VOLUME 12, ISSUE 31 • September 1, 2016

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

It's Labor Day weekend, so that gives you extra time for gardening. The weather looks like it's cooperating, and we have a great e-gardens to help you.

Just a few of our fun topics:
• Euonymus scale
• Iron deficiency
• Armyworms
• Winter weeds
• Tree troubles

And if all that isn't enough to make you smile, we have our gardening tips for the upcoming weekend.

Hope you find e-gardens useful, and if you do, I hope you'll shout it out from the rooftops!

About the photo: 'Catawba' crape myrtles (my favorites) along Eldorado Parkway east of US75 in McKinney. Third round of blooms this summer. Photo from two days ago.

Gardening This Weekend

This is your final warning for pre-emergent weed control. If you missed last week's details, they're on the next page. It's also a critical time for other lawn and landscape care, and I have the list ready for you.

Photo: Time is running out to treat for iron deficiency. Grape vine in McKinney. See remedy next page.

From the Sperry Gardens: "Uh oh!"

Major surgery was required this past Monday at our house. Our biggest and best had developed a problem. So we called in the surgical team and we got more than we bargained for.

Photo: The team arrived to perform surgery earlier this week at the Sperry house.

March of the Armyworms

I had a fun story I was working on as I finished up this week's e-gardens, but I kept getting questions about armyworms. They're obviously on the prowl, and bermuda turf is feeling the wrath. How much damage do they do?

Photo courtesy Kansas State University Entomology shows a well-fed armyworm.

Question of the Week #1

"Neil, what is wrong with my euonymus plants? Is this some kind of insect, or is it a fungus? What can I use to kill it? Can the plants be saved?"

Almost all euonymus shrubs eventually succumb to this pest.

Photo: Golden euonymus is riddled and obviously dying.

Question of the Week #2

"Neil, my oak tree continues to turn yellow each year. Treatments don't seem to help. How can I solve it?"

This problem began a number of years ago. I have the answer.

Photo: Sent to me by a Facebook friend earlier this week.

And, in closing…

That's a wrap on another e-gardens.

If you're interested in a copy of my latest book, Neil Sperry's Lone Star Gardening, it's available only from my website and by calling my office during business hours. (800) 752-4769.

Finally, something new. Tired of busy signals when you call into my radio program Sundays 8-10 a.m.? For the first five people who sign up, we will call you when we're ready to put you on the air. I’m starting small, just to see how it works.

Here's all you need to do:

E-mail us before 2 p.m. Friday. Send your email to gretchen@sperrygardens.com. I'll need this info:

• Your first name
• Your city
• Topic you'd like to discuss
• Phone number where we can reach you between 8 and 10 a.m. this Sunday.

We'll see how that goes.

So until Sunday when I call you, or next Thursday when I see you back here in your e-mail...

Happy Gardening!

Neil