Question: We recommended a disinfectant for orange rusty control of plumeria. Rust bacteria seem like a natural event, especially as leaves decrease in autumn. I developed a practice in early February or so to remove the leaves of plumeria that are still on the tree each year. This will help prevent the New Year’s leaves from fungi. Isn’t this a better control?
Answer: Good hygiene practices are always a way to control illness. My motto is: Don’t ruin your success. If you want to remove old, rusty or rusty leaves, you need to continue practicing. Unfortunately, rust spores are abundant and seem to be available at all times to affect the leaves of plumeria, canna and hollyhock. The disease can begin at the start of the rainy season or in areas with many overhead irrigation. Yellow to orange spots with spores with open leaves in autumn. If proper hygiene continues to minimize fungal activity, no control is required. Otherwise, the use of labeled sterilizers to rust on the decorations is useful.
Q: My oak trees are covered in green lichen and light green moss. I think they are parasites because my two trees are really suffering. Picking up a green mossy thing and when it reaches the ground, will it die, or should I pick it up?
A: All the mossy things in the email photo are lichens of various shapes. These growths are a combination of fungi and algae that grow symbiotically. They are not parasites and do no harm to the trees. The growth of lichens may indicate that your tree does not provide the desired growth due to other causes. Make sure they are not covered by other trees or are affected by the competition in shrubs and grass. Moss and lichens gradually die when they are on the ground and do not need to gather. The leaves in your picture looked quite healthy. This month’s fertilizer application may help trees to promote better growth. Spread the grass fertilizer under the trees at the speed of the grass. Use fertilizers without weed control products. You want many people to have a gardener or certified arborist check your tree for the cause of decline. Treatments to control lichens can also be recommended if necessary.
Plant Doctor: Help! I’m confused about the correct way to prune palm trees
Q: My house has mainly low light. Which indoor plants might survive at the best?
A: Plants other than mushrooms do not grow in the dark, but some can withstand lower light levels. Even if the plant is resistant, the loss of leaf leaves and thinning of leaf leaves is always notable. These low-light regions have good leafy plants include Pothos, Heartleaf Philodendron, Aglaonema, Sans-Sevie Area (snake plant), ZZ plant, and Vaaegate Shefera. Still, the best growth and survival is obtained in bright light, but from a perfect sun location. The use of indoor lights can help to extend the lifespan of the leaves plant.
Q: I had a problem with the new St. Augustine Sod that I put in June when everything died. Next time, should I mix black soil and fertilizer on the site before regeneration?
A: Improvement of sandy soil with organic matter may help to guide new turf to a good start, but the effects are usually short-lived. The organic addition of rich soil and fertilizers decomposes rapidly, and soon the soil is primarily sandy again. Make sure your new SOD has the right light and start this project. In a slightly shady place, choose St. Augustine, which tolerate these conditions. Prepare the site by tilling the soil at a depth of several inches to mix the layers to disperse pest problems. If you want to improve sand, this is when you mix with organic matter. It also tests the acidity of the soil and adjusts it as needed. Next, install a new grass and apply turf sterilizer. Moisten the new grass and apply grass fertilizer in about 4 weeks.
Q: It seems that my recent cold has damaged my croton. I should cut them out, and if so, how low would I be?
A: It takes more than a month to begin recovery before doing any major pruning. Unfortunately, the plants always seem to be dead more than expected. Damage usually begins as a lost leaf, then the stem gradually turns brown. The extent of the injury depends on the amount of cold received by a portion of the plant. Pruning can be started at any time to remove any obviously dead parts. Looking at new shoots from inside the stems can cause final pruning. After a severe cold, final pruning may be on the ground or near the ground. Don’t give up on the plant, as some are known to wait until early summer before recovering.
February in the gardens in Central Florida
Q: I would like to plant sweet potatoes this spring. Can I start transplant with a glass of water?
A: Many gardeners have sprouted whole sweet potatoes in drinking glass or bottles of water. Set the potato edges to about a third deep in the water and place the container in a high light or sunny place. In a few weeks, shoots called slips begin to appear, and the start of sweet potato planting needs to grow. The chute is about 6-8 inches long and ready for the garden if it has small but visible roots. It takes about 8 weeks to grow your own starting point.
Q: Our decorative grass is whipped by the wind and looks terrible. What happens if I cut them down?
A: Expect a nice new upright plant that replaces the old ones. Maybe because winter winds are a good time to give trimming to decorative grasses in mid-February. Most plantings for a year or two of the landscape are reduced by the feet on the ground. It may also be necessary to thin or split to keep it attractive.
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.
