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Perennials/planting mums

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Expert: Tom Alonzo - 9/18/2007


Question
I wanted to plant some mums up in front of a guardrail that runs along our yard
but was told that the winter salt from the road would leak down into the soil and
kill them.  I hadn't heard of this before and wondered if you could tell me.

Answer
Hi Marie,
Thanx for your question.  Sometimes plants do not do well if they are near the road line and a lot of salty snow melt drains onto the plants.  It all depends upon how close the plants will be.  Many plants will recover after the salt has leached through the soil.  We don't generally plant anything but grass really close to the road.  How far away is the road from where you want to plant?  Is there a ditch or low spot in the ground where you are planting the soil.  Let me know.
thx,
Tom

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Tom Alonzo

Expertise

I have been a gardener for 20 years with perennials both growing from seed and from nurseries. I went through the Master Gardener Program from Kansas State University Cooperative Extension Service and I answered questions on the Hotline a few years ago for the Wyandotte County Kansas Extension Service. I have also lived in the Florida, California, Hawaii, Arizona, Texas, Kansas and Missouri and am experienced with a variety of climates, soils and weather conditions.

Experience

I have been growing perennials for over 20 years now. I am self-taught mostly except for a master gardener class. I have experimented with all kinds of perennials including many that are not common to my area. I have read hundreds of books and grown hundreds of varieties of plants and hope to make it a business some day. I have become versed in botanical names and growing conditions and what I don't know off of the top of my head I can usually easily find in my vast array of research material and botanical and horticultural contacts. I especially enjoy experimenting with growing plants out of zone.

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