QUESTION: A neighbor has an angel trumpet that has vined, and she wants to know how to trim it back. Every time she gets the time to trim it, new flowers are blooming.

ANSWER: This plant can be a perennial or more like an annual, depending on where you live in the state. Generally, prune it back back fairly hard after it begins to wither in late summer. Depending on how it looks now, it may be a couple of weeks before you should prune. When you do, cut it back to within a few feet from the ground.

- Bob Westerfield
UGA horticulturist

QUESTION: For a couple of years now, I have checked with several local nurseries and other companies in search for an Angels Trumpet. I finally purchased one on-line, and I need to know how to prepare it for the winter. I would hate to lose it after my long search and cost as well. Can you please assist me in the proper care of my Angels Trumpet?

ANSWER: Angels Trumpet or Brugmansia is a relative of Datura. It's beautiful, but all parts of the plant are poisonous. It's important to keep it away from children's reach when brought indoors. Angels trumpet does well when brought indoors and placed near a sunny, south-facing window. Water it when it's dry, and fertilize it sparingly until February. You will find that most of the leaves fall off within a few weeks. Don't trim the plant. Just collect the dead leaves and keep the plant in sunlight. You may even have bare stems. Relax. This is normal behavior. In March, after you have begun fertilizing with standard plant food, new growth will appear. Don't trim this leggy growth until you're ready to put the plant outdoors again. Once outdoors, fertilize it and trim it to a shape and size that fits your needs. Brugmansia will form many new branches, and the more branches you have, the more flowers you'll have.

- Paul Thomas
UGA horticulturist

QUESTION: What do I need to do to grow Angels Trumpet?

ANSWER: Brugmansia is the scientific name for our Angels Trumpet plant. There are different colors and sizes, but they all have about the same requirements. They are tropical, meaning they will not survive outdoors in the winter. However, they're also tough, which means they will survive the winter indoors in a sunny window and regrow quickly when brought back outdoors. They can be grown in full sun on a patio in a container or transplanted into the garden. Transplanted plants, however, must be dug, cut back and brought inside each fall. Use standard plant food as if it was a bedding plant. Brugmansias can get huge, up to 8 feet tall, so trimming the plants to thumb-sized wood each year is essential.

- Paul Thomas
UGA horticulturist

QUESTION: We have a large stand of Chinese privet by the creek that runs along our property in northeast Georgia. It is choking out everything around it. What is the best way to get rid of this plant?

ANSWER: There are several ways to get rid of the privet that has established itself. If you're against herbicide use, probably the only way to get rid of this plant is to physically remove it. If you will consider the use of herbicides, here's what to do: In early spring or late fall, cut the privet 6 to 12 inches from ground level. To these cut stems or stumps, apply concentrated glyphosate (i.e., Roundup or any glyphosate formulation that's 4 lb/gal, or containing at least 40 percent active-ingredient glyphosate). Using a paint brush, apply a good, soaking application to the cut stem. In early spring, watch the cut stems for rebudding. If the cut stems begin to produce buds, wait until these buds are 6 to 12 inches long, and spray them with a 25- percent solution of the (40-percent) glyphosate. This should do a fairly good job of controlling established plants. You should also know that most of these privet seedlings came from our bird friends, which use these plants as a food source. To eliminate the problem, you're going to have to be vigilant about watching for newly emerging seedlings. Once a year in late summer or early fall, walk this area and look for seedlings. If you spot any, spray them with a 5-percent glyphosate solution (making sure to us a glyphosate formulation that is at least 40 percent active- ingredient glyphosate). Other herbicides could be used, but one of the safest is glyphosate (particularly close to a water source). When using any pesticide, make sure to read and follow the label instruction. Good luck in your eradication endeavors!

- Mark Czarnota
UGA horticulturist

QUESTION: Can you help me? Why would the tips and edges of this beautiful plant (Chlorophytum 'Fire Flash') be turning dark brown?

ANSWER: There are three likely causes for this type of damage: (1) The plant is very sensitive to fluoride, and foliar damage is typical when plants are irrigated with tap water, which contains about 1 part per million fluoride (added for healthy teeth); (2) The plant also is very sensitive to low relative humidity (dry air) in the house; and (3) Cold damage can manifest similar symptoms.

Recommendation: (1) Use only distilled water. (2) Fill a shallow tray with small stone chips (lava rocks are best, as they a have large surface area) and pour a small amount of water onto the stones. Place the plant on top. Make sure the plant doesn't sit in water, as this may lead to root problems from reduced air space in the soil."

- Bodie Pennisi
UGA horticulturist

QUESTION: We have a crepe myrtle that is several years old, and it won't bloom. Help!

ANSWER: Things that cause crepe myrtle not to flower: (1) It's a seedling from under a parent tree (it may take many years to bloom); (2) it's an unknown selection (grow named cultivars for early bloom); (3) too much shade (it needs full sun to flower well); (4) weak growth (it flowers on new wood, so fertilize and water); (5) spring frost injury may prevent flowering; and (6) excess fertilization (produces all vegetative growth and no flowering).

- Jim Midcap
UGA horticulturist

QUESTION: I planted some crepe myrtles a year ago and they have all been doing great until recently. I have 3 mini crepe myrtles that suddenly had black stuff on the leaves and black stuff on the ground around the plants. I washed the leaves and some of the black stuff on the leaves would wash right off. Now suddenly it has appeared also on two crepe myrtle bushes and one crepe myrtle tree I have. What would this be and what can I do to save these plants? I do have cypress mulch around these plants, but as I said, they were doing fine. Also now something is eating the leaves on them.

