tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506408953738699022024-02-20T10:43:05.946-08:00Gardening BasicsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger184125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-13651387741505949572010-03-14T08:58:00.000-07:002010-03-14T08:58:00.607-07:00Oak Tree gallsQuestionOne of the children at my preschool briefly chewed on a white gall from an oak leaf. I am concerned that other children might see these white berry-like things and try to eat them. Are they dangerous or poisonous? Thanks for your help. Karen. AnswerNo they are not poisonous or dangerous. They are formed by an insect that lays its eggs on the leaf surface and secretes a chemical that Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-37672315263096586272010-03-14T08:40:00.000-07:002010-03-14T08:40:00.420-07:00peach treeQuestionI have a peach tree in a pot. When is the best time to transplant? and does it need more or less son?Thank you Maxine Evans AnswerThe best time would be early spring after the last frost. Peach tree do best in full sunlight. The planting area for a peach tree should be a minimum of 5 feet in diameter, and the soil should be tilled at a depth ranging between 10 and 12 inches. It is Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-80523139477939843392010-03-14T08:22:00.000-07:002010-03-14T08:22:00.249-07:00conk on giant, old oak treeQuestionJim, We live in the coastal area of South Carolina and have numerous, very old (200 year range), huge (2 to 3 stories high), oak trees in our yard. One of the trees had a very large limb removed about 18 months ago by our area's local oak tree expert. It was healthy, just overhanging the roof of our house, and was removed just as a precaution before the house was placed on the market. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-44401807067992648202010-03-14T08:04:00.000-07:002010-03-14T08:04:00.056-07:00Black and Chestnut Oak Root SystemsQuestionJim, I understand that these two trees do not have a tap root system. To avoid damage to either, what is the minimum safe distance that I can build a home with a 2 foot sub-foundation? To avoid removing the Chestnut I am allowing a five foot clearance on three sides, the fourth side would be open. Would that be sufficient?Thanks, Steve AnswerIt does not have a tap root and the roots Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-5217903713115049912010-03-14T07:46:00.000-07:002010-03-14T07:46:00.074-07:00Root TraumaQuestionI've had to have a Michelia Alba dug up. Due to walls and sidewalks, the roots were pretty severely cut and although this just happened and the tree looks good, I'm afraid I'm going to loose it. As I love this tree, are there steps I can take to help it live such as trimming, topping, ??? AnswerThe roots should not be allowed to dry out. Plant the tree in a hole twice the size of the Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-83406610164843781092010-03-14T07:28:00.000-07:002010-03-14T07:28:00.080-07:00river birch vs drake elmQuestionI had 2 river birch trees about 6' from my house. They died last winter from a hard freeze. I just spoke to someone about replacing them and they suggested I plant a drake elm instead of a river birch because of the root system being so close to the house. What is your opinion? AnswerThe drake elm has a spread of about 20 feet at maturity which would mean the roots spread about 10-20 feetUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-1183548772128651182010-03-14T07:10:00.000-07:002010-03-14T07:10:00.510-07:00Weeping Cherry TreeQuestionI bought a weeping cherry tree about a month ago. The nursery that I bought it from gave me directions on how to plant and how to water since it was new.. I did as the directions said and now a month later the leaves are turning yellow and falling off.. Is my tree dying and if not will the leaves that fell off grow back? Please help with any advice. I paid alot for this tree and I am Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-70841476773724682022010-03-14T06:52:00.000-07:002010-03-14T06:52:00.697-07:00conk on giant, old oak treeQuestionQUESTION: Jim, We live in the coastal area of South Carolina and have numerous, very old (200 year range), huge (2 to 3 stories high), oak trees in our yard. One of the trees had a very large limb removed about 18 months ago by our area's local oak tree expert. It was healthy, just overhanging the roof of our house, and was removed just as a precaution before the house was placed on theUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-26694234719866392072010-03-14T06:34:00.000-07:002010-03-14T06:34:00.319-07:00Liquid