Q/A column – for release November 3, 2008

Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Raggedy Hibiscus

The hibiscus plants in my yard were blooming nicely when some livestock got into the yard and striped them of nearly all their leaves! Should I prune them back? Right now they look like sticks with just a few leaves. -- Anonymous

 

Chewed up Hibiscus can recover if you can keep the cows from visiting your Yard.  I would first make sure exclusion options are in place to prevent continued chomping on your favorite flowers.   Are your fences in good repair?  Do you have a way to keep gates closed?  Another idea that might be tried is to use a hot pepper spray on the leaves - that may discourage cattle (and other mammals like rabbits) from chewing on the leaves.

 After the long-term issues are addressed, some very careful pruning might assist in the recovery.  If branches are broken or bark is shredded, carefully prune the stem back to a point on the stem below where damage occurs.  You can also wait a little bit to see where new growth begins and use that to show you where to cut damaged stems.

 If it has been a long time since this shrub has been fertilized, a small amount of slow-release granular fertilizer designed for hibiscus might improve the new growth.  Don’t overdo it, as this will encourage new growth that can be damaged by colder temperatures that just around the corner.   Add some irrigation if it gets dry, but if the rains keep up like the past few weeks, no irrigation will be needed. 

 

Crepe Murder

When do I prune my Crape Myrtle? It has just about stopped blooming so I’m thinking now?

Pruning Crepe Myrtles is a tricky business:  too many folks will simply give theses bloomin’ beauties a flat-top haircut - the result is “Crepe Murder”.  Have a good reason in mind why you are pruning. Properly located myrtles will rarely need to be introduced to pruning shears.  Improper pruning will reduce bloom color the following year, and can result in lots of weakly attached branches.

If you are pruning to reducing the height of the plant, the wrong plant has been planted:  many different crepe myrtles can be planted to mature at the right size for a particular location.

A careful thinning of some of the suckers from the base can be of value:  It can thin overgrown plants, allowing leaves to stay drier, and increase light into the middle of the plant.  These results will help improve the plant.

 It you need to prune crepe myrtles, this would be an Ok time of year; however, don’t wait too long,  as pruning before colder times mean new growth, which can be damaged by frost.  Ask us for a copy of Angela Sachson’s August 2008 article, Crepe Myrtle for Florida Yards.

 Fruitful Dooryards

I would love to have more fruit trees in my yard. Besides citrus, what fruit trees grow well in this part of Florida? – Anonymous--

This area is blessed by a climate that can support both some temperate (i.e. deciduous) fruit trees, as well as some of the more tropical plants.   The key is to get the right varieties that are adapted to our climate.   Temperate fruit grown here may include peach, apple, blackberry, grape, fig, and persimmon.  Some popular tropical choices can be avocado, papaya, banana, guava, passionfruit, lychee, and mango. 

Be sure that your site is not going to have standing water and has lots of sunlight.  Then figure out if you get more of the cold winter winds or the warm summer breezes to estimate chilling requirements or cold hardiness zones.   Beyond that is personal preference to determine the kinds of fruit you should grow. 

UF has two excellent bulletins on dooryard fruit options for our area.   Take a look at “Say Thanks with Dooryard Fruit Plants”,  my column from November 2005.  Beyond that, visit some places with fruit plantings to look, see and taste the possibilities. Nearby is Sal Varri’s farm here in Okeechobee, Heathcoat Gardens in Ft. Pierce and Mounts Botanical Gardens in West Palm Beach – all will help narrow your choices.  

More information is available on our award-winning Okeechobee web page, http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu. If you need additional information on , please email us at okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu or call us at 863-763-6469.  Local residents can stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North in Okeechobee, and visit our Okeechobee County Master Gardeners from 1 to 3 PM on Tuesday afternoons.  Go Gators! 

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Trade  names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin.  Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS / University of Florida.  Larry A.  Arrington, Dean. Last update: 11/05/2008.  This page is maintained by Dan Culbert