Question:
Our mimosa tree bloomed out this year, but now it’s dying and what looks like spit is oozing out the tree branches, is there anything we can do to save it?
Answer:
I don’t know the age of this tree but Mimosa is a short lived tree, prone to disease. I seriously doubt that there is anything that you can do to save it. I recommend that you remove it and replace it with a tree from the list found at http://www.plantanswers.com/publications/southcnt.html. You will note that Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) is not on this list.

Question:
What length should I keep my grass during this drought? I would like my lawn man see your recommendations in writing.
Answer:
If your lawn is St. Augustine grass, I recommend that you mow it no shorter than three inches during this drought.

Question:
What is the effect of the drought on pecan trees? Pecans are already on the trees, is it too early?
Answer:
Drought affects pecan trees just as it affects all trees. Unless they are watered to compensate for the drought the following can/will occur: wilting of the leaves; dropping many leaves; more susceptible to borers and other insects because of drought stress; dropping of nuts; and, death of limbs. The pecan trees have had nuts since shortly after the catkins (flowers) fell off in the spring. For the sake of the pecan trees you should be watering.

Question:
Can the Pride-Of-Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) be grown in a pot?
Answer:
Yes it can. I would recommend a pot at least 16 inches across and also that deep in a location that is full to mostly sun.

Question:
Due to drastic water restrictions and extreme heat, my zoysia lawn, which is in direct sunlight almost all day, appears to be dead. I plan to scalp the lawn next spring, lightly roto-till 1/2″ of top soil mix into the lawn, then sod over with fresh zoysia. Will this be successful?
Answer:
I recommend that you continue to lightly water it when allowed as I doubt that its underground rhizomes are completely dead. Next spring if you do not see new growth by early April, you should rake out as much of the dead material as you can. Then you can lightly till and lay your sod.

Question:
We have had two Live oak trees that died. It seems the squirrels would start chewing the bark off, leaving bare spots all over the tree. Once they did this, the tree would die. Can you tell me if the tree died due to the chewing or what could have cause the tree to die?
Answer:
I think that the answer is neither. The squirrels were just looking for moisture and food which they found in the bark and underlying tissue. My guess is that the trees died because they didn’t have enough moisture.

Question:
Does leaving dead branches on live oaks do any harm other than possibly falling on some ones head?
Answer:
Other than what you have mentioned, it can also fall on and damage property, invite wood boring insects and possibly facilitate the spread of diseases. It is also unsightly and the sooner removed, the quicker the healing of the pruning wound.

Question:
We planted three Live oak trees about a year ago. At first all seemed to be doing well. Then all three seemed to have their leaves turn brown and I thought they were dead. Instead, one has started to show new leaves growing all over. The other two are showing some growth at the very base of the tree, but not up the trunk like the other one. What should or can I do to keep all the trees healthy and allow the two that seemed stunned the most to survive?
Answer:
As you are well aware, those trees have had a very difficult beginning with the drought and heat. The fact that they did not get sufficient moisture is evidenced in the loss of their leaves. I am going to assume that at that time you started to water them more resulting in one putting out new leaves. That one, while stressed, will probably survive if you keep watering it. This must be near the trunk to keep the root ball moist. The other two have probably lost their trunk and most likely will only put out shoots from the base.

Question:
Can you tell me where to purchase onion bulbs for planting in our fall garden. We have looked and have not been able to locate any.
Answer:
Growing individual onion bulbs is not recommended in this part of the country. Those varieties are considered long day selections and do not grow well here. We can successfully grow short-day and intermediate selections. Onion transplants are normally available and planted from mid-November to January. However, you can start seeds to grow into transplants starting in mid-October through December. The Texas 1015Y onion derives its name from the fact that its seeds are planted around October 15 in the Rio Grande Valley and the bulb is yellow. For more information and recommended varieties for this part of the state, visit http://Dixondalefarms.com website. They are the primary supplier of onion transplants in Texas and in the nation.

Question:
Our fruitless Bradford pear tree is losing leaves already. There is an area at the top that appears to be dying. The tree is eight years old and we have not had any problems with it until now. Can you advise me what the problem may be?
Answer:
I suspect that the problem is directly associated with the extremely dry weather we had prior to July. The rains of July and August have kept most of it alive but the damage was already done. You will probably lose that area at the top. The only advice I can give you is to make sure that the tree isn’t stressed for moisture again as it was during the previous eight months.

Question:
My mother has two mountain laurel trees that I would like to move and replant in another area. One is 30 years old with a 9″ diameter and the other is 20 years old with a 6 1/2″ diameter. These beautiful trees were grown from seed and they mean a great deal to her. I need to remove them from the construction area and would like to save them. How can I move them myself with the greatest chance of success?
Answer:
I hate to be blunt and disappoint you, but you cannot do it without killing them. The only way that it could be done with any chance of success is to have them transplanted by a professional with a “tree spade” (a piece of equipment that digs them and moves them with a large root ball intact). Even this would be no guarantee that they would live. Texas mountain laurels are among the hardest to transplant and the age of those just makes it more difficult.

Question:
A big limb on our pecan tree broke and fell to the ground. It is full of pecans. Can the pecans be saved? Should we peel off the green skin or leave them alone? Will the pecans dry or mature and be eatable?
Answer:
I’m sorry but those pecans are not filled out enough to be edible. The nut meat keeps filling out in the shuck until this shuck turns brown and starts to crack open.

Question:
My five year old Fuji apple tree blooms in late February early March each year and has produced approximately 1-2 bushels each year. As I was watering my fruit trees last week, I noticed it was blooming and setting fruit? Any idea what is happening?
Answer:
Fall blooming happens frequently with both ornamental and fruit trees. This is caused by the trees being stressed by some environmental reason such as the drought. Hopefully, your tree will have a normal fruiting cycle next spring.

Question:
What low or small shrub, hopefully with blooms, will grow in bright to medium shade?
Answer:
Non-flowering ones are easier, like the Dwarf Yaupon Holly, Dwarf Chinese Holly or the Cast Iron plant (Aspidistra elatior). Some that will bloom are the Dwarf Glossy Abelia (Abelia x grandiflora ‘Dwarf’), Blue Plumbago or the Fire Spike (Odontonema strictum).

Question:
Can almond or cherry trees grow here? If so, where would I find them?
Answer:
Neither of these is recommended for growing in Texas. The almond because they bloom too early in the spring and encounter freeze problems. The cherry because of insufficient winter chilling needed to produce a normal bloom.