Q: Do you know where I can buy an evergreen crepe myrtle in the Atlanta area? Mike Sherberger, email
A: The crape myrtles we grow in the South are deciduous: They lose their leaves every year. Southern crape myrtles are typically Lagerstromea indica and Lagerstromea faurii hybrids, which have been bred to get the many sizes and colors we enjoy. But further afield there exists Lagerstromea speciosa, known as queen crape myrtle, giant crape myrtle, or banabá. It originates in India and can be grown in any similar climate: perhaps southern Florida, southern California and Hawaii, but not here. It has colorful flowers and striking white bark. If you're looking for beauty plus screening, any good independent garden center can give you several options.
Q: We have two large redbuds. One is in serious trouble due to ambrosia beetles; I sprayed it in late April with insecticide. Now I notice the other has "sawdust toothpicks." Would a systemic treatment help? Carey Mitchell, email
A: Sad to say, there are no systemic insecticides that will kill Asian ambrosia beetles once they are in a tree. The insects are simply too deep for surface or systemic insecticides to hurt them. I have details on homeowner preventative sprays and making a monitoring trap at bit.ly/ambrosiab.
Q: In spring, I planted some arborvitae and other shrubs but stopped for the summer months. I have noticed nurseries having great sales on perennials, shrubs, trees, etc. Can I buy plants now, keep them in the containers in my yard until fall planting time? Dione Johnson, Jefferson County
A: Yes, you could try, but watering the plants in containers would be more work than planting them in the ground and watering as needed in summer. In either case your goal for new plants is to keep the soil moist but not soggy. If you aren't planning a vacation, planting in summer is fine.
Q: We are investigating the replacement of our Bermuda grass with zoysia or a more shade-tolerant Bermuda. Large areas of our yard are partially shady. Can you recommend which grass is considered the best for this? Cliff Bowers, Snellville
A: In my view there are few ways to predict the success of turfgrass installed in a "partially shady" location. The total daily sunlight that reaches the grass is a key factor but landscapers have few ways to measure this. Much depends on their experience. Pine tree shade differs a great deal from oak tree shade. In addition, proper soil preparation, including lime and starter fertilizer, has a huge effect on success. TifGrand Bermuda grass and Zeon zoysia grass can tolerate some amount of shade, but how much shade is hard to determine beforehand. I'd go with a contractor who offers the best guarantee, preferably one that lasts more than twelve months. Of course this assumes you care for the grass appropriately in the meantime.
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