 I received a beautiful potted Amaryllis as a holiday gift. When it stops
blooming, can I plant it outside?
 Amaryllis bulbs are a holiday tradition all across the U.S., but here they are
also an easy perennial to grow in the landscape. When planted in the landscape
they will bloom in the spring, with some varieties occasionally reblooming in
the fall. It is up to you whether you plant them immediately after Christmas or
continue growing and feeding them in the container until it warms up outside.
After blooms have faded, cut the bloom stalks back to about 2 inches and
fertilize regularly. Feeding after blooming is critical because it is at this
point when the bulb begins storing reserve carbohydrates for next year
’s blooms. Slow release fertilizers are easiest, but at least one supplemental
feeding with a water soluble high-phosphorous fertilizer is greatly beneficial
if you are keeping it in the container for a while. Amaryllis that are forced
to bloom for the holidays get thrown off their natural cycle. A regimented
fertilization schedule gives you the best chance of them blooming the first
year in the ground. If you don
’t mind the possibility of waiting another season for blooms, just plant the
bulbs and let them establish on their own. Plant the bulb with the
“neck” above the soil level in at least partial sun for best performance.
 When is the best time to prune my Live Oaks?
 There is growing concern in Texas about the spread of a fungal disease called
Oak Wilt. It has killed many native oaks in the Texas Hill Country and
continues to spread. Don
’t let this scare you; arborists in Houston have been talking about the spread of
Oak Wilt for years and it has not yet become a major issue in the immediate
area. But it is something we should be aware of considering there has been at
least one confirmed case of Oak Wilt in Harris County. In Live Oaks, the
disease is spread through root
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grafts in large stands of the trees or in the case of the home landscape,
through insect vectors. The best time to prune an oak tree in Texas is during
the winter when the beetle vectoring the disease is inactive. Pruning should be
avoided from February through June. Regardless of when the pruning is done, the
Texas Forest Service and Houston Area Urban Forestry Council both recommend you
immediately paint the wound with a light colored pruning sealer. I do not
recommend the use of pruning sealers in most cases, but in the case of oak
trees, it helps reduce both the amount and scent of the sap coming from the
pruning wound. It is the scent of the sap that attracts the beetle vectoring
Oak Wilt. It is also important to make proper pruning cuts to help the tree
heal more efficiently. Avoid making flush cuts or cuts that leave stubs. Proper
cuts are those made at an angle close to the main branch or trunk (as
pictured), allowing the bark from the branch bark ridge and branch collar to
cover and seal the wound naturally.
 I know you should prune Azaleas after they bloom, but what about “Encore” Azaleas? Since they rebloom, can I prune them now?
 If you prune now, you’ll be removing the growth, which will produce your spring blooms. EncoreTM Azaleas should be pruned immediately after spring blooming, just like other
Azaleas. This is also when you should fertilize with Azalea food and replenish
mulch as needed. Most of the Encore Azalea cultivars need very little pruning,
but if you need to shape the plant, you may safely prune off about 1/3 of the
overall size. If your Encore Azalea cultivar has a summer bloom cycle you may
do some additional light shaping if needed after summer bloom, but I would not
prune after the end of July because you will be removing developing flower buds
for fall and spring.
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I have an invasive vine that has taken over my landscape in the past year. It
started on the other side of my property line and has now overtaken flower beds
and even started choking out my trees. I had a landscaper remove it from the
trees but it came back quickly. Can you identify this weed and tell me how to
get rid of it?
Your vine is Dioscorea bulbifera. Its common name is air potato. Unfortunately, you’ve got a very invasive and hard to control weed. It is capable of growing 8
inches every day and spreads both by underground tubers and the brown bulbils (
“potatoes”) on the top growth. The only way to control this vine is with discipline and
determination. It will take multiple herbicide applications before it is killed
completely. Start by again having the vine cut out of any trees in which it is
growing because there is no way to spray the vine on the tree without damaging
the tree. During this process, try to pick up all of the bulbils that may fall
off the vine as it
’s removed. Any that are left around will sprout new plants and should especially
be kept away from areas where it could be spread by the lawn mower. Ideally all
vines will be cut to within about a foot from the ground.
