Tag for questions asking how to look after trees.
20
votes
2answers
583 views
How can I revive a tree that's been stripped of bark?
I've got what I think is a cedar tree in my backyard that is missing most of its bark on one side from the ground to about 4' up. (Thanks to my puppy who is a shredding machine.) The branches next to ...
16
votes
2answers
688 views
Is staking young trees helpful or harmful?
I frequently see small trees staked with some support twine or rope, presumably to aid against strong winds.
However, I've heard or read somewhere that staking small trees can actually be harmful, ...
15
votes
5answers
3k views
Why do people paint some tree trunks white at the bottom?
I've seen trees with the lower trunks painted white in a number of places around the world but have never found a definite answer to why this is done. Some suggestions that I've heard are to make them ...
15
votes
2answers
521 views
How to prune lemon trees
I have a lemon tree that is 8 years old. I didn't water it enough during its first years, and as a result it's only 2 meters (6 feet) high. How and when should I prune my lemon tree to stimulate its ...
14
votes
3answers
402 views
Does fruit on fruit trees need to be thinned?
Do fruits need to be thinned on the tree? For example, I have a young Pomelo tree that's producing fruit for the first time. In order to get bigger, nicer fruit, should I be thinning the fruit? How is ...
14
votes
1answer
2k views
What is my citrus deficiency, based on leaf appearance? And how to treat?
In the images of my citrus below, you can see the leaves are paling towards the edges. What is the deficiency and how can I fix it? The soil is clay-dominated with some sand and coloured red, ...
12
votes
4answers
8k views
How far (on average) do tree roots extend out from the base of the tree?
I a looking to plot out my new garden site for next year and am wondering how far I need to be away from some nearby trees. The trees are a few different types (apple, oak, pine etc.) and anywhere ...
12
votes
3answers
3k views
How should a lemon tree with yellowing leaves, peeling bark, and small fruit be saved?
Our lovely lemon tree is in trouble... We live in Northern California. Starting mid-last summer our tree began yellowing.
We've called an arborist out to the house but the advice has been pretty ...
12
votes
3answers
675 views
Will a cedar tree grow new limbs?
I've got a cedar tree that divided into two smaller trees, and the previous owners tried to keep the twin trunks together by tying a rope around them. The rope eventually strangled one of the trunks, ...
12
votes
1answer
910 views
How do I care for potted apple seedlings over the winter?
On a whim, this spring, I planted several apple seeds in a large pot just to see if they would grow. Two seedlings have come up and are very healthy looking, despite being munched by deer, and the ...
11
votes
3answers
1k views
Will my avocado tree produce fruits in my non-tropical climate region?
I have successfully germinated an avocado seed and am now willing to bring it outside and plant it in the soil.
I live on the coast in Northern Portugal, so we never get negative temperatures. ...
10
votes
2answers
565 views
Paint dumping to kill tree stump, will it affect my nearby arborvitae or raspberries?
My neighbor must be advising her home painters to dump their leftover paint, for several days now, on a tree stump that she just last week said might need a pick axe to remove. This stump is along ...
10
votes
3answers
251 views
What is a general rule of thumb for when to prune plants and trees?
It seems like every plant that I come across has a different (and seemingly random) best time to prune. Is there some sort of generally rule that I could apply to any plant and have a pretty good idea ...
10
votes
1answer
826 views
Is there a traditional method/style for pruning a Chocolate Silk tree?
I have a containerized Chocolate Silk (a.k.a. Summer Chocolate) tree that is two years old (i.e. it was planted in its present container from a branchless and rootless stalk two years ago).
It has ...
9
votes
2answers
1k views
How to deal with suckers on a Bradford Pear Tree?
I have two Bradford Pear Trees at the front of my yard. They were planted ~1997. (The HOA requires all lots in the development to have them.)
Little sprouts that keep popping up from the ground ...
9
votes
2answers
1k views
Can I move a self-seeded oak tree into a pot to keep it small?
An oak has self seeded in our garden. Has got to about a metre tall and seems happy. We don't have anywhere near enough space for an oak but seems a shame to kill it. Can we move it to a pot to keep ...
