Q. A vine is choking my impatiens. Enclosed is a sample. What can I do? Marjorie Edelman, Boca Raton A. Your vine is the orange-stemmed dodder or love vine. A true parasite, it can grow on plant stems and roots. Remove all of it before it seeds. It will not react to herbicides because it has no chlorophyll. The only way to get rid of it is by hand pulling. If it is growing on a plant stem or root it needs to be cut off.
Q. I have had a great deal of trouble with my St. Augustine grass over the years. A neighbor has a good lawn of Bahia grass that seems trouble-free. Do you have any comments, Kent Williams, Fort Lauderdale
A. Bahia is more drought tolerant and doesn’t like a lot of water. It does well in sun and has a finer texture than St. Augustine grass. But it does have some problems. It does not make as thick a turf as St. Augustine, and it has poor shade tolerance, so use groundcovers in shady areas. Also, it tends to attract mole crickets.
Q. Where can I obtain osage orange seeds or plants? Harry Gray, Deerfield Beach
A. The tree does not appear to be for sale in Florida, according to several wholesale source guides. It will not grow here in South Florida because we do not have enough of the winter chill period that it requires.
Osage orange trees are native to the Mid-western states of Oklahoma, eastern Texas, northern Mississippi and Arkansas. They grow well in clay bottomlands and are sometimes seen in northern Florida. This thorny tree is very tough and grows to 60 feet in height. Female trees produce the osage oranges, which are about 5 inches in diameter and green with a bumpy skin.
Q. My Page orange has died back over two-thirds since last year. I do not water the tree. It blew over in Andrew and is propped up. It did fine last year. Also, what is wrong with the leaves on my potted plant?_ Jerry Gray, Sunrise
A. The root system appears to be weak, and you need to restore energy to the tree. Remove all fruit and cut off any dead wood. Fertilize with citrus fertilizer in March, June and October. Keep the weed wacker away from the tree.
Try spraying your potted plant with some Safer’s insecticidal soap; it may have some sucking insects.
Q. Enclosed are some pictures of our potted plant. It produced a cluster of flowers on a long stem. What is it? The Rosses, Lighthouse Point
A. Your plant is a hoya. The plants develop into vines with the strange flowers. Some hoyas are fragrant and all are conversation pieces. It is not fussy as to culture with monthly feeding and occasional watering. Keep the plant on the dry side. You may provide a trellis so the plant can start to climb.
Q. My lady palm is growing in a shady area but develops brown tips on the leaves. What is wrong?_ Caryl Eller, Boca Raton
A. Your palm has a fungal problem. Water in the morning only, no more than twice a week. Spray with Daconil following label directions and repeat the treatment in 10 days. That should help to clear the problem up for you. I am assuming the plant is growing in the ground and not in a container.
