Dear Amy: I live in Bastrop - have 4 Chinese Pistacios, ~ about 15 years old. Lichen or moss problem in all 4, but seems to be affecting health of only 2/4, at least presently. The two trees in northwest lawn are spectacular, 2 on Southwest lawn have had chronic problems that weakened them, including construction compaction of soil. After deep aeration/sick tree food couple times in last six years they improved but never cought up to the beauty of the other 2 on NW lawn. Increasing so over last several years the two SW trees have large burden of some type of compact lichen or moss all over the branches - not ball moss, this is light green ochre flecks and lacy/fern like. Is there a treatment I can do myself, or do you know of an arborist that will come to Bastrop? Lezlee Coghlan lezleecog@aol.com; 512-237-9321 The moss on the trees are normal, they will not hurt the trees, if you would like to get rid of the moss you can spray it with Potassium Bicarbonate at a rate of 2 tablespoons per gallon of water. As for the lack of growth with your tree in the south west corner, the stress put on the tree due to soil compaction was your biggest set back on growth and will continue to show signs. Keep fertilizing and applying compost on the soil around the tree to keep it loose, it may catch up and it may not. |
I have a willow tree that was planted to deep and mulched to high. As a result about 12" of the base has lost it's bark completly. The tree is blooming and it's only 2years old. The question is if it gets diseased should I remove the tree now or will it survive if I paint the tree white where it's missing bark . Also where it's a willow and their known to constantly loose limbs to high winds is this another reason to remove it now before it gets to big.Finally,is there something else I can use to bring back the bark or prevent disease. Remove the mulch away from the tree exposing the bare soil. Water the tree slowly to allow moisture to reach the root system and fertilize with root stimulator. If the tree show signs of stress we have a product called Tree Trunk Goop that you can mix with water and make a paste to spread on the bare parts of the trunk. Removing the tree will be a chore since it is 2 years old and the roots have already spread out pretty far. |
I am interested in planting some plum trees in the Austin area. Could you make recommendations based on the habitat and tastiness of the fruit ? Thanks for your time, Carrie Carrie,
You can either plant the Methley or Santa Rosa. Both have sweet fruits and will grow well in the Austin area. When planting in the ground don't forget a good root stimulator like Rocket Fuel to help prevent transplant shock. Also the tree will generally produce fruit within 3-5 years. |
Three 40' pine trees have lost all needles and bark. Threre is a white powdery substance at the bottom of trunk. Please advise? Sounds like root rot Heterobasidion annosum, I would suggest having an arborist come out and look at the trees to see what they have to say. Fungicides may work but that will depend on the severity of the case. |
we have 2 twenty foot peach trees. every year the squirreles and worms eat all of the fruit. What can we do? p.s. they also eat our figs! thankyou ralph Ralph,
To rid your trees of the worms you can use our Organic Insecticide mixed with water or you can use BT worm killer. Spray the trees thoroughly to prevent the worms. For the squirrels, getting a dog might keep them out of the yard, or Squirrel-X has a product called Get Away that is a mixture of mustard and chile powder that you can spray the trees with. Just be sure and wear a mask and eye protection when applying. |
Can you force a fruit tree to bloom a second time after the initial bloom does not set? The trees appear healthy and green growth abundant. The plum and nectarine trees bloomed heavily but did not set. Stephen,
You can stress a tree by reducing the amount of water it receives. It does not always work though. |
I have a ranch in northwest Navarro County. I have several big Post Oaks. On one I recently noticed that the trunk had a piece of bark that looked like it had been striped down. Now it appears that the bark on the entire trunk of the tree has separated from the tree. From searching on the web, I found information on the TFS web site that point to hypoxylon canker . At the moment the only symptom is the bark separating from the tree. If it is hypoxylon canker, would it be better to go ahead and cut the tree down now? It is not in an area where it would fall and damage anything. I really hate to loose this tree, it is beautiful and old. Thanks Sharon,
