Question: Can I keep my Alberta Spruce trimmed as a dwarf plant? It is in a 13 inch pot. Elaine, Norwich, CT

Mort's Answer: Alberta Spruce will not survive as a patio plant in zone 6. Roots will freeze dry. Picies glauca conica is vulnerable to spider mite in hotter climes. Although it is a dwarf spruce, it can grow to ten to twelve feet in 25 years. It does not need to be trimmed and it is often used as a Christmas tree. Alberta Spruce has a natural conical growth pattern. There is a dwarf Norway Spruce that only grows to a foot high. P.abies pygmaea could be completely covered with straw and burlap for the winter but it too prefers to be in a garden. Several other Norway Spruce would not grow as tall as the Alberta Spruce. P.abies compacta has a globe shape. P.abies gregoryana grows to two feet with crowded pale branches. P.abies nana has yellow-orange leaves and grows to two feet. A very dense P.abies maxwelli has a flat form and grows to two feet. Since Noway Spruce grow to 150 feet, these varieties are truly dwarf. Spruce prefer an acid soil and urns are alkaline and too restrictive of the roots.

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Question: Can I keep my Alberta Spruce trimmed as a dwarf plant? It is in a 13 inch pot. Elaine, Norwich, CT

Mort's Answer: Alberta Spruce will not survive as a patio plant in zone 6. Roots will freeze dry. Picies glauca conica is vulnerable to spider mite in hotter climes. Although it is a dwarf spruce, it can grow to ten to twelve feet in 25 years. It does not need to be trimmed and it is often used as a Christmas tree. Alberta Spruce has a natural conical growth pattern. There is a dwarf Norway Spruce that only grows to a foot high. P.abies pygmaea could be completely covered with straw and burlap for the winter but it too prefers to be in a garden. Several other Norway Spruce would not grow as tall as the Alberta Spruce. P.abies compacta has a globe shape. P.abies gregoryana grows to two feet with crowded pale branches. P.abies nana has yellow-orange leaves and grows to two feet. A very dense P.abies maxwelli has a flat form and grows to two feet. Since Noway Spruce grow to 150 feet, these varieties are truly dwarf. Spruce prefer an acid soil and urns are alkaline and too restrictive of the roots.

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Question: I have one of those dwarf apple trees with 5 different apples. It got an orange colored spotting in the last month. This is the second year that we have had the tree. What can I spray the tree with to get rid of it? James, Groton, CT

Mort's Answer: You have a rust. You will need to prune the tree to build it¼s strength. Newly planted material was easily stressed by the dry spring and early summer. Stressed plants are very vulnerable to insect and fungal infection. Your first order of business will be to fertilize the roots. Make 8 holes in a circle about two feet on each branch this winter. All upward shoots should also be cut out. A scaffolding of 5 major lateral branches should be developed over the next 5 years. All flower bearing branches should be developed over the next 5 years. All flower bearing branches should come off these 5 lateral branches. Lastly, you will need to spray very often to produce disease free fruit. When the leaves drop this fall, you can apply a dormant oil spray. It should be 65 for 4 days to be effective. If you miss this opportunity this fall, you can catch it this coming spring before the leaves come out. In the spring, you can follow this
up with Bordeaux mix after the flower petals have dropped. Follow directions on the label for the additional spray times. You can apply the Bordeaux now to arrest the rust. I would not plan on getting too many apples for three years.

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Question: The lightening split our apple right down the middle. Will I have any apples and should I cut it down now? Sharon, Hastings, NEB

Mort's Answer: I would cut the lesser half off at the stem. Use tree wax over the cut. Also apply tree wax over the exposed split that is left. Can you save it? Maybe. Should you try? Yes. You will need to fertilize as instructed in the above question. You will need to prune more severely because a lot of energy will be needed to restore the tree to health. The apples will ripen but they may be a lot smaller unless you do the recommended treatment soon.

