LITTLE ROCK — Q I have an evergreen tree in my backyard that is covered with the cocoons in the attached pictures.
These insects seem to be destroying my tree. Can you tell what this is and what, if anything, I can do to get rid of the insects and save the tree? I’ve also noticed that they are spreading to the other evergreen in my yard. Thanks for your help.
A Wow! That is the most impressive damage I have seen from bagworms.
These tiny insects started feeding in May. As the larvae crawl and feed, they construct the sacks or bags around their bodies that protect them from predators and insecticides. They are typically in their crawling/feeding stage for about a month,from mid-May through June depending on the weather.
By now, the damage has been done - and your tree has had a lot of damage. Hand picking and destroying the bags can cut down on problems next year for neighboring trees, but this tree will take years to recover. If it were mine, I would cut it down and burn or destroy it now. If you have bagworms every year, you may want to implement a spray program on the needle-type evergreens in mid-May. One application a week with a Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) or similar insecticide will work. Three applications a year should suffice. Bagworms prefer junipers, eastern red cedars, Leyland cypress and arborvitae plants.
Q We would like to see if you could identify the plant or tree in the attached photo. It voluntarily came up in a flower bed. It looks like a red maple. There is no other tree like it in the neighborhood. The trunk is very small. Can it be pruned to slow the upward growth?
A Looks like a sycamore to me. At maturity it will be quite large, so plant it where there is plenty of room for it to grow.
Q Help! My azaleas are dying! We have well established azaleas, planted in 1995, and now they are dying. It started last year with one or two and now several are going. We live in midtown Little Rock, and have a sprinkler system. Our house faces south and the azaleas are across the front and back.
The ones in the front started first and now the ones in the back are affected. We trimmed them back this year and fertilized, however, we have not removed old mulch.
The leaves turn yellow and sections of the plant die first, then the whole plant is gone.
I have not seen any sign of insects. The watering system is set for 3 times a week at 10 minutes each time. Am I watering too much? Could there be disease from the old mulch?
A To properly identify what is going on, take one of the dying plants, or at least a portion of the stems plus roots, to your local county extension office so they can send it into our disease diagnostic lab. There are several diseases it could be, but we need to know for sure what is causing the problem before you start trying to control it. I think watering for only 10 minutes three times a week is wetting the soil surface more than deeply wetting the soil. The goal of watering is to water deeply and infrequently. Soil type, amount of sunlight, and what you are growing are all factors in frequency and duration of watering.
Q I saw an order form in the newspaper for your new book, but I misplaced it. Today’s paper did not have the form. Would you please tell me how I can order? I live in Blytheville.
A Here is the link to order from the newspaper: secure.arkan sasonline.
com/store/books/. It is also available at some stores, but I think mainly in the central Arkansas area: Wordsworth, the Crown Shop and Garvan Woodland Gardens.
Janet Carson is an extension horticulturist with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. Write to her at P.O. Box 391, Little Rock, Ark. 72203, or e-mail her at
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