Submitted by Ismar from Espinosa

Q: I have been noticing that on a lot of plants around the neighborhood and in my yard a blackening of the flowers and trunks has been increasing. What can I use to remedy this problem. Is this a fungai infection? I live west of the Palmetto expressway in south west miami dade between SW 8th street and Coral Way(Westchester). Thanks

Answered 04/14/09 13:46:07 by Georgia Tasker

A: In spring, lots of insects will gather on new foliage, insert straw-like mouthparts into the leaves & drink cell sap. They excrete waste on leaves below & this sticky excretion tends to become covered with black sooty mold. That might well explain blackening leaves. Trunks are another question. I do notice that palms next to busy highways often are blackened by auto emissions, so that could be an explanation.

Submitted by LeeAnn Masterson from Coral Gables FL

Q: Can Rid-X, the stuff that is used in septic tanks, be used as compost starter?

Answered 04/14/09 13:43:37 by Georgia Tasker

A: No, a company spokesman says the products is NOT good for composting or for use in chemical toilets.

Submitted by Adam_W from Miami, FL

Q: I'd like to plant a variety of fruit trees in my backyard. My problem is that, even with Google, I can't determine how far to plant them from each other. I went so far as to Google made-up phrases that sounded good, like "canopy radius". No luck. I haven't determined exactly what I'd like to plant, but I'm considering lychee, pomegranate, key lime, miracle fruit, mamey sapote, pomelo, and carambola. Can you tell me anything about how much room those trees would need? And if you have any opinions about my selection, such as suggested alternatives, I'd certainly value them.

Answered 04/09/09 17:39:52 by Georgia Tasker

A: The size of your back yard is key to the number and varieties of fruit you can grow and their spacing. Pruning can keep a fruit tree at any size, though some, like lychee, are assertive growers and strain to get quite large. Lychee: 40' tall and about just as wide. Carambola: 20 to 35' tall; 30 feet between trees. Mamey sapote, 40' tall; 25 to 30 feet between. Pummelo: 15 to 50 ft. tall. I can find no info on how wide a pummelo gets. Key lime: 6 to 12 feet, shrubby. About 8 to 10 feet wide. Pomegranate is better grown in semi-arid or cooler areas. Miracle fruit is the smallest, about 10 feet tall but bushy, so at least 10 to 15 feet between is my guess. You can contact the Miami-Dade/IFAS Cooperative Extension Service for fact sheets on individual fruit trees (http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu/). Keep in mind that regular pruning is required for hurricane safety and also to keep fruit at a height that's easy to reach for harvesting, and smaller trees would be more desirable. I have two lychee trees that are hard to keep under control size-wise. Tropical Fruit Growers of South Florida (www.tropicalfruitgrowers.com) can guide you to people who have experience growing the fruit you are considering, and you may want to contact them. Commercial production guides may also turn up spacing needs. Jonathan Crane is the expert at the University of Florida's Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead who can help.(jhcr@trec.ifas.ufl.edu/crane). Thanks for writing and good luck with the fruit you finally select.

Submitted by steve wexler from marietta,ga

Q: as a novice when is best time to plant gardenia bush and what about soil, fertilizers, watering , etc.?

Answered 04/06/09 13:02:12 by Georgia Tasker

A: Marietta is a long way from Miami, and our gardening schedules are surely quite different. I'd suggest you contact your local Cooperative Extension Service and gather information from people who know about your climate, soils, rainfall patterns and seasons.

Submitted by linda lubick from coconut grove, fl

Q: Dear Georgia, I am a landscape designer and contractor living and working here in Dade county . I recently have been struggling with jobs and have written a press release about my company with great pictures of my gardens. How can I get published in the home and garden section in hopes of gaining more exposure and clientele? By the way I enjoy reading your column. Sincerely, Linda Lubick 305-299-4248 giardinidesign@msn.com

Answered 04/06/09 13:00:07 by Georgia Tasker

A: Send your information to Marjie Lambert, editor of the Home & Design section. Include photos and contact information.

Submitted by Kim from Miami Springs, Fl

Q: Hi Georgia, I have just purchased a house with very large front and back yards. We had to get rid of most of the plants growing because it looked like a jungle. I have never lived in a house nor have I ever done any kind of gardening. The front and back yards look so plain. I have no idea where to start. I wanted to start by trying to kill the weeds and grow the grass. However, we are very concerned with using chemicals that are bad for the environment. The other issue we have is cost. We are on an EXTREMELY tight budget. Do you have any ideas on coming up with a landscaping plan and filling the garden bit by bit starting with finding an environmentally safe way of killing the weeds and growing the very dead grass? Sincerely, Seeking beauty in beautiful Miami Springs

Answered 04/06/09 12:55:45 by Georgia Tasker

A: Weeding by hand is the most environmentally friendly thing to do, but if you are looking at a large area, it may not be feasible. Roundup dissipates fairly quickly and is not awfully dangerous. If you want to put in trees and garden beds, you can kill areas of grass by putting down thick layers of newspaper and wetting the layers. You can do this to create paths as well. A lot of our lawns are brown from lack of rain. To learn how to tackle a landscape project, I'd look for classes that can help. Miami Dade College often has classes geared to gardening. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden has lots of adult ed classes and you may find what you need there. I'd Google these sites and explore them for more help.

Submitted by Fia from Miami

Q: Hello, I have just bought a house and there is a very large staghorn on the property that got some damage from our recent freezes (some of the fronds are brown). Can you tell how best to care for this plant, should I prune the dead leaves and why are they considered so valuable? Thank you!

