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Philodendron has lost its split
: January 6, 2012
Q: I have a split-leaf philodendron vine whose leaves don't split like they used to. What am I doing wrong? It's growing quickly, but the leaves are almost round.
A: That indicates that the plant has reached the top of its support post and is leaning over. Split-leaf philodendrons (P. pertussum) only develop the really split "adult" leaves when they're growing vertically. Put a taller pole into the pot.
Q: Is there any way for an amateur to propagate yellow 'Lady Banksia' roses?
A: 'Lady Banksia', like almost all of the other antique roses, has always been grown from cuttings. You'll see two kinds of growth on 'Lady Banksia' plants - long, straight canelike stalks, and more normal, small twigs that are not completely straight. The latter group provides the best cutting wood, and usually 4- to 5-inch cuttings of new growth in May and early June root best. Rooting hormone powder helps, as can "wounding" the base of each cutting to provide additional surface for root development. That involves removing a sliver of the outer green tissues gently with a very sharp knife before dusting it with the rooting hormone powder.
Q: We have a relatively low area in our lawn. I'd like to figure a way to get the water out of it What could we do?
A: Start by determining where the water is originating. If it's coming from another yard, consider some kind of channel or berm to keep it off your property. If it's coming off your roof, install guttering or, if you already have it, consider adding more downspouts or directing their outflow farther away from your house and in a different direction. You might even be able to take them out onto the lawn where you could have an in-ground drain with a small cast iron or hard plastic lid. Let that drain carry the water via 4-inch piping to a lower ditch somewhere. In some cases you can also install a French drain - that is, a length of perforated 4-inch plastic pipe laid 1 foot deep in a bed of coarse gravel topped with finer pea gravel topped with sand and finished with topsoil.
Q: Enclosed are leaves and stickers from a weed that has invaded our area. Broad-leafed weed killers and glyphosates didn't eliminate it. What can I use?
A: The samples molded, so I'm not able to identify them. However, they are from a broad-leafed plant, so any herbicide containing 2,4-d should eliminate them given one or two applications. Use a fine to medium-size droplet pattern. Include one or two drops of liquid dishwashing detergent to help hold the weed killer on the leaf surfaces. Spray when the plants are growing actively, and do not mow for 3 to 5 days before or after application. Do not water for 48 hours.
Mail questions to Neil Sperry, c/o Features, San Antonio Express-News, P.O. Box 2171, San Antonio, TX 78297-2171, or email him at SAENgarden QA@sperrygardens.com. For more of his advice, become a Neil Sperry fan on Facebook.