Recent Q&As
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Q&A – How do I kill creeping charlie without killing zoysia?
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I have ground ivy or creeping charlie invading my zoysia grass. There is too much to pull up by hand. How do I kill creeping charlie without killing zoysia, or do I need to kill everything and start over? Answer: Ground Ivy or creeping charlie can be controlled in zoysia with a three-way herbicide for lawns containing Dicamba. Before you use chemicals, you should try to change the growing environment. Creeping charlie likes excessive moisture and shade. You should fix this problem by increasing drainage and letting in more light. Chemicals will not be a permanent solution if the environment favors the creeping charlie. Related Resources: Creeping Charlie Ground Ivy Control for Home Lawns What to Do about Ground Ivy |
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Q&A – What are these things that appeared in my flower bed?
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What are these things that suddenly appeared in my flower bed? Will they harm my plants? What should I do? Answer: This is a kind of slime mold that has been named dog vomit. It is growing on the mulch. It will not harm your plants and if you don’t like it you can remove it from the bed. It will go away after a while if you leave it alone. It is a fungus so any time you have warm weather, high humidity, and rain it may show up. Related Videos: Q&A - I have mushrooms in my mulch. Do I need to get rid of it? Q&A - Is This a Fungus in my flowerbed? Q&A - My Mulch Looks Like It Has Mold On It Q&A - What is this growing in my mulch? Related Resources: The Blob: Slime Molds Slime Molds: Myxomycetes Slime Molds – Landscape Curiosities |
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Q&A – Am I watering my helleborus too much?
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I have a lenten rose, helleborus, planted in a container on my patio in full shade. The leaves are turning brown along the edges. Am I watering too much or not enough? Should I cut off the bad leaves? It is a new plant, I just picked it up from the local nursery this spring. Answer: This kind of injury on leaves is often caused by either too much or too little water. Because there is no wilting it is likely too much water. If the plant is kept in the shade there may not be enough time for the plant to dry out before it is watered again. If the leaf turns totally brown, it is not benefiting the plant anymore and can be taken off. Related Resources: Lenten Rose Diagnosing Poor Plant Health |
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Q&A – Why are some of my vegetables bitter?
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Why are some of my vegetables bitter? Bell peppers, cucumbers, lettuces, and others always seem to be bitter when we eat them? Answer: Bitter vegetables are caused by plant stress. The chemical that causes the bitterness is always in the plant but sometimes that can translocate to the fruit. This can be can be caused by uneven watering or underwatering or another less than ideal condition. To minimize the problem, try to reduce the stress on the plants by keeping then watered and properly fertilized. Related Resources: Curbing Bitterness in Cucumbers Cucumber bitterness explained |
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Q&A - What happened to my honeydew plants?
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I was gone on a two day trip and came home to find my honeydew plants like this. We had a lot of rain while I was gone. Could this be from the rain, something else, or both? Answer: There are a couple of things this could be. It could be damping off. If it is wet and cool soil, fungi may harm the plant. It could also be bacterial wilt. That can be tested for by snipping off a piece of plant. Then touching the cut area back together. When they are pulled apart there will be some stringiness in the sap. If it is bacterial wilt you should remove and dispose of the plants in the trash. Damping off will have killed the growing plants but you can replant and still get a harvest this year. Related Resources: Cantaloupe & Honeydew Melons Damping Off Damping-off |
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Q&A – What fungicide can I use to prevent phytophthora leaf blight in peonies?
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What fungicide can I use to prevent phytophthora leaf blight in peonies? Answer: If your peonies have blight you should first improve soil drainage and air circulation. If you have already done these things, University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond recommends applying a fungicide to the plant and the soil around. She lists the fungicides to use. You will have to reapply the fungicide every 7-10 days throughout the growing season. Related Videos: My peonies have a powdery look with black spots. What do I do? Peony Blooms Dropping Related Resources: Peonies Peiony disorders: Phytophthora and Botrytis blights |
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Q&A – What are these flowers?
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What are these flowers? Answer: These are asters. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says she can not tell what kind of aster they are. The date of the photo is unknown which would help in identification. Related Video: Aster Fall and Winter Flowers Related Resources: Asters Growing Fall Asters |
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Q&A – Should you prune Japanese maples, especially if they are touching the house?
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Should you prune Japanese maples, especially if they are touching the house? Answer: Yes, you can prune Japanese maples. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond talks about how to do it by cutting the branch back to a point of growth. She also says you can do this any time of year. Related Videos: How to Prune Shrubs Japanese Maple Basics Related Resources: Japanese Maple Pruning Japanese Maples |
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Q&A – What is this on the side of this tree?
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What is this on the side of this tree? Answer: This is a fungus of some sort. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says she was not able to identify it, but thinks it may be a type of fungus called an earth ball or puff ball. It is growing on something that is decaying. She does not think it will harm the tree. |
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Q&A – My crape myrtles have small shunts coming out of them. Will they make it?
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My crape myrtles have small shunts coming out of them. Will they make it? Answer: These small twig-looking things coming out of the trunks of the tree are the frass from the ambrosia beetle. The insect does not directly harm the tree, but it introduces the ambrosia fungus that will eventually kill the plant. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says this happened to her crape myrtle and she immediately cut the plant to the ground. Because crape myrtles are so tough, they will come back the same season and bloom and recover nicely. Related Videos: Treating Crape Myrtle Bark Scale Why does my Crape Myrtle have curling leaves? Related Resources: Ambrosia Beetle Control |
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Q&A – How can we help our magnolia tree recover?
