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Georgia Tasker has been garden writer for The Miami Herald since 1979 (poor old thing). She is author of Enchanted Ground, Gardening with Nature in the Subtropics (Fairchild Tropical Garden) and co-author with Tom MacCubbin of Florida Gardeners Guide (Cool Springs Press). Among her awards are the Barbour Medal from Fairchild Tropical Garden, the botanical garden's highest environmental award, and the first lifetime achievement award from Tropical Audubon Society.
Click here to read this month's gardening calendar.
Submitted by James Wilson from Plantation FL
Q: I have three tree questions I hope you can answer. First, after Hurricane Wilma I planted a chorisia speciosa in my yard to replace some trees lost in the storm. When it bloomed in October, the blooms were white, so I assume I was sold a chorisia (ceiba) insignis. If I buy another tree, is there a way to distinquish the two species when they are not in bloom? Second, if I need to buy one in October/November to ensure its blooms are blue/red/yellow, will it thrive or must I plant a tree in the spring? Finally, I have a new mango and new avocado tree whose fruits are being eaten by critters--raccoons, I assume. Is there a way to protect the trees or individual fruit from predators? I assume commercial growers have a method to solve the problem, but I haven't been able to locate a solution. Thank you for any help you can give me.
Answered 06/09/08 13:06:09 by Georgia Tasker
A: "The Tropical Look" by the late Robert Riffle, distinguishes between Chorisia insignis and C. speciosa this way: Chorisia insignis is smaller, the leaves are glossy and smooth-margined and leaflets often are pendant to some extent. C. speciosa has leaves that are stiffer, and the leaflets are usually slightly serrulate and do not droop. These distinctions may help you. Yes, you can plant them in winter. Keep the root zone moist, and by spring, when they leaf out, they will begin to grow up, says Dolores Fugina of Bloomin' Good Flowering Tree Nursery. Harvest the fruit and allow them to ripen in the windowsill, and you can beat the critters to the punch.Submitted by Jules from Miami, FL
Q: Hi Georgia, Besides bougainvillea, what type of thorny plant would make a good security and privacy hedge?
Answered 06/05/08 18:02:55 by Georgia Tasker
A: Some cycads are virtual sabers, such as Encephalartos ferrox and Dioon species. Some big Aechmea bromeliads are laden with razor-sharp spines. Agaves, of course, are dangerous. All that being said, they're equally impossible to maintain for (you) the gardener. Pyracantha or firethorn as spurs on its stems. Privacy hedges don't necessarily bite. That's a different matter. Snailseed is docile but thick and makes a good screen. Areca palms can be thick and hard to climb through. Since you don't say where you want the plants, it's hard to know what to recommend as plants up against a house would be of different scale than those along a property line. And using the dangerously sharp plants where someone can be injured can be a liability.Submitted by aj patel from houston, texas
Q: where can I purchase this tree. >>> Answered 02/25/08 22:47:35 by Georgia Tasker A: Polyalthia longifolia grows straight up and has weeping branches. I asked Larry Schokman, former director of The Kampong, about the tree since it is used in his native Sri Lanka as a street tree. Larry believes several might work as a hedge if you take some precautions: plant in a zig-zag fashion so that sunlight will reach all portions of the tree from top to bottom to prevent loss of lower limbs; keep the trees pruned at about 10 feet. It might be interesting for you to be a pioneer in this undertaking, he said. Alternatively, snail seed, Cocculus laurifolius, might be a useful alternative. It is used as a hedge quite often. It has pretty dark green foliage and grows to about 13 feet. (Leaves are poisonous.)
Answered 04/25/08 16:24:34 by Georgia Tasker
A: I'd go online and look for a mailorder source.Submitted by Jennifer from Village of Palmetto Bay
Q: Do you have any recommendations for getting rid of the Bermuda grass and crabgrass in my StAugustine lawn?
Answered 04/25/08 16:23:28 by Georgia Tasker
A: Carefully use Roundup on a morning when there's not breeze, spraying only the foliage of the grass you want to kill. Preemergent weed killers can be used in January.Submitted by Jennifer from Village of Palmetto Bay
Q: I used the hose-end sprayer preparation of Weed B Gone and seem to have destroyed large sections of my St Augustine grass, although the label says it is for St Augustine grass. Is this common, and is there a better preparation to use for weed removal? I had used the spray bottle WeedBGone in the past without killing the grass so I was surprised to lose large sections by using the hose-end type.
