IN THE GARDEN
Q I have an area in my garden that has a beautiful buckeye tree. Growing under the tree is a groundcover called Vinca minor. Now the groundcover is invaded with weeds — mainly wild violets. I would like to kill the weeds without killing the vinca. Any thoughts?
A Unfortunately, you really don’t have any good choices. Anything that would kill wild violets or any other broadleaf weeds would also kill the vinca. Your only options are to hand weed often until the violets and other weeds are eradicated, or learn to live with the combination.
Q I have turned off my sprinkler system and drained it, but now am wondering if I did the right thing. I have been told that I may still need to water this winter if it is dry. I live in Northwest Arkansas, and we had so much damage last year that I want to do everything possible to make sure my plants come through this winter as healthy as possible. What should I do?
A Watering is definitely not as critical in the winter months as it is in the summer, but some years it is necessary. Usually in the fall and winter months we get enough precipitation that we don’t have to supplement. You did the correct thing in draining your irrigation system to make sure it doesn’t freeze. If conditions get dry, water those plants that are most critical. You do not need to water lawns, and all shrubs and trees — except those that are newly planted, in open or drier areas and container plants. An extra hose or sprinkler can do the job without employing the whole sprinkler system. Let’s just hope we have a better winter this year to give our plants a break.
Q I am finding a growth of some sort on the underside of many of the leaves [the reader sent a photo]. It is fuzzy and light brown. Can you tell me what this is and whether it is a problem that needs to be treated? There are many of them, and I don’t find them often on oak leaves from other yards.
A You have a gall on the leaves. Galls on leaves can look frightening but cause little damage, when on leaves. They can be hard shelled or fuzzy, and some even come with polka dots! Galls can be caused by insects or a fungus, but in this case it is caused by a small mite. They are nothing to be concerned about. Occasionally, different species of galls form on small branches or twigs, and these can do harm; but yours is common on trees everywhere.
Q Help! I do not have a green thumb, and someone gave me a poinsettia last week. It is already dropping leaves. I fear it will be dead in a week if you don’t tell me what to do.
A Poinsettias are often killed by kindness — too much water. I would make sure it gets bright light or full sun during the daytime. Remove the foil pot that the plant is in and put a tray or dish under it to catch water, but let it dry out before you give it more water. They like even moisture, not bone dry nor water-logged. With bright light and even moisture, the colorful bracts can continue to remain attractive long after the holiday season is over.
Q Would you know what the small bushy trees along many roadsides are? They have narrow, willow-type leaves and in November are covered in tiny white blooms? I had one that came up in my backyard in this spring, and it grew to 6 feet by the end of this season. I was wondering if I need to cut it down, thanks!
A This is a common question every year. The plant in question is the groundsel bush, or Baccharis halimifolia. This native plant can be found commonly in the southern half of Arkansas. It is extremely showy this year, probably due to the mild winter and a wet growing season. It is dioecious, which means there are separate male and female plants. The showy one is the female, and the white color is silky hairs, much like you see on dandelion flowers. Female flowers will have many of these white bristles or hairs, while the male flowers will have few. They are fairly weedy looking until they begin their fall bloom. The jury is still out as to the groundsel’s place in the home landscape. Each year we see more and more of it on roadsides, so invasiveness can be a problem. Watch it for a year or two and see if it spreads.