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How can we help our magnolia tree recover? Answer: There are many problems with this magnolia tree. Last year it had scale and blight and was severely pruned. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says if the scale returns to use a systemic insecticide. She sees a bigger problem in that the tree was fed multiple times over the winter. This feeding may have caused the tree to try to leaf out in the winter which would have killed the new growth. Joellen recommends watching the tree and fertilizing it if it starts to leaf out this year. Related Videos: Q&A – What is this growth on my magnolia? -Lichen Q&A –Why are my magnolia leaves curled? Related Resources: Magnolia Scale |
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Q&A – What is this weed in my iris garden?
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What is this weed in my iris garden? Answer: This weed (Galium aparine) has many common names: bedstraw and catchweed. The seeds have small hooks that attach to clothing or fur. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper says it is a winter annual weed. Once it gets hot, the plant will go away. It likes shady moist conditions. Each plant produces 300-400 seeds. It has a shallow root system and can by pulled easily. Related Resources: Catchweed Bedstraw, Galium aparine |
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Q&A – Is oak wilt something I should worry about when pruning?
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Is oak wilt something I should worry about when pruning? Answer: Oak wilt is a fungal disease that can kill oak trees. It is often introduced to the tree after it is pruned at the wrong time, especially in the cooler weather of the spring. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper says there is a sap-feeding beetle that is a vector for the fungus, and if not pruned correctly, will introduce the wilt to the tree. This guide describes proper pruning technique to prevent oak wilt (check with a certified arborist or your local extension office for dates to avoid pruning in your area): Texas Oak Wilt |
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Q&A – What is this vine and how do I get rid of it?
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What is this vine and how do I get rid of it? Answer: This is vinca minor. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says it is an aggressive woody vining groundcover that can quickly get out of hand. To kill it, cut it to the ground with a weed eater or lawnmower. When it starts to re-sprout spray with glyphosate or Triclopyr. Related Resources: Periwinkle (Bowles Vinca Minor) |
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Q&A – Why does my hibiscus not have as many stalks this year?
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Why does my hibiscus not have as many stalks this year? Answer: This last winter was hard on plants. It was not particularly cold, but University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says there was an early cold snap which prevented plants from moving carbohydrates from the leaves down to the roots for the winter. This means the plant has less energy this year to grow new stalks. She says to take special care of the hibiscus this summer by watering and fertilizing. Let it build up its carbohydrate reserve. It should do well next year, assuming a normal start to the winter this fall. Related Videos: What hibiscus variety will survive a zone 7 winter? Planting Tropical Hibiscus and Begonias Related Resources: Hibiscus |
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Q&A – What is this plant? Is it a wildflower?
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What is this plant? Is it a wildflower? Answer: This is an aster, which is a wildflower. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says it is too small to determine what kind of aster it is. Let it grow and see what it does. Related Video: Aster |
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Q&A – What are these bugs on my onions?
Question:
What are these bugs on my onions? Answer: These are aphids. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says you should not worry about them. There are many beneficial bugs that will move in and eat them and keep the under control. If you are concerned, UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper recommends getting out the hose and washing them off. Related Videos: Aphids on Milkweed I sprayed aphids with an insecticidal mix. Now the leaves are black. What happened? I have aphids on my milkweed. How can I get rid of them without harming monarch caterpillars? Related Resources: Aphids Got your Milkweeds Aphids Spoiling Monarch Milkweeds |
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Q&A – What is attacking our oak trees and what can we do to help?
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What is attacking our oak trees and what can we do to help? Answer: This is oak leaf blister. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says the blister is a fungus that occurs in the cool spring weather and only on new growth. There is not a whole lot you can do about it. She says some years will be worse than others, but it does not hurt the tree. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper says you should pick up any leaves that fall and rake and dispose of the leaves in the fall to reduce the number of fungal spores for next year. Related Resources: Oak Leaf Blister Oak Leaf Blister |
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Q&A – What is this growth on my maple tree?
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What is this growth on my maple tree? Answer: This maple tree has eccentric growth of its secondary cork cambium layer. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper says there is nothing wrong with the tree, and there is no need to treat it. It actually provides an extra layer of protection to the tree. Related Videos: Maple Bark Split Can my little maple trees be saved from moldy leaves? Related Resources: Maple |
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Q&A – Can I transplant wild blueberry plants from the woods to my garden?
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Can I transplant wild blueberry plants from the woods to my garden? Answer: Blueberry plants generally do not like to be transplanted. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says if you do transplant it you have to make sure the pH of the new site is the same as where it came from. Also, you need to dig up as many of the blueberry roots as possible. Related Videos: Planting Blueberries When should I prune blueberries and how much? Related Resources: Blueberries |
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Q&A – I have heavy clay soil and want to plant azaleas. How should I plant them?
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I have heavy clay soil and want to plant azaleas. How should I plant them? Answer: Plants that don’t like wet conditions, can still be planted in areas with poor drainage. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond recommends planting the plant with about half the root ball above soil level, then mounding up soil around it. This will allow the plant to grow above the non-draining soil. If you dig a hole and plant normally the hole will only fill with water and drown the plant. Related Videos: Why do my azaleas look sick Can I prune my azaleas back in the fall? Related Resources: Azaleas for the Landscape Azalea Planting |
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Q&A – Are wood ashes beneficial for gardens?
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Are ashes from burned wood beneficial for gardens? Answer: It depends. Wood ashes contain potassium and lime which is good. They also contain lye and salt which can be bad and can harm the soil. It is better to put them in the compost pile and let the rain leach the lye and salts out of the ashes. Jim Crowder, from Memphis Botanic Garden, says a light dusting of ashes in the garden is fine, but make sure you did not burn treated lumber, fire starter logs, or other treated wood. Retired UT Extension Agent, Mike Dennison, says that if the pH of your soil is already correct don’t use ashes. They will change the pH. Instead, put the ashes in the compost pile. Related Resources: Plants That Like Wood Ash Wood Ashes can benefit gardens |