LITTLE ROCK — Q If the bark is falling off part of a tree, does that mean the tree has to be cut down because it is dying? Could it just be prunedto remove the damaged part and the tree be saved?
A It depends on what is causing the bark to fall off and the overall health of the tree. Sometimes lightning can hit a tree and cause bark to slough off - damage can be minor or deadly. Many oaks around the state are dying in part due to drought stress, but that can also cause hypoxylon canker to kick in. When this disease takes over, the outer bark usually falls off in patches, exposing either a dry, gray substance or a black, tarlike one.
Usually by the time the bark falls off, the tree is either dead or almost there. A weed trimmer or lawn mower can also strip bark, but usually too close to the ground to cut out without cutting down the tree.
Once bark begins to fall, you can’t stop it, but you can clean the wounded area and try to keep the overall tree healthy with proper watering.
Q We have lost some oak trees recently to lightning and want to replace them. We are looking to replace the canopy of shade we had with trees, but I do not want to replace oak with oak, as I still have several oaks and hickory trees that drive me insane with the nuts they bear. I am looking for trees that will provide shade and have deep rooting systems. We were successful in growing seedless ash in Iowa, but the climate there is different from here in Arkansas. Could ash handle the extreme heat and survive?
Other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
A Ash does grow in Arkansas but can be plagued by borers. Some other options include lacebark elm (Ulmus parvifolia), tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), littleleaflinden (Tilia cordata), blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum).
Q For years my wife’s father had his yard in primo condition. Since his passing, the yard has cultivated a dandy crop of crabgrass and other weeds unknown to me. I have used Ortho Weed Killer with crabgrass preventer, and it really doesn’t seem to be doing the job. In thinking ahead to spring, what would be my best option in eradicating crabgrass from the yard, and should I start this fall? I do plan to apply a wintertime weed-and feed probably in mid-October.
A I don’t like to use any fertilizer on lawns in Arkansas after mid-September unless you are growing tall fescue. Most Southern lawns go dormant for the winter, and I would hate to encourage new growth too late in the year - or spur winter weeds. Crabgrass is a summer annual weed, which means it germinates in late spring, grows all summer, sets seeds and dies in fall or early winter. There is nothing to do this fall to prevent it next year. Apply a pre-emergent herbicide in late February and a second application in early April and you should be good. Monitor for weeds during the growing season. The more dense the lawn grass, the less weeds you have. We do have lawn care calendars for each lawn grass grown in Arkansas on our website, arhomeandgarden.org/lawns.htm.
Q Due to health and age, we downsized last fall and moved to Beebe. We have a weed that is overtaking the lawn. Some call it Johnson grass. We mow one day and by the next day, it’s already big again. Is there anything I can do this fall that will prevent it from coming back next spring?
A If it truly is Johnson grass, it is a perennial so a pre-emergent herbicide won’t work. Since we lost MSMA as an herbicide, weed grasses are tougher to eradicate, but there are a few options for use during the growing season.
Quinclorac is now used and is often mixed with 2, 4-Das a broadleaf weed and grass killer. Johnson grass is tough to kill, so good luck.
Janet Carson is a horticulture specialist for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Write to her at 2301 S. University Ave., Little Rock, Ark. 72204 or e-mail her at
HomeStyle, Pages 37 on 09/22/2012