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These look like the tree lichens that are growing on my own trees. A lichen is a composite organism where by a fungus lives together with an algae in a symbiotic relationship. They don't hurt the tree, and are more commonly seen on the bark of older trees where the bark is not constantly being shed and regrown. So, it may also be an indicator of poor health ...
14
Should all trees be staked when they are planted?
First, you have to find out Why people stake trees. What benefits are there to staking young trees? In nature, trees can germinate, grow, and mature without being staked. Here are some reasons why young trees are often staked:
Promoted wind resistance: Anchor staking is useful in newly planted trees, ...
11
First, your Acer is not dying, it's just very unhappy. This is a common problem on Acer palmatum varieties here in the UK- usually, the cause is wind, that is, you've placed the plant in a spot which isn't sheltered enough. They hate windy areas, and they don't like hot midday sun in high summer either. What they do like is dappled sunlight, or morning sun, ...
11
Looks like an elm of some kind. I am unsure of the specific variety, but I will say that Zelkova serrata (white bark Chinese elm) is a popular bonsai species. I understand that some elms will behave as an evergreen indoors, but generally they will drop leaves in response to shortened daylight hours (I keep mine outdoors and they seem to drop leaves primarily ...
11
Consult a tree surgeon. If you want to save it, it might be possible to cable the top parts (not "tie a rope around") to keep it from spreading wider. Depending on the decay of the trunk, this might or might not make any sense to do.
Image from "ask this old house" website at:
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/asktoh/question/0,,1597909,00.html
10
Etiolation, or insufficient light strength, is a partial explanation - this tree is deciduous and normally would be dormant at this time of year. However, the process of thigmomorphogenesis is also missing. Thigmomorphogenesis refers to movement - when a plant is outside, particularly one with a tall, woody stem, it will be exposed to air movement. That air ...
10
Apple trees do well in clay. There are a few things you could do different next time:
do not put stones or other soil amendments in the bottom of the hole. If the planting hole has reached the clay sub soil or pan then plant it high or "proud" as described here.
The addition of organic matter provides little or no advantage to the
planting hole in ...
10
I had a large (massive) Elm tree that had all the roots on one side cut about 6 feet from the tree due to an idiot plumber running a sewer pipe. This was a deep trench, too.
I used an in-ground water injector to pump root stimulator into the soil all around the tree base. I went around with a hose and penetrated the ground around the tree about 20 feet ...
10
When you say 'recent', if that means within the last year, the only thing you need to do is keep it well watered during dry spells for its first 2-3 years. Hopefully you dug the soil over well and added organic composted materials prior to planting - if you didn't, you could mulch round the bottom of the tree with something like composted animal manure this ...
10
I live in a region where Norway spruce grows wild, and in my experience, the lower shaded branches shedding their needles and dying is perfectly normal for these trees. For the tree, there's no point in keeping these branches alive when the same energy and nutrients can instead be directed towards the upper branches that receive more sunlight.
Here's a nice ...
9
The time you spend in preparation is as, or more, important than post planting time.
site location, cedars like access to water, not soggy and not dry
some shade is fine and full sun is tolerated if the soil is not too dry
a wide variety of soil types but I would avoid very sandy soils or soils low in organic matter
protection from winter winds. Cedars that ...
9
Of the eight pictures only the third picture shows a cedar that will look good. The rest are either dead or so badly damaged it would take years before they looked good.
This kind of dieback is often seen when they are not adequately watered after planting or when stock is planted late in the fall and doesn't have a chance to root before winter.
...
9
Yep, that is a Japanese Maple, Acer palmatum
Here's how to plant/grow a Japanese maple tree in a pot:
Prep:
The preparation necessary before attempting to plant. Make sure all of these steps are done/ready before you begin.
Make sure you have a pot large enough to accommodate the plant for at least a year. They will need at least 6 cubic feet (38 US ...
9
You cannot 'save' the branch if it has completely separated from the plant. This is possible only if the branch is still connected by a strip of bark (and cambium). It is possible to graft a severed shoot onto a woody plant like this, but this requires some well-practiced skill as well as some luck. It may also possible to root the broken stems, but this ...
9
You definitely need to do some pruning. Before you start pruning a tree, you should find all of the graft points. Since you have multi-graft trees, there should be one graft at the point where each main branch comes off of the trunk. As you are pruning, keep in mind that if you cut a grafted branch off or cut it back so close to this graft that it will have ...