ANSWER: The "black stuff" is actually a harmless fungus called sooty mold that is there as a result of recent insect damage from aphids. The aphids secrete a sticky substance as they feed on the leaves that in turn attracts the fungus. At this time late in the season, I would not recommend any sprays or treatments. The plants will defoliate soon anyway. The new leaves in the spring will be fine, and I would just watch the plants during the warm months for aphid activity.

- Bob Westerfield
UGA horticulturist

QUESTION: Do you think a Geranium Tango Hybrid will tolerate summer in my front yard (west). Are these geraniums perennials? If not, which plants do you recommend for this site? Possibly cannas? I'm looking for reds.

ANSWER: This particular series of Pelargonium, "Tango", is not hardy. Although the label may say "sun", morning sun is preferred. Some geraniums may tolerate afternoon sun, provided they have plenty of water. Cannas are definitely a good choice. For reds, you may try Asclepias tuberosa, butterfly weed. Another one is Red Hot Poker, or Knipfofia. Happy gardening.

- Bodie Pennisi
UGA horticulturist

QUESTION: Where is the "kudzu line," the farthest north that kudzu can live over the winter?

ANSWER: Kudzu needs a long growing season. I've seen it in Kentucky and Virginia, but any farther north than that, it doesn't have enough time to put nutrients back into the tubers for future growth.

- Wayne McLaurin
UGA horticulturist

QUESTION: I noticed your article on lantana. I have some bright yellow lantana planted in spring. It has done great. I live in the Atlanta area. Will the bright yellow lantana come back next spring/summer? What do I need to do in winter to protect the lantana? Or do I just dig it up and replant new lantana plants next year?

ANSWER: Generally, lantana can overwinter in most of Georgia if it doesn't get too cold for a long time. Cut back the dead branches and pile several inches of mulch or straw over the plants to help protect them from the cold. Pull the mulch back in the spring when temperatures warm up again.

- Bob Westerfield
UGA horticulturist

QUESTION: A magnolia tree has sprouted between the roots and very close to the trunk of an oak tree in my yard. It is about 4 feet tall. I would like to transplant it to an open area. Can I dig it up without destroying the root system? What is the best way to do it? Can I transplant now or wait until fall?

ANSWER: Small magnolia trees can be transplanted in early spring. It is important to get enough roots to support the existing top. Evergreens are usually moved with soil surrounding the roots since they are harder to transplant. The location of this plant suggests that it is going to be hard to get much of the roots and impossible to keep the soil intact around the roots. The chances of success are small. However, if the plant can be removed without damage to the existing oak tree roots, I would try anyway.

- Jim Midcap
UGA horticulturist

QUESTION: All the flowers I planted in my yard last summer have been killed by the freezing weather. But the pansies I planted in pots on my porch remain beautiful, with the delicate blooms and green foliage unharmed. Why don't pansies freeze in winter like the other flowers?

ANSWER: The reason pansies don't freeze easily is that they have the ability to relocate water within the plant. When it gets cold, most plants die because the ice freezes within the cells and ruptures the cell membranes. Ice crystals form in the cell and in the spaces between cells. This damage either kills the plant outright or allows in disease that quickly finishes off the plant. Pansies and many other perennials can sense the cold and move water from the cells into the between-cell spaces. Water is also relocated into the roots, where, underground, there is less likelihood of freezing. When the water is removed, the cell contents inside are concentrated, and all the sugars from photosynthesis form a simple antifreeze. The pansy may turn a dull, gray green, but it's perfectly happy. When things warm back up, water is relocated into the cells, and photosynthesis and growth resumes. The only problems come when bitterly cold winds blow over the frozen pansy bed. When this happens, water is removed from the leaves but not replaced from the roots. The leaves dessicate, and the flowers dry out and display what we call "winter burn." The best thing to do when bitter cold threatens is to cover the pansies with pine straw to reduce the wind effects. You can remove it days or weeks later when reasonable temperatures return. The pansies will be fine under the straw during the cold.

- Paul Thomas
UGA horticulturist

QUESTION: I recently collected some fertilized rose hips from my roses, and I wanted to know how I could grow the seeds into bushes. In one of my unattended rose beds, I see that some of the seeds have grown, and I have little rose plants. I want to do the same but in a controlled manner. Do you have any helpful tips?

ANSWER: Rose seeds are germinated by placing them on wet paper towels, rolling up the paper, and placing them in a refrigerator -- not the freezer. This is called stratification. Keep them cold for at least four to five weeks, and then inspect weekly for signs of germination. Once the tiny roots emerge, they're ready for transplanting into small pots. Cover them with an eighth of an inch of houseplant soil and place them in a sunny window. Keep them moist, but not soggy. You may keep the other seeds in the refrigerator until they are ready. There is good information on Germinating Rose Seeds available on the Web. The Georgia Native Plant Society has information about shrubs that are native. There is also a book by Richard Bir (University of North Carolina Press) titled, "Growing and Propagating Showy Native Woody Shrubs (ISBN 0-8078-2027-X). It's an outstanding book.

- Paul Thomas
UGA horticulturist

QUESTION: Where can I buy Salvia guaranitica sapphire blue?

ANSWER: Check for S. guaranitica at independent garden centers and local retail greenhouses that sell perennials. It's a very popular plant.

- Bodie Pennisi
UGA horticulturist

QUESTION: I planted a weeping willow tree in full sun about 5 years ago in my yard and up until last year it did very well. Last year it didn't leaf out. The bark on the tree looks healthy so I'm hoping the tree isn't dead. So far this spring, it hasn't produced a single leaf yet. What should I do?

ANSWER: An established tree that goes a year without any leaves and growth is dead. The best advice is to remove the dead plant and replace it with a tree adapted to the site. The cause of the death of your tree can't be determined at this point, but normal causes are drought, insects or disease.

- Jim Midcap
UGA horticulturist