If you want to save the tree you can have an arborist come out and give you a diagnosis on what is wrong with the tree and ways to remedy the problem, if the tree is salvageable the best remedy is to improve the health of the tree and since the fungal problem is within the tree you can apply our Sick Tree Treatment, horticultural corn meal, and our Soil Food Select 6-2-2 around the drip line of the tree and water them in. But I would recommend having someone come out and take a look at the tree first. |
I live close to corpus christi,Texas. I had driven south down to the valley and bought some potted citrus trees all about three to four foot tall. They were limes ,lemons and oranges, I put them in back of my truck uncovered and drove back home (3 hour drive) when I got home I off loaded and the next day just about all the leaves have fallen off. I'm sure they were stressed out from the wind hitting them constanly. A few of the trees look like they are dead, the branches have turned brown and have no leaves at all. but the rootstock is still green, is there anything I can do to bring my trees back to life ?? Daniel,
When transporting trees you should always lay them down and cover the whole tree with a tarp to keep them from becoming "wind beaten". As for your trees, they are probably just really stressed out. To see if they are still alive you can take a knife and scratch the trunk, if it is green under the bark of the tree then they are salvageable. When you plant them in the ground make sure that you mix compost with the soil you dig out of the hole to ensure a nutrient rich environment for the tree to start growing in. You might also want to put some of our Rocket Fuel on the root ball of each tree to help prevent even more shock to the tree. Water the trees with a liquid fertilizer like our Sea Tea or Medina Hasta Gro 6-12-6 to help the roots along. |
I have several wateroak trees in my front yard that to me are expressing some type of fungus. The leaves are turning brown in approx. 10 to 30 percent of the tree, which appears to be dead. The limbs are still alive. I bought off the self fungus liquids and sprayed as directed. The still appear to be sick looking. Can you recommend any product that I can try? The Trees are from 5 to 11 years old and 15 to 20 ft. tall. Approx. 8 watertrees total. Thank you, Don Summers Don,
From what you have described it sounds like you may have oak wilt, http://plantpathology.tamu.edu/Texlab/oakwilt.html this website from Texas A&M University has photos and a short questionnaire that will help determine if you have oak wilt or not. If you do have oak wilt you will need to treat the root system with a systemic fungicide. Two common organic fungicides are horticultural corn meal and potassium bicarbonate, which can be mixed with water and sprayed around the trees. The website link also has an address where you can send off samples of the tree to see if the fungus is in the tree. |
I planted a small loblolly pine about 30 feet from a large water oak. It is just a few feet outside the drip line of the oak. I staked it with a broom handle, which kept it straight for about a year. We had a very wet year last year and it shot up way above the broom handle. But now it is severly bent away from the oak tree. How can I get it to straighten up and stay straight? Once it grows up through the oak branches, it will get lots of sunshine. It is bending that way because it is trying to find the best source of sunlight which it can not get through the branches of the tree. I would recommend you move the loblolly to a different location or the bending is going to become more severe as time goes by. |
We have roots from a previously removed pear tree that keep coming back up into the lawn. How can we get rid of them once and for all? It seems that trying to dig up the roots is just not working. You can try boric acid, but be careful it is powerful stuff. |
I have two live oak trees, one in my front yard the other in my back yard. The one in the front is green and beautiful. The tree in my back yard looks like it died - all of the leaves turned brown. When my lawn care service came to inspect the tree (after I asked them to remove it) showed me that the tree is sprouting new green leaves. What is going on with my tree? We had a rainy summer and it gets direct sunlight. Brenda; San Antonio Sounds like you may have soil problems, from what you have described I imagine it is a fungal problem. Try our Sick Tree Treatment and mix it with horticultural corn meal then spread the mixture over the root zone of the tree (basically as far as the branches go out) and water it in. If you do not see any results within a couple of weeks I would recommend you take a sample of the soil from around the tree and send it off for analysis. You could have a deficiency in some area that is causing the tree so much stress. Below is the link to Texas Plant and Soil lab, they are located in Edinburgh and are very good. Let me know how it goes.
