Q&A – Ask Neil: December 26, 2024
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QUESTION 1
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO PLANT MY MAGNOLIA SEEDS?
Question: I collected magnolia seeds in September and put them in potting soil in the fridge as I have done before. They are sprouting now. When should I plant them? Jana M., Chandler, Henderson County.
Answer: Judging from how well they are starting, I’d get them planted into 4-in. or 1-gal. pots in the next couple of weeks. Use a really good potting soil and protect them from hard freezes (below 28F) by piling leaves over the pots. If there is threat of much colder weather I’d even bring them into the garage for a couple of days until it passes. All of this is pretty much what they would be facing if they were to be out in nature over the winter. Keep them moist, but not soggy.
QUESTION 2
WILL ACORNS ON THE LAWN CAUSE PROBLEMS?
Question: Will acorns that fall onto our zoysia and bermuda lawns cause issues if we do not (cannot) pick them up? Some are just too small or have worked their way too far down into the grass. Pam K., Runaway Bay.
Answer: It sounds like you can’t pick them up, so we will have to move on to Plan B anyway. (I assume you have used one of the lawn vacuums from a rental shop?) Odds are, if they’re that small, that they’re not any good and couldn’t sprout if they had to. Even if they do, your regular mowing will discourage them very quickly. Any that do continue to grow could be eliminated with a spray of broadleafed weedkiller in spring or early summer.
QUESTION 3
WHOM DO I CALL TO TRANSPLANT A TEXAS MOUNTAIN LAUREL?
Question: I will be moving, and I need to have a Texas mountain laurel transplanted for me. You advised me on the air two years ago but I cannot find my notes – what type of person would do that for me? Irene G., Fort Worth.
Answer: You need a landscape contractor with the experience and the equipment to do the digging and lifting of the plant. Texas mountain laurels can grow very large. If yours is such a small tree it will be imperative that it be done by someone skilled in that task. If you have 6-12 months before it must be moved, talk to a landscape contractor or other tree-moving company about doing “root pruning” to give it extra time to reestablish roots within the soil ball. I would not move it until later in the winter. Transplanting weakens plants, and mountain laurels are tender to our winters anyway.
QUESTION 4
WHAT FERTILIZER SHOULD I USE ON MY PECAN? IT’S ABOUT 30 YEARS OLD.
Question: What fertilizer should I use on my pecan tree, and when should I apply it? Randy M., Dallas.
Answer: From my years of serving as Dallas County Extension horticulturist, I know that almost all of Dallas County has heavy black clay soil. Soil tests come back suggesting that almost all types of plants need an all-nitrogen, lawn-type fertilizer (no weedkiller included). For a pecan tree I would feed March 1, April 1, and May 1.
QUESTION 5
WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY CAMELLIA BUDS?
Question: I have searched and cannot find what is happening to my camellia buds. Most of them turn brown without opening. The plant seems healthy – just no flowers. Larry H., Henderson.
Answer: Surprising to me, most of the information I found online just now was from England, not the Gulf South. Not knowing how to relate that to Henderson, Texas, I passed it by. However, both Southern Living (https://www.southernliving.com/ask-grumpy-s1-ep1-7372095) and Clemson University in South Carolina (scroll almost to the bottom: https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/camellia-diseases-insect-pests/) list weather as the chief cause, notably hot, dry weather late in the summer and into the fall. I thought I’d see more references to thrips, but hot, dry Septembers and Octobers stood out as your most likely causes. You can’t do anything about the temperatures, but you can keep the plants watered regularly at that time of the year.
QUESTION 6
HOW CAN I ELIMINATE THIS WEED?
Question: My bermuda lawn has gotten this weed from next door. I’ve tried two reliable weedkillers but they haven’t done the job. What is it, and how can I eliminate it? Chia Liao, Little Elm.
Answer: This is dichondra – the same weed I discussed last week here. You’ll need to be persistent in your spraying with a broadleafed weedkiller containing 2,4-D. Incorporate one drop of liquid dishwashing detergent per gallon of mixed herbicide and apply it with a tank sprayer set to deliver fine droplets. Read and follow label directions carefully.
QUESTION 7
SHOULD I REMOVE THE LEFT BRANCH?
Question: As you can see, this tree was not pruned. Should I prune it to remove the big branch on the left or just leave it? Linda M., Fort Worth.
Answer: My first reply was going to be to leave it. The tree has good symmetry. However, it looks like there might be some scarring on the inside of that branch. If it were my tree, I would take a cotton rope and wrap it around the limbs that that branch serves. Gently pull the rope so those branches pull out of the way enough that you can tell if it’s totally lopsided without them. If so, leave the left branch. If you could remove it without leaving the tree strangely shaped, cut it off. Make that cut flush with the main trunk (leaving 1/4-in. of branch collar) for fastest healing.
QUESTION 8
WHY DO MY SWEET POTATOES FAIL TO MAKE LARGE ROOTS?
Question: When I dug my sweet potatoes all I found were finger-sized roots even though the vines were very healthy. They’re growing in raised planters made from drain tiles. I have sandy soils. Lonnie, Bryan.
Answer: Lonnie called my statewide radio program last Saturday. It sounded like everything he had done was done correctly, from planting date in late spring to feeding, etc. I told him I would do some research on growing sweet potatoes. Here is what I found.
The horticulturists at the Howard County, Maryland, Extension office gave what “Ask Extension” felt was the best answer to this same question. I’m just going to copy and paste it for you as I remember back to the very wet first half of the growing season we in much of the eastern half of Texas had this past year. I hope this helps.
Here’s what the Maryland Extension folks had to say:
“There are a number of factors that may contribute to thin roots:
• Sweet potatoes need 80-90 days from transplanting slips to full size roots (depending on cultivar).
• If the soil is mostly composted manure, it’s possible that excess nutrients produced leaf growth at the expense of storage root growth.
• Although the garden soil drains well, we had an extraordinary amount of rain during the growing season.
• Organic matter holds moisture, so it is possible that plants suffered from excessive water.
• We understand that you had better luck last year with your sweet potato harvest with the same 8-in. spacing. However, we recommend at least 12-inches between plants.”