Rosebush relocation, mole control and other issues in the yard

By Don Davis
Published: November 11, 2008

Moles are a favorite topic of conversation when my phone rings. Recent callers mentioned them along with other timely concerns. Here are some of their questions, in their own words.

Q. I don’t have a question, just some advice on moles. I have been doing this for 12 years to get rid of moles in my yard. I take a stick and punch holes in the mole tunnels every few feet, and then I put in chewing gum or hard candy. I get the old-fashioned Christmas candy, and I break it up with a hammer and put the pieces in the tunnels. Or I cut a stick of gum into four pieces and do the same. Any kind of cheap gum works. An old man in Washington, D.C, told me about this. He said it was a good job for children, and he used to get my kids to do it to his lawn. B.L.C., Lynchburg
A. Thank you for this information. I will pass it on and also try your method in my own yard.

Q. We are having a garage built, and I want to plant shrubs around it, some Leyland cypress and rhododendrons. Is it too late in the year for planting? N.H., Forest
A. Not at all. This is perhaps the best time of year to plant shrubbery and trees. You will not need to water them very much, under normal weather conditions. Their roots will be on their way to getting established by the time spring arrives.

Q. Is it possible to transplant a big rosebush? It’s the biggest rosebush I have ever seen, at least 6 feet tall. Will something like that survive transplanting? I’m in the mood to get a rosebush planted. What would be the best long-stem red rose to plant that I could buy here that would live in this area? D.D., Lynchburg
A. A rose like that should transplant quite well at this time of year, provided you cut it back to about 2 feet. Radical pruning is needed because you are going to lose most of its roots in the transplanting process. Dig up a large root ball and keep the plant watered after you transplant it. The red rose to plant is Mister Lincoln. Rosarians will agree that it is one of the greatest roses of all time.

Q. I have nine or 10 black oaks. Someone told me I needed a lot of lime and fertilizer to grow grass under the trees, so I put them on for years. Now two of the oaks are dying. Does lime hurt these trees? M.C., Lynchburg
A. Black oaks are found in areas with poor soil. They are adapted to acid soil conditions and so your efforts to grow grass under them could be harmful. Lime is not good for these trees. Neither is grass.

Soil a topic
Managing the soil in your lawn and garden is the first subject to be studied by new Master Gardeners in classes which begin on Feb. 3. Applications are due on Jan. 9 and are available from the Lynchburg Extension Office, (455)-3740, or on the Hill City Master Gardener Association’s Web site, http://www.hcmga.com.