Q We spread wild-flowers in the back of our house a few years ago. We had one year that was good but until this year very few. The three that came back are sparse. We need to cut the backyard but would like to do it at the best time to spread the seeds. Can you help? [The reader sent a photo.]
A You still have flowers on your coreopsis, verbena and daisy fleabane, so it is too early to mow. You need the flowers to be totally gone and the seed heads totally mature if you want them to self-sow. Usually we would not recommend mowing a wildflower field until the flowers have been gone for weeks, giving the plants time to set mature seed heads. Deadheading can keep them blooming longer into the season, but that will not help them reseed. Some gardeners only allow seed heads to mature in the fall. Overseeding with new wildflower seed annually will bolster your display until you have an established wildflower meadow. Adding in a few annuals like larkspur and Shirley poppy will add color. They, too, can reseed themselves.
Q We live in west Little Rock and the gnats have been terrible this year ... so bad that at times we cannot sit outside. Is this a bad (good) year for gnats? Is there anything we can do? We've sprayed many times and nothing works. We don't have low, wet areas, no piled up yard waste, and we keep the garbage secured.
A It has been a bad year for these pesky "gnats." They are a species of gnat-sized black fly commonly called buffalo gnats or turkey gnats. They breed during periods of cool weather with plenty of running water. Conditions were perfect for their breeding this spring in many areas of the state. These small gnats bite and are blood feeders -- pests of man and animals. Like eye gnats, they fly around people's heads, occasionally getting into eyes and ears as well as crawling in the hair. When they are numerous, you can wear light-colored clothes with long sleeves, use repellants and carry a hand-fan to keep them at bay. Now that the temperatures are going up, our gnat problem is declining and we shouldn't see them again until next spring.
Q Do you know what kind of tree this is? [The reader submitted a photo.]
A It is a beautiful, midsize tree called yellowwood -- Cladrastis kentukea. It typically blooms in late May with fragrant white flowers and it turns a good yellow in the fall. It grows to 40-50 feet tall with a nice rounded canopy.
Q I bought a piece of property a few years ago that had a pear tree on it. About three years ago, a part of the tree died and I cut it out. Since then there have not been any pears on it. In the spring it blooms and produces what look like clusters of pear-looking fruits, but they never get over about a nickel in size. Could this have been a grafted tree and would I be better off just replacing it?
A Most commercial pears are grafted trees, with the rootstock being a callery pear, which is what all of the ornamental pears that are taking over our roadsides are. They do set fruit but it rarely grows larger than a quarter. If you want edible pears, buy a new tree or graft a desirable variety onto this one.
Q How can I control aphids on okra plants when the temperature reaches 90 degrees or higher?
A Luckily for us, aphids are poor swimmers, and so a strong spray of water can knock them down. Insecticidal soap also works. If the temperature is above 90 degrees, make sure you water the plants well before spraying anything. Also, spray later in the day when the temperatures have gone down. If the plants are too dry, they can take up too much pesticide (or fertilizer) and get burned.
Janet B. 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 email her at
HomeStyle on 06/17/2017