Amber treeQuestionThe roots of our liquid amber tree have been getting higher and higher in our yard the past 12 yrs. My husband has chopped out some over the years and we have had it pruned once (a point of contention between my husband and myself) they ruined the beautiful shape. The tree is old and huge. In the last month or so we have found 2 branches lying on the yard and I think it is not as full Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-35359017491437512442010-03-14T06:16:00.000-07:002010-03-14T06:16:00.090-07:00willow treeQuestionI planted a weeping willow 4 days ago and i have watered it like i was told to and some of the leaves are dying and curling up in the sun and getting crunchy. what did i or am i doing wrong. I live in zone 3 and got the tree from a great nursery AnswerThis is not unusual for newly planted trees. They can go through a shock from the planting and lose some of their foliage. If you have not Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-51984428678704882592010-03-14T05:58:00.000-07:002010-03-14T05:58:00.057-07:00Weeping Willow with small red buds on trunkQuestionGood evening Jim. So in reading your post about what could potentially be the cause of the small tiny red buds on the trunk of my weeping willow, yellow dropping leaves, what is the cure or treatment to get my tree back on a safe path? I've contacted the lawn chemical treatment business and am waiting for them to call me back to ask the question what do they use as noted in your post Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-85091735062015244052010-03-14T05:40:00.000-07:002010-03-14T05:40:00.514-07:00Swedish columer aspen treeQuestionHi I planted 2 Swedish columer aspens in my back yard beside my deck. They have been doing really well for the last 2 yrs until august when i noticed the one has ants on it and now hornets are all over it. I don't know why? The top looks good but the bottom leaves are all full of holes. What should I do. thanks for your time AnswerAnts and wasps will be attracted to a substance called Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-27909104604720653852010-03-14T05:22:00.000-07:002010-03-14T05:22:00.651-07:00Magnolia tree fungus?QuestionMagnolia treeHi Jim,I have a 2 part question about a Magnolia tree in my yard. I live along the Gulf Coast of Florida. The home we bought a few years ago came with a Magnolia tree, but I do not know the age of it. It is located in the back yard (south).The first part of the question is: is this fungus (?) Lichens? If not what is it?The second is: the tree is producing flower buds but onlyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-89520506473012022032010-03-14T05:04:00.000-07:002010-03-14T05:04:00.675-07:00Weeping Pusssy WillowQuestionHi Jim,At a local nursery they have a weeping pussy willow that has a nice umbrella shape to it and is about 5 feet tall on the trunk.Near the top of the trunk there is an oval hole about half an inch in diameter or a bit less than that. There are also horizontal cracks in the bark near the top. I am guessing the cracks are from the graft?How invasive are the roots on this plant?How dirtyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-68025118294041939342010-03-14T04:46:00.000-07:002010-03-14T04:46:00.067-07:00Fig treeQuestionWhen is the best time ti plant a fig tree? What is the best to plant in Alabama? Thank you AnswerWhen To Plant. Plant fig trees while they are dormant--spring is the best time. In warm areas, bare-root trees can be set out in fall or early winter, but where late spring frosts are common, it is best to set them out in spring after the danger of hard winter freezes has passed. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-71393338056823721382010-03-14T04:28:00.000-07:002010-03-14T04:28:00.105-07:00trim fruited malberry treeQuestionI have a fruited mulberry tree and when I do have to trim a large limb 1" or larger I always leave about 1 inch of the trimmed limb on the main limb. But when I do trim the cut area saps and drips to the ground or on my deck. Is there a way to stop the sapping and dripping? AnswerPruning of Mulberry trees should be done in the dormant months (after the leaves have dropped in the Fall or Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-35263956436049676442010-03-14T04:10:00.000-07:002010-03-14T04:10:00.064-07:00Live Oak in TexasQuestionWe had a long hot summer and trees were watered regularly. All are doing fine with the exception of the live oak in the back yard. A month ago my girlfriend used automotive primer to dress the wounds left by pruning