Answered 04/25/08 16:17:30 by Georgia Tasker
A: I didn't know there was a hose-end preparation of the product. Weed & Feed fertilizer contains atrazine that will kill weeds; you spread it dry. Even with this, you have to be careful not to get near the rootzones of trees & shrubs.Submitted by Stefani from Hendersonville, NC
Q: I used to live South Miami 40' thru 70'..Really miss tropical fruit...Am interest in Surnam Cherry - make Jelly. Is there someone out there make Surnam Cherry Jelly? Are Selling it? Let me know. Thanks Stefani (Haiku Bamboo Nursery)
Answered 04/25/08 16:14:20 by Georgia Tasker
A: I doubt it, although you may want to go to the Rare Fruit Council website & see if you can find a contact. Also, there's a fruit stand on the way to Everglades National Park called Robert Is Here, which specializes in locally grown fruit, vegetables & jellies. Go to www.robertishere.com and you will find a contact link.Submitted by Susan from Homestead
Q: I read your articel about the pineapple and just now after 3 years I am growing a small pineapple. I am very excited about this.I grew it fom the top of an eatable pineapple. Will I be able to eat this pineapple and how will I know if it has reached the right size and is ready to be cut. Thanks for your answer. Susan
Answered 04/25/08 16:10:46 by Georgia Tasker
A: Your pineapple will be edible, and when is enlarges and turns from brown to yellow-brown, you can cut & eat.Submitted by nina shepard from richmond heights, fl
Q: Lately I have been hearing some birds singing all night. What are those?
Answered 04/25/08 16:09:13 by Georgia Tasker
A: Mockingbirds may sing quite early, but I don't know about all night. I'll set the alarm.Submitted by Debbie Harrison from Marathon, FL
Q: I am wondering when you will be publishing your article on Susan Nuegent's book "Women Conserving the Florida Keys"? Thank you.
Answered 04/18/08 12:50:56 by Georgia Tasker
A: Look on Monday, April 21Submitted by Rawls from Parkland, FL
Q: A very small black bug us eating the new growth of my established ficus privacy-hedge. The leaves fold closed and the tiny black bugs are inside. What are the bugs, and how can I treat the hedge to permanently protect it? Thanks. Rawls
Answered 03/25/08 17:43:32 by Georgia Tasker
A: Thrips are usually found only on Ficus retusa (Cuban laurel), and I'm guessing you have Ficus benjamina as a hedge. However, the University of Florida says when Cuban laurel thrips are abundant they may be found on several other ficus species. There are lots of natural predators of thrips, but you also can use insecticidal soaps, Ortho Systemic Insect Killer, and others. For a link to chemical controls go to: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG327Submitted by Arch Sturaitis from Fort Lauderdale
Q: Hi Georgia: We live in East Fort Lauderdale and we have been overrun lately by a black centipede-type bug, about 2" long which rolls into a ball when touched. They congregate on our exterior doors and walls and their numbers are multiplying. I thought that they were seasonal, but they seem to be increasing in numbers in cold or hot weather, rain or shine. How do we get rid of them? I can send a photo if you wish. Thanks. Arch
Answered 03/25/08 17:37:06 by Georgia Tasker
A: You are noticing an increase in millipedes. They like leaf litter and mulch, and can be found beneath stones & flowerpots, areas that are damp. When they come inside, they usually die from lack of moisture. To control them, make sure your doors & windows are tightly sealed so they can't crawl in, sweep back mulch or leaves from your foundations, remove old boards that may be around the house or yard. Diatomacious earth around the front steps or back door may help deter them, but not in rainy weather. Talstar, Ortho Home Defense, Sevin are products for outdoor use only.Submitted by jeffrey Newkirk from North Miami Beach, Florida
Q: Hi, I'm posting to ask what decorative plants there are that resist wind. The entrance way of our condominium building is consistently breezy. Our most recent experiment involved two bouganvillas [sp?] which do resist the wind, but not enough to flower. The spot faces South East and gets morning sun. Most appreciatively, Jeffrey Newkirk
Answered 03/25/08 17:19:17 by Georgia Tasker
A: Try crown of thorns; fiddle-leaf fig; kalanchoes; jade plants; pony tail plants; Sansevieria,or snake plant. You could use a tall fiddle-leaf fig and group containers of crown of thorns around it. Jade plants make striking sculpture-like plants when they're old enough. Pony tails can be kept in containers for a very long time.Submitted by Mario from miami, fl
Q: My lawn has more weeds than grass (floratam). When its that bad is it best to start all over? The soil has always been a bit moist (even without irrigation) and thus its full of dollar weeds and a huge array of other weeds.
