Q: I just purchased two rose bushes — Mr. Lincoln and Hondo. I live in Danvers. When do you think that it would be a good time to plant them?
A: You can plant them as soon as the last hard frost has past, which means now. The ideal would have been to get them into the ground before they broke dormancy, but it sounds like this has already happened, so plant as soon as you can. Soak bare-rooted plants for 24 hours before planting, and for best results, be sure to plant them where they'll get at least six hours of direct sunshine, and mulch well.
Q: Is there such a thing as hummingbird-free zone? I know this is not your field, but I have been putting out sugar water for years and have yet to see a hummingbird. I did see one about 45 years ago but never since. My friend was talking to a man in some bird place and he said that hummers never stop in Danvers. They fly right over it. Is this possible?
A: I can't explain why you don't get hummingbirds in this area of Danvers! Hummingbirds are notoriously smart. They have a proportionally larger brain than any of the other birds and they have terrific memories. They remember where the hummingbird feeders have hung in past years and the same hummers return to the same good feeding areas year after year. They are also very territorial and fight for their space.
Maybe some of our readers can help: Is Danvers a hummingbird-free area? We need to know!
Q: I would like to use the method of covering my old garden plot, now weedy lawn, with wetted newsprint and weighted down black plastic. How long does it take to kill the weed, seed and green before you can till it? Also, does the news print have lead?
A: You are proposing one of the best methods of grass removal — without toxic chemicals (see below), and with reduced labor, too! Mow the area first, as short as possible, and then water.
You'll need about 10 layers of newspaper, wet-down, and covered by black plastic, to absorb the sun's heat. Even then, it will take several months to kill the grass and weeds and hopefully, some of the roots, too. This method kills by smothering the grass, as well as depriving it of light, and "cooking" unwanted weeds and grass with solar heat.
As to the safety of ink used in the newspaper, The Salem News uses only soy-based ink for color. It uses petroleum-based inks for black and white because it's cheaper, requires less drying time and smears less on the hands, but this may change. Other newspapers use other inks, so you'd have to ask.
Lead was banned from newspaper ink in 1985, but other toxins still exist in small quantities. Most experts feel the amount of toxins that could leach out into the vegetable garden and be taken up by veggies is negligible.
Q: Of the eight old apple trees that we inherited with the property, five have died of disease and rot. They were too close together and too close to the driveway so I am not very disappointed. However, I would like to plant two to bring the total living tree number to five bearing trees.
What would you recommend for a baking apple and a table apple for this area? I am thinking of a McIntosh, Cortland or Gravenstein. Does this make sense?
A: Your choice of apple trees, McIntosh and a Cortland or Gravenstein, is fine, and very suitable for the New England area. How about an Empire? They would ripen a little earlier and are a good all-purpose apple, as is the Gravenstein, useful for cooking as well as eating.
This week's dirt
We recommended dusting winter-weary and dusty houseplants with a feather duster. But a note of caution: Check first for bugs. Dusting your houseplant with a feather duster could spread bugs as well as dust.
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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.nsgardener.com.
