Ask Wendy
Weekly Home Horticulture Column
Fall 2004
- Annuals
- Christmas Trees
- Doveweed
- Gordonia
- Hurricane Damage
- Mulch
- Poinsettias
- St. Luke's Purple Leaf Plum
- Trees
- Winter Rye
- Winter Vegetables
December 2004
We are interested in getting a living Christmas tree this year. What type do you recommend? (Alachua)
Using a living tree is a great idea because the tree then can be utilized in your landscape and you will always look at the tree and know that it was from the Christmas of 2004. There are a few to consider when you are planning to bring a living Christmas tree into your home though. Remember that it is a living tree and can only stay in the house for a brief time, like 7-10 days. If you leave it in longer than that, you can stress the tree and it won't make the transition well to the outside. The types of trees that are most commonly sold as Christmas trees are Leyland cypress and Southern red cedar (native). Both of these trees will grow to heights of 40 feet or more, so think about the space you are planning to plant them carefully.
The Christmas trees will come as a balled and burlapped or grown in a container. The balled and burlapped trees can be quite heavy, make sure that you can move the tree around with out damaging it. The container ground trees are a little bit lighter and easier to handle.
When you go to select the tree, look for one with well colored needles; don't buy one with yellowing or brown tips. If you are purchasing a containerized tree make sure that it is not pot bound. The root ball of a balled and burlapped tree should be firm and well shaped. When taking the tree home try not to injure the roots of the tree by dropping it, this will stress the tree. Keep the roots of your new Christmas tree moist but not soggy.
I'm thinking of using shredded paper (bills, primarily) for mulch. Will it degrade sufficiently to be worthwhile? (Alachua)
You can use shredded paper as mulch. I like to use the long shredded strips. If it is shredded to confetti, it can be a problem because the particle size is too small, the paper clumps together and forms a hard papier-mache type layer that won't let water get through. If it is shredded to long strips you should be fine. I would apply it as mulch and then cover it with oak leaves or pine straw that way it won't blow away. It should break down pretty quickly. The plastic windows in the envelopes don't break down so avoid using those pieces in the garden. Also the slick magazine type paper may have inks that will take quite a while to break down, so avoid them as well.
Many gardeners incorporate the shredded paper directly into the compost pile. With the composting action in the pile it breaks down really quickly then it can be used as a soil amendment. What a great idea for those Christmas bills that will be coming in January.
I would like to use poinsettias to decorate my home this holiday, but I am concerned because I heard that they are really poisonous. Is this true? (High Springs )
I know that there has been some confusion about this question for quite sometime. Recent research has shown that the poinsettia is not only non-poisonous, it is considered to be non-toxic as well. According to the national information center for poison control, even large amount of the plants; 500 -600 leaves would still not be toxic.
Some people are slightly allergic to the sap of all poinsettia relatives. Latex is a contained in the sap of the plant and many people are allergic to forms of latex. Just because the plant is considered non toxic, it is certainly not edible. You need to use common sense and keep this and all house plants out of the reach of small children and pets.
November 2004
I want to plant some colorful flowers in my annual beds soon, do you have any suggestion? I have had a hard time finding pansies. (High Springs)
Pansies were in short supply for awhile, but the growers now seem to be keeping up with the gardeners demands. Just check in with your local nursery, farmers market, or at the feed and seed store in your town. Pansies are an obvious choice for your annual beds in the winter. They bring in great colors and can really take the cold. Other annuals that you can plant now include dianthus, petunias, snapdragons and sweet peas. You can also use interesting foliage like ornamental cabbage and kale now to add some contrast along with the blooms.
I would like to use the winter rye to put over my lawn this winter. How do I do this? (Gainesville)
Over seeding with annual rye grass does give a refreshing effect. While everyone else's lawn is a dull brown yours will be a vibrant green like the hills of Ireland . Give careful consideration about planting the rye though. Do you really want to keep mowing and watering through the winter months? If so, the green lawn of winter is pretty easy to achieve. Purchase annual winter rye from the garden center. You will need 5-15 pounds per 1000 square feet depending on how thick you would like the grass. Spread the seed in a seed spreader and water ¼-1/2 inch every day until the seed germinates. The grass will sprout very quickly; it will sprout faster in the sunnier areas but will also take in the partial shade. Water and mow the grass as needed. Long about March when your other turf grass begins to re-grow, the winter rye will slowly fade away, and your lawn grass will return.