this tree. It rained for a week off and on and a week later I noticed that about half of the leaves on the tree were dried up and dead looking. Could this be from the Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-28335818520445247182010-03-14T03:52:00.000-07:002010-03-14T03:52:00.433-07:00italian cypressQuestionHello Jimis it safe to put italian cypress on a very steep slope 12 feet of it at 45 degrees before leveling at top and bottom to form adjacent lots at different heights. There is sandstone below the surface. Will the tap root be able to penetrate sandstone that it runs into? Will a root system capable of supporting the tree at mature heights be able to establish itself?I thank you in Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-18960179285902852312010-03-14T03:34:00.000-07:002010-03-14T03:34:00.446-07:00weeping willowQuestionmy willow plant is two years old and is thriving, i'm worried I have planted it to near the house. but my question is when is the best time to up root it and do the rooots bare down or spread wide. AnswerWeeping willow trees will have a spread of about 20-30 feet when mature. Which will mean the branches will grow out about 10-20 feet from the trunk. They need space to give them the Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-73040919244939415302010-03-14T03:16:00.000-07:002010-03-14T03:16:00.140-07:00tranplanting shootsQuestionI have towering poplars around my yard for shelterbelt ,there are alot of shoots coming up in different places and I would like to dig them up and transplant them in places where some of the bigger poplar have died. How do I go about doing that ? AnswerIt will depend on if the sprout have there own root system or are sprout from the roots of the parent tree. Try digging a couple and see Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-53950525601228726702010-03-14T01:58:00.000-08:002010-03-14T01:58:00.489-08:0010 yr old Leyland CypressQuestionCan I trim my Leyland Cypress back 2 to 3 ft without damaging the tree and also end up with new growth? I do not plan on topping the tree. I look forward to your answer. Thanks much. AnswerNo if you cut your tree back to 2 -3 feet tall and cut the terminal if the tree does not die you will have only a sparsely foliated bush. This will be a too drastic change for the tree to survive. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-15297738185274598002010-03-14T01:40:00.000-08:002010-03-14T01:40:00.360-08:00Fat Albert Spruce TreeQuestionWe purchased our Fat Albert in May 2009, 7' tall. We are noticing some of the needles around the base of the tree, west side are turning brown, should i have a concern ? I live in Flagstaff, AZ.Thank you AnswerNo needles of spruce as well as other conifers will drop naturally. As long as the upper needles near the ends of the branches are green the tree is ok. If you have not done so Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-11877145202210867322010-03-14T01:22:00.000-08:002010-03-14T01:22:00.084-08:00Weeping willowQuestionI bought a weeping willow about 2 years ago not really knowing how big it could get. I bought it in a store similar to wal-mart. I am not sure if its a miniture willow or a flow blown weeping willow? I am kind of concerned about it, I live in an addition and planted it on my property about 8 ft. from the house and its about the same away from our phone line, cable box and some other box. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-80649902938428493822010-03-14T01:04:00.000-08:002010-03-14T01:04:00.511-08:00Arborvitae and chain link fenceQuestionWe have a 6' chain link fence that we'd like to grow arborvitae against. If we start off with 2' trees, will it grow through the chain link fence? The space is narrow so we'd like to have it up against the fence as much as possible.Also, we have grown the emerald green before and would prefer something that grows faster for privacy and somewhat taller as well. The Thuja Green Giant mightUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1150640895373869902.post-91263270760598053902010-03-14T00:46:00.000-08:002010-03-14T00:46:00.290-08:00using evergreen stump grinding material as mulchQuestionI am having 5 evergreen stumps ground down. (1 White Pine, 4 Norway Spruce) I'm told there will be large piles of chips. Can I scatter the wood chips in my large beds of ivy to get rid of them? Also, growing in the beds of ivy are Hemlocks, Norway Spruces and Dawn Redwood trees. Otherwise do I need to pay someone to haul them away? The month is now mid September. Thank you AnswerYes the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com