9
votes
1answer
289 views
Damaged Tree Heather: can it survive?
I have a tree heather (Erica arborea) in my rockery (acid soil) which I grew from a seedling about twenty years ago. Until it was severely damaged by a prolonged freeze-up last winter, it was about ...
9
votes
2answers
6k views
How do I encourage my plum tree to produce fruit?
I have a victoria plum which I planted almost 3 years ago and hasn't produced any fruit.
Last year (1st summer) it produced a small amount of blossom. This year it produced a lot of blossom but no ...
9
votes
1answer
474 views
How should I prune my pomegranate trees?
I have a pomegranate tree that is 6 years old. It didn't get enough water for several years, and was growing under a canopy of other trees, so it only grew about 1 meter (~4 feet) high. How and when ...
9
votes
1answer
76 views
How should I choose which trees to cull?
I harvest firewood from a small woodlot behind my house. I almost exclusively cut "culls" -- dead, dying, or diseased trees that aren't going to yield much additional wood in the future anyway.
My ...
9
votes
1answer
96 views
How to “correct” uneven trunk widths in a cherry tree?
I have a cherry tree that is about 2 years old. Strangely, the width of its trunk above the grafting joint is much thicker than that of the rootstock (mazzard) below and I have not seen such a ...
9
votes
1answer
175 views
How are Japanese Maple Trees cultivated?
I have mature Japanese maple trees in my yard that are extremely fertile. I find dozens, if not hundreds of saplings all over the yard. Some have even grown several feet tall. Is there a way I can ...
8
votes
2answers
205 views
What to do when an animal dies inside a hollow tree?
We have a beautiful Shag Bark Hickory next to the house with a large hole about 18' up. A family of raccoons moved in a few weeks ago and had a litter. Recently we've seen a lot of domestic ...
8
votes
1answer
498 views
How and when to plant young grafted fruit tree?
Our backyard is in a Mediterranean climate (Adelaide plains, South Australia) and we've been gifted a young grafted apple tree which has its root ball still wrapped in plastic. It's about 1.3m (4ft) ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
How should I prune this overgrown pear tree?
I have a pear tree, which is very zealous. Whatever it decides to do, it does in excess. First in the spring it sends out all sorts of new branches--all of them vertical. I snipped them off after they ...
8
votes
1answer
341 views
How can I determine which trees are unsafe in strong winds?
We had some fairly extreme weather in the UK, enough wind to blow over a tree. Luckily nobody was hurt as the trunk rested larger branches, narrowly missing the neighbours fence. The trunk and ...
8
votes
2answers
369 views
How do I prune a cork-screw willow?
I would like to have a small "cork-screw' willow in my front yard. I don't want it as a bush, but with a strong middle trunk.
It currently is about 1.5 feet tall. It has three fairly equally tall ...
8
votes
1answer
277 views
Is this a normal amount of sap from an apricot tree after pruning?
My apricot tree is secreting what seems to me as copious amounts of sap. Is this a normal amount of sap after pruning about a year ago, or is my tree sick?
8
votes
1answer
232 views
Should my spruce tree roots be covered?
This Norway spruce's roots have always been on top of the ground. The soil it is growing on is very hard white dry soil with a layer of decayed needles on top. It has been growing fine so far, but ...
7
votes
2answers
211 views
How do I care for grapefruit seedlings?
I got two tiny grapefruit seedlings for free and I don't know how to care for them. They are in very small pots and all the care they are getting is watering. They are 2" tall. I don't live in the ...
7
votes
1answer
2k views
Why are my honey-locust tree leaves turning yellow in mid-summer?
As hot as it's been I've been worried that the tree was not getting enough water, and it seems with increasing the water amount the leaves have turned even more yellow.
How can I tell if I am over- ...
7
votes
1answer
532 views
Pruning young honey locust trees
I have four young (2-3 yrs) Honey Locust trees which seem to be doing very well this year. By that, I mean they've shown lots of growth and the leaves are very green and healthy.
The trunks of these ...
6
votes
1answer
101 views
What to call this latex material used to tie trees?
I got some special hollow (rope/wire/string/tube - I don't know how to call it) - it is green and made of latex about 4 or 5 mm in diameter and used to tie young trees to prevent wind damage.
