Dear Neil: Why on Earth are you advising people how to kill Spanish moss in their trees? I'm a transplant from Louisiana, and I think it's beautiful.
A: I couldn't agree more. As a young South Texas gardener, I brought it into our landscape and hoped it would grow. Even today, I have eight or 10 types of tillandias (the overall genus of Spanish moss and ball moss and others) hanging from a support in my greenhouse. However, over a career, I've learned how very damaging it can be to mature trees. It relies on them only for support, but, when it becomes too well established, it shrouds the trees and can rob their leaves of much-needed sunshine. The tree will soon become misshapen. Branches are often lost entirely.
Dear Neil: Why do my lantanas not bloom? They're supposed to be pink-flowering, but the plants are covered with little berry-like things. They're in full sun, but they only bloomed well the first year. Advice?
A: Those berries had to be preceded by flowers, probably in early summer. Next year, consider cutting the plants back by 15 percent or 20 percent when you first see the flowers falling and the berries forming. Apply an all-nitrogen fertilizer to them to promote a flush of new growth for late summer and early fall flowering. By mid-fall, the plants will begin shutting down for the season.
Dear Neil: Most of the oak trees around us have lost a line of bark that may go
10 to 15 feet up the tree, and they have few or no leaves. Is this the result of drought? Will they come back?
A: If ever there were need for a photo. Here's how I interpret your statements. The trees have lost their bark from the ground to 10 or 15 feet high. All of the trees' leaves are also lost. Then, I have to wonder if you're talking about a live oak, or some other type of oak, since you didn't specify. (Other types have now lost their leaves for this growing season.) Assuming live oaks, if the trees are truly bare, and if all of their bark is lost, it sounds like they are dead, whether from drought, herbicide damage, transplant shock (if recently moved), or other cause. Take a few photos to a Master Certified Nursery professional or contact a certified arborist who can visit the site.
Dear Neil: I have been reading where bois d'arc apples will help rid a house of insects and spiders. Where can I get some? I don't know that I want the actual trees -- just some of the apples.
A: If you only knew someone who had one growing wild, you could get all that you wanted. They're annoying in the landscape, because they're large, sticky and heavy when they fall. They would be happy to have the help in removing them. Do a little online research (use the scientific name in your search line: Maclura pomifera) to see if the claims are backed up by bona fide university research, and check its efficacy. You may find that other alternatives are better options.
Dear Neil: When do I prune, fertilize and spray my roses next year so I can have a really pretty garden? They weren't especially nice this year. Many had yellow leaves.
A: Be sure, first, that your plants are still at least reasonably vigorous. If they've been neglected for some time, you might be way ahead to start new plants in another dedicated rose bed somewhere else in your yard. Those yellowed leaves were probably the result of the fungal leaf disease called black spot (wide, yellowed halos around the black or dark brown spots). You'll need to spray regularly next growing season with a fungicide to prevent or control it. If you end up replanting, choose one of the types selected by Texas A&M as being EarthKind roses. Most are antique rose varieties that have been found to survive and perform with no particular pest control needs. Prune existing rose bushes in mid-February. Prune them by half, making each cut just above a bud that faces away from the center of the plant. Climbing roses and antique bush roses that only bloom once each spring should all be pruned immediately after their spring bloom. Their pruning should be less involved, aimed at reducing the plants' height somewhat, also at keeping the plants' habits manageable. Remove all dead or weak canes that look like they will not be productive again. Fertilize roses monthly in spring and again in late summer and early fall. Use a specialty rose food.
Dear Neil: I brought my avocado trees into the garage when it started to get cold. Would they survive outdoors? Will they grow if I keep them in the garage over the winter?
A: Avocados are medium-sized trees where they grow in Southern California and other tropical areas. They need full sunlight and warm weather without any threat of frost (and certainly no freezes). For that reason, they're merely novelty trees for most Texas gardeners (except the very southern-most portions of the Rio Grande Valley). Keep your plants in your home, in the sunniest window you have. When they outgrow their surroundings, discard them and start new plants. Unless you have a greenhouse that can accommodate a 20-foot tree, you probably shouldn't get too attached to them.
* If you'd like Neil Sperry's help with a plant question, drop him a note in care of The Eagle, P.O. Box 3000, Bryan, Texas 77805. Or e-mail him at mailbag@sperrygardens.com.
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