Q&A – Ask Neil: March 23, 2023
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QUESTION 1
SHOULD I REMOVE BOTTOM TWO BRANCHES FROM MY CHINESE PISTACHIO?
Question: My Chinese pistachio is 3 years old. I was thinking about removing the bottom two branches to force growth upward. When I bought the tree they told me I’d never have to prune it. Also, is it too late to prune? Trees are budding out now. Randy W., Waco.
Answer: I would actually remove the bottom three branches – the two that are together on the left side and the one small one going off to the right. I would even remove that weird “S”-shaped one coming down on the right. It has no future at all. Poor thing is totally mixed up. Make your cuts virtually flush with the main trunk. I doubt if you’ll need to do any more pruning from that point on. It is not too late to do this trimming, especially with this week’s cold weather.
QUESTION 2
DO I HAVE TWO PEAR VARIETIES ON THE SAME TREE? WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Question: This pear was planted as a bare-rooted specimen at a relative’s house 3 years ago. It was planted too deep and has also had mulch piled up around its trunk. The photos were taken from the same side of the tree. It looks like the left side is coming directly from the rootstock and the right side from the graft. What should be done to salvage the tree? Lisa B., Nacogdoches.
Answer: I agree with you on the left side being the rootstock, probably the undesirable Callery pear. I hope you can prune it away without damaging the good side. All you can do is try. If you don’t your relative won’t have much of a tree. Good luck! Use a fine-bladed saw and make the cut close without doing damage to the grafted side.
QUESTION 3
WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY GOSHIKI HOLLIES?
Question: I planted Goshiki hollies to replace shrubs killed by the ice storm 2 years ago. They seem to have taken a turn for the worse recently. Is this rabbit damage? Underwatering? Some kind of pest? Paula P., Frisco.
Answer: This is actually an Osmanthus, or “false holly.” They’re lovely plants, but I suspect that our Christmas cold spell probably set your plants way back. They also prefer acidic soils, and afternoon shade would be their friend. But I’ll bet this time the problem was the cold. My vote would be to replace them rather than trying to save them in the unfavorable conditions of North Central Texas. Here is what North Carolina State University has to say about them: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/osmanthus-heterophyllus/
QUESTION 4
HOW CAN I STOP THIS DAMAGE ON MY COREOPSIS WILDFLOWERS WITHOUT HARMING BENEFICIAL INSECTS NEARBY?
Question: Some sort of beetle is devouring my coreopsis wildflower planting. How can I stop them without harming other insects in the patch? Garrett H., San Antonio.
Answer: As much as I hate to say it, I’m not sure this is a battle you’re going to win. I can’t see what type of beetle is involved. However, a quick search online found this suggestion from our friend, the now retired entomologist Dr. Mike Merchant of Texas AgriLife Extension of Texas A&M. If that’s the insect you’ve seen you can Google it by name to find what help is available.
QUESTION 5
WHY DOES MY FOREST PANSY HAVE GREEN LEAVES AT ITS BASE?
Question: I recently bought a Forest Pansy redbud. Its top leaves are all purple as they should be, but I notice that there are green leaves down at the ground. What should I do to keep all the leaves purple? Martha S., Haltom City.
Answer: That is the rootstock. Forest Pansy is grafted above it. Keep all those green shoots pruned off to keep them from developing.
As a side note (perhaps of interest only to me), I was on a photographic assignment 45 years ago to the Forest Nursery Company in McMinnville, TN. I had packed a lunch with me, and I sat down on the ground to eat. I realized I was leaning up against the original Forest Pansy redbud – their “mother” tree from which all the others had been started.
QUESTION 6
WHEN WILL “TEXAS MOSQUITOES” DIE?
Question: When will those pesky Texas mosquitoes die? Our yard, shrubs, patio, etc. are full of them and regular spraying doesn’t help. Vantrice R., Farmers Branch.
Answer: Well, breaking news! (Almost, by the time you’ll read this.) This was posted Tuesday early afternoon by Texas AgriLife of Texas A&M. It’s as if they knew you were going to be waiting to find out. The good news is that they’re not mosquitoes and they don’t live very long.
QUESTION 7
CAN I DIVIDE SALVIA ‘INDIGO GIRL’ AT THIS TIME OF YEAR?
Question: I have a variety of Salvia in my flowerbeds, probably Indigo Girl. I need to add a couple of plants to the bed. Can I divide this variety of Salvia? Can I do it at this time of year? Tom B., Fort Worth.
Answer: It probably would survive, although late fall would be a better time to divide it. Spring might be a time when it would be better to buy a couple of plants when you find them in a local nursery. That way you could also match the flowers to be sure they’re the same.
QUESTION 8
SHOULD I CLEAN OUT THE SOIL THAT’S PACKED BETWEEN THIS CRAPE MYRTLE’S TRUNKS? IT’S BEEN THERE FOR 15 YEARS.
Question: I clean loose debris out of this crape myrtle every year, but now I’m wondering if I should also be cleaning out this packed soil? It’s been there for more than 15 years. Charity H., Denison.
Answer: I probably would, just because it would bother me to leave it in there. You could wash it out with your hose and a pressure nozzle. Just don’t turn the power up too much. You don’t want to gouge the trunk or knock bark off in the process.
QUESTION 9
DOES MISTLETOE HARM A TREE? IF SO, HOW CAN I ELIMINATE IT?
Question: Does mistletoe harm a tree? If it does, how can I get rid of it? Jim H., Pottsboro, Grayson County.
Answer: Mistletoe is a parasite, so it does weaken a tree somewhat. However, there is no spray that will kill it without harming the host tree. Your best bet is to prune it out just as it gets started. If you let it grow for a couple of years, it becomes thoroughly entangled with the branch’s conducting tissues and, therefore, much harder to remove.