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My neighbor has a Lacebark Elm. While it is a lovely tree it drops the fruit pods in late Sept. She has thousands of tiny trees which sprout in her lawn keeping her grass from thriving. Is there any pre-emergent that can be applied to the lawn to prevent this from happening?? You can try corn gluten meal at a rate of 20# per 1000sq ft, it is available at any Garden-Ville location. |
We have a young live oak tree, probably 5 years old. It has bagworms all over it. In June we sprayed a chemical on it. Now, we are finding little round balls all over the leaves. what can we do? The balls that you are seeing are galls which are caused by tiny, wasp like insects and despite their undesirable appearance, they don't kill or even maim trees. Next time you have a worm infestation try using BT worm killer from Green Light. |
I have a purple plum tree that is about 10 years old. This year it dropped most of its leaves. They dried up on the tree than fell. I called the talk radio show on Sat. here in Houston, and they said to add Mycorrhizal Fungi. I have a bottle of it but it says to plant with the bulb of a tree. Since mine is planted already, how do I apply the Fungi material? Will it help bring my tree back. So far, some of the leaves have grown back but the tree looks very bare. It also looks as tho there a buds but nothing has grown out of those buds. Could it have been because of all the rain we have had here in Tx this summer? I would very much like to hear from you. Thank you, Mary McCoy The Woodlands, Tx. You can "disturb" the soil around the tree and spread and water in the mycorrhizal fungi. The granules will make their way down to the root system of the tree and help to strengthen it. If you think you might have a fungal problem, I would spread and water in horticultural ground cornmeal around the dripline of the tree. If you do not see any results in a couple of weeks, then you can try the mycorrhizal fungi. Since your tree is already ten years old and you did not mention how or if you fertilize it, it sounds as if you may just need to help the roots intake more nutrients by using the microrrhizal fungi. Chemical fertilizers can destroy the beneficial mycorrhizal fungi. And, even if you aren't using chemical fertilizers, you can certainly get contamination from other lawns in your area during excessive rainfalls. |
I have 2 large crepe myrtle trees that once were the talk of my neighborhood. For the last several years thay have bloomed very little. The new leaf growth looks good and then turns brown on the edges. I live in San Angelo Texas where we have a fair amount of salt in our water. I have observed other crepe myrtles in my community that look wonderful. Any suggestions? There can be several factors that can affect the blooms of your crape myrtles. Has the plant's exposure to the sun been hindered in any way and do you fertilize on a regular basis? You could be lacking important nutrients or you could have a fungus in your soil. Check out our link to testing your soil on "Think Organic" on our website and consider taking a sample of your soil to your local extension office. You can also try using Garden-Ville's Sea Tea 2-3-2 which is a liquid fertilizer blend for flowering plants. Please keep us informed of your progress in resolving this situation. |
I have been told that we have a post oak (approx. 45' tall) that has hypoxylon canker is there anything I can do to save this tree or do I need to remove it to keep it from spreading to my other post oaks. Thanks. Please consult with a local arborist to confirm the likelihood of infestation to other trees. They may already be infected depending on proximity and type. Spores which are produced can be discharged to surrounding trees so it would be important to try to control this problem as soon as possible. As we understand it, this fungus is inside the tree and fungicides cannot control this infection. Please be sure to keep all of your trees from stress or injury to prevent this and other types of disease. |
We live in San Antonio and have a fair amount of sucker growth on our live oak trees. Is sucker growth a sign of trouble for our trees? Thanks in advance for your guidance!
Greg,
When you say sucker growth do you mean ball moss? If so you can mix our Potassium Bicarbonate at a rate of 2 tablespoons per gallon of water and spray the moss with high pressure to knock them off. The ball moss is not a sign of trouble for your trees, the moss is a plant that retains moisture and nutrients from the air and not the trees they are attached to.
