Question: I have noticed the bark coming off my crape myrtle trees and shrubs. Is this normal?
Answer: Many residents feel this is an attractive feature of crape myrtles. Some, like the white-flowered Natchez, shed the outer bark to reveal a very attractive cinnamon color that eventually becomes the new bark. Others have green to gray to tan trunks when the bark is shed. No matter how scary it may look, the loss of bark at this time of the year is normal. It may help the plant eliminate scale insects, moss and lichens that grow on the trunks.
You are viewing: Why Do Crepe Myrtles Shed Their Bark
Q: Our cucumber plants get white lines in the leaves and gradually decline. What should I do?
A: A common pest of cucumbers, melons, tomatoes and more garden vegetables is the leaf miner. Adult fly-type insects are seldom noticed, as they lay eggs on the plants that develop into yellow larvae to tunnel between the surface of the leaves. A few can be tolerated by plants, but when severe, a control may be needed.
A natural control for leaf miner is the spinosad-containing insecticide found in Bonide, Fertilome and Southern Ag products. Usually, one of these is available at independent garden centers and labeled for caterpillar control. Unless excessive, leaf miners seldom cause plants to decline. During late spring and summer, cucumbers are very susceptible to diseases that cause yellowing and eventual loss of the plants. The next planting time for cucumbers is mid-August through much of September.
Q: We have a number of tropical plants like dracaena, dieffenbachia, and dwarf schefflera. Can I make cuttings at this time?
Read more : Why Is Life360 Not Updating Location
A: Summer is an excellent time to make cuttings that root quickly and begin new growth. The parent plants from which the cuttings were taken should rapidly heal wounds and make lots of new grow to reform often more compact plants.
Make tip cuttings 6-8 inches long and use a rooting powder dusted on the cut ends. Stick the cuttings so the ends are about 3 inches deep in containers of potting soil or coarse vermiculite. Keep moist in a shady location. Surround the containers of cuttings with clear plastic, which provides high humidity to prevent wilting and speed rooting. Most should root and be ready to continue growth in about eight to 12 weeks.
Q: We have noticed a black coating on the leaves of a hibiscus. How is it best removed?
A: Renew the beauty of your hibiscus plants with a horticultural oil spray to eliminate the sooty mold forming on the surface of the leaves. This coating is actually a fungus living on plant sap and excreta from mealybugs or similar piercing-sucking insects. The oil spray causes the sooty mold to gradually slough off. If you are careful enough to hit the insects often clustered on the stems and among the shoots, you can control both problems. If needed, systemic insecticides applied to the soil following label instructions are also effective.
Q: My pineapple plants growing in containers have fruit, but the plants are becoming yellow. I use an organic fertilizer and keep the plants moist. What else is needed?
A: Yellow plants normally suggests a lack of fertilizer. Your organic product may not be releasing the nutrients fast enough for your hungry pineapple plants. Or you may not be applying enough fertilizer for these heavy feeders.
Read more : Why Do Dogs Put Their Head Between Your Legs
Try to regreen the plants and encourage growth of new shoots with a liquid fertilizer application every other week for a month. Then apply a slow-release fertilizer at the container rate, following label instructions for repeat applications.
Q: I am about to prune my Washington palm. Can I prune the fronds to the 10 to 2 o’clock position?
A: What probably sounds confusing is a bit of palm talk. Fronds left after pruning are often compared to the face of a clock. In this instance, it is suggested the fronds would be left to fill the hours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. of a clock as you look at the outline of the palm foliage against the sky.
Actually, the 9-to-3-look is more acceptable and allows for additional foliage to produce food for the palm. Since many of our palms, including the Washington, are affected by disease, we want them as vigorous as possible. Why not leave all the green fronds and only remove the brown ones, plus old flower or fruiting stalks to keep the palms healthy?
Q: Some areas in my bahia lawn need seeding. Do I still have time and how?
A: Now is one of the best times to seed a bahia lawn. This turf type loves hot weather, and the summer rains can help with the watering. Since you are only filling in bare spots, start with a firm raking to loosen the soil. Then sow the seeds and rake them in so they are covered about a quarter to half-inch deep. If you wish, a lawn soil could be used as a covering. Keep the sown areas moist until the new grass is established. A few weeks after the seeds germinate, apply a starter fertilizer for lawns found at your local garden center, if permitted in your area.
Tom MacCubbin is an urban horticulturist emeritus with the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Write him: Orlando Sentinel, P.O. Box 2833, Orlando FL 32802. Email: [email protected]. Blog with Tom at OrlandoSentinel.com/tomdigs.
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHY
