Q We moved to Arkansas in February 2020 from Indiana. We are learning about the various plants in our yard. I believe this is a hibiscus bush with a white Styrofoam-like growth on it. What is it and what do I do to treat it?
A The plant in question is in the hibiscus family and is Althea or rose-of-Sharon. From the picture I believe you have a scale insect — they don't fly when you touch them, do they? I am surprised you have such a good crop of scale this early, since the leaves have only just appeared. Scale insects exude a waxy coating over their bodies to protect them from insecticides and predators; they attach themselves to leaves or stems and suck sap out of the plant. If the damage is mainly on the tips of a few branches, prune it out. Bag the cuttings and put them in the trash. Insecticidal oils will work before it gets too hot. A systemic insecticide like Orthene or Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub will also work.
Q Is this a bridal bouquet Spirea? The leaves don't look right. [The reader sent a photo.]
A You are correct, the leaves are way too large for a spirea. The plant in question is a viburnum — Viburnum opulus. The flowers should be in more of a snowball shape, but recent heavy rains and winds could have damaged the blooms a bit.
Q Please ID this tree and seed pod for me. Thank you so much! [The reader sent a photo.]
A The plant you have is a post oak — Quercus stellata, a very common oak species in Arkansas. The small tassels you see are the spent male flowers, called catkins. Oak trees are monoecious, which means they have male and female flowers on the same tree. The catkins are covered with pollen in the spring. They hang down, allowing the wind to pick up the pollen, which they produce, and send it to any receptive female flowers on the same tree or other nearby trees — and in the process cover our cars and homes in a greenish slime. The catkins release millions of pollen grains every spring. The fact that they are falling is a good sign, indicating our allergy season could be nearing the end.
Q What is the best fertilizer for a new Zoysia yard? And how often should it be applied?
A The greening up of lawn grasses slowed during the last cold spell, but grasses should be fully active in a week or two. Use a slow-release, high-nitrogen fertilizer (the first number on the bag of fertilizer stands for nitrogen). For a new lawn, two applications can be used. First apply it after the grass is fully growing, and then apply fertilizer again in another month or two. While some people do fertilize monthly during the growing season, I think that is too much and you end up mowing like crazy. One application or two per season is all that is required. Here is a shortcut link to a fact sheet on growing zoysia in Arkansas from the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service: arkansasonline.com/515grass.
Q Recently you talked about pruning a damaged palm. When you say "remove the fronds," do we remove the long stems as well?
A Think of a palm frond as a compound leaf. The leaflets of the frond are attached on a petiole or stem. Remove the entire leaf, from leaflets to stem, where it is attached at the main trunk. New foliage should appear at the top of the stalk or trunk of the palm.
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