Texas mountain laurel likely to grow much better with recent rains

Q: I have had two mountain laurel bushes for 15 years . Suddenly last fall, one dropped its leaves. The stems were green and it is starting to bloom and add some new leaves. The other bush had some white places, not sure if there was an aphid attack, I did not notice a lot of this white on the bad plant.

A: Texas mountain laurel (Calia secundiflora) are fairly tough plants and have only a few minor insect problems that may cause limited defoliation or distortion from feeding.

Losing all the leaves as you describe is likely some sort of environmental stress. Consider what irrigation your plants receive since that is a limiting factor for most plants. Dropping leaves and blossoms is a normal reaction to lack of water. Leaves are where water vapor leaves a plant so to reduce the amount of water escaping; the plant may drop its leaves. It’s good to see the leaves are growing back. It’s possible the plant will grow much better with all the rain we’ve had along with continued irrigation through the warmer months.

Q: I have been collecting compost material in my kitchen then burying it directly in my garden for several years. I didn’t plant a garden this year but still bury fruits and vegetables. This year I discovered what I think are grubs. How can I get rid of them?

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A: The grubs are in your soil because you made it so nice for them. These beetles do best in soil rich in organic matter because they feed on it and so the adult beetles will lay eggs where they find good soil or directly into compost piles. You can get rid of them if your garden is small and you don’t mind sifting through the dirt.

Q: I had some lower branches trimmed from my ponderosa pine in December. How long will it take for the sap to quit flowing?

A: Sap flowing from a tree wound is part of its defense system . The sap flow will continue until the vessels clog and the tree seals the wound. There is no need for anything to be applied. Applying something to the wound is not good for the tree. It used to be a common practice to paint pruning wounds but it turns out trees do a better job of sealing their own wounds and the paint sometimes hinders that process.