The foliage on my Japanese magnolias is not looking good. There are yellow and brown leaves, and some have a white mold on them. What is this and how can it be treated? Nancy
It is common for the foliage of Japanese magnolias to look less attractive in late summer. You will likely see some leaves turning yellow or brown, scorched leaf edges (mostly due to heat stress), various fungal leaf spots and white fungus growing on the leaves (this powdery mildew likely is what you are seeing). As a group, Japanese magnolias commonly do not look their best in the late summer. This is more common in younger trees planted in the past few years, and it often improves as trees get older and become better established.
Treating these late summer issues does not provide a lot of benefit. Japanese magnolias are going to look somewhat stressed in late summer no matter what. It’s just in their nature.
If these symptoms occurred in late spring or early summer, I would have been more inclined to recommend treatment. But here we are in mid-August and fall leaf drop is not that far off.
Mirliton vines do not begin to bloom and produce fruit until fall. Most mirlitons are harvested in November. (File photo, Kathy Anderson, The Advocate)
We planted a mirliton plant bought from a local nursery back in April. The vine has gone wild along our back fence, but no blossoms or fruit. Is there still hope, or do we have a sterile plant? Johanna
You must be frustrated and disappointed. But I have good news: Mirliton vines do not bloom and set fruit in summer. They begin to bloom and set fruit when the nights get long in the fall. During summer, when the days are long and the nights are short, the vines just grow vegetatively and do not flower.
So, mirlitons are a fall crop. Flowering generally begins sometime in late September or October, with the major harvest occurring from November until the first hard freeze. Be assured your vine is behaving perfectly normally.
That said, established mirliton vines that have been planted a year or more may make a lagniappe early summer crop. If we have a mild winter and frosts end relatively early, an older mirliton vine will begin to grow early and catch the long nights of April. When that happens, they may bloom and set a small, early summer crop. But fall is the main crop.
Is there a product that I could use to get rid of bermudagrass growing in my monkey grass ground cover? I am at my wit’s end with weeding, and I am hoping there is another way. Thanks for your help. Rosalind
What you need is a selective herbicide you can spray over the planting that will kill the bermudagrass without damaging the monkey grass. Selective grass killers like sethoxydim (Ferti-lome Over the Top, Vantage, Bonide Grass Beater, Hi-Yield Grass Killer, and other brands) or fluazifop (Ortho Grass B Gon, Fusilade, Ornamec and other brands) will kill the grassy weed without damaging desirable plants. Be prepared to make follow-up applications for complete control.
These herbicides are useful when grassy weeds invade flowerbeds, shrub plantings or ground covers. Make sure the ornamentals in the beds are listed on the label as tolerant. If they do not appear on the label, there is a chance they might be damaged.
Coleus is grown for its foliage. Trim off any flowers that may form to keep the leaves in production.
Ted Jackson
Garden tips
CUT BACK COLEUS: When flowers appear on coleus plants, which are grown for their colorful foliage, cut them back about one-third their height to prolong new foliage production. Often, they just turn around and try to bloom again. But it’s worth a try.
BAD FRUIT: Fruit splitting is common in citrus this time of year. This happens when the trees absorb and move water into the fruit too fast and the skin ruptures. Remove and dispose of split fruit.
SEEDS OF DECOR: Many ornamental grasses are producing attractive flower or seed heads this time of the year. These look fantastic in arrangements indoors alone or combined with other dried materials. Spray the flower/seed heads with a light application of hair spray or clear shellac to keep them from shattering as they dry.
REMOVE SEEDS: If your crape myrtle trees are still relatively small and it is convenient, trim off the clusters of green, round seedpods at the ends of branches. This can prevent the weight of the pods from making the branches bend down, and it encourages the trees to produce a late summer flush of flowers. But it will not hurt the trees in the least to leave the seed pods alone.
NEW POTS?: After a summer of vigorous growth outside, some containerized plants may be pot bound. Check and repot into larger containers if necessary.
Comments are closed.