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Garden Question and Answer Time Again!

© Keith Muraoka

Q. I left my Ficus benjamina (weeping fig houseplant) outside covered with plastic during the cold spell, so now it is droopy. It is an old friend. Will it survive? How can I tell if it is dead? Should I let the leaves fall naturally? Any advice would be helpful.

A. Scratch the stems with your fingernail. If it is green underneath, it's still alive; brown means it's dead. Chances are your Ficus is still alive, but you may have to cut it back to the point underneath the bark is green. Another piece of advice: never cover frost-tender plants with plastic. This can encourage more frost damage when the cold air gets traps underneath. Instead, use materials that "breath" like sheets, towels, burlap or another material. I have a feeling your old friend will survive, but you'll have to be patient. You're in for an awful lot of leaf drop before things get better.

Q. I have two lovely wisteria vines shading my patio all summer. I am sure I have had them at least three years and they've never bloomed. I am looking for magic; I want blooms! Please advice. My wisteria plants get Miracle Gro- once a month from April to November with the rest of my garden. Also, would frost kill night-blooming jasmine?

A. I have a feeling you're hurting your wisteria by way of too much kindness. All that fertilizer is prompting green growth to the detriment of blooms. Do not feed any nitrogen fertilizer for at leats one full season. Also be careful not to do any pruning during the summer since buds for the next season's blooms are started in eraly summer. Neglect your wisteria a little (similar to how bougainvillea may not bloom if fertilized or watered too much), and they should reward you with flowers. Finally, yes it is liekly that frost killed your night-blooming jasmine. I've lost three to frost.

Q. My newly planted flower garden has been a haven for the neighborhhod cats! They love the soft dirt more than the flowers do. What can I do to discourage cats?

A. You can try alternatives, such as mulching the area with wood chips or lawn clippings. It seems that cats don't like to walk through such mulched areas. You can also stick small, bushy twigs in the ground every few inches to discourage digging. A floating row cover can be placed over the entire area until flowers are large enough to cover the soil surface, or the cats quit coming. Finally, there are commercial products on the market, but I couldn't tell you whether they really work.

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