Q I'd appreciate your opinion about this azalea bed. Should it recover from the low temperatures? It is so much more affected than our other azaleas that are in beds along fence lines. If they recover, would you expect them to bloom this year?
A There are quite a few azaleas with brown foliage. I have many varieties, and the degree of damage varies by variety. Some of mine will have to be tip-pruned with no blooms, while others I think (and hope) still have viable flower buds. Time will tell. Wait until they begin growing before pruning. If you prune now and there is just leaf burn, you've lost some potential color in your garden. Waiting is not going to make any difference in plant health, so just wait — and keep your fingers crossed. You may get some unexpected blooms.
Q We have a midsize loropetalum in a key spot in our front yard bed. Since our frigid weather it appears dead. All the leaves are brown. Do you think it will come back or should we start planning to replace it?
A Just as with my azaleas response, there are varying degrees of damage on loropetalum, but I do think they were one of the hardest hit plants in our landscapes. I have five varieties, and again, damage varies. My green-leafed forms have no damage, while I have some that I am pretty certain have died back quite a bit. Again, time will tell. I will be surprised to see any blooms.
Q My camellia bush has a huge number of buds this year and I wonder if the snow and cold weather is going to keep the plant from blooming?
A Again, location and variety will vary. Mine lost all the open blooms, but I am pleasantly surprised that I am seeing a lot of new blooms now. They have a few brown spots from freeze damage, but they are still putting on a show.
Q I know it will be a while until the wall's all green again with our creeping fig. We're having a little dispute about whether to leave the dead old stems because the new growth will need them to hang in with or not. I argue "Not." What say you? Love reading your column.
A I say wait until new growth begins. If the stems are truly dead, I would remove them since creeping figs usually don't need a lot of help adhering to a wall. In fact, the extra stems could hinder their ability to attach. I have a Confederate jasmine that is brown, but last time this happened, the dead leaves fell off and sprouts appeared on the stems. Hoping the same is true this time.
Q I found our mature bottle brush covered in these white "things." What are they? Our bottle brushes are generally care free. I hope it's not serious.
A Your plant has a white waxy scale, sometimes called Indian scale. The insect is actually underneath the white, protected by that thick, waxy layer. They can attack a wide range of plants. The females lay eggs in the spring, and by late spring, baby crawlers emerge from under the protective coating in search of a new place to feed. They attach to a stem and suck sap out of the stem. Heavy infestations can cause damage. Now that the branches are still open and exposed, scrape off the adults. Systemic insecticides can also help, but the waxy coating protects the insect from contact sprays.
Retired after 38 years with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Janet Carson ranks among Arkansas' best known horticulture experts. Her blog is at arkansasonline.com/planitjanet. Write to her at P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR 72203 or email jcarson@arkansasonline.com