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Question: When is the best time to trim evergreens like arborvitae? James Morristown, TN

Mort's Answer: You should wait until the new growth has fully emerged. At that time, you can cut the protruding tips of the branches. You should cut the Junipers, yews, Chaemycyparis, arborvitae and the like at least 4 times a year, if you want them to maintain their shapes. Pine, spruce and firs can be cut in the late fall each year. I rarely cut my pines and like evergreens at all. Since I do not try to keep the tight shapes on the arborvitae like evergreens, I will generally cut just their tips during the summer months. You must be careful not to cut too deeply into arborvitae and other hedge type candidates. If you will notice that inside these finely sheared specimens, there are no leaves. Since the sunlight cannot penetrate beyond the tight growth, there isn¹t any chlorophyll being manufactured by the plants. If you cut beyond this stage, you can severely damage your plants, especially in the winter and early spring. On pines and their like, the branches are further apart and most often growth can be regenerated in the interior. It is no problem with deciduous trees and shrubs, if you cut them back a foot or so.

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Question: Our three foot pyramidal arborvitae are coming apart. There seems to be two main stems. Can we prune them? Priscilla, Norwich, CT

Mort's Answer: I would cut hem back in two steps. I would cut the taller ones back 6 inches in the spring. Cut the other side back a foot in mid August. Keep the outside trimmed with monthly shearing to keep the growth compact.

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Question: This past spring I cut back our arborvitae to within a foot of the ground. This summer they didn't do anything. They got worse. My grounds are very shady. What could replace them? Pete, East Lyme, CT

Mort's Answer: If they are showing some green and do not have spider mites or galls, then I would wait until this coming summer before I replaced them. Yews do well in the shade. Hicks and hatfield yews made a good upright hedge, when planted four or five feet apart. Large firs and spruce need to be planted 20 feet apart at a minimum. The advantage of spruce and fir is that they should not be trimmed. Hemlock can be cut and are best planted about 6 or 8 feet apart. Pines will drop a lot of needles and are best left alone. I would plant pines about 10 feet apart. Do not repeat the scalping in any case.

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Question: We have a row of 60 arborvitae that are not doing well. What can we do to liven them up? We want to use something organic. Fran, East Hampton, NY

Mort's Answer: You can purchase a load of 5 to 8 yards of aged manure. You should cultivate in between and along side the row of arborvitae before applying a good three or four inches of the gold. Be sure not to get it within three inches of the trunk. This should spruce them up before they pine away.

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Question: My arborvitae are all brown at the bottom. It seems to be getting worse. What could be the problem? Frank, East Hampton, NY

Mort's Answer: First, I would check for spider mites. You should open a white sheet of paper under a partially green leave. Shake the leave. If there are red spot on the paper after you have folded the paper in half and rubbed it together, then you will have to spray with Kelthane or some other miticide. Next I would check for grubs eating the roots. This is best done in the early fall. Dig a hole along side the root to a depth of 18 inches. If you see the little shrimp like pests, use a dursban powder. Follow directions on the llabels in each case. You should also fertilize with 10-6-4.

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Question: When can I transplant Bearberries? Kent, Sandwich, MA

Mort's Answer: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi is a prostrate shrub with 5 to 6 foot branches that will root at the joints. Unfortunately, they can only be cut and transplanted in the winter when they are frozen. It has a bronze color in the winter and white or pink flowers in summer. When the clumps are dug, they can be held in a 50/50 mix of sand and peat until spring. After some roots are established in the new soil, you can place them in the new locations. There is a medicinal plant also called Bearberry that grows to forty feet. Cascara sagrada or Chittamwood can be transplanted in spring or fall, when defoliated. Rhamnus purshiana is native from British Columbia to northern California and Montana.

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Question: We have some bittersweet vines that have not bloomed this year. This is the first year in 20 years. What is the problem? Ruth, Kewanee, IL

Mort's Answer: Your soil is depleted of phosphorus and potassium. The excess water this year may have leached out many minerals. Some 5-10-10 fertilizer applied under each plant will wash into the soil with the repeated rains.

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Question: My Buddleia has grown to seven feet but still does not bloom. Any suggestions? Michele, Edgefield, SC

Mort's Answer: Butterfly bush will do better, if cut back to a few inches from the ground each fall or early spring. A good mulch of bonemeal, aged manure and some sand will protect it in colder climates and enrich the soil with available phosphates. Phosphorus is essential for blooming. Some soils do not free the phosphorus that are in most soils. Buddleia do not like heavy soils. If your soil is clayey, frequent cultivation should help.

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Question: My Burning Bush has not been very red this fall. Can you recommend something? Gail, Old Saybrook, CT

Mort's Answer: Your Euonymous americanus, E.alatus or E. atropurpureus are called burning bush. E. alatus has the winged spindle branch with yellowish flowers and a purple berry. E americanus aka strawberry bush has greenish flowers with pink like berries. E. atropurpupreus has a greenish purple flower with a red berry. All three will eventually produce that brilliant fall scarlet leave. E. alatus may be later in maturity but the delay has more to do with the southern exposure. In the meantime you can add some iron sulfate, bone meal or a pinch of epsom salts to the soil. These minerals help bring color to most plants.

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Question: Our Crepe Myrtle has what appears to be white fungus growing on the leaves. It has affected the flowering. How can we get rid of it? Huff, Douglasville, GA

Mort's Answer: If there is a white mass at the joints, the Lagerstroemia indica has mealybug. Malathion should correct this. If the white powder is at the middle and end of the leaves, your Crepe or Crape myrtle has indeed a fungus. Captan, ferbam or benlate are all excellent fungicides. A home orchard spray will correct both the mealybug and the fungus. Follow directions on the labels.

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Question: We have two mature Crepe Myrtles that are showing sawdust and holes in peeling bark. Our neighbor is also troubled with the same symptoms on smaller Crepes. What is it and how do we remedy the problem? Karen, AOL

Mort's Answer: It appears from your description that the trees have earwigs. Mature trees can be mended with tree surgery. A leaf shaped incision that is contiguous is needed to cover the entire infected area. You may need an arborist to perform this procedure. All the brown wood must be removed from the area. If the earwigs completely encircle the inner bark, the trees will succumb. You can cut entire branches below the infected cambium. Younger Crepes will grow back easily. This may not be as easy with mature single stem trees. You can inject malathion in the holes in the meantime. If you decide to cut below the area, you should include spraying.

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Question: Can you help me with my Crape Mrytle and Bottlebrush? The new myrtles are 2-3 feet and the older are the same as the Bottlebrush at 5 feet. John, Brunswich, GA

Mort's Answer: Lagerstroemia indica, which blooms white (alba), red (rubra) and purple (purpurea), can be cut to the ground, when they are only two or three years old. The 5 foot Crape Mrytle can be cut at the ends in the late summer, when the bloom is gone. Callistemon will grow in almost any soil, like the Lagerstroemia. C. rigidus grows 6-10 feet. C. coccineus to 15-25.C. lanceolatus 10-30. All three have the rich red spikes of stamens. C. speciosus grows 10-30 feet with yellow anthers inside the red stamens. I would not cut the bottle brush at all unless the branches become wild. These large plants can be cut in the fall, if needed. Crape Myrtle can be trained as a tree or grown as a large shrub like the bottlebrush.

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Question: We have a Flowering Crab that is five years with a three to four inch stem. There are some holes in the bark. What can we do to eliminate this? Jim, Wakefield, RI

Mort's Answer: Earwigs are quite common pests that eat their way into the inner bark of trees. You will need to cut a incision into the bark to carve them out. If they girdle the inner bark, they will eventually kill the tree. This tree surgery can be performed by an arborist or you can make the necessary cut yourself. With a sharp razor knife or linoleum knife make a leave shaped incision that encompasses the entire affected area. Cut out all the brown wood and scrape as deep into the white wood as needed. There must a continuous line from the top of the leave shape to the bottom and back to the top again. If there are no ants around, you probably have rescued the tree. Ants feed on the earwig eggs. Dab the hole with malathion and cover with a tree wax. This will help seal the wound and keep the earwigs from barking up the wrong tree.

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Question: We are moving to Conway, NH. We have been told that Red Maples and Dogwwod will not grow there. What else besides Flowering Crab would grow? Jim, home.com

