Watching for Rose Mosaic Virus

Watching for Rose Mosaic Virus

Variegated foliage in roses is not a good thing.   While yellow and green patterning of leaf tissue can indicate the presence of a fungal disease, sometimes it can also signal that a virus condition is at work.  The viral disease commonly known as “Rose Mosaic” is a...
Summer Gardening Questions

Summer Gardening Questions

Q:  There are many small dead branches in my Bradford pear.  What is causing it and what can I do about it? A:  That’s fireblight, a common bacterial disease that affects members of the rose family.  It’s spread by splashing water and wet springs exacerbate it. ...
Producing Pumpkins in East Texas

Producing Pumpkins in East Texas

Despite heat and drought, the “fall” vegetable season begins in July, with the planting of tomato transplants (if you can find them) and pumpkin seeds. Growing pumpkins here is not for the faint of heart, but what would Halloween be without them? There are several...
Sunscald on Newly Planted Trees

Sunscald on Newly Planted Trees

Scorching temperatures occur every summer in Texas and can cause ugly scars on young smooth tree trunks. Sunscald is a physiological disorder that occurs on the lower part of the trunk on the southwest side, typically on young trees. Thin-barked trees such as red...
Beware of Periwinkle Blight

Beware of Periwinkle Blight

Periwinkle blight (aerial phytophthora) is caused by the fungus Phytophthora parasitica. It’s the number one disease problem for annual vinca or periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) and can persist in the soil for several years. Sadly, it’s almost always caused by folks...