Answered 03/17/08 13:30:10 by Georgia Tasker
A: You have to correct the irrigation problem first. Dollar weed is indicative of too much water and you can aerate the soil. With water restrictions, this should correct itself. A weed and feed product could help, followed by careful attention to proper mowing & fertilization.Submitted by Bianca from Miami
Q: I've let my yard grow freely without mowing the grass for about two months. I have an abundance of different plants. One has a yellow flower, another has a blue-purple flower, and I even have a few fern like plants. How can I find out what type of plants are growing in the yard. P.S. I think a tree has even begun to grow
Answered 03/17/08 13:27:03 by Georgia Tasker
A: Miami-Dade County's Cooperative Extension Service has a guide to weeds; go to http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu/Pubs_LnG2.shtml#weeds The Journey to a Bulletproof Lawn by Bob Imbrigiotta has some photos of common weeds (you can Google this & find it for sale on Amazon); A landscaping service called One Two Tree has some weed photos online at http://www.onetwotree.com/treetip-7.html You may be able find a weed guide in a bookstore.Submitted by Barry Block from Aventura, florida
Q: I live in a community which depends on ficus hedge for privacy and beauty. Would it be prudent to prophylactically treat these plants with pesticide drenching or wait to see if the fig whitefly attacks. I am talking of spending thousands for treatment.B Barry 2/26/08
Answered 03/14/08 15:43:10 by Georgia Tasker
A: You can treat with a drench of Bayer's Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect Control as a preventive measure.Submitted by marilyn from coconut grove, FL
Q: We have a 35 foot "junk tree" in our side yard which sends out shoots in different places. We continuously cut these out when they crop up. We have found roots coming from the 'mother tree' traveling to the other side of our property. the roots are not deep. we've cut out sections when we find them, but will they continue to grow? We are going to try to get someone to take out the large tree, but what about the remnants?
Answered 03/14/08 15:41:58 by Georgia Tasker
A: I asked the folks at the Department of Environmental Resources Management, and here's a recommendation: Use 100 percent Roundup (nondilute) if you have enough of the stump showing to recut. Or, use Brush-B-Gone, which can be sprayed on the trunk. Neither of these products will contaminate the ground water.Submitted by curtis from coconut grove, fl
Q: sections of my yard appear to be rising up. is this caused by underground root activity? if so, what is the best way to get the ground level again?
Answered 03/10/08 14:20:23 by Georgia Tasker
A: If the ground appears to be rising in the rootzone of a large tree, it is indeed the roots. To avoid cutting out roots or smothering them with extra fill (both of which may kill the tree) you can remove the grass and create a mulched bed. Ferns, bromeliads or aroids would grow nicely without disturbing the tree roots. You will save on grass mowing and the mulch, as it decomposes, adds nutrients to the soil.Submitted by Anne from Miami, FL
Q: Hello, I need a tall dense privacy hedge from the bottom of the plant till the top. It would be better if it was narrow plant. I read about a tree called Polyalthia longifolia. I live in Miami, FL. Would it be adequate? How close together should they be planted? If you think some other plant would be better please advise. Thanks, Anne
Answered 02/25/08 22:47:35 by Georgia Tasker
A: Polyalthia longifolia grows straight up and has weeping branches. I asked Larry Schokman, former director of The Kampong, about the tree since it is used in his native Sri Lanka as a street tree. Larry believes several might work as a hedge if you take some precautions: plant in a zig-zag fashion so that sunlight will reach all portions of the tree from top to bottom to prevent loss of lower limbs; keep the trees pruned at about 10 feet. It might be interesting for you to be a pioneer in this undertaking, he said. Alternatively, snail seed, Cocculus laurifolius, might be a useful alternative. It is used as a hedge quite often. It has pretty dark green foliage and grows to about 13 feet. (Leaves are poisonous.)Submitted by Cindy from Ormond Beach, FL
Q: We transplanted 2 large Queen Palms courtesy of a nice neighbor. We've been watering them feverously. When should I fertilize?
Answered 02/18/08 17:23:57 by Georgia Tasker
A: There is an excellent paper on transplanting palms by the University of Florida. I have copied the following information from it: "Newly transplanted specimen-sized palms should not be expected to produce a great deal of new top growth during the first year after transplanting; much of the palm's energy reserves will (and should) be channeled into root growth. Drenching the root zone two to four times during the first few months with a fungicide labeled for landscape use on soil borne root fungal pathogens is recommended for high value palms. A light surface application of a slow-release "palm special" granular fertilizer can be banded at the margins of the root ball three to four months after transplanting. A foliar spray of soluble micronutrients may be beneficial during this period, since root absorption activity is limited. Foliar fertilization is an inefficient way to supply macronutrients such as potassium and magnesium because the relatively high amounts required by the palms. When the appearance of new leaves indicates that establishment has been successful, a regular fertilization program (three to four times per year optimally) can begin."Submitted by Sheila Revell from Coral Gables, FL
Q: The Water lily begonia looks wonderful. I would love one for my garden. Where in Miami-Dade County can it be purchased?
Answered 02/12/08 23:27:36 by Georgia Tasker
A: Try Palm Hammock Orchid Estate, which specializes in begonias. Here is the information: 9995 S.W. 66th Street Miami. 305-274-9813. Tim Anderson is the knowledgeable owner.
