Q I brought several tamarind seeds back from the islands of the Caribbean and Bahamas and have grown some large plants. I had to leave one that was quite large with the arboretum in Memphis, as we moved from Memphis to Little Rock. I now have two tamarind trees, one of which is almost touching our ceiling. I loved your column on repotting, as I have in the past moved each plant to a larger pot, and thanks to you, I now know that I can place them back into the same pots by cutting roots and using fresh soil. I hope I can do this with my tamarind trees. I also need to ask if I can cut the top off my larger tamarind tree.
A When you’re growing trees in containers, pruning is often needed to keep them inbounds. I would not just lop off the top, but selectively prune out some of the taller branches to nodes (the spot on the stem where branches are starting) to encourage the plant to get bushier versus taller.
This shaping should leave you with a natural-looking tree versus one that looks lopped off. I think repotting to the same container should also help you limit additional growth.
Good luck.
QI found a close-out deal on oleanders at a local retailer, and I bought several. Can I plant them now or should I wait until April? Will they survive our Mountain Home winters?
A Oleanders would be very marginally hardy in northern Arkansas, but I am sure you have noticed that we have many plants that are surviving now that never did before.
If our recent bout of cold weather is any indication of our impending winter, we may be in for a doozy.
Anything that is marginally hardy should not be planted in the fall. Keep them in your garage or protected in some way until a spring planting. Giving them a full growing season to ge ta stronger root system before cold hits would give them the best chance of winter survival. Plant in a protected spot - near a house, not out in the yard, totally exposed, then see what happens.
QI need your advice on getting rid of green moss growing in my front lawn near Pine Bluff.
It is a thick, rug-like moss that grass will not grow in. I over-seeded the area (about 20-by-80 feet) under oak trees, but even the winter rye grass won’t grow there.
I have trimmed the pin oaks up to 20 feet high so plenty of sunlight gets through, but the moss prevails summer and winter. What can I kill it with? Or should I scrape the area clean and then sod with centipede, plant winter rye, etc?
AIf the moss is happy and surviving year round, I would embrace the moss and encourage its growth. Typically, if moss is well established, it has the ideal conditions for moss growth, not for grass. Moss is best adapted to shady, compacted, moist, acidic sites. You would need to correct all problems if you don’t want moss. Large oak trees produce shade, which we love in the summer, but grass and shade are not compatible. I much prefer shade and moss to sun and grass.
Moss is a great groundcover, takes traffic and is very low maintenance, and if you have a thick rug-like cover, be thankful you don’t have to mow.
QIn the Dec. 6 newspaper, a reader asked about bamboo and alternatives to bamboo. What would the alternatives be? We also live in Fayetteville, with a northwestern exposure to our yard.
A There are a variety of ornamental grasses that can give you quick screening but would require annual pruning in late February. You could also grow a hedge of hollies, cherry laurel, cryptomeria, arborvitae or even magnolias. The University of Arkansas’ Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service has a fact sheet, “Hedge or Screen Plants for Arkansas,” which can help. Find it by searching uaex.edu for “MP510.” 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 email her at
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