Q My pansies were finally starting to come back, and then they got this recent round of winter weather. They look pitiful again. Should I just pull them and wait for spring, or is there something I can do to help?
A You are not alone. Let’s just hope we have no more winter weather. If there is life left, they should bounce back quickly with warm weather and sunshine. Give them some fertilizer and see if they don’t begin to bloom again. I suspect they will be at their peak when it is time to pull them and plant summer color.
Q I have an 8-year old Granny Smith apple tree that is losing bark on the trunk even though it’s budding as usual. It even looks as if something has bored into the wood in the affected area. What do you think it could be and how should I treat it?AFrom the picture I would say you have more than a borer. It looks like the tree was wounded some time ago and the outer bark is sloughing off where the tree is trying to callus over. The downside is that it is a wide wound and so the trunk will have internal decay, which will lead to a weak tree for the remainder of its life. If you really like Granny Smith apples, plant another one to take this one’s place (eventually). There are better varieties for Arkansas - Granny Smith apples are somewhat susceptible to fireblight. William’s Pride and Enterprise are two good varieties with disease resistance.
Q My euonymus will be 2 years old this spring.
Several branches have developed a disease. The leaves turned a brassy color and some dropped off.
Those leaves have black spots on the underside. The affected leaves are only on one of the shrubs but I notice the tips of several limbs on other shrubs have begun to wither. These affected limbs look as if they are trying to leaf out again.
Is this anthracnose and if so, how do I control it? If not, what is this and what do I need to do?
A Some of the brassy color could be cold damage. I would also look closely at the underside of the leaves and the stems. The most common problem with these shrubs is euonymus scale. It looks as though someone sprinkled salt and pepper on the leaves and stems.
These tiny insects suck the sap out of the foliage and can lead to dieback if not controlled. To be sure of proper identification of the problem, take a sample in to your local county extension office. If they can’t identify the problem, they will send it to the Cooperative Extension Service disease diagnostic lab. Correct identification is the first step to control choices.
Q Can you tell me what is wrong with my mugo pine? A few months ago it turned brown at the front, but did put out new growth.
It continues to turn brown and attempt to recover.
A It is possible your mugo pine has some winter damage along with all the other plants that are struggling. Give it a couple of weeks to make sure this winter is over, then prune out the dead branches. Then see how it begins to grow this spring.
I think the recent winter precipitation helped actually put moisture back in the ground, which was lacking so much this winter.
Q How and when should I trim my abelia? It has gotten a little leggy, and I think there is some winter damage on the tips.
A If your abelia needs pruning, now is the time to do so. Abelia blooms on the new growth, so the key is to prune before it begins new growth.
This year we are having a late spring, so you have several more weeks to get pruning chores done. Thin out some of the woodier, leggy canes at the soil level to encourage new canes and more fullness. A bit of tip pruning can also be done to remove damage.
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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