Queen Anne's lace is pretty but invasive

DEAR JESSICA: I have a small packet of Queen Anne's lace seeds and am wondering when is the best time to plant them. -- Sally Winston, Shelter Island

DEAR SALLY:Daucus carota, or Queen Anne's lace, is a biennial herb that's also a wildflower, which, by connotation, is considered a weed by many people. You've likely seen it growing wild by the side of the road, in ditches and abandoned fields. Its long carrotlike root lends it another common name by which it's known: wild carrot. The cultivated garden carrot actually was derived from this plant, and Queen Anne's long taproot, which develops in its second year, is just as edible. Its leaves, however, are toxic. Lacy white flowers bloom from May through October.

Before planting Queen Anne's lace, you should be aware of its invasive nature, as it grows and matures extremely quickly, often to the point of outcompeting native species. This tendency lends it yet another common name: devil's plague. If you still want to plant it, you might consider removing seed heads before they mature to minimize its spread. You can disperse the seeds in late October, when they would fall naturally, or plant them in the garden in spring. They don't take kindly to transplanting, so starting them indoors isn't usually productive.

DEAR JESSICA: Our beautiful Mattituck garden was wiped out by Tropical Storm Irene when Peconic Bay flooded our garden with salt water. We lost all the annuals. The butterfly and lilac bushes have lost their leaves, as did the forsythias and the perennials (hostas, salvia, coneflower, ferns, hydrangeas). Do you think they will come back next year? Even some of the ornamental grasses have seen better days. The garden survived the deer this year, only to be outdone by Irene. Any tips? Should I prune the butterfly bushes now or will that shock them? -- Evelyn Bass, Glen Cove

DEAR EVELYN: So sorry to hear about your plants. Unfortunately, there likely isn't much hope for them. Aside from the visible damage to foliage, the roots likely have been damaged as well. In cases where salt water comes into contact with plants, an immediate clean-water rinse can help, as can a freshwater drench to affected soil. But given the elapsed time and, more importantly in this case, the volume of water, it won't likely save them. Even so, I would give them a good flushing and let them be until spring, when you can see whether there is no sign of life left in them. You have nothing to lose.

Do not cut the butterfly bushes now. Doing so would kill them. If necessary, only remove broken branches that are hanging and insecure. In February or March, before new growth begins but while the plants are still dormant, cut them down nearly to the ground. Good luck.

DEAR JESSICA: I have a jasmine plant I need to repot. It gives me beautiful white flowers every summer, where I keep it outside. And naturally it's in the house in the cooler months. It is in a pot about 6 inches in diameter. Do you know what container size I should use, and what kind of potting mix works best? -- Jackie Cantwell, Huntington Station

DEAR JACKIE: Just move it up to the next size pot, typically 2 inches larger -- 8 inches in your case. While you should never go up more than one size, you could do this once a year as the plant grows. Jasmine typically won't tolerate soggy soil, so be sure to use a well-draining, soilless potting mix that contains perlite, or whip up your own with equal parts of peat moss and perlite, and add a small amount of slow-release fertilizer according to package directions.

DEAR JESSICA: Some of my evergreens are being attacked by what I believe are bagworms. Help! I want to eradicate them before they take over my surrounding trees. Any suggestions?-- Luanne Thompson, via email

DEAR LUANNE: You don't say what type of evergreens you have, but if the attackers are indeed bagworms, then you do have a problem. Typically, this destructive pest targets arborvitae and juniper evergreens, and some deciduous trees like silver maple, sycamore and willow, among others.

Your first line of defense should be to check trees diligently and hand pick and destroy any bagworms you find. If the infestation is extensive, you may need a chemical pesticide. Look for a product labeled for use against bagworms and apply according to package directions when you see mountain laurel blooming on your block, usually in early to mid-June, taking care to coat foliage thoroughly. Only if complete control isn't achieved should you reapply it, during July.

DEAR JESSICA: My tomatoes developed a crack on top near the stem. I must be doing something wrong when I plant them. Is it the soil or the amount of water? Otherwise they are good edible fruit. -- Connie, Bethpage

DEAR CONNIE: This problem often is caused by overwatering or too much rain, which causes the fruit to swell to a size bigger than its skin, causing it to crack. In other cases, a good fertilizer program could help avoid overly rapid growth.