Answered 04/06/09 12:47:26 by Georgia Tasker

A: The fronds will drop naturally from staghorns as they die. (If just the backs are brown, those are the spore cases forming.) Staghorn ferns, in the genus Platycerium, are prized because of their unusual fronds: the forward or fertile fronds that look like horns and grow from basal or sterile fronds that are rounded or flattened. The basal fronds normally turn brown before new, green growth occurs. Platycerium bifurcatum is the species most commonly seen in South Florida, and it is readily grown on trees (the ferns are epiphytes or air plants) or baskets or attached to large boards and hung on a wall or in a tree. But there are many unusual forms, some quite challenging to grow.

Submitted by marilyn from coconut grove, fl

Q: we have a bird of paradise in our berm which doesn't get enough light (or water). how easily can this be relocated, and what is the best growing condition?

Answered 03/25/09 11:57:39 by Georgia Tasker

A: Birds have strong underground stems, so dig deep. Here's what I said in a recent Watch It Grow: Birds form large clumps with tuberous roots that make them difficult to move or transplant, so give thought to their location before planting. They like to dry between waterings and are chowhounds, so don't neglect the fertilizer if you expect them to produce flowers. Organic compost, horse manure or composted cow manure as well as six-month controlled-release fertilizer are all possible sources of nutrients, and can be used simultaneously. Use a kitchen knife to thin the clumps, removing old stems and flower stalks. Thinning allows light to penetrate the interior of the clump and stimulate flowering.

Submitted by yolette from south miami florida( dade county)

Q: I am trying to find some wind bird ornaments of white egrets to put in my garden I saw these in a garden store in north miami beach, but lost the address of the store.

Answered 03/06/09 14:19:52 by Georgia Tasker

A: I've not seen them in a store, but perhaps another reader can help us.

Submitted by diane minton from palmetto bay, Florida

Q: Hello Georgia, I have a hedge of many different varieties of crotons that have been in our front garden for at least 15 years. Recently I have noticed many of the shrubs are coated with a thick black substance and those plants are now losing their leaves. Some of them look really bad. Can you tell me what has happened to them and how can I treat this disease?

Answered 03/06/09 14:10:49 by Georgia Tasker

A: Your crotons have "sooty mold" on their leaves caused by insects hiding on the undersides of leaves above. Turn over some leaves and look for scale or mealybugs. Use insecticidal soal or malathion.

Submitted by Jennie from Surfside

Q: Dear Georgia, I am in a high-rise condo on the beach facing north but also with some eastern and western exposure. There is a steady light during the day and steady wind. Crotons have done pretty well on my balcony but I would like to try other plants such as the beach sunflower or weeping lantana. Any suggestions about the type of plants that might work or ways to keep moisture in, would be appreciated. Thank you.

Answered 03/06/09 14:08:22 by Georgia Tasker

A: There are polymers or water-absorbing gels on the market that retain water and can be added to soil in containers (or the ground). They are said to decrease the frequency of watering by 1/3 to 1/2. Peat moss added to potting soil helps retain moisture, as does compost. Mulch on top of your container's soil is essential. And often, balcony gardeners will use rocks to give pots extra heft to stand up against wind. Weeping lantana would be a good place to start, as lantana is drought tolerant. Adenium obesum or desert rose, with a trunk that retains water, is one to try on the west side of your balcony. Jade plant, with thick succulent leaves would work, as would any number of succulents. Pony tail plant has a base that retains water. Dwarf bougainvillea might work if you have enough sun on the east or west sides. Perhaps mini roses could keep their heads out of the wind; geraniums in winter, and of course bromeliads that hold water in their cups.

Submitted by maria from miami,fl

Q: where can i purchase a real fiddle-leaf fig?? i have been looking everywhere & need suggestions!! Thank you, maria

Answered 03/05/09 14:38:27 by Georgia Tasker

A: Sorry to answer you so late; I have been recuperating from foot surgery. I don't know of a local source, but a nursery called Top Tropicals in Punta Gorda handles Ficus lyrata, or fiddle-leaf fig(www.toptropicals.com). Dave's Garden (davesgarden.com) is another online source. Florida nurseries that grow it are wholesale & to the trade only. Perhaps a retail nursery can order one for you.

Submitted by LeeAnn Masterson from Coral Gables FL

Q: Dear Georgia, I can't find any plant nurseries in my area. Ever since Shaw's nursery closed I don't know where to buy plants except Home Depot. I know there are some plant nurseries in Homestead, but that's so far away. Do you know of any closer to Coral Gables? Thanks.

Answered 03/05/09 14:18:49 by Georgia Tasker

A: Yes, Galloway Farm Nursery, which is located at 7790 SW 87th Ave., across from Norman Brothers.

Submitted by Sue from Daytona Beach

Q: Georgia, I know your from working in the past at the Fruit & Spice Park and I'm wondering if you can help me now. I've relocated to the Daytona Beach area and I really need to know how to get rid of running bamboo. I've no idea who planted it, but it is everywhere on the 2 acre property. Any ideas? (I still look for your column online, obviously) Sue.

Answered 03/05/09 14:16:54 by Georgia Tasker

A: The American Bamboo Society has an excellent discussion of how to kill running bamboo. It involves 4 steps: 1. cut it off; 2. cut the remainders down to the ground; 3. water & fertilizer and 4. cut off the new shoots. Keep doing this until the bamboo has exhausted its supply of energy in the underground rhizomes. If you try to dig up the rhizomes and happen to leave traces of rhizome or root in the ground, your bamboo will regrow. A bamboo stand is all one plant, connected by the underground stem. Go to www.americanbamboo.org for more.

Submitted by Matthew Gallego from miami, fl 33133

Q: I need Miami Herald gardening calendar email address.

Answered 03/05/09 14:04:20 by Georgia Tasker

A: www.newscalendar@miamiherald.com