Q: My bougainvillea was planted in the shade and I have had no blooms. I have used several different kinds of fertilizers but still no blooms. What can I do to make my plant bloom? A: This is a case of Right Plant/Right Place. Bougainvillea ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
A: Once you know how to identify a beautyberry I am sure you will never forget it. American beautyberry, Callicarpa Americana, as its name indicates is native to North America. There are various other species from Asia and Central America. ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
Q: I have tiny black specks on the underside of my azalea leaves. What is causing this? Plus, leaves never look very good but they still bloom. I have them in full sun. Do you have any thoughts? A: The black specks are evidence of an ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
Q: What is wrong with my azaleas? Some of them have died and others have branches that are in process of dying. With all the rain we have been getting, I have noticed that our property stays wet for at least a day or even longer. Do you have ... READ MORE
Category: Home LandscapesQ: The lot next door was heavily treed but has just been partially cleared to make way for a house. As a result my azaleas on that side now receive much more light and a good deal of direct sun. How will this affect them? Some have gotten quite ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
A: This is one of the most common questions I get every February. Gardenias, like azaleas, would need to be pruned after they have finished flowering, which will be sometime late spring or early summer. The best management practice for most ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
Are you finding dead shrubs in your hedge? Botryosphaeria, bot rot, has hit Manatee County. Bot rot is a disease whose symptoms includes yellow, spotted and blighted leaves, dried leaves, defoliation, cankers, tip dieback, branch dieback, ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Pests & DiseaseIPM for Shrubs in Southeastern US Nursery Production Volume II is the third book released by the Southern Nursery Integrated Pest Management Working Group (SNIPM) and includes chapters on hydrangea, loropetalum, holly, rhododendron (including ... READ MORE
Category: HorticultureThis rapidly-growing North American native forms a rather loosely-arranged, rounded shrub, five to eight feet tall and equally wide. Branches form long arches bending toward the ground and lend almost a weeping habit to older, ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Almost every landscape has a problem area where the sun just doesn’t shine and many plants won’t make it, maybe it’s the north side of your house, under a small tree, or tucked away in an oddly-shaped alcove. We all know the same old ... READ MORE
Category: Horticulture