Q. My elephant ears are chewed up. What could be doing the damage? — Patricia Agramonte, Tamarac
A. The most likely candidates are caterpillars, weevils and beetles. Try some Bayer’s Advanced Tree and Shrub Care for control.
Q. Can breadfruit grow in South Florida? Where can I buy one? — R. Maldonado, Pembroke Pines
A. Breadfruit will grow in Key West, where there is no recorded frost. It will not grow here for extended periods due to the possibility of frost/freeze. Western locations, such as your home in Pembroke Pines, are much colder than sections along the ocean.
Q. Our desert rose has white spots on the leaves. What should we do? — Marcel Aubin, Plantation
A. Your desert rose has scale. Try organic products such as Safer’s Insecticidial Soap or Organocide. Cover the plant thoroughly and re-treat in 10 days to kill hatching eggs.
Q. When should plants be watered? I have orchids and spider plants. — Carol Owens, Hollywood
A. Plants watered in the evening can suffer from fungal leaf spots. If you have a sprinkler system, set it for watering from 2-10 a.m. Pots should be hand-watered in the morning so the leaves dry off before evening.
Q. My oak tree has chewed leaves. Is this serious? I have had black flying insects with yellow stripes flying around the trees. The walls of our house have brown hairy cocoons on them. Do they cause any damage? — Gary Weider, Plantation
A. Oak leaves can be chewed by beetles, weevils and caterpillars. Normally, damage is not excessive so spraying is not necessary. The flying insects you describe could be bees or wasps, which should cause no harm. They will prey on the leaf chewers. The brown cocoons could be from the oleander caterpillar. If you have oleanders in your yard or in a neighbor’s yard, the caterpillars are sure to be there.
Q. What killed my orchid plants? Enclosed is a sample. — Rebecca Rappaport, Coconut Creek
A. Slugs and snails ate the foliage. Remove the orchids from their pots and tie to a tree with pantyhose. Fertilize with Peters 20-20-20 and they should grow back. Put them in a tree with dappled shade or give them to someone who can care for them.
Q. Can you identify the flower in the enclosed picture? It is now 5 feet tall. Betty Mosser, Delray Beach
A. The shrub is pink angel’s trumpet, which will grow to 10 to 12 feet. You should move it out to the fence line so it has room to grow properly. Transplant it now while there is plenty of rain.
Gardening question? Mail to: Robert Haehle, Home & Garden section, Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2293. Include your full name and address and a daytime telephone number. Please do not call or e-mail with gardening questions. Personal replies are not possible. Plants cannot be identified if you do not send a photograph; do not send printouts of digital photos. We may use the pictures to illustrate your question; photos cannot be returned. Or you can call in to Haehle’s “Garden Show” 6-9 a.m. Sundays on NewsRadio 610.
