Walter Reeves

Q: I had a zebra vine with pinkish leaves that I wanted to propagate. Two pieces fell off when someone brushed against it, so I stuck them into two paper cups filled with damp potting soil. They were watered the same, planted in the same soil and placed next to each other in a window. But when the cuttings started growing, one looked like the mother plant. The other one grew upright, with HUGE, broad, solid green leaves! Why do they look so different? — Dina Lettre, Marietta

Q: We have been living here for over 40 years, and we’ve noticed over the last few years an increase of a 2-foot-high grassy plant taking over in parts of the woods. The plant turns out to be Japanese stiltgrass. It’s considered to be a seriously invasive plant in the eastern U.S. From talking with neighbors, it seems few have ever heard of this plant. — George West, Madison

Q: I am new to red clay and what can be planted directly, with no amendments or with amendments. I have two hellebores in pots. I’d like to find the perfect place to plant these in the ground in my garden. Before I do, what, if anything, should I do to amend the red clay soil? — Gail Vaught, Lavonia

Q: I need to know the spacing of male holly pollinators and their female counterparts. In my yard, if I space the male holly ideally from the females, it will get less than ideal sunshine.

Q: For years I've used manure from my horse to fertilize a big garden with ornamentals and vegetables.

Q: I have a 4-year-old pomegranate. It is growing as a six foot tall multistemmed shrub. It appears lush and healthy, but it has never had more than two or three flowers and never any fruit. It gets sun from noon till late afternoon. Do you have some tips for getting it to flower and fruit? — Steve Preston, Decatur

Q: I planted eight shrubs in my backyard in August. In late September, they blew over and broke the low-quality stakes I had put in to hold them up. I righted them and put better stakes in, but the roots were damaged when they blew down. Could I have prevented them from blowing down? — Daisy Callaway, Atlanta

Q: Why do some of my Christmas cactuses develop a woody stem that eventually rots and falls off? We don’t overwater them. A couple of them will develop the woody stems. I usually break them off, save the green parts and try to root them. Do you have any suggestions? — Mary Moore, email

Q: Several dogs with unknown owners have been pooping and peeing on my front lawn. Is there some ultrasonic gadget that would keep them away? — Josh Swaney, Conyers

Q: After reading about your success with St. Augustine grass in your own yard, I decided to gamble and sod my yard with Palmetto St. Augustine last June.