Q These wild violets are taking over our yard. Could you give us any advice?
A While the easiest answer is move to a yard that doesn't have them, that is not always practical. Wild violets are tenacious, and as I have been told quite often, are host plants for many native butterflies. I still don't like them. Unfortunately, the best defense is a good offense. If you have a lot of wild violets, my guess is that your yard is getting shadier and shadier. Violets like more shade than grass does. As shade deepens, lawn grass grows thinner and less competitive, and the violets are opportunistic. Strengthening the lawn grass with regular care can help. There are a few herbicides that can help manage them, but I know nothing that will eradicate them from a lawn. From the picture it looks like zoysia is your main lawn grass. Ortho Chickweed and Oxalis Killer is probably your best bet. It will need repeated applications. Use one application now before it gets too hot and then again in mid- to late fall. Do not use the product on bermudagrass, St. Augustine or centipede lawns.
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Q I planted Burpee's "Gourmet Lettuce Blend" in my raised bed garden and this plant came up with it. According to the seed packet info, whatever this is should not have been in there. The bed is only 2 years old. It had a salad blend in it last year, but this germinated at the same time as the newly sown seeds and is evenly dispersed throughout, so I believe it was in the packet. Any idea what it is? Is it edible? I've actually already eaten some of the very young shoots when I first thinned the lettuce with no ill effects but now it's getting leggy and shooting up above the lettuce. Any thoughts? Thanks.
A It looks like a common weed called lambs-quarters to me. Lambs-quarters is an annual wild edible that is a member of the Amaranth family (in the genus Chenopodium). I don't think it should have been in with the seeds but probably likes the care you are giving the lettuce.
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Q What is this plant? It looks like honeysuckle but has no smell or taste. It has been growing for several years and is about 5 feet tall and appears as a shrub — no vine.
A It is a highly invasive bush honeysuckle, Amur honeysuckle, that is quite common in the northern counties in Arkansas. There usually is a light fragrance. Where the flowers are now, red berries will come later. Birds eat and then sow them, spreading more plants. Although pretty, it is not a good plant for the garden.
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Q I saw oodles of these growths on the branches of several oak trees in my neighborhood in Northwest Arkansas. They didn't seem to affect other trees and seemed to be chiefly on red oaks. What are they, and are they dangerous to the trees?
A I have to say, that picture is impressive. The brown balls on the trees are known as oak galls. These galls are abnormal growths of plant tissue found on twigs and branches. They are caused by a non-stinging wasp that produces a chemical that induces the tree to produce large, woody galls. A few galls on a branch or two are a nuisance, but nothing much to worry about. Large infestations such as these can weaken those branches and lead to decline. There are no chemical sprays to use, but if you can easily reach the branches, pruning out the heavily infested branches could help. You might contact a local arborist to take a look.
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