Question: My ajuga is dying out very quickly in large patches. It just seems to be melting away before my eyes. What can I do to stop it?

Answer: Look for very visible signs of a fungal disease. You may see dramatic white spore masses around the crowns of the ajuga plants. If so, apply a general-purpose fungicide as a soil drench. You’ll probably need to repeat the application a couple of times every year. If the plants get any amount of sunlight, they may, indeed, be burning up from the heat. Ajuga isn’t totally satisfied with our Texas summers. Ajugas are also very susceptible to nematodes, so check their roots for signs of knots or galls. You’ll have to change over to some other type of groundcover if nematodes are involved, since we have no chemical control.