AT H O M E
THE GRUMPY GARDENER
Elephant’s Ear Emergency I live in Richmond, Virginia, and planted an elephant’s ear bulb in the spring. Can I leave it outside this winter? Or should I dig it up and store it to replant next season? —LORRAINE
Overwintering an elephant’s ear outdoors in your area is iffy. It might come back but might not. A surer way to save it is to dig up the bulb now; place it inside a small bag; and store it in a cool, dry place indoors until you’re ready to plant next spring when daytime temperatures reach the seventies.
“Fred! You forgot your safety goggles!”
BY ST EV E BE NDE R
DEAR GRUMPY We live in Central Florida, and our avocado tree is 60 feet tall. How can we top the tree so that the avocados don’t hang so high up? —VICKI
Do you own a helicopter? If so, you could harness up your husband, hand him a chain saw, and lower him down. What could go wrong? If not, you’ll have to do something boring like hiring a professional tree service to prune it,
4 8 N OVEM B ER / 2022
but you’ll be doing this again and again, as 60 feet is the natural height for regular avocado trees. A better option is to plant a dwarf avocado like ‘Little Cado.’ It grows 10 to 15 feet tall.
Sad-Looking Gardenia I bought a gardenia plant in the summer. It was doing well, but some of the leaves are turning yellow and falling off. Help! —ISMAEL
Just chill out, buddy. Older foliage of gardenias and other broadleaved evergreens naturally turns yellow and drops during this time of year. But it’ll be replaced come spring.
Burned Up About Snakes My husband said, “The Grumpy Gardener always responds, right? Ask him if he knows how to deal with snakes in our rock wall.” He’s seen some copperheads near there and is debating whether to burn the whole place down and move to the city. Do you have any suggestions? —FRANCES
Yes. Before he lights that match, make sure you’ve saved his vintage Carpenters albums as well as his signed Marie Osmond photo. Or maybe consider a solution that doesn’t involve arson. Copperheads come around for one reason—looking for
illustration by JONATHAN BROWN
