Lavender lantanas late bloomers; prune fig bushes now
Q: How long do I have to wait to know if my lavender lantanas are going to come back after the winter?
A:
Trailing lavender lantanas are perhaps the least winter-hardy types that we grow. It doesn’t take a very harsh Texas winter to kill out their crowns. This past winter was certainly cold enough in much of the state.
That said, all lantanas are among the last perennials to sprout back each spring. That’s why I prefer to cut back my plants 2 to 3 inches from the ground soon after their tops freeze in the fall. I leave the stubs exposed so I can see where they are. That way I can keep an eye on them as the soils warm in March. It also helps keep me from sending a sharpshooter right down their middles as I’m planting new color for the upcoming year.
To give you a direct answer, if they’re still alive, I would think you would be seeing new growth pop up very soon, depending on how cold it’s been where you are.
Q: If I plant 4-inch zoysia plugs out of trays from the nursery and space them 15 inches apart, how long will it take them to grow together?
A:
That’s a great question. The answer depends on several things. Is it sun or shade? (Sun is better.) Have you eliminated all other vegetation so that there will be no competition, or are you expecting it to crowd out the existing turfgrass? (That probably won’t work — Bermuda grass and St. Augustine are much more dominant grasses.)
Taking everything into consideration, if you give the zoysia good care and regular attention, on that spacing you should get it to cover within 18 months. It’s a slower-growing grass, which is why many people prefer sod to plugs.
Q: Is there any way to keep wild persimmons from bearing fruit? We track the mess into our house, and they make the patio almost unusable.
A:
I’m often asked that question relative to fruiting mulberries, and unfortunately, the answer is about the same for both. There is no mechanical or chemical means of preventing or removing fruit before it becomes messy.
While I don’t want to be the executioner for what might otherwise be very nice trees, your only recourse short of removing them will be to sweep or blow the mess away daily (or more often). Think long before you remove them. They do bring great texture and character to their part of the landscape.
Q: I need your advice on plant spacing. Let me know if any of these might be too close: a Natchez crape myrtle 7 feet from concrete piers under house and 8 feet from concrete stairs; a Choctaw pecan 23 feet from the piers and from the roofline; a Texas red oak 15 feet
from concrete piers; a cedar elm 18 feet from the house and piers, and 13 feet from a concrete porch and sidewalk; and a chinquapin oak 12 feet from a wooden fence. I have no problems currently. Just thinking ahead.
A:
You’ve been busy measuring. Those distances sound adequate, although I wouldn’t want to plant them any closer. I have several of those trees in similar settings, although mine are closer.
Your best bet is to have a certified arborist check the trees every couple of years. Watch for roots that could cause damage to become obvious.
Q: I know you work with crape myrtles. What is your favorite white type that grows as a tree?
A:
All crape myrtles are shrubs genetically, but we train the taller varieties into tree forms with reasonable ease.
I have several I like a great deal. Sarah’s Favorite White is somewhat available, and it’s a superior selection. Glendora White is what I have at my
home. It is not one of the newer hybrid types, but I really like its large, tight flower heads. But it has become difficult to find.
Kiowa is a newer selection from the U.S. National Arboretum’s breeding program, and it’s outstanding. But it, too, is not common in nurseries. Natchez is the one that most often shows up in garden centers. It does have lovely trunk character and color, but I think the reason it’s most common is because it grows faster than the others in wholesale nurseries. Nonetheless, all are good.
Q: I’ve attached a photo of a weed that is growing in the cemetery where I work. We cannot seem to eliminate it. I’ve tried pulling it, but I can’t get all of the roots, and the sprays I’ve tried haven’t helped. What could I apply that might offer us some help?
A:
Your photo was fine, but there are so many weeds that are similar in their finely cut foliage, I don’t know its precise name. That probably doesn’t matter, however, since the same products should control most nongrassy weeds.
Apply a spray containing 2,4-D, probably in a three-way blend known as Trimec. Spray
when the weed is growing actively, and don’t mow for several days before or after you spray. Do not spray when winds exceed 5 to 10 miles per hour. Read label directions and follow them explicitly. Be especially cautious using any herbicide around existing trees and shrubs.
Those precautions sound stifling, but they really aren’t once you get the hang of things. Retreat in two or three weeks if necessary.
Q: I have two fig bushes that have sprouts coming up from their trunks. Can these be pruned? If so, when and how?
A:
I’m glad you referred to these as “bushes” and not “trees,” as so many people do. Because they are truly large shrubs in Texas, it’s fine to have new shoots coming off their trunks. If a branch is damaged or rubbing another branch, you can certainly prune. Each cut should be made flush with a larger branch. Do not leave stubs. That pruning can be done now. Late winter is the ideal time in future years.