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topicquestion
Possible transplant shock in Red Oak in Albany, TX
October 20, 2015
We planted a new tree last spring which we were told was a Texas Red Oak. The soil where it was planted is hard clay. We have had a watering bag on it and have watered an average of 2x per week throug...
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Need help with Wheeler's Dwarf Pittosporum
September 02, 2015
We have about five Dwarf Wheeler Pittosporum plants. All of them are mature and were doing well. I was on vacation for a week or so and when I came back I saw of each of them is plant 90% dead. The d...
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Opuntia drooping in Austin, TX
September 02, 2015
I planted an optunia spp. in March. It has nearly tripled in size. This week, I noticed the entire plant has started to droop. Temperatures have been very high with no rain for weeks. The cactus is...
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Will Bermuda grass survive a drought-induced dormancy?
August 12, 2015
If I stop watering a Bermuda grass lawn and let it go dormant, will it green up again when it rains again?
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Watering newly-planted Afghan Pines
May 11, 2015
I just planted some Afghan pines in Amarillo, tx (avg. rainfall about 2O in. Per year) What would be the appropriate amount of water and how often would I need to water during this time.
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Calcium from Eggshells for Ferns?
December 15, 2014
I was reading recently about beneficial additions to the soil/plant. The first was about soaking used egg shells overnight and then pouring the water onto ferns. They said that the calcium in eggshell...
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Leaves dropping from a potted Mesquite
August 11, 2014
I have a Prosopis pubescens (Screwbean Mesquite) that I purchased at a nursery in Alpine, TX just a few miles away from me. It was a in nursery style black plastic container. The mesquite is perhaps a...
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Recovery of water-stressed Agarita
August 11, 2014
Hello! I planted a small agarita at the end of May and then left town for six weeks. During that time it was supposed to receive weekly deep irrigations to help it establish, but it seems that som...
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Problem with American Beautyberry in Houston.
July 02, 2014
My American Beautyberry is dying one branch at a time. The entire plant looks great, now flowering and starting to put out berries. Then one or two branches will completely die. Trim those off, wi...
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Watering a Chinquapin Oak in Austin, TX
June 22, 2014
I have a question about watering. I planted a Chinquapin Oak about 7 months ago and it's about 8 feet tall and doing well. I water it weekly on a slow drip for about an hour. I expect that my job is ...
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List of plants that tolerate
May 11, 2014
Could I get a list of "grey water" tolerant shrubs/evergreens/etc? *Full sun
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Problems with Habiturf in Austin
May 10, 2014
I have been trying to establish a Habiturf lawn in my back yard. It is approximately a 1,000 square foot area and this last seeding was the third over about one and a half years. I just recently over ...
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Protection for plants against a Spring freeze from Easley SC
April 15, 2014
Is there anything we can do to protect our beautiful spring gardens from the freeze tonight? (April 15, 2014)
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Mulching tree root in San Angelo, TX
April 02, 2014
San Angelo, Texas is in a drought stage. Will it help our trees to mulch the base of them?
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Plants for science fair project using greywater
November 17, 2013
What kind of plants should we use for our science fair project.We are doing our project on how greywater affects plant growth. We saw your answer on how it affects it but we don't know what type of ...
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Problems with Mexican Olive tree from Edinburg TX
October 06, 2013
My Mexican olive (anacahuita) shows no obvious signs of pest or disease, but over the last years has more and more dead limbs and smaller and smaller leaves. It's in a yard with a sprinkler system t...
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Problems with water oaks from Laurel MS
October 05, 2013
The leaves on my mature water oak trees have been falling since the leaves matured. My area has had an abundance of rain this year, 11 inches above normal. All the trees in my area are doing the same....
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Yucca rostrata needs some help in Austin, TX.
September 16, 2013
We planted an expensive 5-6 foot Yucca rostrata last fall. It bloomed beautifully in the spring. We installed an irrigation link to water the recently planted areas with succulents, viburnums, spart...
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Wintering Purple Coneflowers in pots in Springfield MO
August 26, 2013
I have some 8 month old purple cone flowers in containers on my porch. They did not bloom this summer because they were seedlings when given to me. I can not put them in the ground. How can I keep the...
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Shriveling agave from Miami Florida
August 23, 2013
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, Most upset - My beautiful agave (wish I could have submitted an image) has stared to misbehave. The once first liquid filled leaves, are starting to look more like the skin ...