Mort's Answer: There are some dogwood, hawthorn , cherry and Mountain Ash that will grow in zone 5 Cornus mas is a small dogwwod with little yellow flowers in March and a red fall berry. C .racemosa or gray dogwood has white flowers and a white berrry. Cornus alba orTartarian dogwood grows to 10 feet with a blue -white berry and an inch wide white flower. C.alba argenteo-marginata has white edged leaves. C. alba sibirica has red twigs and C. alba spaethi has yellow edged leaves. Mountain Ash with a white flower and orange-red berry in the fall, Sorbus americana grows to 30 feet. Sorbus aucuparia has flower clusters that are6 inches wide. It is also known as the Rowan tree with deep red berries. The Prunus genus has many flowering specie that will grow south of the White Mountains. Rosebud cherry, red plum, bird cherry, flowering cherry ,sloe and St. Lucie cherry are all suitable flowering trees for your garden in New Hampshire. Prunus mahaleb is very hardy and used for grafting stock. Commonly known as St.Lucie cherry, it had finger shaped sweet scented white flower clusters. Bird cherry or P. padus grows to 40 feet with fragrant white flowers and a small black berry. P. pennsylvanica gows to 25 feet with a red berry and white flowers. This wild red cherry is very hardy to Canada. P.nigra will grow north to New Brunswich. Sloe or P. spinosa will have white flowers before the leaves appear and have a blue-black sloe berry in the fall for your drinks. P. subhirtella grows shrub like to 30 feet. This Rosebud has pink flowers and comes in a weeping form ( P. subhirtella pendula) or autumn flowers (autumalis). P. sieboldi is another white or pink flowering cherry that also blooms double. Hawthorns are hardy in zone 5, Two English hawthorn that will do well in 5 include the Crataegus monogyna and C.oxycantha. C. monogyna has many varieties in pink, white, red and double flowers. it is a smal shrub like tree that will grow to 15 feet. C. oxycantha grows to 30 feet and some have droopping branches and fern like leaves. both have red fruit. Pear haw or blacktorn, C.tomentosa grow to 15 feet with orange-red fruit. C. crus-galli grows to 30 feet with many thorns. Cockspur thorn is hardy to Canada.

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Question: We have a Japanese FL.Cherry that did not do well about a month ago. Now it is flowering for the second time this year. What is happening? Jim Watertown, NY

Mort's Answer: Your Cherry went into dormancy during the recent dry spell. Extreme dryness or cold will put many plants to sleep as a protection against dehydration. The rains stimulated the tree into a spring like action. This flowering should not be very heavy. The tree should right itself and produce buds for next spring.

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Question: How should I fertilize my cherry tree ? It's about 3" in diameter a the stem. Bill, Oak Ridge, TN

Mort's Answer: Drill a half dozen holes with a tire iron or some other like instrument about 3' from the stem. Each one foot deep hole can be filled with the formula mentioned for roses added to an equal amount of 5-10-10 fertilizer. This should suffice for 5 years. At that time you can double the holes, the distance from the stem and the depth of the holes.

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Question: When can I plant my horse chestnut? Rocco, New London, CT

Mort's Answer: You could put it in the ground, when you plant your tulips and other bulbs. Chestnuts can be planted 6 inches deep in a sandy soil. If you could mix a third of the soil with sand, this will help your nut get off to a great start. Be sure to plant in an area that has a lot of space. Aeculus glabra (the Ohio buckeye) grows to 30 ft. A.turbinata (Japanese horse-chestnut) grows to 80 ft. The Sweet buckeye reaches 60 ft. These trees throw a dense shadow and drop a lot of nuts.

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Question: I¹ve got three American Chestnuts that are loaded with chestnuts. They are almost hitting the ground. When should I pick them? Are they edible? Can I cut the lower branches? Mary, Waterford, CT

Mort's Answer: Usually, when the first frost hits or when the chestnuts start falling is the best time to pick the chestnuts. American chestnuts are now generally 15/16 ths because of the cross breeding to build resistance to the blight. You are fortunate to have one of the new breed. Yes, they are edible and can be used with coffee, if ground. Some folks add a confectionery glaze to the whole nut. Chinese chestnuts are bitter by comparison but are also edible. Italian or Spanish chestnuts are the ones most available as roasted chestnuts in New York. You can cut the lower branches, if you prefer the tree form. I like to prune in the late fall or early winter. You should paint the cuts to prevent infections from the fungus.

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Question: What cause the color changes in leaves in the fall? Charlotte, North Kingstown, RI

Mort's Answer: Green chloroplasts dominate the pigmentation in the plants during high light intensity. When the days get shorter, the yellow, red orange and purple chloroplasts take over. Also the starches in the some plants turn to sugar,which enriches the whole process. This trick is duplicated in the firing of flower bracts that are forced to have poinsettia for Christmas or Easter.

