Question:
I was wondering what would be the best way to deal with weeds in my Bermuda grass as we go into the fall and winter. The two main weeds are spurge and crabgrass. I always see these weeds on the Feed Bags and they say not to use on Bermuda. I want to do something so this fall weeds do not take over, as my Bermuda goes into dormancy, so that in the spring my grass will be healthy and full and have less of those weeds.
Answer:
Both the spurge and the crabgrass are warm season annual weeds. They are best controlled with the application of a pre-emergent herbicide to keep the seed from germinating. These pre-emergents should be applied mid-to-late February. The spurge is a broadleaf weed so a broadleaf pre-emergent such as Portrait should be applied in accordance with its label. The crabgrass will need a grassy weed pre-emergent such as Amaze. Again, follow the application instructions on its label.

Question:
My oak tree has spider-web looking material on it. Is this a disease or just something that will take care of itself?
Answer:
If it is a web that is covering the trunk of the tree, it was made by a harmless insect called bark lice. As you say, it will take care of itself. See the images and information at http://www.plantanswers.com/barklice.htm.

Question:
I have Pride of Barbados plants and would like to know if I can cut them back and when would be a good time. Also, it froze back in the winter and has come back beautiful and tall.
Answer:
You can cut it back enough to keep it in control at any time, even now. You will prevent any new blossoms until it puts on new growth. It will freeze each winter and you can cut it to the ground after any such freeze. In the event that it does not freeze, then you should cut it to the ground anyway in the early spring before it starts to put on new growth. This will help it to stay within the bounds you want.

Question:
Since all the rain, our front yard is a barren waste – even the weeds have died. We have mostly Bermuda grass – have you heard of this? The yard has black mud in parts.
Answer:
Many lawns suffered badly from the six weeks that we went without measurable rain during July and August with Bermuda going dormant and weeds dying. If yours is typical, both the weeds and the Bermuda will come back and should have already started to do so.

Question:
I have a seven year oak tree. Most of the limbs are hanging down like a willow tree. I have six other oak trees, I planted at the same time, and they are fine.
Answer:
This oak is probably ‘fine’ also. You did not mention what kind of oaks these trees are. However, all oaks are grown from acorns. This fact, in itself, accounts for the variations in oak trees since they have the genetics of two parents. There is no way that you can change this tree.

Question:
I planted a Primrose jasmine on the west side of my house and the green foliage is wonderful and beautiful. But I have not see one yellow flower and that is what I planted it for. I have not pruned it but have fertilized it. Any suggestions? It’s over a year old.
Answer:
Primrose jasmine (Jasminum mesnyi) is an early spring bloomer whose blossoms only last for a few weeks at best. It is possible that its blossom buds were frozen by late spring freeze but it probably just needed another year of growing. It should bloom next spring, unless there is a late, hard freeze.

Question:
We planted a Vitex tree several years ago that is now very tall. Last summer, we did some landscaping in the same yard, and several things we planted that are in the shade of the tree are not doing as well as expected. Those plants are Indian Hawthorne, Knockout roses and Blackfoot daisies. Can the Vitex be transplanted successfully, and if so, when is the best time to do it?
Answer:
You can transplant the Vitex quite easily. You should wait until it has dropped its leaves for the winter to move it. Just dig the hole where you intend to put it. Then dig the tree up getting a root ball at least 10 to 12 inches in diameter and move it into the new hole. Back fill with the dirt that you removed from the hole. No additives or fertilizer is needed. Then water it in well. If the tree is too tall to handle, you can cut it back as severely (even to the ground) as you desire to make it easier to move.

Question:
Do Vitex trees attract hummingbirds and other birds? Do they attract butterflies? Are they deer resistant?
Answer:
The Vitex is a good hummingbird and butterfly attractant. Other birds are attracted to the seeds that develop if the spent flowers are not removed. And yes, they are deer resistant as the deer do not eat them. However, they are a favorite of the bucks when they are in their antler rubbing mode.

