When will we know if palm trees survived the February freeze in Texas?
Neil Sperry, Down to Earth
April 9, 2021
FacebookTwitterEmail
Courtesy photo
Q: I’ve been listening to you on the radio and reading you here. We’ve cleaned up most of the other shrubs and groundcovers that were killed by the February cold. How long do we need to wait on palms?
A: Oh, those don’t look good, do they? The real answer is hidden down in the crowns of each plant. That’s where the new growth originates. If the crown is lost, the plant is lost.
GARDENER S MAILBAG: How long can I wait to clean my palms post storm?
By Neil Sperry
Special to the Herald Democrat
Dear Neil: I’ve been listening to you on the radio and reading you here. We’ve cleaned up most of the other shrubs and ground covers that were killed by the February cold. How long do we need to wait on palms?
Oh, those don’t look good, do they? The real answer is hidden down in the crowns of each plant. That’s where the new growth originates. If the crown is lost, the plant is lost. Palms don’t really grow until it gets warm, but these look like it’s going to take more than just warm weather to get them to grow again – it’s going to take a miracle. Wait another 4-6 weeks if you can.
Bad news for Xylosma plants: they didn t survive the freeze expressnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from expressnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Q. Dear Neil: I have approximately 800 square feet of lawn that was St. Augustine, but that now has bermudagrass encroaching. I always thought that St. Augustine was the more dominant grass and that it would prevail. I am not aware of any selective chemicals that will kill the bermudagrass and let the St. Augustine grow. What are my options?
A. You need to determine why the St. Augustine is thinning. It may be due to chinch bugs. They attack St. Augustine but seldom bother bermuda at all. Or it could be that the lawn simply got too dry. Bermuda survives drought better than St. Augustine. St. Augustine can also be weakened greatly by take all root rot in the spring and gray leaf spot in the summer. I really canât diagnose the problem and its solution without more information. You might do a little homework on each of those.
In San Antonio, azaleas will need tons of soil amendments, but they thrive in East Texas
Feb. 5, 2021
FacebookTwitterEmail
Unless you re in the Piney Woods area of East Texas, you re likely to need a lot of soil amendments to get azaleas to thrive.Courtesy photo
Q: We live in an area with sandy soil and we would like to plant azaleas. What kind of bed preparation will they require?
A: Azaleas must have acidic soil (low soil pH). Soils in the Piney Woods area of East Texas fit that description, as will a few areas farther west. A soil test will tell you for sure.