My one acre yard is being overrun by doveweed. My yard consists of Argentine Bahia. What herbicide do you recommend that I use to control it? (Alachua)
Dove weed is a summer annual. The plant itself will die off in a month or so, but as you probably know it is leaving plenty of seeds behind.
I would suggest that you apply a pre-emergent herbicide like 2-4-D in the spring to prevent these seeds from germinating. If you don't get an opportunity to do this you could apply a dicamba herbicide once you see the doveweed sprout. One of these treatments will work. Doveweed is pesky but it can be controlled. Bahiagrass is usually a trouble free turfgrass. It is drought tolerant, and takes our cool winters very well, but it can grow sparsely. Since it is not dense, small weeds like doveweed can get started in the grass and can become a problem. If you keep the grass healthy with proper mowing and fertilization (once or twice a year) your weed problems should be minimal.
I lost a water oak by my pond in the hurricane, and I am thinking of replacing it with a Gordonia? Is this a good tree? (Gainesville)
The gordonia lasianthus or loblolly bay is a beautiful native tree that is well suited to moist areas in Alachua County . It is a small to medium sized evergreen tree with dark green leaves.
In their book Trees of Northern Florida, Kurz and Godfrey describe the blooms of the loblolly bay as “exquisitely beautiful”. Wow what a description! The flowers are gorgeous; they are about 3 inches wide, cup shaped, and pure white with golden yellow stamens in the center. The tree blooms from late spring through the summer. It does best in moist soil so the area around you pond should be fine especially if the light conditions are partial shade.
October 2004
I love the small new trees that were planted around Squirrel Ridge Park (corner of 13th St. and Williston Rd. around last spring). Although the hurricanes damaged many of them, I would like the name and availability of the tree that has very dark maroon leaves (this was the color of the leaf all spring and summer). And it seems that I remember some small pink blooms. (Gainesville)
Your description of this tree sounded so appealing I had to go take a look for myself. What I found in the park was a small tree with beautiful burgundy to red foliage. Its color was so stunning it is no wonder people are asking about it. I called the Alachua County Parks horticulturist, Heather Martin to find out more about this tree. She said that there are quite a few inquires about the St. Luke's purple leaf plum. The trees were planted in the winter of 2002 and have been quick to establish. The St. Luke's plum (Prunus cerasifera) is recommended for low maintenance landscapes since they have good drought tolerance. Aside from the burgundy foliage, the tree has delicate blossoms in February. It is an excellent choice for near the home since the tree only grows to 15 or so feet. It should be used as a specimen tree since the effect of the colorful leaves can be striking. The plum tree grows best in full sun area, with good drainage. It will produce small fruit but it is mostly grown for its ornamental value. The trees in the park came from Chestnut Hill wholesale nursery in Alachua. They are available at local garden centers but you might have to ask your nurseryman to special order it for you.
Do I still have time to get in a winter garden? I have just finished cleaning up from the storms, and would love to get some vegetables going. (Alachua )
There is plenty of time to get some vegetables going in your garden patch. In fact, October is the best month to plant hardy cool season vegetables. Since you are in a rush, try to use transplants whenever possible. Once you have your beds prepared with organic matter (like compost) you can plant beets, brussel sprouts, cabbage, regular and Chinese types. Celery and carrots can be started now. Now is also the time to get your greens going. Plant turnips, and mustard greens from seed, and use transplants for the collards. Use transplants for broccoli, look for the varieties ‘green comet' and ‘packman', they are fast to produce nice crowns of broccoli. Sweet onions can be planted now as well as shallots. There are plenty of lettuce varieties transplants to choose from in the garden centers, romaine and oak leaf are easy to grow and enjoy. This month and next is the season to get strawberries going in the garden. This year the transplants seem to be more available than they were in past seasons. Cool season herbs may be planted now too. These include borage, cilantro, chervil, chives dill, parsley, rosemary, sage, sweet fennel and thyme.
