16
votes
Accepted
Is this heavy blue-green growth on my tree trunk and branches a form of lichen?
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,...
- 23.1k
14
votes
Accepted
Should trees be staked when they are planted?
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 ...
- 51.7k
10
votes
Accepted
Dwarf Apple tree in heavy clay
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 ...
- 58.8k
10
votes
How should I save an oak tree wounded by ground root removal?
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 ...
- 101
10
votes
Accepted
How should I care for a young cherry tree?
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 ...
- 132k
10
votes
Any way to save a large tree that's starting to split/crack down the middle?
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 ...
- 23.2k
10
votes
Pruning a weeping mulberry
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 ...
- 40.2k
10
votes
Very few needles on lower spruce branches
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 ...
- 200
9
votes
Accepted
How should I care for my multi-variety apple and pear trees?
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 ...
- 9,464
9
votes
Is this heavy blue-green growth on my tree trunk and branches a form of lichen?
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 ...
- 58.8k
9
votes
Any way to save a large tree that's starting to split/crack down the middle?
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 ...
- 58.8k
9
votes
Accepted
Does moss harm the tree it grows on?
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 ...
- 1,719
8
votes
Accepted
What are the best practices for keeping trees healthy in a construction area?
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 ...
- 51.7k
8
votes
What do nurseries feed their potted trees to make them so healthy?
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 ...
- 132k
8
votes
8
votes
How can I protect my plants from cows and goats?
You will have some difficulty (at least from goats). There are a few solutions I'm aware of -
Kill the goat(s) - Its the only way to be sure.
Put goats on a chain or in a run (arguably more cruel ...
- 3,579
8
votes
Harm a tree by trimming top/exposed only part of root in lawn?
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 ...
- 58.8k
8
votes
Accepted
Is this rule of thumb for timing dormant pruning correct?
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 (...
- 5,406
8
votes
Accepted
Should I redo this pruning cut?
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 ...
- 58.8k
8
votes
Should I leave fallen apples (windfall) to rot under the tree?
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 ...
- 18.6k
7
votes
What do nurseries feed their potted trees to make them so healthy?
I'm pretty sure they don't give them anything initially, although if the tree does not sell within a few months, I imagine they would give them slow release fertiliser appropriate to the plant - ...
- 3,579
7
votes
Any ideas on what is wrong with this tree?
Yes - you violated the prime directive of tree health
Don't change the soil level around a mature tree (especially - any tree, really) by more than an inch (up or down) or you'll probably kill it
...
- 23.2k
7
votes
Treating tree disease that manifests as warts/galls/bumps on leaves
I can't tell what tree that leaf has come from, so it's difficult to identify precisely the cause of the galls on the leaf. Regardless, the vast majority of gall growths like this do not cause harm to ...
- 132k
7
votes
Is my maple tree beyond saving?
First get an arborist, one who is familiar with your locale and can have hands on expert examination. It is obviously an old maple. Everything declines before it dies of old age but while it ...
- 40.2k
7
votes
Is it better to cut off drying branches sooner or later?
This is the correct place to ask this question. The answer is yes, pruning branches that aren't doing anything for the plant saves the plant energy. The plant will 'prune' itself eventually so if we ...
- 40.2k
7
votes
Accepted
Liquid Amber/Sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) tree stress and rotting
This type of occurrence is called a split due to a weak crotch and two competing leaders. The split has been inevitable for many years, and was just waiting for the weight of wood on one side or the ...
- 20.4k
7
votes
Accepted
What is this white foam under my tree?
If this foam has appeared only during the heavy rain you've been experiencing, its a natural phenomenon. It occurs because some trees contain chemicals in the bark which can cause a soap like foam as ...
- 132k
7
votes
Can I substantially reduce the height of a large holly tree?
You can reduce the height by up to half, but if you do, it will grow in an ugly shape afterwards. Holly tends to apical domination, meaning it gives a good approximation of a pyramidal shape if left ...
- 132k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible