Q. The last approximately six years have been disastrous for my two cherry trees. The first year, I thinned out the fruit and harvested a light crop. The second year, I had an abundance of fruit but, after a few weeks, all the leaves fell off. The fruit stayed, and I harvested a good crop. The next year, the trees lived a short time and then died.

A. You don’t mention what varieties of cherry trees you’ve tried, but my best guess is that winter injury was the primary culprit. Sweet cherries are generally less hardy. Tart cherries are hardier than sweet varieties.

Q .I have two, 2-year-old “Belle of Woking” Clematis. One of them had two flowers in the spring but has had none since. They have been fertilized. The two flowers it did have were big and beautiful. It gets 4-5 hours of sun a day, and they are shaded at the bottom. The vines are 9-10 feet climbing up my arbor. One vine that hasn’t flowered has no branches, and it just grows straight up.

 A. ‘Belle of Woking’ is a lovely double-flowered Clematis of the type that blooms on both old and new wood. The early flowers come from buds produced on last year’s growth and are the largest blooms. Smaller flowers later in the season develop on the new shoot buds that form in the spring. Pruning is the key to a good display of blooms on these types and must be done one stem at a time. In early spring, look for the swelling of new foliage buds, could be a foot or more below the top of the vines. Prune out the dead stems above these buds. If the vines have become overgrown, you can wait until immediately after the early spring flowers, then cut the plants back hard by a third or more. The plant that is growing straight up with no branches will need to be cut back hard next spring, to about 12 inches above the soil, to promote branching. You will of course, sacrifice the large spring blooms next year, but the plant will perform better in coming years.

Q. My husband and I bought a rhododendron as a second anniversary gift to each other and planted it in an unfavorable spot. Fortunately, we noticed it wasn’t thriving in time. We replanted it, and it grew nicely for a few years. In the spring of 2008, I tried to use landscaping cloth under it to stop the weeds and a fungus formed under the cloth. The fungus harmed the bush, but we noticed what was happening and removed the cloth in time. This year, many of the leaves have turned black. Do you have any idea what is happening? Can we save the bush? How can we mulch under it safely?

A. Although it is possible that the fungus is causing the damage, I’m more inclined to think that the overly moist, poorly aerated conditions under the fabric mulch led to root rot/suffocation. We had a particularly cold, rainy spring and early summer this year, so this too could have aggravated the situation. If mulching is desired for weed control, use a shallow 2-3 inch layer of bark chips or similar material. Keep the mulch pulled back away from the trunk of the shrub. If the foliage is continuing to turn black, you should consider submitting samples to your local county extension office for a diagnosis.

  Things to do in October:

    1.       Keep plants, especially newly planted stock, well watered until ground freezes.

    2.       Have soil ready to mound roses for winter protection. Do not mound or cover roses until after leaves drop and soil is near freezing, usually late November or early December.

    3.       Rake or shred large, fallen tree leaves, such as maple, to prevent them from matting down and smothering grass. Raking smaller leaves, such as honey locust is optional.

    4.       Continue mowing lawn as needed.

    5.       Plowing and incorporating organic matter in the fall avoids the rush of garden activities and waterlogged soil in spring. Fall-prepared soils also tend to warm faster and allow earlier planting in spring.

    6.       Dig tender, garden flower bulbs for winter storage and complete planting of spring-flowering bulbs.

ONGOING
Master Gardener Friends of the Children's Garden Brick Sales. Engraved bronze plaques will be centered in each brick. The bricks will be laid in a Recognition Garden in the Children's Garden at Smiley Park. 4x8 inch bricks are $100 and 8x8-inch bricks are $200. To obtain a brick form, contact any Van Wert County Master Gardener or the OSU Extension Office at 419.238.1214 or email reed.9@cfaes.osu.edu  This is a great project to honor your children or grandchildren. How fun for your children to see their names engraved in a bronze plaque on a brick and find their name in the garden.