Any suggestions on trees that grow moderately fast, are not messy, tolerant of salt, provide shade, are non-invasive, and are native to our region?
Live oak (Quercus virginiana) would be one of the best trees for these requirements, although some find the leaf drop (and eventually acorn drop) it goes through in late winter or early spring an annoyance. Sand live oak (Quercus geminata) and southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) are also p ...
- How do we stop 2 large oak trees from constantly sprouting from the roots, and get rid of the sprouts we have?
Root suckering can be a problem with some kinds of oaks, cherry laurels and some other trees. The main control method is pruning out these root suckers as they appear. Of course, it is very labor intensive, and although effective, the results are short-lived. New suckers appear quickly, sometime ...
- My Little Gem Magnolia has whole branches starting to wilt then die one at a time. The rest of the tree seems to be healthy and has lots of flower buds. What can I do?
The death of individual branches could be due to twig borers, tiny beetles that bore into branches and in the process introduce a fungus that kills the end of the branch. To check for twig borers, carefully examine a dead or dying branch at the area where the dead wood begins, looking for a tiny ...
- Is there any method to prevent some type of insect or worm that forms spiderwebs from eating all of the leaves and nuts from our pecan tree?
The webs and damage you describe are typical of the fall webworm. In most cases the damage from the webworms is primarily cosmetic and the pecan trees survive the damage without any control measures being taken. Repeated, complete defoliations of a tree can have a greater weakening effect. If y ...
- Oak tree has some leaves with brown spots shriveling up leaves; most spots are very big and killing leaf. What do I do?
Almost certainly you are seeing the effects of oak leaf blister, a common fungal disease. The fungus attacks the new growth when it emerges in the spring, causing puckering and distortion of the leaves along with some spotting. Some of the heavily infected leaves drop from the tree during the sp ...
- Should I put pruning paint on a recently pruned limb?
The current thinking is that these products (pruning paint or wood dressing) could increase the potential for rot by trapping moisture under the sealant. The best procedure is to make the cut at the collar where the branch meets the trunk and leave the cut area bare. The collar area contains n ...
- When can I prune my Crapemyrtle?
They can be pruned when all the leaves have fallen. The only branches that should be cut are branches that are too long, branches that may be rotted or diseased or branches at the bottom if there are too many for your liking. There is no need to top the crapemyrtles or to “hat rack” ...
- The leaves of my crapemyrtle look like someone has dusted them with baby powder. Many are starting to curl. What’s causing this?
The powdery appearance you are noticing is a common fungal disease of crape myrtles called powdery mildew. It is often seen in the spring and fall. Shady, humid locations and cool nights encourage the development of this fungus, as does frequent wetting of the foliage by irrigation or rainfall. ...
- My bougainvillea is several years old. I fertilize it regularly, but the blooms are very sparse. What does it need?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions about bougainvilleas and often the answer is that the plant is not getting enough sunlight. Bougainvilleas need at least 8-10 hours of direct sunlight every day. Keep them on the dry side – too much water will promote root rot and cause le ...
- I have two Ficus trees in containers whose new leaves remain closed and are turning yellow. When I uncurl the leaves, I notice small, dark-colored insects. What should I do?
Those tiny insects you observed are called thrips. Thrips are very small, yellow, brown or black, slender insects ranging from 1/16 to 1/8 inch in length. Adult and larval thrips feed using a punch and suck technique. Unlike some kinds of thrips, these on your Ficus are not feeding in buds or fl ...
- How can I tell the difference between a live oak and a laurel
Live Oak and Laurel Oak have similarities, but there are important differences between them. Some of the main keys to identifying the differences between the two Oaks are the leaves, the bark and the natural shape of the tree. Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) grows to 60 to 80 feet tall with a spre ...
- The Spanish moss in my live oak seems to be killing the tree. What can I do to get rid of it and save the tree?
Spanish moss is actually a bromeliad (pineapple relative) and is epiphytic, not parasitic. It draws no nutrition or water from the tree and, in itself, is not harmful. However, if a tree is stressed from environmental pressures such as drought, insect, or disease, the amount of foliage will be r ...
- What are some small trees that I can plant in my landscape?
There are many choices of trees that are less than 30 feet in height. CrapeMyrtle, (Lagerstroemia indica); Dahoon Holly, (Ilex cassine); ‘Little Gem’ Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) Simpson Stopper, (Myrcianthes fragrans); Wax Myrtle, (Myrica cerifera); Flatwoods Plum, (Prunus umbell ...
- What kind of native plants can I use for a tall privacy hedge? The location receives 6 hours of sun, and I don’t have an irrigation system.
There are a number of native Florida plants that can grow into a privacy hedge. Besides screening a view and increasing privacy in your garden, these plants will provide small fruit and cover for birds. The following native Florida shrubs are suggested for a 5-8 foot hedge in sunny, dry conditio ...
- Why are my Holly Tree leaves thinning out? What makes the new shoots look so swollen?
Your holly may have a fungus called Sphaeropsis tumefaciens, sometimes called Sphaeropsis Gall. It is commonly called witches broom. Symptoms include swollen and enlarged portions of diseased stems and branches, usually starting in the lower part of the tree and working upward. The name witches ...
- I was told I needed a permit to cut down dead trees. What is the process
If you live in an unincorporated area you will need to check with the Pinellas County Building and Development Review Services department 464-3888 to find out if a permit is needed, fees, etc. If you live within one of the cities you will need to check with your city government.
- What causes the green leaves on my ficus tree to fall off They have small white dots on them.
From the description, the problem is most likely fig whitefly. This sap feeding insect has been established in south Florida for a couple of years but was only detected in Pinellas County late this summer. It can cause heavy and rapid leaf drop on some species of Ficus, especially weeping fig, ...
- Everyday I find twigs under my maple tree which look like they have been cleanly cut off. What is doing this?
An insect called twig girdler is probably responsible for the damage. The female twig girdler lays her eggs in the twigs of many kinds of trees, like maple, oak and pecan. After she has finished laying her eggs she then chews the twig off so it drops to the ground where the life cycle of the ins ...
- While I was gone this summer my Ficus tree began to lose its leaves. What can I do now to help the tree regain leaves?
Although there is more than one possible cause of leaf drop, I would suggest checking the Ficus tree for the presence of fig whitefly. This insect has been present in south Florida for a few years but was discovered in Pinellas County this summer in St. Petersburg. Like other kinds of whiteflie ...
- The bark on my Chinese elm is splitting and peeling off, and it is orange where the bark has come off? Is this a disease?
Splitting and peeling bark and variation in bark color on Chinese elm and some other plants like crapemyrtle and sycamore is normal and needs no treatment. This is referred to as exfoliating bark and the mottled coloration it produces on the trunk is often considered and attractive feature in th ...
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