Q I have a large pear tree in my backyard that has been there for more than 25 years and has been trying to yield pears for the past 15 years. In the early spring, it is filled with scores of small cherry-size pears; they all fall off within a month, never reaching maturity. Can you please tell me what to do to stop this and to get pears to mature for eating and preserving? Help!
A I am guessing that your pear tree is an ornamental pear -- a Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana "Bradford"). These trees are everywhere in our landscapes and quite invasive. They do set fruit, which can range in size from a BB up to a large crabapple. They are not edible by humans, but the birds love them and eat them and then scatter the seeds -- causing even more callery pears.
Q My front yard slopes down to level ground and has a bare area (approximately 14-by-14 feet) where the grass just isn't filling in the bare spots. It is starting to erode, and I need advice on what I can to do to correct this. I'm thinking of seeding the area or having it sodded, but I don't know the correct time of the year to do this or what I can do now to protect the area during the winter. The area is a combination of zoysia and Bermuda.
A I think your first step is to figure out why the grass isn't filling in. Is there plenty of sunlight? Grass does not grow well in the shade -- zoysia is a tad more tolerant of shade than Bermuda grass. Are there any tree roots or rocks in the area preventing grass from growing? If you think you have sun and decent soil, you can sod at any time of the year. I would prefer to sod in the spring after the bulk of winter is past, but that is my preference. You now can find seed for zoysia, but most people use sod. Bermuda comes up readily from seed, but seeding should not occur until late April to early June depending on our temperatures. If you think there is too much shade, consider a groundcover or moss.
Q We have large "Fashion" azaleas flanking our front porch. They are about 30 years old and always bloom heavily and beautifully. We trim them back every few years right after they finish blooming. The past three years, they have not dropped their spent blooms until far into the summer. This year it was mid-July before they were gone. From the street, the dead blooms make the whole bush look dead. The "Snow" and "Delaware White" azaleas that are planted with them don't have this problem. Is there anything we can do to fix the problem? I would hate to get rid of them, but they do look awful for a good part of the summer.
A Interesting that the "Fashion" are retaining the blooms longer than the "Snow" and "Delaware White," which usually are the ones gardeners complain about. Spent flower retention can be worse if we have a lot of rain as they are finishing blooming. You can deadhead the spent blooms, which is simply removing them, but if they are large bushes that would take time. A light pruning after bloom would not hurt the plant, but would remove the spent flowers. You might also try using your blower to see if you can blow the old blooms off. I haven't tried that, but it might work. I do blow the oak leaves out of my shrubs.
Q I have a large ash tree in the front yard that provides wonderful shade in the summer but the roots over the past several years have begun to grow on top of my zoysia sod, and it has become difficult to mow with the roots protruding, not to mention it looks unattractive. We live on a lake and use the lake water sprinkler system to water the yard -- so we don't skimp on watering. Our yard is very flat, so adding more top soil to cover the roots is not really practical. I thought about cutting the roots but don't want to run the chance of killing the tree. Do you have any suggestions?
A Some trees are more prone to surface roots than others. Surface rooting is also more common in very rocky or poor soils where there is not as much room for the roots to grow down. That being said, you have surface roots and unfortunately will have to live with them. Cutting out roots is, first of all, bad for the tree; and second, a short fix, because more roots will grow in. If the surface roots are more of a problem closer to the tree, consider losing some grass and adding a layer of mulch around the tree -- covering up the roots and making it easier to walk. Mowing the exposed roots can also wound the roots, which could lead to decay or other fungal problems. Probably not the answer you were looking for, but shade is a very good thing in an Arkansas summer, so I would try to learn to live in harmony with the roots.
Retired after 38 years with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Janet Carson ranks among Arkansas' best known horticulture experts. Write to her at P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR 72201 or email
jcarson@arkansasonline.com
HomeStyle on 01/26/2019