Q: What is this stuff on my Leyland cypress? It looks like someone spit all over it. — Denise Maddox, email
A: Have you ever blown through a straw into a glass or carton of milk? Remember the great bubbles that resulted? Your mother or teacher came by to tell you to stop being a nuisance. But sometimes bubbles can be useful.
In your case, several spittlebugs hatched from eggs deposited last year on your Leyland cypress. Each one chose a good spot to begin sucking sap from your tree. But their soft bodies had no protection from enemies, so they began blowing air into the sap they were sucking. The bubbles were enough to cover them and protect them from predators like spiders, yellow jackets and other wasps. They don’t really pose a problem to your Leyland cypress. You can wash them off with a strong stream of water from your hose.
Q: I just noticed my Christmas fern has developed bumps on some of the fronds. Would that be caused by a bug, a fungus or something else? — Carol Womack, email
A: Christmas fern is one of the toughest cookies in the woodland landscape. It usually does not suffer from any pest, including deer. One disease that it does get is Taphrina polystichi. It causes bumps similar to the ones you described as well as leaf curl. I feel certain that is what you’ve got. This disease loves shade and moisture so work to minimize both.
Trim away any leaves that are affected by the fungus. Use sterilized scissors when trimming to prevent the disease from spreading. If you decide to move it, make sure the fern has good air circulation by spacing it out from other plants as well as walls or corners. If you do these things, the bumps and leaf curl will gradually disappear.
Q: I found a spider on the washing machine in my laundry room. Its legs extended about the size of a half dollar. The body was yellowish brown. I am deathly afraid of insects. Do you think there could be a nest? — Lurline Hypolite, email
A: It’s probably a common house spider. They are completely harmless, although you might not believe that if you’re phobic to insects. I can state categorically there are no nests of a common house spider. To eliminate them, the best idea is to eliminate the insects they feed on. Seal the baseboards with a clear caulk, and look for ways they can get to your laundry room. House spiders commonly abandon places where they don’t find food.
Garden questions? Send them to Walter at georgiagardener@yahoo.com. Questions with good photos are preferred.
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