Native Plants
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Smarty Plants Question Topics
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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| 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... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| 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... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| 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... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| 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? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| 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. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| 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... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| 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... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| 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... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| 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... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| 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 ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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