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Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

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Thursday - October 15, 2015

From: elgin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Problem Plants, Trees
Title: Removing Persimmon plants from the base of Live oaks
Answered by: Guy Thompson

QUESTION:

I live in Bastrop county and have hundreds of Texas wild persimmons at the base of my huge oak trees. Should I cut some of them? I am worried they are taking up water my oaks need. I like them but don't want them to damage my iaks. thanks

ANSWER:

Diospyros texana (Texas persimmon) is a tough native that can survive drought very well.  The large number that you seem to have growing under your oaks (Quercus fusiformis (Escarpment live oak),I presume), could provide a serious drain on the water that otherwise would be available to the oaks. I would advise you to remove all of these persimmons except for a few that you might like to keep for esthetic reasons.  A further step that would help the oaks would be to cover the area around the base of the trees out as far as the drip-line with mulch about two inches deep.  The mulch reduces loss of soil moisture due to evaporation.  Live oaks are themselves quite drought-resistant. Unless our drought becomes much more prolonged they should survive with little damage.
 

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