Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Friday - December 03, 2010
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Trees
Title: Protecting live oaks when removing jasmine in Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Thank you for your answer to my question of eliminating a 25-year-old bed of Asian Jasmine. I have another question. There is a stand of live oak trees in this bed and as we are digging out the jasmine, there are lots of roots from the trees. I know that disturbing those roots causes little oak sprouts to pop up in the bed yet we need to dig down to rid the bed of the jasmine roots. Any suggestions on how to prevent the oak sprouts from popping up?ANSWER:
About the same as the advice on digging out the jasmine roots, clip them off as they appear. We were unaware there were live oaks in the bed with the jasmine. You will have to be very careful not to damage those tree roots as you go after the jasmine. And finish up anything you are doing around those roots before the end of January. Any kind of open wound or cut on a live oak is going to make your trees susceptible to attack by the nitidulid beetle, and ultimately at risk for Oak Wilt. We suggest you read this article from the Texas Oak Wilt Information Partnership, in which the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a partner.
More Trees Questions
Cover oak roots with a pond from Round Rock TX
December 22, 2012 - Hello! I have looked for this answer. We have 2 huge old beautiful live oaks. One is very close to the patio and house, and the other is about 20 feet of the house. Thus, part of their root systems ar...
view the full question and answer
Native trees for property in Washington State
September 29, 2008 - We bought a piece of property on Lake Wenatchee, Washington. It was cleared more than we would like and want to know what types of trees grow well there and can handle the snow. Should I wait until ...
view the full question and answer
Germinating Mexican Persimmon seeds in Austin, TX.
November 15, 2011 - I'm planning to germinate Mexican Persimmon seeds, and plant them this spring. I want a female for fruit. Is there any way to encourage a plant to be female, and if not, is there any way you can iden...
view the full question and answer
Can a soapberry tree be grown in Colorado Springs?
May 04, 2010 - I live in Colorado Springs and I was wondering if it is possible to grow a soapberry tree here?
view the full question and answer
When should a redbud start blooming?
March 06, 2009 - Does it take a couple or more years for a redbud tree to bloom? I had some in Houston when I lived there and it seems like it took a long time for them to bloom. I now live in Richards (Near Huntsvill...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |