Q: Several butterflies come to our flowers. What should I plant to attract more?
A: Colorful flowers usually attract butterflies. Out of all these, my favorite is the red penta. Butterflies and hummingbirds love visiting individual flower clusters. But your landscape should also include bush daisies, coreopsis, firespikes, gaillardia, lantana, marigolds, porterweed, salvias, and zinnias. Place these in a sunny location, in a container or on the ground floor. These should attract butterflies throughout the summer and fall.
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Q: Some of my 15-year-old bottle brushes have dead leaves. Is this a fungus? Do I need to prune my tree?
A: You probably got the right diagnosis. As plants of all kinds age, their bark becomes prone to cracking, which allows fungi to invade and cause decline. Photos sent via email showed the fading limb in what appeared to be the shadow of nearby trees and brush. These lower limbs are thought to be the most susceptible to decline and fungal activity. Now is the time to trim branches with declining leaves back to healthy parts of the branch or trunk. After pruning is complete, you can also apply a copper fungicide according to the label instructions.
Q: Our Coontie was beautiful last week, but now she seems to be on her last legs. My neighbor is also starting to have the same symptoms. Any thoughts?
A: Moisture or insect problems may be the cause of coontie decline. The photo in your email showed just the brown top among the green leaves. Separate the leaves and look for insects between the stems and near the ground. Scale insects and mealybugs often feed on these plants. If present, coat the insects with a horticultural oil spray. Also look for extreme humidity as a cause of the drop. Dig into the ground at the base of the plant. If it’s dry, you’ll know the problem and watering to re-wet the soil should help the plant recover. If your plant stays too wet for any reason, the roots or lower stems may be rotting. To control this problem, reduce irrigation to once or twice a week to keep the soil moist.
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Q: My ponytail is in tatters and stands out in front of my house as a centerpiece. Cost is a top priority, but I’m also willing to try something new. Your suggestions will be of great value.
A: Remove the affected ponytail and look for a low-cost shrub or small tree. Some communities and counties are offering one or two plants for free to residents. Call your local University of Florida Extension office to see what’s available in your area. Low-cost alternatives I suggest are crape myrtle, dwarf magnolia, tree-like ligustrum or pineapple guava. The smaller the plant, the lower the cost. They all grow fairly quickly.
Q: I have a lot of tropical plants like dracaena, dieffenbachia, and dwarf schefflera. Can I take cuttings at this time of year?
A: Summer is the best time to take cuttings, which root quickly and begin new growth. The parent plant from which you took the cutting will quickly heal the wound and produce many new shoots, turning into a more compact plant. Make tip cuttings 6 to 8 inches long and use by dusting the cut end with rooting powder. Insert the cutting into a container of potting soil or coarse vermiculite with the edges about 3 inches deep. Keep it moist and in a shady place. Surround the cutting container with clear plastic to increase humidity to prevent wilting and speed up rooting. Most plants will root and be ready to continue growing in about 8 to 12 weeks.
Q: I noticed that my crape myrtles are producing a lot of flowers this year, whether I pruned them or not. Is this due to the cold wave in February?
A: The continued extremely cold weather seems to have been favorable for crape myrtles. As it turns out, it’s not tropical plants that grow locally, but select species found along the Maryland coast and a little north. It is natural to think that the cold weather of February allowed the flower buds to mature and led to the recent spectacular blooms. If cared for well, crape myrtle can be very attractive throughout the summer. But this year, the shrub and tree forms, pruned or not, are full of clusters of colorful flowers.
Q: Some shrubs have clogged vines that are difficult to remove. How can I remove them from the plant without harming the shrub?
A: Weed vines are the bane of many shrub plantings, covering them with unwanted foliage and causing decline. Unfortunately, there are no easy controls. The sooner you treat your vines, the more you can prevent them from expanding and crowding out your planting.
One effective control, although not as simple, is to dig or pull the vines by their roots. This will be an ongoing task as parts will break and restart from the underground part again. A more effective but time-consuming control method is to cut the vines to the ground and wait for new growth. As new shoots appear, treat them with a brush killer that can be found at your local garden center. Follow the label carefully to avoid disturbing your desired shrub. Some brush control products also include instructions for treating vine cuts to cause vine decline.
Tom McCubbin is an emeritus urban horticulturist for the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Write to Orlando Sentinel, PO Box 2833, Orlando, FL. 32802. Email: TomMac1996@aol.com.
