Q: Will the seeds that are produced in Gold Star esperanza pods grow into more plants?

A: Yes, they will be esperanza plants (Tecoma stans), but they won't be the 'Gold Star' selection, a Texas Superstar plant. The seedlings won't necessarily flower from late spring until frost like the 'Gold Star.'

To cultivate another of the reliable selections, you can root cuttings from your proven plant.

Q: This past summer, my St. Augustine lawn started browning and dying in patches. It eventually spread to cover half the lawn. Watering didn't help. Was it the drought or something else?

A: If watering didn't help, it was something else, likely chinch bugs. They always show up in the hottest, sunniest part of the lawn, and the grass will appear dry. Even with deep watering, the grass looks worse.

You probably will see them in the same areas next summer. Nurseries have insecticides that will eliminate chinch bugs. The bugs will kill St. Augustine, so you might need to resod some areas in spring.

Q: Is it possible to rototill leaves directly into our garden? We have sandy soil and want it to hold water better.

A: Assuming they're not extremely fibrous, such as oak, magnolia, loquat and sycamore leaves, they would be fine. Even those can be used if you shred them with a mower.

You shouldn't incorporate more than 1 inch of leaves in a season. Excessive amounts risk tying up available nitrogen sources to the plant roots. Add several types of organic matter that will decompose. Medium-release materials such as compost work for a year or so. Materials that break down more slowly, such as Canadian peat moss and fine pine bark mulch, will last two to three years.

Q: Is there a grass I can plant from seed that looks like St. Augustine? I don't like Bermuda grass and the other grasses landscapers are planting in home lawns now.

A: That doesn't give us much working room. Let's go through the list. Bermuda is out of consideration, due to your choices. St. Augustine is grown from sod or plugs. Zoysias (the ones a person might want) are grown from sod or plugs. Buffalo grass is grown from sod or plugs. It can be seeded, but you won't get a superior stand. Plus, Bermuda invades buffalo grass. Centipede requires sandy soil. While it can be grown from seed, most people probably would prefer St. Augustine. Fescue needs a cool climate to thrive. We're out of choices. I'd go with St. Augustine, and I'd grow my own grass plugs. You can have your lawn covered completely within one growing season for not too much money.
