Queen of early-blooming shrubs, nothing says spring quite like azaleas. And, in case you haven’t been paying attention, azaleas can also say summer and fall, too, with the introduction of the popular reblooming Encore brand of azaleas. And while East Texas provides ideal climate and soil for growing these charming plants, azaleas can also have their share of problems. Azaleas prefer an evenly moist soil during the growing season. A well-drained soil, high in organic matter provided by compost and peat moss, are ideal conditions for growing azaleas…. Read More →

  Last week I got the first call I have been anticipating for several weeks now. The caller began to describe how the leaves on her ornamental or Bradford pear tree were turning black and the tree looked bad. After a few questions, I speculated it was a common disease called fire blight. A tour around town confirmed my initial diagnosis. Quite a few of the ornamental pear trees I observed have the tell-tale signs of fire blight. These signs include new leaves turning black or brown, new… Read More →