Q: My crape myrtle won’t bloom and the bark is peeling off. Please suggest a treatment.
A: Solve this problem by giving your crape myrtle about 8 hours of sunlight each day. Over the years, the shade from nearby trees slowly creeps over the crape myrtle, eventually producing fewer flowers. If this is a problem, thinning the overhead shades may help. Crape myrtle blooms at different times from late spring to summer, so there is still time for the plant to bloom. Bark peeling and shedding is a normal feature of crape myrtle shrubs and trees that occurs in late spring and summer. This is a very beneficial feature that helps remove insects and growths that have formed on the bark. Many crape myrtles have a new layer of bark that is very attractive to enjoy in the landscape when the plant sheds its outer layer.
Q: I have a mulched area under my bird feeder that has grass and other weeds growing. Birds and squirrels eat the fallen seeds. Are there any herbicides that are safe to use on wildlife? What about vinegar?
A: There are many products on the market for spot weed control that are labeled as safe for wildlife. Active ingredients typically include one or more of the following: soap preparations, strong vinegar, and vegetable oils. They may be safe, but I find it hard to believe that wild animals would find dispersed seeds very tasty. If you want to try following label directions, search the internet for wildlife-safe herbicides.
Botany: Penta blooms with colorful flowers, and other flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
Q: I was asked to lead the development of a small butterfly garden. It becomes a non-irrigated space where the light changes. We are looking for suggestions regarding planting types, timing, and space requirements.
A: It’s difficult to grow weeds in areas without irrigation, but you may be able to plant some flowers to attract butterflies. Choose from drought-tolerant wildflowers commonly found along roadsides. What appears to be growing on dry roadsides and fields are annual phlox plants with flowers of various colors. It can be planted in the fall from seeds that germinate with seasonal rains and bloom in the spring. Reseed the following late fall to start new growth. Transplants are also available from garden centers in late winter. Other more persistent perennials or shrubs that are drought-tolerant include beach sunflower, sunshine mimosa, gaillardia, and firebush. When it blooms, butterflies will come. They are usually started as transplants and require water during very dry periods until they become established.
Q: Some parts of my lawn have gray leaf blades. What types of pests are there and should I spray?
A: Almost overnight, fungus-like organisms like slime mold begin to ooze from the stems and leaf blades of your lawn. This is most noticeable during the rainy season when there is plenty of moisture available for the growth of the spore-producing structures that cover the lawn. No matter how bad it looks, slime mold causes minimal damage to your lawn. It can be swept, raked or washed. Running a lawn mower over the affected area should also loosen any mold-like coatings. No sprays are needed for this fungus. Slime mold can affect other landscape plants and often covers the leaves and stems of low-growing bedding plants and mulch with a colorful coating. Again, no control is required.
Q: A section of St. Augustine’s lawn disappeared almost overnight. It looks like the grass is digging into the ground. What should I do?
A: The reason most lawns are heavily mowed at this time of year is usually due to caterpillars eating the lawn. It is usually caused by lawn bugs and occurs near the soil during the day and on leaf blades at night. They are the small greenish larval stage of the brown dingy moth that you may see in the landscape. Fortunately, feeding usually won’t kill your lawn, but it will leave it looking unsightly and unevenly mowed. If you can’t tolerate last-minute mowing, use a lawn insecticide available at your local garden center, following label instructions. If you wish to avoid using conventional products, you can use a control drug containing spinosad, a naturally occurring insecticide.
Are you a gardener in Central Florida? Here’s your to-do list for July
Q: A hard, flat, semicircular growth has formed at the base of my queen palm. Can I stop doing this?
A: I’m not kidding when I say my butt is rotten. At least the palms are rotten. The name comes from the fungus that grows on the base of the palms and buttocks. Unfortunately, when growth is observed, the fungus is firmly established on the palm trunk. Over time, the palm begins to deteriorate and eventually dies. Breaking off and removing the growth, known as a conch, prevents fungal spores from spreading to other palms nearby. It is recommended that palms affected by butt rot be removed as soon as possible, and growths from the stump should also be removed once they have formed. New palm trees should not be planted in this area due to the prevalence of fungi.
Q: I started growing sunflower seeds in large pots and eventually added them to my butterfly garden. I water it in the evening, but it dries up during the day. I now protect them with a beach umbrella during the hot sun. What else do I need?
A: As the name suggests, sunflowers need the sun. We also need the hot summer sun. This is just a guess, but most likely the young plants in the container were not exposed to the sun before being planted in the garden. Sunflowers should be grown in full sun as soon as the seeds germinate. If you give it any shade at first, it may struggle on hot sunny days. Water your plants early in the morning to grow heat-tolerant plants. Dig the soil to make sure the root ball is moist. If necessary, water again during the heat of the day and sometimes mist the plant a little to prevent wilting. Remove the umbrella, as the plant needs to learn to tolerate the heat. It is also normal for some plants to wilt due to the heat of the day.
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.
