I have a ‘Simmonds’ avocado purchased about four to six years ago. It is healthy and I fertilize the tree on a regular basis. I have gotten six avocados since I planted the tree and they were on the lower branches. I recently removed the lower branches. I had 10 fruits this year but they fell off before maturing. I heard that the tree will produce fruit if stressed, like hitting the trunk with a chain or 2×4. Is this true? – Bob Adrian, Deerfield Beach
Some of the West Indian islanders claim that smacking the tree with a broom and talking bad to the tree will increase fruiting results. It may help but could injure the trunk. The ‘Simmonds’ is a West Indian avocado. It’s a morning bloomer and can produce heavy crops of fruit. Pollination is best achieved if afternoon blooming trees like ‘Hall,’ ‘Pollock’ or ‘Booth 8’ are planted. This would increase fruit yield immensely.
My hibiscus plants are healthy except for flower bud drop. The flower buds never open and appear to be cut off. What is causing this problem? – Bernice Ehrensall, Boca Raton
I suspect that thrips are causing the problem. I notice that my flowers drop off during the summer but flower when the dry season begins. The thrips are feeding inside the flowers. Bayer’s Tree and Shrub Care soil drench should clear up the problem. This product can last for 8-12 months and should be watered around the plant following label directions exactly.
My front bushes have brown leaves. The gardeners do not know what the problem is. I see tiny flies around the plants. Enclosed are leaves for you to look at. – Sandra Rubin, Delray Beach
The leaves look like they are from ‘Nora Grant’ Ixora. The problem could be whitefly, which is a sucking insect, or it may just be nutritional. I would fertilize the plants with palm fertilizer this month, which should improve growth. Whitefly are usually taken care of by nature.
We have 1- to 2-inch long centipedes in our yard. The population has grown since I first noticed them some years ago. They are brown and crusty and crunch when I step on them. I awoke the other night with a burning sensation on my arm. I turned on the light and found a centipede on my arm. Two weeks later I still have a brown outline of the centipede body on my skin. What can I do about this problem? – Steve Coleman, Fort Lauderdale
Millipedes are common in Florida and usually come to the surface when the conditions are very wet in the lawn. They will go to higher ground and may climb walls, enter houses or go anywhere above the water. Irrigation systems used during the summer often cause invasions. We have had wet weather until recently, and they may have come up due to the combination of heavy rain and irrigation used together. Tropical millipedes could cause the burning sensation you received. I would take samples to the Cooperative Extension Office in Davie (954-370-3725) for identification by the extension agent on duty. Yours could be an exotic species and entomologists would like to know about it.
What can I use to rid my yard of garden frogs? Nobody has any solutions. – Cheryl Newman, Boca Raton
The garden frogs you are talking about are probably the bufo toad. These toads get quite large and do some good by eating lots of insects and bugs. They only are active in the wet season and will burrow underground for the dry season from mid-October to late May. The big disadvantage is that they are poisonous. There is no chemical control available but many people just kill them when they see the toads.
Can you tell me if the tree in the photo is good on not? It is 5 feet tall and has a spindly trunk. It produces small yellow flowers and pods. The space is good for a small tree like a tabebuia if the tree is good. ? – B.E. Miller, Boynton Beach
The tree is Senna, formerly called Cassia. It is a small grower to 10-15 feet in height and needs full sun and good drainage. The plant needs a sheltered spot as wind can blow it over. This is a good small tree in the right spot.
I purchased a ‘Miineola’ tangelo and the tree is about 12 by 12 feet in size. It produced fruit this year but it is splitting from top to bottom, the skin is hard and leathery, and the inner fruit is trying to mature. Some leaves are chewed and some fruit has strange marks on the skin. What is wrong? – Rita Schwartz, Boca Raton
Splitting fruit usually indicates excess water. We had a very wet summer and western areas of the counties can get as much as 15 inches more rain than coastal sections. If your tree is irrigated, that would aggravate the problem. Trees receiving excess water develop foot rot and can eventually die. Trees should be watered no more than every two weeks in western sections during the dry season. Chewed leaves indicate thrips, and marks on the fruit usually indicate mites which only cause superficial cosmetic damage.
Write Robert Haehle, Home section, Sun Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL. 33301-2293 or e-mail . Include name, address and phone. Photos required for plant identification and cannot be returned.
