IN THE GARDEN
Bruised boxwoods, strange sumacs and preventing tree damage
Q: I have three variegated boxwoods that have been healthy and happy for about 13 years. They are planted about 20 feet apart in three beds separated by a gravel pathway. This year, they have large spots in the shrub that are drained of color and leaves. Other areas look OK. Back in March/April, I thought it might be December freeze damage. I still don’t see improvement. Could it be disease? They get plenty of air circulation. I don’t see insects. These are just about all the deer don’t eat in my yard! They are prominently part of the landscape. Any ideas? Should I send samples to the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service pathology office?
A: Many boxwoods were damaged by the winter cold. Variegated boxwoods were hit even harder than their green counterparts. It looks like yours have new growth coming on. I would suffer through the rest of this year and see how they begin to grow next spring. Then start shaping them to get them to fill back in. You could remove some of the totally dead branches now, unless you see new signs of growth on them. Boxwoods are notoriously slow to put on growth past the flush of new growth in the spring.
FALL COLORS IN JULY? Q: I drove up Arkansas 285 from Conway to Damascus. The sumac were in their full fall coloring of red and orange. The friends I was with said that the peak of the color was on Monday, July 10. Is this an unusual occurrence?
A: It is highly unusual that they would have fall coloration in July. Fall color occurs when the outer chlorophyll starts to break down at the end of the growing season, letting the natural pigments show through. Something stressful that causes a plant to shut down early could cause it, and it would not be ideal for a plant. Sumacs are usually pretty tough plants, so it would take something catastrophic to kill them.
MULLEIN MAKES GOOD GARDEN ADDITION
Q: I’m thinking that this plant is a common mullein [the reader sent a photo]. Are they good garden plants?
A: Most mullein plants are biennials or short-lived perennials. When they bloom, they do set seeds, and the plants can reseed themselves. The first season, you just have a rosette of foliage, but the second season, they put up the bloom spike, flower, set seeds and then die back. They are interesting, drought-tolerant plants and are attractive to many pollinators.
BEST TIME TO PRUNE A LARGE TREE
Q: We have four large
oak trees in our front yard. With the recent high winds, we are planning to remove large limbs from these trees. A couple of questions: Should we trim these trees in the fall or winter months? We don’t want to “butcher” the trees but would like to have someone with some good experience to do this task. Would you recommend a company or companies and/ or a person(s) to do this task?
A: There are many reputable tree services in Arkansas. I can’t recommend one, but can suggest that you consider looking at the certified arborists website to find one close to you. See: arkansasonline.com/729arbor. If you are “dead-wooding” trees — removing dead limbs — it is often necessary
to prune while there is foliage on the trees so you know which limbs are dead and which are live.
If you are simply thinning or removing branches too close to the house, then winter is a great time to prune. Proper thinning can be beneficial to a tree; but never top the tree — removing the main crown — as this will damage the tree internally and leave a more storm-sensitive tree.
Retired after 38 years with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Janet Carson ranks among Arkansas’ best known horticulture experts. Her blog is at arkansasonline. com/planitjanet. Write to her at P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR 72203 or email jcarson@ arkansasonline.com.