Anne Clapp: It is safe to spray for black spot when there are flowers on the plant. I use the Fertilome disease spray or the Bayer All-in-One for roses and flowering plants for blackspot on my roses.

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Question: I have grass growing up in my phlox and I need something that I can spray on it to kill the grass but not the phlox. Do you know what I can use? Thank You, Brittany N.

Anne Clapp: Sometimes herbicides labeled as grass killers can be sprayed over ornamental plants but you need to be sure the label says it is safe to use on your phlox. I prefer to hand weed to clean out the weed problems in my flower beds.

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Question: Hello Anne, I Live in Wayne County, NC and would like to try my hand at planting some upside down tomato plants. Could you recommend a type of plant container. Have thought of using 5 gal plastic buckets but they might get too hot. Thanks!

Anne Clapp: I tried it and it didn't work well for me. The plants wanted to grow with their heads in the air so they kept trying to get upright. The branches broke off when the tomatoes got heavy enough to pull the vines back down. I think it works if you use some of the small bush tomatoes.

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Question: Ms. Clapp - My extended family and I so enjoy your segments on News 14 and on your radio show. We greatly value your advice.

My husband and I are new to gardening and we do a lot of hitting and missing. Last year we had a garden that was fruitful but tasteless. This year, we built a raised bed and got a load of leaf mulch from Wake County to fill the raised bed. It was not until after we'd done that that I began to worry about the Ph and other problems that might cause.

Therefore, I have 2 questions:
1. How can we make sure our next harvest has taste?
2. Is it okay to grow our garden in partially decomposed leaf mulch or should we make amendments to it?

Can you give us some guidance. We aren't afraid of hard work, but we don't have much money, so I hope the solution isn't costly. Thank you in advance for any help you can give us. Sincerely, Sara in Raleigh

Anne Clapp: I usually add dolomitic lime to the garden when I add a lot of leaf mulch and till the leaf mulch into the existing soil to a depth of at least 10 inches. The use of just leaf mulch to make a garden is a structural problem, not a chemical one. It is hard to get a sturdy root system to hold up plants loaded with produce. Vine plants that sprawl on the ground should be OK.

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Question: Hello Anne, I have a 30 day old mature Ligustrum about 10 feet high, it looked fine when they planted it but now it's looking droopy and the leaves are no longer dark green, but a yellow green. I have been watering it every day in the beginning then every 2 or 3 days, I put no fertilizer on the plant yet but it's not looking good. There is clay in the soil and this particular area seems to retain water. Am I over watering it? Will it die? I hope not. What can I do??? I live in Northern Florida just south of Ocala. Thanks for you help.

Anne Clapp: I think you may have over watered the ligustrum. Let it dry out. Ligustrum are very hardy plants but they do not like wet feet. You might check with the people who planted it for you to see if they have any suggestions.

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Question: Dear Anne, I just re-potted my outdoor (I live in Southern California) gardenia plant 1 wk ago, gave it 15-30-15 fertilizer, and moved it to a sunnier location because it was not growing very well. Now it leaves are turning a dark brown (see pictures) and the stem is cracking with a green underneath (also see pic) (this was occurring before the replanting), although I do have many new buds. What should I do? Please help.

Anne Clapp: I think you may have used too much fertilizer. When I repot I wait until I see signs of new growth before I fertilize the plant. Since the plant is in a pot you may try to water the plant and flush some of the excess fertilizer out of the soil. Don't let the plant stand in water.

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Question: Good Morning Anne ! I wonder if you know what could be wrong with my otto luykens. It is busy making fresh new green leaves, at the same time just about every other leaf on the bush seems to be dying – they are turning a yellowy-browny colour and look not at all happy. Our soil is sandy, when I planted the Otto I dug in a bunch of compost and old horse manure. I have fed with Hollytone recently. Drainage is good.

Anne Clapp: Could there be a lot of old foliage on the plant that is falling off as a natural leaf drop? I often see as much as half the leaves drop – especially if there has been a drought. Could the manure still be too “hot”? The symptoms don't coincide with the diseases that seem to affect cherry laurels.

