decatur - Wise County Messenger

2 ALL AROUND WISE, Decatur, Texas, Thursday, August 27, 2009By NEIL SPERRYDear Neil: I planted seedsfrom my crape myrtles lastspring and planted them.They are now 2 to 10 inchestall. When can I transplantthem?If they are growing inpots, you can repot the largerones to the next larger potsize. If you’re going to haveto dig them to transplantthem, wait until late winterto do so.Dear Neil: All of theeaves on our 3-year-old redudtree have turned brown.It has been watered faithfully,and it gets plenty of sun. Isee little sprouts at the baseof the trunk. When I snippedoff a twig, it appeared greenat the center. Is it a goner?It’s difficult to tell withonly those symptoms. Inspite of your assurance ofadequate water, it couldhave gotten very dry at leastonce. It could also be damagecaused by herbicides ina weed-and-feed fertilizer.However, by far the mostlikely cause is an insectcalled the redheaded woodborer. The adult looks like atwo-thirds-size yellow jackety GARY CLAYTONISE CO. EXTENSION AGENTGARDENER’S MAILBAGwith a burgundy head. Theexit holes the larvae leaveare smaller than a pencillead in diameter, but theremay be many of them. Thisinsect zeroes in on redbudsand silver maples, alongwith other declining treesof other species. Spring willtell whether the tree is aliveor not, but the sprouts arenot a good sign.Dear Neil: I have a goldenraintree that has been inour yard for three years. Ithas not bloomed yet. Whatcan I do to get it to bloomnext time around?Be patient. This is absolutelynormal behaviorfor a young flowering tree.Compare trees to the animalkingdom. Most specieshave to become establishedand past their juvenilestages before they will kickinto the reproductive mode.Your tree should make thatchangeover any year now.Just keep it moist at alltimes, and use a high- or allnitrogenfertilizer on it.Dear Neil: I need fairlyrapid shade on the west sideof my house, yet the tree willhave to be planted about 5feet from the foundation.What type would be best?Honestly, at only 5 feetaway, a tall, tree-form shrubwould be your best bet. Youcould use possumhaw holly(Ilex decidua) ‘Warren’s Red’or you could consider oneof the really tall tree-formCLAYTON’S CORNERCan rain save you money? Yes. Even inreas where annual rainfall averages only2 inches, you can save money by collectingnd storing rainwater and using it to irriateyour landscape.Efficient water use is increasingly imporantto Texas, and rainwater harvesting iscrape myrtle varieties. Atsuch a close spacing, anyregular tree would be flatsidedby the house, or itsbranches would do damageto the eaves and roofing. Asmall magnolia such as ‘LittleGem’ could be used. Youcould also plant a cedar elm,whose lower limbs could betrimmed to grow up andover the roof.Dear Neil: A group ofMaster Gardeners is plantinga demonstration gardenof EarthKind® roses inwhat used to be an asphaltparking lot. We are clearingthe land of the asphalt, butwe’re wondering if any petroleumproduct might stillbe there. How can we tell?You should plant all roses,EarthKind® types included,in raised beds withgently modified soils. If youremove all the chunks ofasphalt and maybe one ortwo inches of the soil immediatelybeneath, and if youbuild up the bed by 8 or 10inches, you really should befine. If you wanted to plant aquick cover crop for this fall,you could use it as your indicatorplant. Tomatoes aredelicate in these conditions.Even though it’s too late toexpect fruit to mature, thetomato plants would struggleif toxins were present.Green beans would also begood “guinea-pig” plants.You should also contact asoil scientist with the TexasAgrilife Extension office.an innovative approach anyone can use.A rainwater harvesting system consistsof a supply (rainfall), the demand (waterneeded by plants/humans) and a way to collectwater and move it to the plants. Simplesystems distribute rainwater immediately.Complex systems store some for later use.These complex systems, if built correctly,Continued on page 6You may have met one duringyour Master Gardenertraining. Seek their help.Dear Neil: I have hadterrible trouble getting crabgrassout of my yard. I’veused a major weedkillerproduct, even at triple therecommended rate. ShouldI use Round Up, or should Ihire a professional to removean inch of soil and start overwith a new yard? Do professionalshave stronger weedkillers?Be sure, first, that youhave crabgrass. It’s a medium-greenweed, withshortened runners and seedheads that look like helicopterrotors. It’s definitelyan annual weed, so by faryour best way to stop it is toprevent it before it germinatesin the spring. Applya pre-emergent weedkillertwo weeks prior to the averagedate of the last killingfreeze. Repeat the treatment90 days later for a fullseason of prevention. Do notdestroy your lawn, either byusing Round Up, or by removingsoil, either.!Have a question you’dlike Neil to consider? Mailit to him in care of the WiseCounty Messenger, P.O. Box149, Decatur, TX 76234 or e-mail him at mailbag@sperrygardens.com.Neil regretsthat he cannot reply to questionsindividually.SubscribeOnline.www.wcmessenger.com/subscribeBuy your pump, pressure tank & suppliesfrom us.Pay a driller to produce the hole.1/2 hp3/4 hp1 hp5 hp$299Since 1856BROWN’S BARBER SHOPDOWNTOWN BROWNS1014 Halsell St., BridgeportRegular, Flat tops, Fades817-874-6493Three Barbers to serve you:Jerry, Beaumont, Aaron$354Tuesday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.Saturday 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.$405$14655 YearWarrantyMade to Perform inSand Pressure Tanks Starting at$140220 Long StreetBowie,TX 76230HHH Well Sales(940) 872-6883 (800) 227-1806NicePlaceGrand OpeningWhen do kids startgetting to carryTrapper Keepers?I loved me someTrapper Keeperwhen I was in school.11$11HaircutsDeluxe BuffetOver 80 items, lots of seafoodLunch: 11-3:45 $5 99Dinner: 4-9:00 $7 99Sunday: All-day Dinner $7 99Seniors over 62 years, 10% off203 N. Hwy 287, Decatur(formerly Popeyes Chicken)940-626-2088GreatFoodfrom the New Blog...The Day-to-DayRamblings ofSmalltown Life froma Smalltown MomBY DANIELLE SCROGGINS • WCMESSENGER.COM/BLOGS/MOMGet all yourschoolsuppliesin oneplace.Order YoursOnline Today atwww.messengerofficesupply.com/prepackaged115 South Trinity • Decatur • 940-627-5987 • Fax 940-627-1004www.messengerofficesupply.com • Mon. - Fri., 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.