Even though the temperatures are cooler than a spring time garden you will need to be on the look out for insect pests in the fall garden. The fall is a wonderful season to garden in Alachua County ; the clear cool days make for enjoyable times…. even for pulling weeds.
September 2004
The sub-division that I live in has many large trees, pines, oaks gums etc. I have some tall pines and oaks in my yard. I have a neighbor who claims that it is common knowledge in north central Florida that pine trees are more liable to fall from wind than other trees and that I should have all my pine trees removed. What do you recommend? (Gainesville)
We all have been recently reminded that when a hurricane strikes land that along with the damage to houses, boats, and power lines, the trees on our property and in our neighborhoods are also damaged. Sometimes after the storm we will see a fallen tree right next a tree that doesn't look affected by the winds at all.
The varied wind resistance between trees is due to many factors such as the species of the tree, tree age, tree size and relative health of the tree.
Your question about the pine trees is a good one, as we evaluate the trees in our yard that could possibly damage our home during the next storm. When making decisions about possible home damage and tree removal, it is better to rely on research instead of “common north central Florida knowledge”.
A study conducted in 1995 following hurricanes Erin and Opal in Florida 's panhandle found some interesting results related to the wind resistance of certain trees in our urban/suburban areas. Following the two hurricanes researchers went into neighborhoods and observed tree damage. Of the trees surveyed Slash Pine and Live Oaks were the tree species most resistant to damage. Sand pine was the most prone to damage. Laurel Oak and Turkey Oak were damaged more often than Live oaks. If you are interested in the rest of the results of the study call the extension office and request Circular 1183 “Wind and trees”.
Cultural practices play a big role in the health of your trees. This starts with good tree selection, and includes planting and maintenance (pruning). If trees are in question, a certified arborist should be contacted and hazardous trees should be removed. It is possible to have beautiful tree cover that is also safe to live close to, but it does require action on the part of those living near the trees.
We had some trees and shrubs damaged during Hurricane Frances. What should we do to save them? (Alachua )
The high storm winds along with the extra moist soil caused by the hurricane, took its toll on many of our landscape plants. Hurricane-damaged plants should be cared for as soon as possible after the storm. Small trees and shrubs, particularly those uprooted or damaged, should be securely staked in their original growing positions. Until the tree or shrub is reset, make every effort to protect the exposed root system and prevent it from drying out. Cover exposed roots with soil, moist burlap sacks, or moist sphagnum moss. Remove damaged roots so the tree can be reset at ground level.
Stake small trees (2 inch diameter or less) with two or three 48-inch, 2-by-2 inch wooden stakes. Place the stakes about a foot outside the root ball and insert them 18 inches into the soil. Use smooth material or staking tape to secure the trunk to the stakes. Trees 2 inches or larger in diameter should be guyed with three or four cables. Secure guys to deeply driven short stakes evenly spaced outside the root ball. Run guys through rubber hose and secure them to the trunk at only one level. Mark them with paint or ribbon so the stake don't injure anyone. The wires will need to be adjusted during the season as the tree grows. Remove the wires and stakes after a year.
Once the tree is staked back into position, use soil to fill in around the root area. Carefully firm the soil around roots to eliminate air pockets and provide support. An excess of soil over the normal root area can be damaging, thus, only replace soil that has been washed or worked away from the roots.
Trees that have been reset in the ground should be watered twice a week and fertilizer should not be applied. Until they become re-established, fertilizer will be of no major benefit and may cause possible injury to new tender feeder roots.
Despite the fact that many trees and shrubs remain upright following the hurricane, they may have been tossed back and forth creating a hollowing of the soil around the major support roots. Where this has occurred, add soil and water to eliminate air pockets around the roots.
Broken branches should be sawed or pruned from trees and shrubs. Always make clean, even cuts and remove only those that are damaged. Where possible, cut branches back to major limbs or the main trunk, cutting just outside of the branch collar.
Lawn grasses should be freed of fallen leaves, silt, mud and debris, which will cause a smothering of the grass. Grasses and plants that have been under water should resume their growth once the water is drained away. Standing water may have injured some moisture-sensitive shrubs like pittasporum, although the symptoms of injury may not appear until the next summer.
Plants that have been damaged will need careful attention through the following spring. During periods of drought, damaged plants need mulching and extra watering.
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