IN THE GARDEN

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Crape myrtle illustration
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Crape myrtle illustration

Q We have three very large, approximately 25-feet-tall, crape myrtles lining our driveway. They are very messy, constantly dropping flowers on our cars. I would like to know if there is a time of year to prune so they won't bloom. If I cut them back to about three feet, what will happen?

A I believe this is a first. Most people want to know why their trees are not blooming or how to make them bloom better. I have never been asked how to make them stop blooming. The reason for planting crape myrtles is to enjoy the flowers. Crape myrtles bloom on the new growth, so even pruning them hard would allow them to set flowers. Weeping crape myrtles could have branches actually hitting your cars, depending on how close to the drive they were planted. If you really don't want blooms, watch for them to begin to set buds and prune in late June or July. You could also plant some other trees to provide shade -- crape myrtles don't bloom in the shade. If it were me, I would enjoy the blooms.

Q Can you help explain why the pears on the right [in a photograph the reader sent] do not resemble the fruit from the parent tree on the left? I started many from seeds, and this is the first year any have had fruit. The parent tree is at the old homestead in east Arkansas and has produced wonderful and plentiful pears since 1952. Our family wanted to continue the production, and now I have several with relatives that should start producing in the next couple of years. Dreading to have to explain why they will not have an original. Thanks.

A Pears do not breed true from seeds. The fruit may be similar or totally different, and the sad thing is you have to wait four to eight years before you know. Theirs may be different from yours, as each seedling has its own genetics. You can use the seeds to grow a pear tree and then graft the desirable variety to the pear seedling -- then you will be guaranteed to get the same thing. Think of all the thousands of pear seedlings flanking our roadsides that came from the ornamental Bradford pears. Their fruit sizes run from a small BB to a large crabapple -- it is called genetic diversity. What you have is still a pear, just not the one you want. So take some cuttings from the original pear and graft away.

Q My border is landscape timbers and then a mulch of river rock 5 feet wide by 2 inches deep. My adjoining neighbor's border is zoysia grass. What can I do to reduce the chore of digging grass out of rock? Would spraying Roundup while shielding neighboring grass be a good idea? Are there systemic granules I might pour along the landscape timbers?

A I would try to have a buffer zone at least 6 inches wide between your landscape timbers and the zoysia lawn. You can use a weed barrier fabric and mulch, and this area can then be sprayed with a grass killer or Roundup. Or you can keep it edged by hand or use a string trimmer. The key is to prevent the spread into the rock area. No systemic granules would work.

Q The backs of some of my fern leaves have these black spots on the leaves. They are in perfect rows, black with tiny white spots. Don't know if they are bugs or a disease.

A My guess is it is the fruiting spores of a fern. Spores can be dark brown and usually are in a perfect pattern along the backsides of the fronds. Ferns produce spores instead of seeds for reproduction.

Q Is it too late to trim loropetalums? If "yes," I'll just wait until spring. However, the bushes around our deck (not miniatures or dwarf varieties -- regular, large-growing bushes) are taller than I really like.

A It is too late to prune for this season. Loropetalums are considered a spring-blooming plant, and thus their flower buds are set or are setting for next year's display. While mine do bloom a bit off and on throughout the year (I even have a few blooms now), their main season is in the spring. Try to prune as much as needed after the spring blooming, and no later than June 15.

Q I have a couple of ornamental pots on our patio filled with season-specific plants. When getting rid of the summer plantings and putting in fall plants, must I completely empty the pot and sterilize it (and if so, how do I sterilize it?), or could I just add new plants and appropriate amounts of new soil?

A I have tons of containers, and some are quite large. I never dump them and start over unless I have had a problem with a disease. I do amend the containers once a year when I am replanting to freshen things up -- that is, I add amendments like humus to improve the soil. I also fertilize often in the summer, since frequent watering does leach out nutrition.

Janet B. Carson is a horticulture specialist for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Email her at

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HomeStyle on 09/17/2016

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