Question: A corn plant in a shady area of our yard got nipped by the cold, and almost all the leaves have some brown areas. Should I cut it down and try to rejuvenate it or just remove the bad leaves?

Answer: Corn plants used for foliage with yellow and green leaves are a type of dracaena that like the shade but not the cold weather.

Certainly the brown leaves are lost, but your plant should recover to produce lots of new leaves now that the warmer weather has returned. The problem is most growth is going to be from the top.

If your plant is not very tall, then the best suggestion is to remove the old brown leaves and wait for the growth to resume at the top. Even if the plant is somewhat tall, the brown leaves can be removed to grow a single-trunk plant with a green and yellow top.

If you want growth from the bottom, then probably it’s best to remove the top and allow new shoots to start from along the stem.

Often the plants don’t look quite as good, at least for a while, with a thick trunk and one or two new shoots. Over time, they should grow to conceal the thick stub left at the top and form a new central shoot. Also, if you decide to remove the top, it can be rooted to start another plant.

Using galvanized tubs

Q: I am planning to use galvanized tubs as planters. Do I have to drill drainage holes in the bottom even though they are deep, and what can I fill the bottom with before adding soil to keep them light?

A: Adding drainage holes is not a necessity, but it’s probably best if the planter is to be used in the landscape where it might fill with rain or irrigation water.

One idea is to add plants already in containers to the galvanized tubs, maybe sitting them on rocks, bricks or inverted pots. Then when the tubs have excess water, they could be conveniently emptied.

If you decide to add holes and fill the tubs with soil, consider using packing peanuts, a coarse mulch or even inverted pots in the bottom to help lighten the containers. Then add 6 or more inches of soil on top and fill in with the desired plants.

Freshly planted orange trees

Q: We planted two orange trees a week ago. How often do I fertilize the trees, and when do we begin spraying?

A: Wait a few more weeks before giving the trees their first feedings. Usually the trees come with adequate fertilizer to supply the nutrients they need for about a month. Then you can begin light feedings with a citrus fertilizer once every six to eight weeks.

Start with about a half-pound of fertilizer scattered under the trees and gradually increase the rate to 1 pound by early October, the last feeding of the year.

Most citrus trees do not need a spray program. Some leaf blemishes usually can be tolerated. One of the worst problems with new trees is leaf miners that cause the leaves to be marked with white lines and to be contorted. Still, the trees seem to grow just fine.

If needed, an oil spray or the natural insecticide Conserve can be used as a control following label instructions. When other problems appear, it’s best to have them checked at your local Extension office, and then apply a control if needed.

Lilies wait until after Easter

Q: After Easter last year, we planted our lilies in the ground. The plants have grown but have not produced flowers. When will they bloom again?

A: About a month more is all you have to wait to see the repeat blooms from your Easter flowers saved from a year ago. Easter lily bulbs are forced into bloom for that special weekend, but in the garden, they take their time and are influenced by the winter and spring weather.

Most likely, the plants you set in the ground last year now have multiple shoots and should be in bloom sometime during May.

By Tom MacCubbin via : www.orlandosentinel.com

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