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topicquestion
Identification of tart fruit that looks like a pumpkin
December 10, 2016
As a child, in Miami, Florida, in the 1950's, another child challenged me to eat a "fruit" that looked like a pumpkin. It was just a little bigger than those candy pumpkins we see now at Halloween, a...
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Propagating a white cultivar of Texas Mountain Laurel (Sophora secundiflora
September 09, 2016
I am trying to propagate a white cultivar of the Texas Mountain Laurel. I plan to use bee sticks and pollinate the plant. Are the plants self fruiting or do I need to find another white mountain laure...
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Sequence of Seeding Wildflowers and Grasses in Texas
July 24, 2016
In the How To article on meadow gardening, it recommends that a good chunk of your garden (50%-80%) should be native grasses. The kind mentioned in that article are typically warm season grasses. In...
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Young Mexican White Oak Losing Leaves in Texas
July 13, 2016
I have a 5 yr old Mexican white oak, 20 ft tall losing its leaves mostly at the top. They turn brown & fall off. It does not lose its leaves in the winter, right?. About 3 ft from the top down is bare...
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Shade Tolerant Groundcover for Texas
July 13, 2016
I live in Atascosa county in Pleasanton Texas, I have an abundance of Live Oak and Ash trees shading my property and need a groundcover for my backyard which is nothing but sand and where I have dogs ...
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Manzanita Not Growing Well
July 11, 2016
Dear Mr Smarty Plants, I have a four native Dr. Hurd manzanitas growing in my yard, which I planted three years ago. Three seem quite happy with lots of foliage. The fourth has foliage only on this ye...
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Promoting Monarch Habitats in Texas
July 11, 2016
My parents have a 6 acre pasture in East, TX with native milkweed in it. What are the best times of year to bush hog to promote more milkweeds & do you know of any grants to help manage land for monar...
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New Lawn for a New House in Central Texas
July 11, 2016
We have a new house with a barren yard. How soon can we successfully plant grass?
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Trees for Privacy Screening in Central Texas
July 11, 2016
I live in Cedar Park, Texas and have a neighbor who likes to have parties. I need a evergreen tree/hedge that will provide privacy and sound barrier. We have some wax myrtles but they don't work. We ...
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Shrub for Shady Austin, Texas Backyard
July 11, 2016
I am looking for a colorful shrub or bush for my drab backyard in Austin. It won't get much sun and I want something native that detracts bugs if possible.
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