Dear Neil: What would cause a white, sticky substance to be oozing out of the dying branches of my 16-year-old globe willow? I’ve started watering it more heavily. What more can I do?
Answer: That is
Dear Neil: What would cause a white, sticky substance to be oozing out of the dying branches of my 16-year-old globe willow? I’ve started watering it more heavily. What more can I do?
Answer: That is a very, very old globe willow. From a lifetime of watching them grow, then pass on, I normally quote their life expectancy to be more like 8 or 10 years. So, old age and loss of vigor have contributed. It sounds like perhaps a bacterial infection such as wetwood. It probably also has a community of cottonwood borers living in it. Were it my tree, I’d probably be looking for a replacement this fall. I’m sorry for the bleak nature of my reply, but I’ve always found it’s best to be honest and not overly encouraging when I’ve felt the necessity.
Dear Neil: This plant has been growing in South Texas for 55 years, and it has never produced a cone. Is it Bunya Bunya?
Answer: From just the small twig sample, it does appear to be from a Bunya Bunya tree (Araucaria bidwillii). Sisters to Norfolk Island pines, these are amazing trees. Their sharp leaves and unusual growth habit add a lot of drama to their surroundings. As you probably know, their cones are as large as bowling balls, and they weigh almost as much. You and others who might sit beneath your tree may be grateful that it doesn’t seem to want to produce cones.
Dear Neil: I have a gerbera daisy that has been growing in a large pot for two years. It blooms well (dark red), but it wilts very badly. Its leaves are very pale, almost white. What might I do to correct the leaf color?
Answer: That sounds like it may be getting too much sunlight, or it may need nitrogen. The plant food you mentioned should help. Just be sure you have a type that is very high in a water-soluble form of nitrogen (first number of the analysis). Follow the mixing directions, and apply a diluted feeding each time that you water it. It would probably benefit from shade from noon until 5 until it turns cooler.
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