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Neil Sperry addresses why a Tycoon tomato plant may not be setting fruit and more in his...

Tomato blooms fall off without fruiting when plant ill-suited to Texas Neil Sperry, Down to Earth May 28, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail Italian cypress trees are normally dependable in the southern half of Texas, but this Februarys cold has killed plants over big parts of the state. Curiously, it wasnt obvious immediately. It started showing up several weeks after the thaw, and its still getting worse. This reader is going to need to think about replacing these.Courtesy photo Q: I believe these ar...

Brown patch fungus is common in Texas lawns this spring; its usually a fall problem Neil Sperry, Down to Earth May 21, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail This year the brown patch fungus (now called ?“large patch?” by Texas A&M) has become active in the cool spring weather. Its usually far more common in fall.Courtesy photo Q: We had landscaping done recently at our South Texas home, and shortly thereafter these strange patches showed up in the lawn. Do you have any idea what they might be and what...

No good treatment for bacterial leaf spot on plants Neil Sperry, Down to Earth April 30, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail This Mexican plum is infected with bacterial leaf spot, a disease that causes leaf spots that later turn brown and drop out.Courtesy photo Q: This happened to my Mexican plum last summer. What caused it, and what can I do to prevent it this year? A: At first glance I thought this had been caused by caterpillars, but then I decided to Google “Texas A&M plant pathology bacterial l...

Skip to main content Currently Reading Neil Sperry says its too soon to know whether palm trees survived the freeze in San Antonio Neil Sperry, Down to Earth March 5, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail 1of2 Ice weighs down an palm tree in Austin. Whether palms survived won’t be evident until late spring.Ilana Panich-Linsman /New York TimesShow MoreShow Less 2of2 When it comes to covering your plants, Neil Sperry recommends white frost cloth. The darker color lets that frost cloth soak up too much of ...

Neil Sperry also addresses good groundcovers for full sun areas and how to keep Asian...

Bugs to blame for dead squash: too many bad or too few good Feb. 12, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail Most people are growing either summer crookneck or zucchinis (pictured). Stuggling squash plants may be being ruined by squash vine borers or squash bugs, or if only the fruit is dying, it could even be something as simple as failure to be pollinated due to lack of bees.San Francisco Chronicle file photo Q: Every year I try to grow squash, but the plants die before producing their fruit. What am I mis...

Neil Sperrys tips to preparing a raised garden bed Jan. 15, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail When preparing a raised garden bed, Neil Sperry recommends adding 2 inches of sphagnum peat moss and 1 inch each of finely ground pine bark mulch, well-rotted manure and decomposed compost.Courtesy photo Q: I need help preparing my raised bed gardens’ soil. Each January when I rototill, I have to break it open with a pick, then rent a mid-size tiller to loosen it enough to mix in a purchased blend of compost...

Neil Sperry: Brown patch in the fall leaves lawn ugly all winter Jan. 8, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail This is a great example of how a lawn looks in mid-winter when brown patch has hit in the the prior fall.Courtesy photo Q: My lawn looks terrible. It has these patches all over it. What is the problem, and what can I do about it? A: This is a great example of how a lawn looks in mid-winter when brown patch hit in the fall. Brown patch attacks the leaf blades and causes them to turn yellow, then br...