QUESTION: I have a couple of poinsettias, kept since last Christmas. They are getting tall and leggy. I wonder, if I cut them back now, would they still have time to turn color?ANSWER: Here's your problem. If you cut back that plant drastically now, it will take a while to produce fresh growth that you'll want to turn into a red plant this winter.If you can manage the current size, leave it unpruned until early next spring, then cut it back drastically. Or start new plants with stem cuttings taken from the old plants. Those would be a nice size, rather than huge by summer's end.Poinsettias require a long stretch of short days and long, dark nights to set flower buds and bring color to the leaves.This stretch of long nights should begin now and last until early December.In the Piedmont, some people leave their plants outdoors in a dark spot well away from street and house lights. Even a little light will interfere with the natural process of turning the bracts red (or pink) and setting the pretty yellow buds in the center.This is fine as long as the weather stays mild. Then it must be brought indoors to a warm spot or a glassed-in porch where the darkness routine continues until early December.A box would work to cover a small plant every night from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. A poinsettia must have good sunlight through the day, which is why keeping the plants outside works well.But yours sound too tall for that. A sheet, perhaps?

QUESTION: I planted three Royal Red butterfly bushes two years ago. They get dappled sun in the morning, full sun in the afternoon. I fertilized them three times, starting in March. This summer's blooms were puny and sparse.Now the leaves are yellowing and they look pretty sad. I have watered them occasionally during the dry spell. My question: When fall finally comes, should I cut them way back, fertilize again and hope for the best? Or, should I plan to replace them in the spring (a costly option)?ANSWER: Your Royal Reds are in a very stressful spot, but they should be able to take it once established. It seems the top growth is way ahead of the root growth, thanks to all that fertilizer. Plus we have had a couple of dry, hot months, when they needed regular watering. That is why the leaves look puny.But don't even think about replacing them. Butterfly bushes are best pruned quite severely - back to 1½ to 2 feet - in late winter. Pruning now, while the plant isn't fully dormant, increases the chance of winter injury.Left unpruned, they get tall and wild and don't bloom as nicely. In February, consider giving your plant a dose of root-stimulating fertilizer to help the roots develop as vigorously as the top.One reason for slow development of roots is they may have been tightly wound around the root ball in their container. That slows down the process of establishing the shrub in its new location.When setting out a container-grown shrub, always look over the root ball and pull the roots - gently - away from the sides and bottom. This will encourage the roots to grow into the soil, instead of continuing their way around the root ball.

QUESTION: I read that hydrangeas like coffee grounds sprinkled under them, so I'm about to start my own recycling effort. But should this be done only during the growing season or is year-round OK?ANSWER: Using coffee grounds in this manner all year is a good thing. The particles have some nitrogen that will be of value in the soil. Just sprinkle the grounds thinly onto the ground and scratch them into the soil a bit. Big clumps of coffee grounds on the top of the soil tend to get moldy.Or use them in your compost. Either is better than tossing them in the trash.Over the years, I have read about the value of coffee grounds as a slug deterrent, but I've never had any luck with that.

QUESTION: Our beautiful native dogwood just gave up. All the leaves turned brown over two days. The wood is still green. What should we do to nurse it back to health?ANSWER: Your dogwood is suffering from the drought and showed that by dropping its leaves early. Other plants are doing the same and fall color may not be as good this year if this continues into October.However, the loss of leaves at this time of year is not the crisis it would be if this were May or June. The tree had already stored its energy and was preparing for dormancy.Still, I would not let the roots of such a valuable tree languish in the drought. Water it well at least once a week through October to benefit the roots, which are still growing. In February, fertilize the tree lightly with a product formulated for flowering trees. Too much fertilizer encourages rapid growth that reduces flowering. Moderate growth is what you're after. Look over the tree now for the small knobs at the tips of branches that signal next year's bloom. If they're there, you will have a good show in spring.

Nancy Brachey is a columnist with the Charlotte Observer on the World Wide Web at www.charlotte.com