About Mary Kay Pope

Mary Kay is an asset to Backbone and a wealth of knowledge! Many customers come in and ask for her by name for all their plant questions. It's no wonder why, as Mary Kay has 47 years of experience in the horticulture field. She holds a B.S. in Horticulture from Ohio State University, a TMCNP and a TCLP from Texas Association of Nurserymen, a Specialist in Urban Trees Certification from Texas A&M, and is a Certified Arborist.

Corn Gluten as a Pre-emergent

Corn Gluten Meal is a by-product of the corn milling process.  It is an Organic alternative to chemical pre-emergent, and doubles as a slow-release Nitrogen source with about 10% N by weight. It is the best choice if you live near the lake or other water source. Again, timing is critical in order to realize the best results possible. With corn gluten meal, the wet/dry period must be managed carefully, AND, the product must also be applied BEFORE the weed emerges from the seed! Corn gluten meal works by inhibiting root formation [...]

By |2023-10-02T11:27:55-05:00October 2nd, 2023|Lawn Care|
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Elaeagnus species

Elaeagnus species (aka Silverberry)     This 10’ x 10’ sprawling evergreen shrub is easily kept pruned to maintain size and shape. It is often grown as a hedge or barrier. Grow this large shrub in full sun, part sun or light shade. It requires regular irrigation to establish but survives on weekly watering even in the hot summers.         Fragrant, creamy-white flowers appear in the fall and are followed by small brownish-red edible fruit which ripens in the spring. Elaeagnus is fairly deer resistant once established [...]

By |2023-10-02T11:03:15-05:00October 2nd, 2023|Uncategorized|
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Tropical Pitcher Plants

Tropical Pitcher Plant Nepenthes alata x ventricosa   The Tropical Pitcher Plant, also known as Monkey Cup, is a Carnivorous plant that is native to the Philippines. It is one of the easiest Pitcher Plants to grow and is great for beginners just starting their carnivorous plant collections. This Pitcher Plant grows 8” long red pendulous cups which are uniform at the top and bulbous at the base. The cups produce enzymes that will digest any insect that might enter. The inside of the cups has hairs that are oriented [...]

By |2023-10-02T10:35:50-05:00October 2nd, 2023|Plants, Houseplants|
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Fascinating Fasciation

Plants are always a wonder to me. They come in so many different forms and shapes and colors. As with most living things, they have mutations that occur either spontaneously or as a reaction to an outside agent. Fasciation is one of the most interesting of these mutations that occurs when the tissues in the growing point of the part of the plant called the apical meristem mutates. Fasciation, or cresting as it is sometimes known, can happen in stems, flower heads, fruit, or roots. The causes include viral, bacterial, [...]

By |2023-07-18T15:16:25-05:00July 18th, 2023|Plants, Trees|
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Strawberry Growing in Central Texas

Growing Strawberries in Central Texas Strawberries may be successfully grown in the home garden in Central Texas if care is taken to give them the right growing conditions. Strawberries require at least 6 hours of direct sun and must have a well-drained soil. They will do best in a slightly acidic sandy loam, so if you have any other type of soil you should consider growing them in raised beds or containers.   Raised Beds are a good option for us in Central Texas, as most of us do not [...]

By |2023-06-20T13:51:29-05:00June 20th, 2023|Fruit & Nuts|
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What to do When Plants Wilt

*If the plants are in the ground and the soil is moist, it is likely transpirational wilt. Check the soil moisture first, and if it is wet,  your plant is likely experiencing  "transpirational wilt". This occurs when the plant cannot take up water fast enough to replace the moisture loss in the leaves. This often occurs in high temperatures or windy conditions. You can spray down the leaves with water several times a day to raise the humidity and decrease moisture loss from the leaves. There is no need to [...]

By |2023-06-20T10:41:32-05:00June 20th, 2023|Plants, Trees|
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Rapid Decline of Post Oaks in Texas

I first became aware of this Decline of Post Oaks when visiting a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension booth at an annual trade show several years ago. I had been aware of how the severe drought in 2011 was continuing to plague our trees even more than a decade later, but had not heard of the Post Oak Decline. The incidence of Rapid Decline began in earnest after the severe drought of 2016. Since then I have experienced first hand the devastation this has caused to so many stately old trees.  [...]

By |2023-06-13T15:29:15-05:00June 13th, 2023|Trees, Disease|
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Do Not Allow Grass to Grow Up to the Trunk of a Tree

There are several reasons why you should keep the grass back from the trunks of your trees.        String-trimmer damage to tree trunks is not reversible. Period. The vascular system that is damaged does not repair itself or re-grow after it has been damaged. Trees may show varying amounts of stress from string-trimmer damage, and the wound is a perfect place for disease organisms to enter the tree.             If grass has grown into the mulch ring around your tree, DO NOT USE [...]

By |2023-06-06T16:09:35-05:00June 6th, 2023|Trees|
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Yucca Plant Bugs

Are your Yucca plants looking tired?   Are the leaves lighter in color than usual? If so, they might be infested with Yucca Plant Bugs. These relatives of Stink Bugs and Leaf-footed Bugs have piercing-sucking mouth parts. They feed on the plant by extracting juices from the leaves. The leaf will appear "stippled" with tiny light colored dots. You may see black specks on the leaves, which are the feces of the bug.         Yucca Plant Bugs overwinter as fertilized eggs that have been placed inside the [...]

By |2023-04-17T12:02:53-05:00April 17th, 2023|Insects|
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Weeds: Winter Annuals

  Henbit   (Lamium amplexicaule) is a cool season, ANNUAL broadleaf weed with square stems and pink to purple flowers. It is mostly noticed in the early spring after it has had a chance to grow all winter in the lawn and then begins to bloom. These blooms produce seed which will lay dormant over the hot summer, then begin to germinate in the fall as the temperatures cool. The plant itself dies completely in hot temperatures and does not come back from the roots.  Products labeled for pre-emergent control of [...]

By |2024-10-06T10:01:16-05:00February 27th, 2023|Lawn Care|
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How to Check for Spider Mites On Evergreens

CHECK FOR SPIDER MITES EARLY!!!!!!     Don't wait for your Italian Cypress or other evergreens to turn gray, then completely brown before determining if they have spider mites. By then it will be too late. This is one pest that you want to stay ahead of. If you wait until you see the symptoms, it will likely be too hot to spray. The best time to treat for spider mites on Italian Cypress or other evergreens is in February.              Even if your Cypress [...]

By |2023-02-12T09:08:01-06:00February 12th, 2023|Insects|
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Are Epsom Salts Good for Plants?

Myth:    Epsom Salts are a good fertilizer and will promote blooms, make tomatoes and peppers more productive and are a general “cure-all” for the garden. Fact:    Epsom salts contain magnesium sulfate (MgSO4), a very simple chemical consisting of magnesium, water and sulfur. Magnesium is one of the minor elements which plants need to grow, and it is rarely deficient in soils in Central Texas. It may be deficient in a sandy, acidic soil, but we don’t have to worry about that here!  A soil test will confirm if the soil [...]

By |2023-02-28T08:25:13-06:00February 1st, 2023|Lawn Care, Vegetable Gardening|
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