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Question: Anne, What can I use to kill poanna in my yard? It is about to take over. I have centerpede currently, or I use to have! Sherrell and Joanne

Anne Clapp: Poa annua is an annual blue grass. It will die out fairly quickly this season without using a weed killer. In the fall you may want to use a pre-emergent weed killer to keep the poa from germinating next winter. Make sure the product you use is labeled for use on centipede.

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Question: Hi Anne: My husband put out Turflan to control Bermuda in our Fescue grass. Unfortunately he got too close to our Avocado tree and the new growth in the bottom half of the tree was affected--curling up. Is the tree salvageable? If so what would be our best treatment? Also, there are approximately a dozen avocados still on the tree. Are they safe to eat? Thanks a million! -Margaret

Anne Clapp: I have not seen any information on the effects of Turflan ester on avocados. The product is made in California so I would check the label to see if there is an address or telephone number to contact the manufacturer. The California cooperative extension service may be able to answer the question for you as well.

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Question: Hello, I have Bradford pear trees. I have noticed small holes in the trunks of the trees. What kind of insect is eating my trees, and how can I take care of this problem?

Anne Clapp: There is a sinuate pear borer that causes such damage in pear trees. Keeping the plants watered and fertilized is recommended as the first defense. There are sprays that can be put on the trunk to kill the insects. Check with your local agricultural agent at the cooperative extension office to see what is recommended in your area.

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Question: Hi Anne, I live in southern DE and it has been very dry up until this past weekend. I have been watering my new shrubs every day one seems to be doing great but the other spring viburnum looks sick. The leaves are turning yellow with a hint of reddish brown and now they are starting to fall off. Also how long should the little white flowers last because they are gone too. The one that is doing well seems to be getting new flowers but not the sick one? What would you recommend me to do? Thank you, Tracy

Anne Clapp: You may be watering the plants too much as the symptoms you describe are similar to those for root rot diseases in viburnum. Most newly planted shrubs need light watering two or three times a week for the first month they are in the ground but survive quite nicely on a weekly soaking through their first summer in the ground. When Mother Nature doesn't provide the rain for a good soaking they do need watering on a weekly basis. I would did up the sickly one to see what condition the roots are in. If they look healthy the plant may be planted too deeply in the ground.

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Question: I have a wisteria bush about 30 years old, bloomed profusely last year. This year looks dead. Did have three blooms and that is all. Is this a normal or what can I do to try and save it? Thank You. Anna B.

Anne Clapp: It doesn't sound normal as most wisteria in the Raleigh area bloomed profusely this year. If the plant has not been pruned you may want to prune it. Don't fertilize the plant as excess nitrogen may produce more new plant growth than needed and reduce the blooms on the plant.

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Question: I have a gardenia plant that is covered with small bubbly things, like little lice ? What is it and what should I do? I live in South Florida. I have 2 crepe myrtle trees planted last September, (before the hurricanes hit) the trees have never bloomed. The leaves are coming in now, but I find black spots on the underside of the leaves, but no visible aphids. The leaf edges also look to be chewed up, not curled, just chewed. The only bug I found was a white beetle type thing with black spots, that flies. Not red, it's very white with pale black spots. What should I treat first and how do I treat and when will I get flowers? Thanks, Janet

Anne Clapp: I think the problem on the gardenia is whiteflies.– Sometimes you can cure the problem with just a blast of water from a hose to wash the insects off. Insecticidal soap applied to the underside of the leaves helps and so does malathion.

There is a black spot Cercospora fungus that affects crepemyrtles in Florida. People sometimes spray the plant during the winter with a lime sulfur spray to take care of overwintering fungal diseases. There are several beetles that will chew the foliage at night so the white one you saw may be doing the damage. Sevin insecticide will usually kill most beetle type insects.

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Question: Hello Anne, I am writing from Myrtle Beach South Carolina. I have a large crape myrtle at the edge of my parking lot and would like to trim it up a bit. Can you give me some help because I don't want to hurt it. It is so pretty when it blooms. Thank you for your time. Roy M.

Anne Clapp: The rule from most crepe myrtle experts is to remove growth from a crepe myrtle that is smaller in diameter than a pencil. Anything smaller than that is usually not strong enough to support a large bloom pod. The plant may be pruned until May 1 without affecting the blooms for this year.