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Dry browning leaves on Monterrey Oak from San Antonio
August 08, 2013
I have a Monterey Oak that was planted four years ago and was doing great until the last two weeks. It has turned brown and the ends of the branches are very dry and brittle. The root flare was cov...
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Gregg's Mistflower stressed in Fredericksburg TX
August 07, 2013
My Gregg's Mist Flower plants are very stressed. The blooms have turned brown and the leaves are drooping. Plants are receiving moderate sun, partial shade. Do they need daily watering this time o...
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Wind and erosion tolerant plants from Austin
August 05, 2013
I recently cleared a fire break by removing cedar from around my home in West Austin. I'd like to plant the exposed NW facing slope with native shrubs and trees. Looking for selections that can wit...
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Native turf and trees for Odessa TX
July 29, 2013
What native turf and trees can I grow in my Odessa, Tx back yard?
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Trumpet Vine Dropping Buds
July 25, 2013
My trumpet vine is dropping its buds before flowering. This happened last year as well. Do you know what is causing this and what I can do to prevent it?
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Watering a Montezuma Cypress in Spring Branch, TX
July 11, 2013
Live near San Antonio, and have a Montesuma Cypress, 15 ft tall. Great soil. Planted in April, should I keep it moist??? The foliage is getting brown.
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Texas persimmon with scorched leaves from Austin
July 11, 2013
I planted a Texas Persimmon seedling (five gallon) in my yard in early April. It is in a sunny, well-drained spot, and I have watered it regularly since planting. All was fine until the last weekend i...
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Leaf drop from live oaks in mid-summer
July 08, 2013
We have a live oak that is starting to drop a considerable amount of leaves here in early July in Cypress Texas. Its a mature tree with a base diameter of 12-14" and 25-30' tall. We live in a subd...
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Vine for full sun in Las Vegas NV
July 05, 2013
Looking for vine to thrive in full sun in Las Vegas, NV. I tried Cape Honeysuckle and Star Jasmine and both died within 5 days. The leaves were burnt. What's your suggestion? Thank you.
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Nassella tenuissima for Woodland Hills CA
June 30, 2013
Good afternoon, I wanted to purchase some already grown Mexican Feather Grass (Nassella tenuissima) and was wondering how often and for how long I would need to water said grass on a scheduled sprinkl...
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Greywater effect on plants from Dallas
June 09, 2013
How does gray water affect plants?
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Death of Texas Betony and Blackfoot Daisy from Austin
April 18, 2013
I have one small area that there are two plants - Texas Betony and Blackfoot Daisy withered and died eventually. Same kinds of plants are doing fine close by. It is my front yard close to walk way.I w...
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Resourses that are being taken away - Tiffin OH
April 03, 2013
What are resources that are being taken away from humans and organisms?
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Removing water from local rivers to water garden from San Marcos TX
February 14, 2013
I live in San Marcos Central Texas and my household experiments with a lot of organic gardening in our back yard, and I was wondering how using the surrounding rivers such as the Blanco or San Marcos ...
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Water requirements for fruit trees in California
January 15, 2013
Dear Sir; In which of these options (fruit trees) the need for watering in irrigation process is higher than the others: -Olive tree -Nectarines and peaches trees -Hazelnut trees -Pistachios and ...
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Watering live oak trees from McAllen TX
December 24, 2012
What are the watering requirements for live oak trees in deep south Texas? How often and how many inches to be applied? One pop-up spray sprinkler spaced approximately fifteen feet away from each tr...
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Plants for oak shade from Whitney TX
December 24, 2012
I live in Whitney, Texas and have a number of beautiful Live Oak trees in a portion of my yard providing deep shade. Asian Jasmine grows in about 5 ft circle around them and then nothing! I have walk ...
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Water use rate calculations from Toronto ON
December 16, 2012
Can the high medium and low water use categories be quantified into a rate, say volume of water required by square foot of planted area? How are the water use categories established?
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Native New Jersey plants to remove iron water from Lawrenceville NJ
October 20, 2012
Are there any native New Jersey plants that can remove iron water
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Dying branches on Texas Mountain Laurel from Kempner TX
September 14, 2012
The branches on my Texas Mountain Laurel are very dry and brittle. The leaves are also starting to die. The tree has been in my yard for six years and prior to that it sat wrapped in burlap for ov...
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Deer resistant plants from New Braunfels TX
August 31, 2012
I have a 1/2 yard covered by a tree, shady. Bermuda grass previous owner planted has all turned brown this summer. I don't have lots of money to work with but would love to landscape that side of fr...
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Transplanting a non-native rose from Akron OH
August 30, 2012
Can I transplant a rose plant that I have in sunny area to an area that will be partially shady?