Can ...
5
votes
1answer
102 views
Are lichens healthy for trees?
I've always thought lichens were neutral to tree health, and I think they are attractive, but someone recently told me to get rid of them, because they will cause rot and harbor disease. Do they ...
5
votes
2answers
5k views
How should I prune weeping willow?
I prune a lot of of neighborhood trees, but I've come to a small problem. Some people like their weeping willows high enough that they can walk underneath without brushing it. I had been doing this by ...
5
votes
2answers
301 views
Can I put a compost pile under a tree?
The most convenient spot for my new compost pile happens to be under a young apple tree. I would put it there, but I have a few questions first.
Will I be able to make successful compost in heavy ...
5
votes
1answer
949 views
Are tar based products really useful in treating tree wounds?
There are a lot of articles on the web ranked highly in searches that advocate the use of tar/tar based products to seal tree wounds such as pruning cuts. For example — "Homemade tree wounds". ...
5
votes
1answer
176 views
what care should I give my lemon and orange tree after 8 months neglect?
In July I moved into a new house with an established lemon tree (about 4-5 m high) and orange tree (3-4 m high). Apart from collecting the last crop we have left them alone.
The previous tenants grew ...
5
votes
1answer
191 views
Can I get rid of sap stains on my mulberry tree?
My mulberry tree was leaking sap earlier and it left ugly black stains down the trunk. The tree has deeply furrowed bark. Can I remove this?
5
votes
1answer
1k views
How do I keep oak trees from sprouting?
I have a lot of nice sized oak trees. I have pin, black, and chestnut. Every once in a while one of them puts out sprouts all over the trunk and starts looking like a green pillar. How do keep that ...
5
votes
1answer
89 views
Pruning a mimosa
I have a mimosa and I have to prune it. I'd like to be less invasive and do this "operation" in the best way.
Which is the best weather to prune mimosa?
Which is the best time to do it?
5
votes
1answer
431 views
How do I care for a young fig tree?
I received a foot long rooted cutting of a fig tree that is hardy in zones 7-11. I have it in a clay base soil in the ground. It currently has two small leaves. I am completely ignorant of how to care ...
4
votes
2answers
129 views
Is there a way to save this half-dead evergreen tree?
I just moved into a home and this tree is planted in the yard. Half of it seems to be in good shape but the other half has no leaves and seems dead. I'm not sure what, if anything, I can do to save or ...
4
votes
1answer
91 views
How can I limit my Norway Spruce to one top (trunk)?
I have a Norway spruce that is about sixty feet tall and is beginning a second trunk. I like them to have only one top, but this particular tree is not climbable. How do I control this?
4
votes
1answer
162 views
Is my tree bleeding to death?
Our builder planted this tree, and I have no idea what kind it is. The bark seems to split and a lot of sap runs out of the tree. Since I don't know what kind of tree this is, I haven't been able to ...
4
votes
1answer
105 views
Is there a way to encourage needle re-growth in fir trees?
My wife bought a potted "Christmas Tree" last year in the week running up to Christmas. It wasn't in the best of shape when we got it and about a week after being inside the house, it shed the ...
4
votes
1answer
279 views
What is the best way to keep a tree growing straight?
When most trees get over ten feet tall, they seem to be trying to grow every way but up. Staking would be impractical because of scale, and pruning often helps but does not force the tree to grow up. ...
4
votes
1answer
1k views
Are my autumn blaze maple trees dying?
We live in Oklahoma and planted some autumn blaze maple trees last fall. They seemed to come out of dormancy fine and the leaves were nice and green. We planted them in an area that stays pretty ...
4
votes
2answers
71 views
What kind of palm tree is this and how do I care for it?
I bought a new house and have this palm tree in the front yard. No one lived in the house for over two years so it's been neglected but still looks healthy. What's the best way to clean it up and have ...
4
votes
1answer
146 views
What are some recommendations for a potted orange tree?
My wife and I would like to have a potted orange tree. We live in the San Diego area so the climate for citrus trees is near perfect, but we don't know what kind of tree we should buy. Also, how large ...