Question:
I was sold a plumbago plant as it being shade tolerant and deer resistant. However, now I’m seeing that may not be correct. The plumbago is planted under a Live oak tree on the west side of my home. Do you think my plumbago plant will survive and bloom?
Answer:
Blue plumbago is shade tolerant. It will not bloom as profusely as it would in full sun but it will thrive and bloom a lot. They are not one of the deer’s favorite browse but they will nibble on it.

Question:
I noticed these weird little bugs feeding on my jalapeño peppers in my garden. They looked kind of like pill bugs but they are grey in color. After I picked the pepper, it is very mottled with yellow spots all over it. Could you provide a little more information on to how to be rid of these creatures and what they may be?
Answer:
These are stink bugs. Mash one with your finger and you will know why they are called that. They poke their nose into the pepper or other vegetable and suck the juices. This causes the yellow spots and hardened flesh. If you catch them while they are small, you can knock them off with high pressure water spray. The adults are best controlled using one of the insecticidal dusts such as Sevin, thiodan, or permethrin.

Question:
I have a bed of Asian ivy that has been overtaken by bermudagrass. What and when do I spray to kill the grass? I also have a weed spreading in my bermuda and carpet grass. It has a central root, is low and spreads from the root. It has tiny yellow flowers on it and little heart shaped leaves in groups of 4. The area I need to rid of is under oak trees so I need something that won’t kill the trees. What and when do I spray to kill it?
Answer:
You can spray the ground cover bed with one of the grass specific herbicides such as Over the Top, Poast, Fusilade II, Vantage, Ornamec, GrassBGon and others. This will control the Bermuda without harming the ground cover. The other weed is Oxalis. You need to spray it with one of the glyphosate herbicides. This will kill all of the green vegetation that you spray it on but will not harm the trees if it gets on the trunk bark. You can spray both at anytime while they are actively growing.

Question:
I have two brick flower boxes built into my patio which are under oak and Bradford Pear trees. They receive about an hour of morning sun and a little diffused sunlight late in the afternoon. Besides ferns, what else could I plant? I’ve thought of pots that can be removed when it gets cold. Is there any variegated grass that would add a little color I could try?
Answer:
There are hundreds of plants that could be grown there but you haven’t given me enough information about what you want – perennial, annual, color, shrub, size of boxes, etc. Annual bedding plants could give you lots of color; snapdragons, pansies, ornamental cabbage or kale, dianthus, petunias, cyclamen and primula for the winter – impatiens, begonias, salvias, etc for the warm season. Dwarf shrubs such as Chinese Holly, Dwarf Yaupon Holly, Boxwood and others would work. The variegated ornamental grasses will need more sun than what would be available.

Question:
I am planning on growing new grass in my backyard. The previous owners had two large dogs that killed almost all of the previous St. Augustine. Since then the recent rains have washed a lot of the soil away so I need to bring in dirt to replace it. I have tried Pennington seeds and they did well in the winter but this summer the heat killed it. I have a lot of shade over 3/4 of the yard supplied by a huge live oak tree in my back yard. Can you tell me what type of sod would work best in a dense shaded area? I am not a big fan of St. Augustine and prefer a small blade grass like Bermuda, but I may not have many choices. Thanks for any help you can suggest.
Answer:
Depending on the amount of shade that the Oak tree casts and with your dislike of St. Augustine the only option you have is probably one of the Zoysia selections. Emerald Zoysia is a fine bladed grass but to look best requires mowing with a reel type mower. The wider blade Zoysias such as El Toro, JaMur and others can be maintained with a rotary mower if the blade is kept sharp. However, this is all dependent on the amount of light that the turf will receive. Even St. Augustine cannot grow well in deep shade.

Question:
Leaves are falling off my live oak tree and they contain a tan fuzzy ball shaped growth on the underside. Is this a disease? If so, how do you treat the tree to stop the disease? Is there a proactive treatment once it’s gone? What damage is occurring to my trees?
Answer:
The abnormal growths are galls which are common to Oaks. They are most often found on the underside of the leaves but can also appear on small twigs. They are spherical growths about the size of a small pea and are the result of a small wasp laying her egg in the leaf’s tissue causing this abnormal growth to occur. They are basically harmless but may cause these leaves to fall earlier than normal. For more information on galls see the Extension article at http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/L-1299.html.