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Question: What plants are deer resistant? We have tried all kinds of sprays without success. Kathy, Old Lyme, CT

Mort's Answer: Deer will eat almost anything, if the snow cover limits their hunger. Broad leaved evergreens (Azalea, Rhododendron, Mountain laurel) are poisonous but deer will sometimes chew them as well. Plants with thorns like Pyracantha and barberry are usually the last to be eaten. Conifers and other evergreens can survive the nibbles of the deer animals. These tasting of evergreens can amount to a mere pruning of the branches. Destruction of the plant occurs, when the eating girdles the bark on the trunk. When the bark can no longer cover the fibrovascular tubes to the leaves, the tree or shrub will die from a lack of nutrient and water. Refrain from planting trees and shrubs that have bark that is easily accessed by the deer or rabbits.

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Question: We did not get a lot of flowers on our 10 foot Kousa Dogwood this year. There does not seem to be any sign of disease. Any suggestions? Marsha, Matunuck, RI

Mort's Answer: New England suffered a damaging winter for a lot of plants, including Rhododendron, Mountain Laurel and many dogwoods. You could add some 5-10-10 to the soil to help produce more flower buds. Do not use a liquid fertilizer. Make a half dozen holes in a circle about three feet from the stem. Go down a foot with a tire iron or similar tool. Fill the holes with the fertilizer. This will be good for five years.

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Question: We have a Silver King Euonymous that has little tiny bugs need the tips of the leaves. How can we get rid of them? Diane, Pawcatuck, CT

Mort's Answer: Malathion is the most effective spray for aphids. Add a tablespoon of liquid soap to the gallon. Follow directions on the label. Repeat application with 10 days.

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Question: We have a great deal of wind across our property. What evergreen screen can you recommend? Debbie, Mt. Pleasant, OR

Mort's Answer: Norway Spruce and Noble Firs have enough space between the branches to allow the wind to go through. Norway have wonderful pendulum lateral arms that can wave in the breeze. Another spruce, Picea pungens or Blue Spruce is sufficiently spaced to allow the wind to go through it¹s handsome branches. Koster Blue Spruce also has pendulous branches. Abies concolor is another well spaced fir. I would recommend the Japanese Black Pine as the best candidate to buffet the wind. Pinus. thunbergi has a dark green foliage with 4² cones in pairs in the sheath. It is far more handsome than the Pitch Pine, which is far more common on the east coast. P. rigida is also dark leaved like the Japanese Black Pine but lacks it¹s beauty. Both Pines are better suited to the wind swept area that you inhabit .Drainage is important for your pines. All pines are best transplanted, when the soil is moist. I definitely would not use Junipers or Hemlock. Both will dry out in the wind. Hemlock will become stressed and vulnerable to wholly aphids. Juniper can probably survive the wind especially, if they are spaced to allow air to go around them. They will not be as attractive with their wind burn.

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Question: Last year was an unusual year for my fig tree.This year, I am afraid the season may not be long enough.Is there anything that I can do to speed up maturation? Fiore, Marlboro, MA

Mort's Answer: Move to New Jersey with your fig. Zone 6 is the furthest north that figs can be grown outdoors.You are at the line between 5 and 6. You could build a greenhouse and grow bananas and citrus and other tropicals year round. Each spring you could spread ample amounts of bonemeal into the soil after you raise the fig from its burial. Unfortunately, this will only save you a week or so.

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Question: Can I take my 5 ft. fig tree indoors instead of burying it? Joe, Fairhaven, MA

Mort's Answer: Most fig fanciers find fruition in annual burials of their beloved figs for protection from the winter in northern climates. If you decide to bring it indoors, you need a cool dry cellar or barn that doesn¼t freeze. Keep it barely alive with three or four waterings. Eventually, you will have to bury your fig because it will become too large to bring indoors. If you had a dirt cellar, you could drag it indoors each year and have the best of both worlds, figuratively speaking.

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Question: When is the best time to cut back my firebush? Jan, Norwalk, OH

Mort's Answer: If you cut back the Euonymous elatus or E. americana at this time, you will remove some of the fall berries but will do no harm. Unless you are worried about feeding the birds. You should thin out some of the whole branches right down to the ground first. This will make it easier to cut up to 20% off the terminal shoots. The best time to cut back would be in the winter after that beautiful red foliage has disappeared.