9
As Graham says they are lichen and moss. A tree will commonly live in a symbiotic relationship with millions of macro and micro-scopic organisms. In tropical and temperate rain forests overgrowth on the the bark is very common.
I cannot find any research which indicates that they harm the tree in any way at any age as these publications indicate.
That ...
9
Yes, a professional arborist could save the tree using cabling and bolts as the practical Ecnerwal illustrates. This would be something you would do as soon as possible. It appears that the two halves are held together by little more than bark. This tree would now be classed as a physical hazard to you and anything close to it.
If you did choose cabling ...
9
Oh my goodness. Do you understand the treasure you have? Find a master pruner to create a covered walkway! How wonderful. If you destroy this tree I will haunt you when I am dead! (Grins). That tree should not be getting taller at all. Weeping trees are two trees grafted together; a prostrate variety of the same species grafted on top of an upright ...
9
Moss will not harm the tree! Good news indeed because the forests around here would be in BIG trouble! Moss does not have true roots - their "roots" are just for the purpose anchoring themselves to things like trees, rocks and whatever really. The "roots" don't penetrate the tree or steal any nutrients or water from the tree. Leave the moss, and the ...
8
With evergreens they way they grow is that most species do not bud or get new growth off old wood. (Yews are an exception and this makes them very durable for hedging)
For your tree, where the branches are dead it is unlikely that any new growth will "fill in" the gaps. Existing growth on that side will continue growing and as the tree grows the gaps will ...
8
Updated September 2015
Where is it found
This pdf shows where Emerald Ash borer is found in the United States. It is also found in Ontario and Quebec in Canada.
How bad can the damage get
From here: If you can see damage from the beetle then
Surveys have shown that the emerald ash borer damages and kills trees
in stands within one to four years of ...
8
ViSu, You reminded me of the same experience I and my friends had before. In our college days, we planted a number of saplings on a barren land\hill slope.
As you are going to plant in a hilly area (which could be really hot these days), you need to take care of few things:
Ensure your saplings are not very small. (Small plants can be eaten by local ...
8
On the assumption you mean treelike plants as opposed to smaller houseplants, have a look at these palms: Chamaerops humilis (if you have room, they spread out a bit), Rhapis excelsa (little lady palm), Phoenix canariensis and Howea forsteriana - none of these likes very hot heated rooms, they prefer things a little cooler at around 16-22 deg C.
Otherwise, ...
8
This answer will be based on a tool from the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service Forest Resources Unit. I have changed it somewhat over the time I've used it, but I was sure to make it as universally applicable as possible, for use over as many species/climates/environments as possible. It's now one of my staple tools, and will be of use to ...
8
Bear in mind that many commercial outlets do not actually grow trees in pots, they simply buy them in from a specialist supplier. The actual supplier will raise the saplings under controlled conditions (temperature, light, potting medium) usually under cover, and pesticide/fungicide treatments will be relentlessly used, many of which are not even available ...
8
Evil Elf asked in a comment about studies of what does happen to trees when root work is done. A survey of web links shows that root pruning is commonly given as good advice. Academic studies of the results are scarcer.
Here is one city that trims roots down on request but notes that "wounds can create an entry way for harmful insects and diseases".
The ...
8
I think the grouping would look more logical if it were made on the way the trees set fruit: stone fruit trees (plum, apricot) are the early bloomers, while the trees with fruits that contain seeds (apple and pear) are the late bloomers.
One thing important when pruning is that different species form their flower buds the previous year, while others form ...
8
The cut is fine but the tree has or will have issues. You can see that there is already interior decay in the heartwood of the tree. As stormy indicates water will enter the wound and decay will continue.
Do not put tar on the wound or do anything else. Research has shown further action with sealants is harmful to the tree as this answer indicates.
On ...
8
According to this publication from the University of Wisconsin Extension, the larvae of several destructive insects can grow to maturity in windfallen apples:
Apple Maggot Flies (pp. 12, 14)
Codling Moth (p. 15)
Plum Curculio (p. 16)
In all three cases, you should remove all windfalls but not compost them (it's recommended that you bury the apples at least ...
7
We have a redwood in our backyard; we also live in the Bay Area (San Mateo). Ours is probably about 100 ft (8 stories) high, which is still not particularly big for a redwood. I am not a gardening expert, but here are a few things I do know:
depending upon where you live in the Bay Area, redwoods do quite well, and are actually planted quite commonly even ...
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