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Ailing Tecoma stans from Phoenix AZ
August 24, 2012
I have several young Tecoma plants in my Phoenix, AZ garden. I planted them in June and have tended to them over the summer. They are watered twice daily. On some of the plants, I've noticed two oddi...
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Sycamore leaf snowbell from Pleasanton TX
August 18, 2012
How do you care for a sycamore leaf snowbell. Does it like sun or part shade? How much water? How often and what should it be fed. How fast or slowly does it grow? Anything you can tell me would be ap...
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Problems with Silverado Sage in Pearland, TX.
July 28, 2012
Hi, We have three Silverado Sage bushes we planted last year. They did great during the drought. However, this winter they had a severed leaf drop of mostly just the centers of them. These cente...
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Watering Native Trees in Georgetown, TX
July 19, 2012
I installed a native/adapted plantscape in early March including several small trees. They were planted in the rocky soil west of I-35 in Georgetown with plenty of added compost and mulch. Other than ...
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Redbud leaves turning yellow in mid-summer
July 13, 2012
The leaves on our redbud trees are turning yellow. The yellow leaves are pale with no other spots and no dark veins. I don't know for sure which variety of redbud they are or how old they are (more t...
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Care of Live Oaks
July 11, 2012
We have Two Young Live Oaks in the front of Our home. We had them treated for insects, ect. Now what can we do to make them Full Green and Happy Happy Happy again.Thank You
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Recycling bath water from Austin
July 03, 2012
Is using bath water going to hurt my plants or grass? If I use water from the bath on vegetables and fruits will the soap be absorbed by the fruit and/or vegetables thereby transferring to us when we ...
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Drip irrigation and uneven distribution
June 29, 2012
Subject: Drip irrigation and uneven distribution. I’ve installed drip irrigation in an area of mature shrubs (St. John’s Wort) in Austin. These have previously received about ¾ inch of water once ...
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Yellowing of leaves in Texas Mountain Laurel from Austin
June 25, 2012
I planted a Texas Mountain Laurel in my Austin, TX yard this January. The tree was good sized (about 5 feet tall) when I planted it. Recently the leaves of the tree have started to turn yellow alon...
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Mexican Plum with wilted leaves in Austin, TX.
June 06, 2012
I am new to Texas & have a yard with mature mexican plum trees. They are quite beautiful however as summer sets in I notice that the leaves appear "wilted". Is this normal or should I be providing...
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Problems with Cedar Elm in Kerrville TX
April 28, 2012
We live in 10 miles outside Kerrville - have a Cedar Elm tree - planted 4 or 5 years ago, 15-20 foot high, is losing leaves in the top 1/4th. Rest of leaves look healthy and green.
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Harvesting washer rinse cycle water from Austin
April 24, 2012
Mr. Smarty Plants, My question is different. I am "harvesting" 8-9 gallons from the rinse cycle in my top loading washer. I was told not to use this water on vegetables, just shrubs and flowers...
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Interaction of Habiturf and St. Augustine grasses from Willow City TX
April 16, 2012
How does Habiturf and St. Augustine interact? Does one dominate the other? Can you plant them in close areas? Thank you.
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Decline ot Heartleaf rosemallow from Austin
March 26, 2012
My tulipan del monte -a new small plant from the wildflower center--did great all winter and was forming a new flower bud, just died in a matter of a few days. It looks like it "dried up", no visib...
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Watering a vegetable garden in San Marcos TX
March 24, 2012
Can you give me a general idea how long to run my drip irrigation on my raised vegetable garden? Currently I use it twice daily for one hour. The soil feels slightly moist but not very damp. Should...
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Care for non-native 'Glacier Blues' from Charlton MA
March 24, 2012
Do you have to prune or cut down Glacier Blues in the garden? My plants look brown and wilted.
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Difference between soil moisture and water use from Austin
February 20, 2012
In the native plant data base "growing conditions" can you explain the difference between water use and soil moisture?
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Ilex vomitoria Sufering from Drought?
January 19, 2012
My Ilex vomitoria has always thrived. It is about ten years old. This fall, a portion of the leaves on the ends of the branches have turned yellow on the edges with green veining in the center. Othe...
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Replacing Drought-Stricken Cedars
January 16, 2012
Hello, I live in Williamson County on a couple acres. We have several dead cedars as a result of drought; we're reluctant to cut them down because many of them provide a friendly barrier between us...
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Is installing irrigation with Habiturf a good idea in Round Rock Texas?
