Native Plants
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Saturday - February 28, 2015
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Diseases and Disorders, Problem Plants, Shrubs
Title: Repairing the split trunk of a TX mountain laurel
Answered by: Guy Thompson
QUESTION:
I have a fairly large mountain laurel that I just realized has a split down the trunk. Is there anything I can do to save it?ANSWER:
If the foliage on both sides of the split seem green and healthy you should be able to save the shrub. This web site demonstrates the most common approach involving a metal bolt installed through both sides of the split to draw the two sides together. The bolt will remain there and the shrub will seal itself around it.
More Problem Plants Questions
Plants to grow in shady area near a pecan tree in Maryland
March 26, 2013 - I live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. I have planted only natives in my front lawn. My backyard, which sports a pecan tree, fir, fig tree, and others I can't identify is dirt, just dirt. I have...
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Live oak sprouts in Austin
August 01, 2010 - How can I control the hundreds of live oak sprouts our lovely trees are throwing off? We recently landscaped with rain gardens and the related drainage ditches; they are filled with these very happy ...
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Removal of Ashe juniper trees
April 19, 2015 - I have 15 acres with scattered huge oak and elm trees with tens of thousands of Ashe Juniper (cedar) trees 2” to 10” in diameter growing within the drip zone of the hardwoods. How do I take out the c...
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Ecosysystem with pecan at center from Austin
February 21, 2014 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
I would like to create a native tree guild around a mature pecan. It shares its space with native shrubs and ephemerals but I would like to add a nitrogen fixing plant. I am...
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Live Oak Suckers Reprise, Austin TX
July 06, 2014 - Referring to an entry dated March 11, 2011 about Live Oak suckers - what happened to the suckers covered with newspaper and cardboard?
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