories at the beginning of May, Now two months later, they're not blooming yet. I counted on these to cover a fence and provide some color in my yard. Why aren't they blooming? Did I plant them too soon?
A: Morning glories are annual hot weather vines. In New England, they usually bloom in August. The Heavenly Blues are the most popular of the morning glory family. Next year, plant them in pots in a sunny window in April and you'll have flowers a bit sooner. Did you know morning glories are closely related to sweet potatoes?
Note from a reader
I have never written to a columnist before but felt that this information would be tremendously helpful to others.
First, I had a major problem two years ago with fungus knats by purchasing Scott's indoor plant soil. I have more than 60 house plants. Most are over 40 years old. These fungus gnats are the worse — and once you get them in your house it is a major project to get rid of them. They were everywhere in the plants, in our food, and in our faces. I took it up with Scott's but they don't sell sterile house plant soil.
The way I eventually got rid of them was from a Web site. I spent months getting rid of them by cutting up potatoes (skin on) and putting them face down on the top of the plant pot's soil. They had to be changed every four to five days. I did this for months and it finally took care of the problems. It takes patience, diligence and lots of potatoes.
About three years ago, a good friend gave me a few Star of Bethlehem bulbs. They are thoroughly invasive. Because they are very tiny, they are almost impossible to pull or dig up. The flower is wonderful white stars everywhere, but they have totally taken over my vegetable garden, now working on the lawn, and flower gardens. I would advise anyone not to bring this onto their property unless they want to plant over a large area such as a field. They are absolutely impossible to get rid of.
This week's dirt
An easy way to protect your plants from sunburn when setting them out in the garden is to set them right into a larger, leafy plant or shrub. Set them under a larger plant if they're small or right in the foliage if they're larger.
The canopy of a larger plant can also shelter them from heavy downpours and from being knocked over by wandering animals when you're away on vacation.
¢¢¢
North Shore Gardener by Barbara Barger of Beverly is a regular feature of Wednesday's Lifestyles section. Reach Barbara by e-mail at nsgardener@comcast.net or write to her c/o Salem News, 32 Dunham Road, Beverly, MA 01915. Previous North Shore Gardener columns can be found at www.ns gardener.com.
