Neil Sperry's Mailbag

DEAR NEIL: I have (or had) Needlepoint and English ivies. Both have died off over the summer. I can see no insects or other pests. What is the cause?

This has been a sad and common story for all types of ivies in this very wet and unusual Texas summer. Soil-borne pathogens have taken a heavy toll.

Drenching the ground with a fungicide labeled for such use helps but only if it's applied at the very first signs of the outbreak. The diseases are much more common in poorly drained soils.

DEAR NEIL: My neighbor reseeded his lawn this summer and now I have grass everywhere. I can't use Round-Up as that would be too much squirting. What would kill off the grass, perhaps even permanently?

Buy a concentrated brand of the same glyphosate spray. You won't have to apply it with hand spray bottles. You can use a 2-gallon pressure sprayer or you could even use a hose-end sprayer. Treat soon, however, as the grass will soon be going dormant. I am uncomfortable recommending total-kill herbicides since they can wash during heavy rains and harm landscape plants some distance away.

DEAR NEIL: We have quite a few large roots exposed on top of the ground beneath our trees. Friends have covered their own trees' roots with fresh soil. Is that really a good thing to do?

Not at all. Not only does it risk damage to the trees' roots, but it also does nothing to solve the problem. You can remove one or two roots per autumn, or you could plant a tall groundcover to conceal the roots. This sort of root growth is common with many species. You don't actually have to remove the roots unless they're really unattractive or unsafe.

DEAR NEIL: Approximately five years ago we planted what we were told was a dwarf magnolia near the corner of our house. Now it is so tall it is above the roof line. I don't want to cut it down, but it's getting way too tall.

Can it be topped?

No tree should ever be topped, most especially a magnolia. Perhaps you can remove lower limbs to allow the tree to form its leaf canopy over the roof.

Otherwise, talk to a nurseryman about digging it for you. If you really don't want it perhaps they would have a place for your tree.

DEAR NEIL: We have about 35 dogwoods on our property in East Texas.

They're always so pretty, but this year the plants have looked terrible.

Their leaves had dark brown spots and then they turned crisp and fell. What caused this and what can we do?

This sounds like a fungal leaf spot such as anthracnose. It's been a serious problem even for quality shrubs like Nellie R. Stevens, dwarf burford and dwarf yaupon hollies. Hopefully your dogwoods will be back strong next spring. No spray is justified this late in the season.

DEAR NEIL: I have an 18-inch diameter red oak that has lost most of its leaves prematurely this season. An arborist told me he thought it was due to last year's drought followed by this year's rain. Has this been a common problem? Does he sound like he's on the right track? Should I be watering it more?

There is no way to evaluate this without seeing the tree. It could be anything from borers to oak wilt to weedkiller damage. Probably the best thing to do would be to get a second on-site opinion. Look for an arborist with many years' experience in your area. Your local nurseryman can advise you.

Neil Sperry
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