QUESTION: This spring I planted some caladium bulbs in a semi-shady spot and they have done beautifully. Do I have to dig them up and store them for winter? Or can I mulch them heavily and let them overwinter in the ground?ANSWER: Cooler weather apparently has led a number of you to start thinking about cold weather, and you are interested in protecting your valuable ornamentals through the winter. However, there are still many weeks of mild weather ahead for caladiums and other tropical and near-tropical plants.When cold weather does approach, dig up your caladiums, cut off the stems and leaves, clean off the soil and let the bulbs dry on newspaper for a couple of days. Then store them in a cardboard box or onion bag in a dark, cool but frost-free place for winter. Replant in early May, when the soil gets warm.

QUESTION: I have holly shrubs along the front of my home. They are about 6 feet tall and 25-plus years old. They are trimmed on a regular basis but they are extremely thin on the inside. Otherwise, they are healthy. Is there anything you could suggest to get the inside to fill out?ANSWER: You can make those hollies fuller by doing two things: tip-pruning the stems late next winter before new growth begins and gentle thinning of the plants to allow light to reach the interior of the plants.Tip pruning is exactly what it says. You simply go over the plant and trim off the tips of stems. This forces growth to the lateral, or side, buds and encourages a fuller plant.However, since your plants need extra encouragement, do some gentle thinning of stems to open the interior of the plant to sunlight. To thin, go over the plant and select stems to cut back to the next branch. It should create a billowy effect, the same as you want boxwoods to have. Try to do this thinning evenly over the plant.If your plants require reduction of height for safety reasons, do this in October, by which time the plants will be approaching dormancy and unlikely to put out new growth that could be damaged should there be an early, deep freeze.Your plants are obviously mature and have robust root systems that should generate excellent growth next spring, especially if you use some slow-release fertilizer formulated for hollies and other acid-loving plants.In the future, avoid shearing them to the same length all over, which encourages growth at the tips and reduces it along the interior of the stems.Contact Nancy Brachey at The Charlotte Observer, 600 S. Tryon St., P.O. Box 30308, Charlotte, NC 28230By MCTNews Service