Question:
I have been dealing with aphids that have caused sooty mold fungus on my crape myrtles over the past few years. What can I spray on the crape myrtles to stop this from occurring?
Answer:
At the first sign of the aphids, you can treat with one of the many insecticides that are labeled for their control. Bayer has recently introduced a product called 12-Month Tree & Shrub Insect Control which is applied over the root zone of the plant and watered in. This product is then taken up by the roots into the vegetation of the plant and will kill sucking insects. I have no personal experience with its efficacy.

Question:
When do I separate amaryllis bulbs and how can I encourage more blooms. I get only two or three flowers now. They are in 12 inch pots and larger and are multiplying fast.
Answer:
Amaryllis is normally separated in the fall. These plants also like to be root bound.

Question:
I have vinca as a ground cover in part of my yard. I love vinca as a ground cover but I cannot control the weeds. I have tried pulling the weeds and using Preen. It has become a full time job. Is there any type of weed killer I can use that will kill the weeds and not the vinca? I am totally frustrated.
Answer:
If they are grassy weeds, any of the grass specific herbicides such as GrassBGon, Ornamec, Fusilade, Over-the-Top, Vantage and others, will kill the grass and not harm the ornamentals such as vinca. If they are broad leaf weeds, I do not know of any herbicide that will not also harm the Vinca. However, if you keep them from going to seed and the Vinca gets well established, it should keep them suppressed.

Question:
I have a huge live oak in the front yard that keeps killing our sod. It also sends up the oak shoots everywhere. I want to replace the sod and get rid of the oak shoots. What would be the best sod to use and how do I get rid of the oak shoots?
Answer:
Unfortunately there is no way to do what you want without killing the tree. Those sprouts are coming off the roots of the tree and even if you dig them up, they will just return. Also, unless you thin out the canopy of the tree by selective pruning to allow more light to reach the ground, there is no turfgrass suitable to our area that will grow in the shade of this tree.

Question:
I was wondering why the nurseries of the local home improvement stores would sell raspberries if they do not grow here? I love raspberries ! What can I do to grow them?
Answer:
Unfortunately, there is no variety of raspberry that will grow and prosper in our area. About the big stores, they are not only local but have stores all over the country. Much of their buying is done in bulk and is not necessarily appropriate for all of their sales areas. You can try blackberries but I know they are not the same.

Question:
As did many others in the area, my plants suffered the arctic blast, namely my Sago palms, my Canary palm, my Mediterranean palm plus my ginger plants and several others that were planted in the ground last March -April a few in May. I have crispy brown plants which were beautiful prior to the cold snap. Are they gone for good or is there still hope? Can I prune them and if so when and how much? Also for future purposes, what do I do to prevent this kind of damage when things are in the ground, not close to the house (but out in the open)?
Answer:
It will be best to wait until spring before doing anything to the palms and the Sago. There is no need to do a lot of pruning only to find out the plants are dead. If these plants do not put out new growth from their growing tip next spring they can be considered dead and removal is needed. If they do put out new growth, then all of the brown fronds should be removed all the way to the trunk. Since I do not know what ginger variety you have, I cannot speculate on their survival. If they were the variegated variety, Alpinia zerumbet ‘variegata’, they will most likely come back from the roots. You can remove the above ground foliage now if you wish. As for as how to protect them in the future – If you wish to grow plants that cannot withstand temperatures such as we recently had, the only way to protect them is to be able to cover them and provide supplemental heat. This is not practical for large palms.

Question:
Butterfly Iris were planted last year. They have never bloomed. The leaves are brown, probably from the freezes. The plant still looks the same except it is now brown. Do I cut it back and if so when and how much?
Answer:
Butterfly Iris (Dietes bicolor) is normally hardy to about 20° F and will probably come back from its roots. However, you will not know if yours survived the cold until it sprouts (or does not sprout) next spring. You can be sure that it has been killed to the ground and can safely cut off all of the above ground stems and foliage at this time.

Question:
Should sweet corn be planted in several short rows rather than in one or two long rows?
Answer:
Yes. Corn is pollinated by wind-borne pollen. Planting corn in blocks rather than in long rows makes it easier for the plants to pollinate one another during tasseling.

Question:
Should the suckers, or side shoots, which emerge near the ground level on sweet corn be removed?
Answer:
This is not necessary although experienced gardeners feel removal of the suckers will result in larger, high-quality ears. The suckers should be snapped off while they are small.

Question:
How long does it take for most sweet corn varieties to produce edible ears?
Answer:
Most sweet corn varieties on the market today will mature between 60 to 90 days after seeding. Maturity rate will vary greatly from year to year and from season to season which is temperature depended.

Question:
Why are ears of corn underdeveloped at the tip end?
Answer:
This is common not only in gardens, but also in large commercial planting. Several explanations have been suggested as the cause including nutrient deficiency, loss of foliage because of disease with correspondingly lower food manufacturing capacity, cool temperatures during ear maturity and low moisture. Corn is cross-pollinated by wind-blown pollen from the male flowers or tassels at the top of the plant to the female flowers or silks about midway up the stalks. Each kernel develops from an individually pollinated silk. Kernels develop near the middle and base of the ear first with those at the tip developing last. When unfavorable conditions occur such as those mentioned above, those kernels pollinated first will take precedence over those pollinated last. This often results in failure of the kernels near the tip to develop properly.

Question:
My tomatoes last year were constantly infested with stinkbugs. I used Sevin dust occasionally but was concerned with using chemicals. Is there a treatment for stinkbugs without using chemicals?
Answer:
Sevin (carbaryl) and endosulfan (Garden Bug Killer) are the best chemical controls for stinkbugs on vegetables. The best treatment for stinkbugs without using chemicals is a physical barrier around plants to prevent egg laying and population increase. The use of Grow-Web is described at PLANTanswers site: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu. Last year was a bad year for stinkbugs ON EVERYTHING so maybe this year will be better.

Question:
I just bought some artichoke seeds. What are my odds of growing these plants? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Should I just stick to Jersey tomatoes?
Answer:
I can understand the urge of gardeners to grow something unique. However, for the production that you get from some vegetables, I don’t believe that it is worthwhile for the home gardener to try them (especially in areas not conducive to their growth). Artichokes are one on those. I think that I would stick to tomatoes. Almost all of the nation’s globe artichokes are grown in a narrow coastal area of California because of the favorable climate. Artichokes do best in a frost-free area with cool, foggy summers. They do not overwinter in areas with deep ground freezes and are not well adapted to Texas climate because hot weather opens buds quickly, destroying tenderness of edible parts. Brief periods of exposure to temperatures past below freezing cause no apparent damage.

Question:
I have a small garden about 12′ x 35.’ My question is how many rows can I put in this space?
Answer:
I cannot give you a definitive answer because of the many variables. Some plants such as radish and carrots take very little room, but plants such as squash and watermelon take a lot. Plants growing up a trellis take much less room than if allowed to grow along the ground. Likewise, caged tomato plants need less room than uncaged. The first thing you need to do is determine what you want to grow and this should only include those things that you and your family like to eat. If you will go to this Aggie Web site, you can determine how many plants or how many feet of row you will need for your family: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu.