Click here to Ask Steve a gardening, plant or nature question (don't forget to tell us where you live!) We can't answer them all, but we'll do the best we can and share the answers with other Floridata visitors in this column.
From Candace on September 22, 2006
Hi Steve,
I'm writing for my mother-in-law in Brevard County, FL. Every few day she is finding one or two Brahmany (sp?) Blind snakes 4-5" long in her house. The count is up to 15. Do you have any comments about them for her?
Thanks.
Meet Florida's smallest snake, Rhamphotyphlops braminus, the Brahiminy blind snake.
Candace, your mother-in-law is finding Brahminy blind snakes, Rhamphotyphlops braminus. This is a small, to 6 in (15 cm), wiry little snake with a tail end almost as blunt as the head end. The Brahminy blind snake is the most widespread terrestrial snake species in the world, probably originating in Asia, but now occurring everywhere in tropical and subtropical climates. They get moved around in potted plants by people, and are sometimes called "flower pot snakes." The Brahminy blind snake is a parthenogenetic, all-female species. There are no males. (The ultimate in evolution, you say?) Without fertilization, the female snakes produce up to eight identical offspring. Blind snakes have been known from Florida since 1979, and are now known to occur in eleven Florida counties and counting. The Brahminy blind snake eats the larvae, eggs and pupae of termites and ants. They are sometimes found in large numbers where they burrow in leaf litter and soil under debris, potted plants, rotting logs, leaves, and trash. Sometimes they are flooded up on sidewalks after a rain.
Thanks for asking!
Steve C.
From Ivan on September 22, 2006
Hi, Steve, We have a lantana in an old coal bucket on our patio. It has lots of seeds on it. Can I plant some of them and grow my own plants to set out next spring. We are due for a killing frost any time. How do I cure the seeds and when do I plant them? Thanks a lot for your help.
Ivan, you need to be sure the seeds are good and dry so they won't rot before storing them away in a cool, dry place (a refrigerator works). I would suggest starting them in February or so in Dixie cups or something like that, 1 or 2 seeds per cup/pot. Once they start coming up you need to be sure they are in bright light until you can set them outside in spring. See Floridata's article about starting tomato and pepper plants from seed on the Articles and Resources page.
You can start your lantana seeds the same way.
Good luck.
Steve C.
From Chuck on September 19, 2006
I have a two year old sweet gum tree and I need to know what would be the best time to cut off about 6 or 7 lower branches as they hit me in the face when I am mowing. Please advise. Thank You. Chuck
Chuck, you can cut off those branches any time. If you cut them off at the branch collar, close to, but not right on the trunk, it will not induce new growth. (New growth is tender to frost and would not be desirable right before winter.) Be careful the cut does not cause bark to peel off the trunk when the branch falls away. Make a preliminary cut out away from the trunk before cutting up close if necessary. The tree will not need any wound dressing.
Check out the Pruning Primer on Floridata's Articles and Resources page. It's slanted toward pruning flowering trees and shrubs, but still useful for your project.
Good luck.
Steve C.
From Barbara on September 16, 2006
I live in Michigan and have beautiful caladiums. We use them as annuals here. I'd like to learn how to store the bulbs over the winter to save $$ and see my lovely beauties again.
Barbara, it may not be possible to overwinter your caladium bulbs in Michigan because they might not have a long enough growing season to build up enough carbohydrate reserves to resprout the next spring. But you can try. Dig up the bulbs after the leaves die back and before the first freeze; brush off most of the soil; let them dry in a shady, warm, dry area for a week or ten days; then store them in dry peat moss or vermiculate, in the dark, at 50-60 F.
Good luck.
Steve C.
From Carol on September 12, 2006
I was given a climbing plant and told that its name is "quisqualis". I have searched, using several different spellings, but cannot find a listing for this plant. I live in Tampa.
Carol,
Quisqualis indica, Rangoon creeper, is a climbing shrub native to Burma, New Guinea, the Malay Peninsula, and the Philippines. It has fragrant drooping flowers with white petals and green tubes. The petals age to pink and red. It is a very tropical plant, listed for zone 10b, but might survive in the Tampa area, especially if protected during cold spells. Good luck with this rare beauty!
Steve C.
From James on September 8, 2006
I live in Gainesville and have an approx. 1/3 acre
sinkhole that has filled with water. The water level varies with the season/rainfall. I would like to plant a privacy hedge across one side, approx. 100 feet. The site has a water level of 2-4 feet, but can vary from a few inches to several feet. I want a thick, compact hedge if possible. I am considering Cypress trees, but I am hoping to find
something that would grow more tightly together. I would like the height to be a minimum of 8-10 feet, with no maximum height. I have read that bamboo will not grow in standing water, but something similar would seem to be ideal. Do you have any suggestions or references I could pursue? Thank you. James
James, I don't know of any plant that would be better for your situation than bald-cypress (Taxodium distichum) or pond-cypress (T. ascendens). Both are native species and the two are the only trees I know of that can survive long periods of flooding as deep as you need. They grow fast, too. Unfortunately, they are deciduous, losing their needles in winter. The cypresses will not germinate under water, but you can buy potted plants from local nurseries. In your area, I recommend Chiappini Native Nurseries in Melrose. Get a few dozen cypress trees and give them a try!
Good luck.
Steve C.
From Ross on September 6, 2006
Hi Steve, I'm trying to find the cultivar name for the large thorned (12 in.) native Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos). It's spreading and becoming a serious problem in Westerm Kentucky. I would be interested in any info or research on this particular culitvar you may know of. Thanks, Ross
Ross,
As far as I know, all the named cultivars of honeylocust are derived from the wild, thornless, Gleditsia triacanthos f. inermis. All these cultivars typically are thornless. (The f. stands for forma, indicating a phenotype that may appear anywhere within the range of the species.)
Take a look at Floridata's article on plant names.
The thorny honeylocusts generally are not cultivated, thus don't have cultivar names, and occur naturally throughout Kentucky. They are referred to simply as Gleditsia triacanthos. (No "f."; no "var.") Hope this helps. Happy Gardening!
Steve C.
From Marie G. on September 5, 2006
I have a question please. I would like to try and grow sea grapes, however I do not know what "air layering" is and "ground layering". What is the difference between the two? I know you can grow from seed, but can you plant the green sea grapes seeds or what color do they have to be to be planted?
I live in Cape Coral, FL and there are sea grapes all around us.
Thank you
Layering is a technique for propagating new plants by convincing a section of above-ground stem to start growing roots, and then cutting that section off below those new roots and planting it. For many kinds of trees and shrubs, you can force a section of stem to grow roots by peeling off some bark and burying it in the ground. You may have to hold it down with a brick. If there isn't a stem low enough to bury in the ground, then you can use air layering. With this technique, you peal a short section of stem, then wrap the wound with sphagnum moss or any organic material that will hold moisture, then enclose it in plastic wrap. In a few weeks, roots should develop.
But you know, Sally, you can buy sea grape (Coccolobo uvifera) plants in pots at any of hundreds of plant nurseries throughout South Florida. Your local Native Plant Society (http://www.fnps.org/) will probably get you some for free. You also can grow them from ripe (purple-brown) seeds, but that takes a lot longer.
I have a question regarding our variegated aucuba. I read that it is all but indestructible, but mine, although growing in a shady area, along with non variegated ones (they look great) is turning black. In spite of good watering, the leaves are drying out and get thin as paper, and black. The stems are doing same. I have been trimming the dead leaves and stems, but more are doing the same. I live on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and have well-maintained landscaping. Any idea why and what to do about it? I would be grateful for any information. I haven't been able to find anything on the Internet. Thanks!
Genevieve, your problem sounds like anthracnose, a fungus disease that affects many different kinds of plants, but seldom kills them. On aucuba, anthracnose causes black, greasy looking spots on the leaf edges, and especially along the leaf veins. The spots may acquire a bull's eye appearance as they get bigger. The leaves eventually turn all black and wilt. The remedy is to remove and destroy infected stems and leaves. Rake and remove fallen leaves from around the plant. Do not water from overhead - that helps spread the disease. Instead, water the ground around the plant and mulch well so water isn't splashed up on the foliage. When new growth emerges, spray it with Daconil or another fungicide with chlorothalonil. Be sure to follow the label directions! Good luck!
