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 ...
- 40.5k
10
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 ...
- 1,729
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
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 ...
- 60.5k
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 (...
- 5,446
8
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 ...
- 135k
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 ...
- 60.5k
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 ...
- 20.1k
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 ...
- 135k
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 ...
- 40.5k
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 ...
- 40.5k
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 ...
- 21.2k
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 ...
- 135k
7
votes
Accepted
Identify bonsai & maintenance advice for total beginner
Looks like a Zelkova parvifolia, I have one myself too. There are many care guides, like here and here.
You should water it daily (if necessary), and the water should be able to flow thru the soil (...
- 13.2k
6
votes
Accepted
How do I care for grapefruit seedlings?
In the mid-ninties (probably '94), I planted several grapefruit seeds. Several germinated, and they all got some white fuzzy stuff on them that made them sticky, and all but one of them died (maybe it ...
- 18.4k
6
votes
Accepted
How to trim this multistem tree
There is no immediate need to do anything. This tree looks quite healthy. I admit more homeowners like trees with a central leader but this is just a preference and will not affect growth or it's ...
- 60.5k
6
votes
Accepted
Is my maple tree beyond saving?
Yes, it's done. Call in an arborist and a chipper. When you remove the main trunk you will expose the join where the main trunk is weakly attached to the secondaries. This join looks like included ...
- 60.5k
6
votes
Accepted
Mushrooms on crab apple tree trunk
Yes, it does signify something bad, if the fungus is actually attached to the trunk of the tree (which it looks to be) and not simply appearing on woody parts of the mulch. This is one of the bracket ...
- 135k
6
votes
Accepted
Tips to help an ash tree, trying to grow from the roots of an EAB victim
In addition to the answer already given, the appearance of shelf or bracket fungus on the stump means it's dying, or doomed to die, anyway. The fungal mycelium will have invaded the heartwood of the ...
- 135k
6
votes
Tips to help an ash tree, trying to grow from the roots of an EAB victim
I agree with the answers from our fellow gardeners Bamboo and Stormy. Grub out the stump now and don't encourage another EAB visit to your neighbourhood. The remnants of the tree will grow until the ...
- 60.5k
6
votes
Accepted
How to care for a tree with a rotting crotch at ground level?
Your tree looks very healthy. The depression between the trunks looks amazingly clean and dry! Keep on doing what you are doing because it is working.
I see that your neighbor to the west has an ...
- 40.5k
6
votes
Can I save my Avocado tree from the extreme heat?
I'm guessing you live in a hot part of Arizona (because you're growing an Avocado tree). So, this link provides some helpful information on growing Avacado trees in the desert. Basically, the author ...
- 18.4k
6
votes
Accepted
Will Irrigation spikes speed up oak tree growth?
No, not unless you're frequently in long drought periods which cause the tree to go short. The tree will grow as well and as fast as its genes allow with sufficient water for its needs, enough space ...
- 135k
6
votes
Accepted
Identify plant, and what to do with rocks
This plant is commonly known as the Hawaiian Scheffelera or Schefflera arboricola. Although the species grows to 8 - 9 M (24 to 27 feet) tall this variety is variegated and when grown indoors usually ...
- 60.5k
6
votes
How to reduce the growth of moss on the ground and on the tree?
Moss is an opportunist. Spores are everywhere. The moss on the ground is not making the moss on the tree. Moisture (we must be looking at the north side of your tree, yes)? Is all moss needs.
I ...
- 40.5k
6
votes
Repairing bushes and small trees?
Don't overthink this. In the wild, small trees and shrubs get trodden on and/or eaten by animals all the time, and they don't go extinct because of it. They might not look "perfect" after ...
- 11.5k
6
votes
What's the best way to rescue this beech?
Yes, do nothing. Trees compartmentalize wounds so the bark will slowly grow together to seal off the area. Do not put anything on the wound as that has been shown to make it worse.
Do observe the ...
- 60.5k
6
votes
What is this grey-white mold/fungus below my tree?
There's no reason to believe that this fungus is causing harm to your plant, and there's really no way to get rid of it without killing your plant. The soil appears to have a lot of coarse organic ...
- 238
5
votes
Accepted
How can I save my Meyer lemon tree?
If you have green living material under the bark then it might not be dead. Lots of die back, yes. I recommend cutting it back hard to remove all dead leaves and minor stems. Then water and wait.......
- 60.5k
5
votes
How to care for a large redwood?
As redwoods get taller and water pressure within the upper vascular tissue is reduced, the tree responds by decreasing leaf area and dropping higher interior growth. The effect is particularly ...
- 51
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