December 05, 2011
Mr. Smarty Plants, I am in the process of planning a new lawn in my front yard. We have decided to plant the Habiturf seed mix (thank you, by the way). Originally, we planned on installing a spri...
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Transplant shock in desert willow in Austin
November 09, 2011
We planted a desert willow 5 days ago. It came in a 15-gallon pot but the tree is quite large (~10 ft) with a wide spread. We watered thoroughly during planting but have not watered since (light rai...
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Is sulfurous well water affecting leaves on trees in Belton TX
November 07, 2011
We installed an irrigation system for our buffalo grass lawn last spring. The grass is fine but the leaves on the trees are burned where the water hits them. I suspect that the well we are using fo...
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Restoring fire damage in Bastrop TX
November 03, 2011
I live in the Bastrop State Park area. We were severely affected by the wildfire and as we are trying to rebuild our home, we are being very aware of the particularities of the recovery process. We lo...
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Water eroding corner in Austin
October 25, 2011
I live close to the Wildflower Center. My yard slopes - as do my neighbors' yards to one corner in my yard. The result is constant moisture in one corner. The rest of the yard is caliche, rocks (m...
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Non-native lambs ears wilting in heat from Fredericksburg TX
October 19, 2011
3 days ago I had professional landscaping done in an area with plants that tolerate heat & sun well. We planted 7 healthy, large lambs ear & mulched. Everything planted is doing well except the lambs ...
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Baby mountain laurels are ready to move, in Lockhart Texas
October 19, 2011
I want to harvest the baby mountain laurel plants which are growing under a large bush. What height would be best for the young plants survival? Please recommend a soil mixture for the pots.
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New growth on live oaks in Houston
September 27, 2011
My 2 10yr. old live oaks are putting out new growth (branches?) although, here in Houston, TX we are having such a drought. For the last 3 months, I have conscientiously watered my entire yard via ...
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Has overwatering harmed cherry laurels in Austin?
September 27, 2011
I am so upset. I know we've been having a terrible drought this year in Austin, and I've been trying to balance water conservation with protecting our recent very large investment for massive lands...
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Drought stressed wooly butterflybush in Atlanta, TX
September 24, 2011
My butterfly bush is dead looking from the drought. Do you think there is a chance it just went dormant and will return next year. I am still putting water on it. I believe it is a white wooly butterf...
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Sad Germanders in Johnson City Texas
September 16, 2011
I have some grey bush germanders that never seem to do well although they did at first when I planted them four years ago. They have sun and dappled shade on the south side of the house. A friend in ...
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Watering practices for live oaks in drought from New Braunfels TX
September 04, 2011
We have conflicting info about watering live oaks. An arborist says to water now using soaker hoses or small sprinklers and a landscaper who spoke to our garden club said that after August is too late...
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Survival of bluebonnets in extreme heat from Tioga TX
September 03, 2011
Is there anything I can do for my bluebonnet patch in this extreme drought for the rest of the summer and fall? Should I have watered this summer? I had a good show and think seeding was fairly normal...
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Problems with Carolina Laurel Cherry from Pflugerville, TX
September 02, 2011
In 2007 we planted 7 Carolina Laurelcherry (Prunus caroliniana)across our back fence. Everything was fine until this year. Three of the trees seemed to get sick and a local arborist said the roots ne...
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Landscaping plant for Austin
September 01, 2011
Great site! Have gotten lots of ideas. We're about to start construction on a fairly major landscaping project: raised beds/privacy screen. We're at the top of a hill in the Hill Country just wes...
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Erosion at edge of driveway in Abilene TX
August 26, 2011
My lawn suffered a great loss of grass over the winter and the soil at the edge of the driveway is washing away with watering and the occasional rains that we have. I am trying to get the grass to gr...
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Watering Houseplants with Soapy Water
August 22, 2011
I accidentally watered my house plants with a container that had a some dishsoap in it. Will they be okay? One of the plants is a 20yr old cactus, with small roots.
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Drought affecting native trees from The Woodlands
August 18, 2011
I've been trying to grow native trees in my yard for the past 3 years and I'm starting to question whether the amount of time required to spend watering them during the long hot season in Texas is r...
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Difficulty of watering at drip line of trees from The Woodlands TX
August 18, 2011
I'm watering my couple dozen native mature trees to make sure they survive this drought and its aftermath..and I'm reading about how to water at the drip line. But..all of my trees' drip lines ext...
