Carol Link: Tea olive shrubs can be propagated from new growth

Q: Is it possible to propagate a new tea olive shrub from new-growth cuttings?

A: Yes, tea olives may be propagated from new growth. Mix equal portions of potting soil, sand and peat (or Perlite) in a small container. Start with an 8-inch pot. Using sharp clippers, cut several shoots of new growth from the shrub. Remove all leaves from the bottom 2-inches of each shoot. Rough up the bottom of each shoot (this will make it easier for roots to develop). Gather three of the shoots together (as if making a bouquet) and place them in the container of soil. Water well. Set the pot outside in the sun (preferably near a water source). The stems must stay moist for a root system to develop. In a couple of months, pull gently at the plant. If the plant resists, then roots have established. Move the plant up to a pot that is one size larger. Allow the tiny shrub to grow for a few months and then transfer to a container that is one size larger. Continue this same operation until the plant has been moved up to a 3-gallon container. Allow the shrub to grow for several months in the container before transplanting into your landscape.

Q: I have a large cast iron plant. I liked the plant when it was glossy green and healthy looking, but during the summer the tips of the plant dried out and turned brown. The plant is no longer pretty. What should I do to stop the tips of the leaves from burning this summer?

A: Because of the burned tips you described, your cast iron plant is receiving too much sun. The cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) is a herbaceous perennial and should be planted in heavy shade, otherwise the leaf tips burn. If you haven’t done so already, cut your plant back to the ground and transplant the root system to a shady spot in your landscape. Good luck.

Q: I really like forsythia because they’re one of the first shrubs to bloom each spring. I planted two shrubs four years ago and they have become huge. I know I need to prune them, but I don’t know how or when to prune. Can you tell me how and when?

A: Prune as soon as your shrubs stop blooming and the flowers are replaced by foliage. Begin by removing any wood that is dead or damaged. You should maintain the lovely “fountain shape” to the limbs. Therefore, instead of chopping off limbs to shorten the plant, go inside the shrub and completely remove two or three of the older thicker limbs, making your cuts at the base of each limb. Next, where two limbs cross or rub together, remove the less viable of two limbs. Stop and evaluate the plant. If you desire to make the plant smaller, remove one or two other large limbs. That should be sufficient. Continue pruning this way each year, and the size of your plants will not get out of control again.

Carol Link is a correspondent for The Gadsden (Ala.) Times.