Question: I noticed both yellow and pink flowers in the central Florida landscape. What are the names, and are they a reliable landscape addition?
Answer: You and many other residents have found some real show stoppers. Both types of trees that create the major display of colour are tabebuia. They are different species, but in the same genus. Of the two types, the pink Tabebuia is the most durable and flowery, sometimes beginning to boom as early as late December. Yellow Tabebuia tends to flower later and bloom in February. The yellow type doesn’t seem to be a bit tougher. Both Tabebuias create great accent trees that can provide shade during the summer. Unfortunately, they are not deep-rooted trees and can be affected by severe storms and hurricanes. This should not prevent them from being planted, but rather they should be alienated from homes and other structures that can be damaged if they are uprooted by the wind.
Q: I vowed that I picked up some seed pods from under the yellow tabeabier a few years ago. However, trees 20 feet tall from those seeds bloom pink. In the block next to half is the giant pink blooming tabebuia. Did they mutual pollinate?
Plant Doctor: Grapes with orange flowers climbing all over my garden
A. Perhaps the wind or animals have moved seeds from their neighbor’s tree underneath the tree. The seeds are very light and slightly winged. Even the entire seed pod could have been carried to your tree. Pink and yellow Tabebuia are different species and cross-pollination is unlikely to occur. Perhaps it’s nice to have a different coloured Tabebuia in your garden.
Q. My pink Tabebuia is not blooming. Are there any fertilizers to help with fertilizer? Is it too late for this year to bloom?
A. Good News – Your tree will bloom, but you cannot be sure at all when. Maybe your pink Tabebuia is taking a break this year, or your tree is too young to flower. They do not reach a consistent blooming mode until 5-7 years after planting in your garden. If you have never seen flowers or buds before, it is unlikely that a tree will bloom this year. Fertilizer helps the tree grow and eventually matures well enough to begin flowering. Apply lawn fertilizer once in March and in late May without weed killers under tree spread. This only takes the first three years in your garden. The trees then usually obtain the nutrients they need from fertilizers applied to planting nearby grass and other landscapes.
Q. Our crepe myrtle tree is about 10 feet tall. How much do I need to trim from the tree?
A. Save time and keep these crepe mirtres attractive by skipping large prunings. A 10-foot-high tree shape should be very attractive with just a slight pruning to remove the edges of the seed pod bearings of the branches. If necessary, it can be cut into a STEM section approximately 0.5 inches in diameter. Also, at this point, remove or thin the intertwined limbs. If there are chutes from the base, commonly known as suction cups, these should be cut into the trunk of a crepe mirtre. That’s all. Simple and easy pruning. By the way, you really don’t need to prun them, and you don’t mind myratre in the crepes.
Q. Most of the leaves in my landscape were curled with brown edges. Why is it time, when and when to prune them?
Margin in the gardens of Central Florida
A. Surprisingly, poinsettia leaves during the growing season, and holidays usually show problems with water, nutrients, or combinations. Make sure the plants have appropriate water for the above-ground plants once or twice a week. Keep a light mulch on top of the soil, and make sure it stays moist and settles on the ground. Also apply slow release fertilizer in March, May and early October. Choose one with the minor nutrients. Check the acidity of the soil and adjust the pH to approximately 6.5. Now is the time to give your poinsettias their first year of pruning. Cut the above-ground plants 18-24 inches from the ground. Then repeat pruning after each foot of new growth to remove approximately 4 inches for each new shoot. I will continue this pruning routine until mid-August.
Q. My Heliconia Choconiana didn’t really care about the cold weather. A large section has been damaged. Should I put it all back to the ground?
A. Many plants are damaged by cold, especially tropical types such as heliconia. Most of these plants cause major damage and may not recover. But now is the time to remove all the dead and decayed parts and try to revive the plants. You can prune it near the ground if necessary or desired. Moisten the ground, apply late release fertilizer this month, and reapply in May and early October.
Q. I have a young mango tree with a dark film on its leaves. What is the coating, can it be removed?
A. Follow the instructions on the fruit tree on the label to eliminate this black wound with a gardening oil spray. The leaves are coated with growth caused by a huge fungus, but that’s not a real problem. Piercing suction scale insects can cause discoloration of leaves and stems. These mango tree pests produce excrement, which is the fungal food. Gardening oil sprays need to control insects and will encourage fungi to fall off the mango tree section over time. Do a good job of spraying the leaves and stems for optimal control. If the product label allows, a second spray may be required in one month.
Tom Maccubbin is an honorary urban gardener at the University of Florida Cooperative Expansion Services. Write him: Orlando Sentinel, PO Box 2833, Orlando, Florida. 32802. email: tomac1996@aol.com.
