Answers to Your Questions: Rowan, Grass Seed, and Ninebark

A Rowan Tree in Poor Shape

Question

Last fall, due to changes in the yard, my husband and I transplanted a mature rowan to another location. When spring arrived, it seemed fine. The buds started to emerge, but then suddenly stopped growing. They don’t look dry or moldy; they look like they’re sleeping! What can we do to wake them up? There is one difference from previous years, however: it used to get full sun all day, but now it only gets two to three hours of sun a day. Could this have any effect?

Answer

Its roots were probably damaged during transplanting (it’s difficult to avoid this). Your tree is essentially in shock and is reacting by slowing down the production of shoots and new leaves to focus on its roots. Once new roots have developed, the plant should resume growth. However, it is not uncommon for a mature tree to take a few years to recover from transplant shock. It is therefore often better to choose a very young specimen, little more than a seedling, rather than a more mature specimen for transplanting.

Seed Viability

Question

I have some lawn seeds that are a few years old. Are they still good?

Answer

Depending on storage conditions, grass seeds can live between 1 and approximately 7 years. Do a test sowing to see. Sow 10 seeds on moist soil. If 7 or more seeds germinate, germination is still excellent and you can proceed according to the recommended application rate. If 4 to 6 seeds germinate, double the rate. If 3 seeds or fewer germinate, it would probably be better to buy fresh seeds.

How Can You “Strengthen” a Ninebark Hedge?

Question

Two years ago, I replanted a hedge of physocarps, and this year it is starting to grow again. I would like to know if I can give it fertilizer in the form of compost at its base to make it grow faster and denser. Or should I prune it to achieve the same result?

Answer

Applying compost, but without overdoing it, would be ideal for stimulating good growth: over-fertilized shrubs grow quickly but do not develop properly and suffer damage during the winter. Fertilization, on the other hand, has no effect on branching. To encourage branching from the base, prune your hedge severely, to about 6 to 8 inches above the ground. This will cause an abundance of new branches and a denser habit.

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Larry Hodgson has published thousands of articles and 65 books in French and English during his career. His son, Mathieu, has made it his mission to make his father’s writings accessible to the public. The text was originally published in Le Soleil on May 25, 2009.