Golden rain tree provides fall vibes in Florida
Question. A very bright yellow tree is flowering in many neighborhoods and along roadsides. What is the name, and is it a good tree?
Answer. Neighborhoods are brightening with clusters of yellow golden rain tree blossoms. In a matter of weeks, the color continues as the flowers are replaced with large pink capsules often referred to as lanterns. Many like the fall color, but others find the nonnative trees invasive as the capsules contain seeds that seem to all germinate and produce more trees. This is why the tree is given a Category II rating as an invasive tree. This means the tree grows abundantly but has not overly affected the Florida native plant communities. Golden rain trees are quick-growing and may be nice for your site if you plan to control the seedlings.
It is also home to red and black golden rain tree bugs that can be a nuisance but are not considered much of a pest. The good news is the bugs feed on the golden rain tree seeds and may provide some control.
Q. I have about fifteen twoto five-gallon containers used for vegetables that have soil infested with nematodes. Can I flood them with water to control the nematodes? What else can I do?
A. Flooding has been a method of controlling nematodes in wetlands where vegetables grow after the soil is allowed to dry, but it probably is not practical for home plantings. Usually, the land is flooded for several months before draining and replanting. Some studies have shown alternating flooding and drying each for three-week periods several times may work, too. This might be something to try on a small scale, but it is probably not very practical for home gardening. It is best to use the affected soil in a compost pile where the nematodes can naturally decline and add fresh soil to the containers for future planting.
Q. I have a six-foot-tall ponytail palm that to my surprise, sprouted a threefoot plume of tiny white flowers. The plume has now died. What should I do?
A. Maybe it has been due to the recently mild winters, or perhaps gardeners now have aged ponytails in their landscapes that are in bloom. Some say the plants need about a hundred years to produce the spikes of white flowers, as is also often said of their close relative, the century plant. But as many local gardeners know, with good growing conditions, both plants bloom in about 10 years. Ponytails have a palm look with thick trunks and long, narrow leaves, but they are very distant palm relatives. When your plant does flower and the spike declines, simply trim it from the trunk. Unlike the century plant, the older plant does not decline but continues growth, as do other relatives of dracaena and yucca.
Q. I think it is time to plant petunias and geraniums. When are they available at garden centers?
A. Soon, all late fall through winter bedding plants should be arriving at local garden centers, but don’t be in a hurry to make a purchase. Ones you would like to grow, plus pansies, snapdragons and dianthus need the cool weather to be good performers. Plantings might start in late October, but early to mid-November would be a better time to make your selections when days are more consistently in the lower 80s and nights in the 50s Fahrenheit.
Q. I have gardenias with yellow leaves that appear to decline no matter what good care I provide. Can you suggest a cure?
A. Regretfully, it is probably new plant time. Photos emailed with your inquiry show what appear to be smaller gardenia selections. These are normally on their roots and susceptible to nematodes. Your good care suggests the roots are being affected, and there is no control for nematode-affected plants. Root damage to gardenias is prevented by growing plants grafted on nematode-resistant rootstocks. Smaller growing gardenias are almost always on their own roots.
Q. We have two crape myrtles with moss-like growths on the trunks. What is it, and how is it removed?
A. That gray-green stuff sticking to the trunks is likely lichens, a combination of a fungus and alga. This strange combination lives symbiotically, meaning to the benefit of each, without normally affecting plant growth. Sometimes lichens can form thick clusters, which may seem threatening but seldom compete with the plant. Crape myrtles have a way of limiting lichen growth by shedding their bark each year. Lichens, moss and some insects are all sloughed off with spring growth, so you do not need to do a thing — kind of neat, don’t you think?
Q. The area where I would like to plant vegetables has filtered sun throughout the day. What can I grow?
A. Most vegetables grow their best with a full day of sun of about six to eight hours. Leafy vegetables and most herbs seem to be more tolerant of lower-light areas. You might be able to raise good lettuce, kale, collards, cabbage, spinach and similar crops in the filtered sun site. Onions and scallions seem to produce good yields in these spots, too. Still, it is best to find the sunniest areas of the yard to grow all crops.
Q. We fertilized a few weeks ago, and some of the yard turned yellow instead of the green color we were expecting. We spot-fertilized those areas again, and they are still yellow. What should we do now?
A. Try an iron-only fertilizer application. Sometimes, iron is the most limiting factor to good turf growth. Replenishing this minor nutrient can give miraculous results within a few days.