Getting your garden ready

Very tiny gnats are taking over my house! How can I control them?

Little gnats called "fungus gnats" often hatch from the soil of houseplants. Even though the flying adult gnats can be annoying, the damaging stage is the grub found in the soil around roots. When the eggs laid in the soil around houseplants that were permitted to be outside, perhaps on a shady patio last summer, begin to hatch, the grubs feed on plant roots. Fungus gnats do not cause extensive damage unless there are large numbers. The grubs thrive on water, so allowing plants to dry between watering will help. A safe pesticide, such as Gnatrol� ( Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt), may be applied to the soil as a drench to help with grub control.

We have several large Buddleias, or butterfly bushes, that we would like to prune back. What is the best time to do so and how far can we cut them back?

The beautiful Buddleias (Buddleia davidii) that we enjoy so much and are cherished by so many butterflies as a nectar plant, can be pruned back to three or four inches from the ground. Sometimes though this extensive butterfly trimming can cause long and spindly weak limbs that break easily in the wind. So the suggested pruning method is to cut back one third to one half of the shrub. This type of pruning will promote more surface area for blooms, since it blooms on the new wood. Like crape myrtles, it is best to wait until late spring when you see the buds appear to prevent any dieback from late freezes. Click here for more information on how to attract butterflies in your garden.

I want to move several shrubs around the garden area. I have several spring blooming shrubs and summer flowering ones, and a few perennials. May I transplant them now?Summer flowering shrubs and perennials can be successfully transplanted now if the ground is not frozen. Transplanting spring flowering shrubs and perennials now might prevent them from flowering because of the shock of the move. The latter group would include Spring flowering Forsythias (Forsythia x intermedia), common lilacs (Syringa vulgaris), Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana), Pussy Willow (Salix discolor), Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa), Azaleas, and Spiraeas. Aside from the lack of flowering, transplanting now should not harm the plant vigor if enough roots are captured and then watered well in the new location. At this time of year, be sure to mulch to prevent root damage in the event of a spring frost.

I am anxious to prune back my hybrid tea roses but I don't want any dieback, so how soon can I begin the process of caring for them?

Ultrafine oil is a great oil to spray on your roses in spring to begin the process. There are also organic and nonorganic fungicides available that work well in killing off overwintering fungus spores from blackspot and powdery mildew that you may have had the previous year. Horticultural oils work by smothering the fungus or pests. Spray the entire bush and the surrounding soil. Raking up leaves before you spray is also a good rose bush

horticultural practice. Pruning wounds are much more susceptible to freeze damage and it is better to wait until mid March to begin pruning. Pruning stimulates new growth and will make your roses more productive bloomers. Rule of thumb for pruning is to first prune out any broken, damaged or diseased canes. Prune out any canes that no longer produce blooms. Any canes that are crossing or rubbing should have the smaller cane removed. And finally, remove any wild or wayward canes that are not pleasing to the eye. Use sharp secateurs or pruning shears; the bypass type usually give a cleaner cut. If you are concerned about spreading fungal spores between bushes, sterilize pruning shears in a solution of one part bleach to ten parts water and then rinse thoroughly. Click here for more information about pruning plants in the Tulsa County area.