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Question: When can I move forsythia? David, Boston, MA

Mort's Answer: As indicated in the first question, all deciduous material has to be foliated. Deciduous means not green in winter. You could take cuttings in the meantime. Make a box that is three sided and place it against the foundation near the water spigot. The box should be 6¾ deep and filled with coarse sand. Cuttings are taken from the terminal shoots. Each cutting should be 8¾ long. Remove the upper two inches and cut the bottom at an acute angle as possible. Place the cuttings two inches apart and two inches into the sand. Water thoroughly and keep moist until roots evolve. Move the mother plant in October.

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Question: Can I purchase bees for my fruit trees? We are seeing less and less bees each year. Pat, Groton, CT

Mort's Answer: You can rent bees from apiaries. More and more orchards now insure pollination by renting bees. It would also be wise to plant clover under the trees. This will attract the bees and their sons. Clover also provides nitrogen in the soil for the fruits.

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Question: Can I prune my hollies now (September)? Bob, Atlantic City, NJ

Mort's Answer: If you wait a little longer the berries will be red. You can do no harm by pruning now. Remove the tangential branches at the intersection and make a clean flush cut. Hollies make excellent decorations at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

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Question: We have some holly trees that bloom in the back of the house. The holly in the front of the house doesn¹t bloom. It is over 10 years old and hasn¹t produced berries. We constantly trim it back to two to three feet. What can I do to make it bloom? Maggie, Middletown, RI

Mort's Answer: You can hardly expect a bloom, if you continue to prune it so severely. You are defeating your purpose by keeping it at three feet. You need a flower to produce a berry. If it is a male, it will produce pollen for the females at the back of the house. There must be another male within 500 feet for the females to produce flower and berries. If you can not let the emasculated plant grow in the front of the house, move it to another location. In the new location it can produce the flowers in the spring that bring forth the fall berries on all the female plants, which may include itself.

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Question: We have holly near the garage in partial shade. Since we planted them three years ago the color has become more and more pale. I do not see any sign of insects. Any ideas? Patricia, Westerly, RI

Mort's Answer: Leaching from the cement will change the PH from acidic to sweet. Since holly and other broadleaf evergreens require acidic soil around 5.5 or less, this condition will continue to deteriorate. Nitrate of soda will help counteract this leaching. I strongly suggest moving them to more favorable environment for the long haul.

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Question: We have two different of hydrangea. One is white and the other is blue. Can we trim both? Joe, Franklin, CT

Mort's Answer: A large white ball is the Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora and it likes the sun. It can be pruned to have one stem. Cutting in August will allow growth of buds for next spring. H. hortensia is the blue or pink herbaceous hydrangea. It does best in the shade in New England. If planted in the sun, do not cut it back to 11 inches from the ground until next spring. If in the shade, you can cut it back in the late fall.

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Question: My hydrangea turned pink for the first time this year. It is full of flowers. Any thoughts? Jen, New London, CT

Mort's Answer: Hydrangea is an excellent indicator of soil ph. Because of the excessive rain that most of the country including New England has experienced, the soils have leached out their natural minerals. New England soils are iron based. You can replenish them with aluminum sulfate, ammonium sulfate, epsom salts and iron sulfate. An inexpensive substitute for iron sulfate is a handful of rusty nails. I am sure that the soil will return to acidic within a short time. Pink color can also be achieved by adding lime to the soil. There is no problem, if you want to stay in the pink. If you want to add the sulfates, you will have the blues.

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Question: I have a blue hydrangea that has yet to produce flowers. I fertilize regularly with liquid fertilizer. The plant looks healthy otherwise. What can I do? Sheila, Charlestown, RI

Mort's Answer: Your fertilizer is producing to much vegetative growth. I much prefer to use a granular fertilizer with a high phosphorus content. Stop the liquid. Use a granular 5-10-10 with a tablespoon of Epsom salts. Your plant will be happier, when you take care of the root of your problem.

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Question: My blue hydrangea has not bloomed this year. It faces south and I do not cut in back in the fall. There are a lot of green leaves. What can I do? Veronica, Westbrook, CT

Mort's Answer: Wait. This year has been usually cloudy and rainy. The lack of sunlight in New England has stalled and diminished many blooms. You can add a handful of superphosphate or bone-meal under the plant. I suspect that you will eventually get some late but rather large flowers this year. Hydrangeas that face south are best left alone until spring. You can cut them back to the ground at that time.

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