IN THE GARDEN

Q I have a crape myrtle that is about 15 feet tall and very healthy looking. It has not bloomed in the past two years and does not show any buds as if it was going to bloom this year. Is there something I can do to hurry it along? It only bloomed two years from date of planting.

A How much sunlight does the plant get? Crape myrtles need six to eight hours per day, and the more the merrier, to get flowering. It will grow nicely in the shade but will not bloom. I will say that this year the crape myrtles were a bit delayed in first blooms, because we had a cool spring. Crape myrtles respond to warm temperatures. Check the sunlight factor.

Q I saw this tree on a golf course and don't know what to ask for at the garden center. I want one.

A The tree is commonly called a vitex or chaste tree. It can be grown as a single-trunked specimen (like the one you saw), but more frequently these trees have several trunks and are grown almost as a large shrub. The most common varieties have purple blooms, but there are some white species as well.

Q I set out a row of 20 redtip photenias a few years back, and now they are about 8 feet tall and have looked great up until now. It seems some sort of blight has attacked some of them, and it is going from one to another, finally killing them. I know that you are not a big fan of this bush, but I would like to salvage them and the time I have invested. Do you have any solutions or advice to offer? I have tried spraying with an antifungal product but am not sure of any results.

A Unfortunately you have the most common problem with redtip photenias -- entomosporium leaf spot or photenia leaf spot. It is similar to blackspot in roses. Once you have it, to control it would take a regular spray program all season long. I don't think that is cost-effective, so I would let nature take its course and begin to replace them with something else.

If you really want to spray and have disease-free plants, you would need to use different fungicides -- daconil, immunox and other broad-spectrum fungicides -- and then alternate sprays every 10 days from spring through fall so the redtips don't build up an immunity to any of them. Another less intense option is to wait until next spring, right before new growth begins, and spray with a Bordeaux mix. Then wait two to three weeks and spray with a general fungicide; then see what happens. It is always better to prevent a disease than try to control it. If you were vigilant in spraying and started in early spring, you would have a shot at controlling this one. But weekly sprays are too much for me.

Q I saw this pretty flowering weed and it is blooming now at Holiday Island near our roadside among some tall grass. Can you identify it for us? We can't find it in our Arkansas wildflower book.

A It is the passion flower -- Passiflora incarnata. It is a wonderful vine, but in some areas of the state it can be a bit aggressive. After flowering, it sets an egg-shaped fruit that is loaded with seeds.

Q My wisteria was nicked at the base by a mower. How sensitive is wisteria to this type of injury? Is there anything I should do to help?

A It all depends on how much of a nick it is. Wisteria is a tough plant, but if the plant was girdled at the base, it will die from that point up. The good news is it should sprout and grow below the cut. Once the damage is done, there isn't much you can do, other than pruning out the damaged area if it dies back. I would also recommend mulching all landscape plants to separate them from the lawn to prevent future injury. Lawn mowers and weed eaters are tough on plants.

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

jcarson@arkansasonline.com

HomeStyle on 07/19/2014

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