Meteorologist Dave Epstein is our go-to person for pressing weather questions on everything from winter blizzards to summer droughts. He’s also a horticulturist, meaning he’s an expert in anything that grows leaves and flowers. GBH's Morning Edition asked our audience for weather and gardening questions, and Epstein graciously answered them on the air.
Have a gardening or weather question for meteorologist Dave Epstein? Tweet him @GrowingWisdom, email us at thewakeup@wgbh.org, or text 617-300-2008.
Is it too soon to put my plants out on my deck? I usually wait until Mother's Day, but curious if I can do it earlier this year? -Christie in Clinton
That depends on your plants, Epstein said. New England is expecting a frost later this week, probably the last of the season.
“If they're frost hardy, it is OK to put them out. If they're not, if they're very tropical, they can't handle a frost. I would wait until this weekend,” he said.
He also cautioned against putting plants directly in sunshine.
“The other thing about putting plants outside that's really important is: Do not put them directly in full sun, even if they are full sun-loving plants. Because you'll burn the leaves,” he said.
Epstein recommends putting them in shade for part of the day before moving into the sun, or covering them with a light sheet to let them acclimate.
Is there a way to revive petered-out daffodils that only put up greens and no longer put up flowers? -Paula in Hingham
If your daffodils aren’t thriving, it could be because they have too much shade, they may be planted to deep or they may be too crowded.
“I dig them up once the leaves disappear, and then you can divide them,” he said.
There is special bulb food that is made for daffodils, which Epstein said could help.
Any ideas about dealing with invasive jumping worms? They’ve been devastating my backyard.
“They've always been present, but for whatever reason, they've really taken off over the past few years,” Epstein said about those pesky worms.
They eat the top layer of mulch and make it difficult for other plants to take root. There aren’t a ton of solutions.
“As of right now, there's really nothing you can do. I would say that if you have a lot of leaf litter and things like that around, clear that out,” he said. “They seem to like living under rocks and pots.”
Will rhododendrons near brick houses penetrate brick? How can we protect plant and brick from damage? -Jim in Brookline
“The rhododendron roots are generally fairly surface-level. They're not super deep like other plants,” Epstein said, noting that they can grow one to three feet in the ground.
Epstein recommends cutting them back if you’re worried. Look for a little side bud and cut above that for a new leaf.
“I always say try to cut them back now rather than wait till after they flower - the energy that the plant has will go into making new leaves,” he said.
