Q: I hope you can help me. I love my elephant ears, but they have grown so much that they are going to fall down or grow into the way of the sidewalk.
I sawed one off and planted it very deep, and it seems to be doing OK. Can these be cut back and then start growing again?
I wish they would grow up instead of out. Please help!
– Cheryl Skiba, Folsom
A: According to UC Master Gardener Annie Kempees (and judging by the snapshot you sent), the lovely large-leaved plant you have in your patio is Philodendron bipinnatifidum. The common name is split-leaf or tree philodendron.
This tree, which can grow 15 feet high and just as wide, is native to the rain forests of Paraguay and southeastern Brazil.
Take care in placing a tree philodendron, though, lest it encroach on walkways or grow too close to buildings; a small specimen will get big!
The tree philodendron doesn't like full sun and grows well in dappled or partial shade. It also is not drought-tolerant and grows best in fairly moist, well-drained, fertile soil.
Give it some additional water on windy days. In the winter, keep the soil just barely moist. Most winter injury is from drying out, not cold temperatures.
Tree philodendron has thinner leaves than most species in the genus and therefore needs a little more humid atmosphere such as occasional misting. Mulches help prevent water loss during hot, windy or sunny weather.
It requires little care except the occasional removal of lower leaves that become discolored.
This is one of the hardiest of all philodendrons, and can grow well in USDA Zones 9 through 11.
Frost may kill the leaves of tree philodendron or even kill the whole plant to the ground. But if the cold is not too severe and if the plant is well established, it will come back as the weather warms.
Wait until all danger of frost is past before removing damaged leaves, no matter how awful they may look.
Prune for size control and pedestrian safety, to remove dead or diseased plant parts, or to shape or train plants.
The tree philodendron can be cut as hard as needed, even back to main trunks. New growth sprouts near the cut ends.
Prune in the late winter or spring, depending on when the plants flower. If pruning doesn't reduce your plant to a manageable size, replacement will be necessary.
But heed this warning: Philodendrons are poisonous if eaten and the sap may irritate sensitive skin. Wear gloves when pruning or removing old growth.
Q: Is it OK to use pine needles as mulch in my vegetable garden?
– Rosalyn Flynn, Camino
Pine needles make an attractive mulch, says UC Master Gardener Dale Flynn. However, they are acidic, so use them in areas with plants – such as azaleas and blueberries – that prefer acidic soils.
But once they've turned brown and weathered, pine needles will make an effective mulch in most situations, including on your vegetable garden.
Most California soils vary from pH 5 to 8.5, while the ideal pH for a veggie garden is 5.5 to 7.5. You'd have to place a ton of pine needles on the surface as mulch to affect the pH of the soil underneath.
GARDEN QUESTIONS?
Questions are answered by master gardeners at the UC Cooperative Extension services in Sacramento and Placer counties.
Send questions to Garden Detective, P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento, CA 95852. Send email to h&g@sacbee.com. Please put "Garden Detective" in the subject field and include your postal address. To contact your UC Extension directly, call:
• Sacramento: (916) 875-6913; 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. weekdays
• Amador: (209) 223-6838; 10 a.m.-noon Monday through Thursday; email ceamador.ucdavis.edu
• Butte: (530) 538-7201; 8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. weekdays
• El Dorado: (530) 621-5512; 9 a.m.-noon weekdays
• Placer: (530) 889-7388; 9 a.m.-noon on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays or leave a message and calls will be returned
• Nevada: (530) 273-0919; 9 a.m.-noon Tuesdays through Thursday or leave a message
• Shasta, Tehama, Trinity: (530) 225-4605
• Solano: (707) 784-1322; leave a message and calls will be returned
• Sutter, Yuba: (530) 822-7515; 9 a.m.-noon Mondays and Tuesdays and 1-4 p.m. Thursdays
• Yolo: (530) 666-8737; 9-11 a.m. Tuesdays and Fridays, or leave a message and calls will be returned
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