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Shade trees for Spring TX
August 17, 2011
Dear Mr.Pants, our west-facing backyard in Spring, Tx, is unbearable in this Summer's heat. Neither us nor the neighbors has any backyard trees established yet, as the subdivision is pretty new. C...
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Oak tree with browning leaves in Brenham TX
August 16, 2011
I have a large oak tree in my small back yard. I also have a sprinkler so the tree has been receiving some water. Nevertheless, some of the leaves are turning brown in patches. Would drip watering ...
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Cedar elm with brown leaves
August 12, 2011
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, We feel we may have limited time to save our beautiful Ceder Elm. We have many trees in our yard (Post Oaks and Cedar Elms) and have been told they are all between 50 - 75 year...
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Defining drip line on trees from Austin
August 08, 2011
When you say that trees should be watered at the "drip line," do you mean that literally? I assume that the drip line means at the outside edge of the leaves or branches. Does that mean that waterin...
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Dormancy in Pin Oaks without water in Del Rio, TX
August 02, 2011
Can Pin Oak trees go dormant without enough water? If so how long can they live that way? Can they be brought back to producing leaves? If yes, then what do I need to do besides giving them water. I d...
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It's so hot, even the Salvia greggii are sad, in Bulverde Texas
July 28, 2011
I have several Salvia greggii in large terra cotta pots. The leaves have developed a yellowish tint and are thinning. What is the best process to get them back to full green foilage?
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Shy blooming non-native Crape Myrtle, in Littlestown Pennsylvania
July 25, 2011
My Crape myrtle has been planted about three years, and reached a height of about 4'. It blooms late July and for the past two years, has only had one or two blooms on it. I have a lot of buds whic...
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Possible freeze damage in Wax Myrtle from last winter in Bastrop, TX
July 25, 2011
Our Wax Myrtle is about 7 yrs old and in good shape until this past winter when we had several very hard freezes. Now several of the large branches are dead and more are dying each month. We have not ...
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Why did mountain laurel turn brown and die?
July 20, 2011
I have (had) a lovely mountain laurel that I planted more than 25 years ago. Many times one or two branches would turn brown and I would trim them out. The shrub is about 10 feet tall and is many tr...
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Should Texas live oaks be mulched under drought conditions?
July 19, 2011
Should we mulch our live oaks in pastures for water retention?
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Cedar trees dying in CO
July 18, 2011
We have mature cedar trees at the home we bought in SW Colorado. The large ones have begun to die. Can too much water kill a cedar tree and is there anything I can do to keep them alive?
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Premature browning of bald cypress needles in summer
July 15, 2011
I have several 10m high taxodium distichum trees in the lawn, with drip irrigation twice a week, and same soil content, and on just one of them, several leaves have started turning brown, it seems to ...
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Watering Oak Trees in the Summer
July 15, 2011
Should you water oak trees in the summer? Some people say its not good for them. But many trees seem to be withering up and dying in this heat. Especially the black jack oaks. There are also post ...
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Possibility of hydrophobic soil in Austin, TX.
July 13, 2011
I believe I have an area in my garden with “hydrophobic soil”: no matter how much or how slowly I water, it just beads up and rolls off and the soil beneath remains cement dry and powdery. In my readi...
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Possumhaw losing leaves in Liberty Hill, TX.
July 11, 2011
I have two female possumhaw trees and one of them is losing its leaves. I planted both of them in February and they were doing very well, getting green and full. What's happening?
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What fertlilizer for live oaks under drought conditions?
July 01, 2011
In your June 7 answer about helping live oaks survive the drought, you state that additional fertilization may help as well. What kind of fertilizer to you recommend and how should it be applied? Th...
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Need help with my Mountain Laurel in Sugarland, TX
June 22, 2011
Texas Mountain Laurel - My plant's leaves are turning yellow and falling off. I don't know if this is caused from over watering or under watering. I have skipped days of watering to see if it will h...
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Suggestions for flowerbed in Mesquite TX
June 17, 2011
I live in Mesquite and am new to the area. I am trying to make the flowerbed in the front of my house look better. I've planted some yellow roses and red roses but would like some perennial that bloo...
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Watering newly planted woodland plants in VA
June 12, 2011
How frequently should newly planted, native plants, growing in wooded areas be watered? Is it better to not water at all than to use sprinklers in which case the water rarely saturates the leaf...
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Mountain Laurel having trouble in AZ
June 07, 2011
A Sophora secundflora (Texas mountain laurel) was planted to an Arizona north faced front yard last year in August under full sun. Starting early this year, I noticed its leaves turn to light green an...
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