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can vinegar kill pine trees? The vinegar should not kill the pine trees since they have a woody bark outside. Just about the only way it would kill the tree is if the ground was saturated with the vinegar and the tree took it through the roots. |
HI, I HAVE A CREPE MYRTLE TREE THAT IS ABOUT 10 FT TALL AND IS BEAUTIFUL BUT IT IS GETTING TOO LARGE FOR AS CLOSE AS IT IS TO OUR HOUSE AND PECAN TREE. IS IT OK TO TOP OFF THE TREE SO IT DOESN'T GET ANY TALLER? IF SO, HOW MUCH COULD I CUT OFF THE TOP WITHOUT HARMING THE TREE? I THOUGHT ABOUT DIGGING IT UP AND MOVING IT BUT IT WOULD BE QUITE A JOB AND I'M AFRAID OF DAMAGING THE ROOTS. IF I CAN TOP OFF THE CREPE MYRTLE, IS IT OK TO CONTINUE TOPPING IT TO KEEP IT FROM GETTING ANY TALLER? MY HUSBAND WANTS TO CUT IT DOWN AND I WANT TO SAVE IT IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. THANK YOU! It is recommended to prune crepe myrtles in the early spring (around March) so that the summer flowers can bloom. If you are going to top off the tree I would not get too drastic with the amount removed. Prune it a little more each year until you find a size you like and keep it the same size. |
I recently purchased a home and the front yard is more dirt than grass. I've decided to re-sod the entire yard but want to put down a fertilizer/soil prior to re-sodding. We have a huge tree in the front yard that appears no grass grew around it but I've trimmed it back some and would prefer to have grass all around vs doing a flowerbed . I'm thinking since the roots to the tree were protruding and not enough soil was on the ground for the grass to grow, this is the reason it did not grow. Any auggestions? What kind of soil to put down and whether I should sod the entire yard or do something else around the tree? Your advise is greatly appreciated. I am a single mom so no manly direction here and need some guidance. Thanks. Rose The grass generally will not grow around a tree due to lack of light, trimming the tree will help with that situation. Leave the roots of the tree exposed, if you cover them up it could cause the tree to develop diseases since the tree expels oxygen from the exposed roots. For a soil around the rest of the area I would use a good soil, compost, and sand mixture. Spread about a 2-3" layer of the soil and either broad cast seed and fertilizer mixed or lay sod squares. If you decide to lay sod you will need to rent a roller to flatten the sod so the roots will be able to take hold. You can plant grass around the base of the tree just make sure you do not cover the exposed roots, St. Augustine is a good shade tolerant grass that will do ok. After the sod is laid and flattened you can go over it with a good organic fertilizer like Garden-Ville's Premium Soil Food 7-2-2 to give the grass an extra boost of energy. You should fertilize and spread compost twice a year (spring and fall) and make sure that the yard is watered regularly (once a week for about 15-20 minutes) so the summer heat does not dry out and kill the grass. |
Is it safe for an oak tree to plant a flower bed around the base of it? The roots of my oak trees extend about 4-5 feet from the base of the tree....this is the part of the roots that I can see. I've always heard you can smother a tree by covering the roots. No I would not recommend you cover the exposed roots of the tree, when you cover the roots up it makes the tree more susceptible to diseases like root rot. If you must put something around the base of the tree I would recommend you visit your local nursery and pick out a shade tolerant ground cover that you can plant at the level the soil is now. |
Our Asian pear trees seem to have a problem. The stems on the fruit are turning black and then it extends onto the fruit itself. We are looking for an organic treatment. Sounds like you may have fire blight or some other type of fungus. Try spreading horticultural corn meal along with our sick tree treatment around the drip line of the tree and water it in. You also might want to take a sample of what is going on to your local nursery and see what they say. |
can a barrier be placed away from the trunk of the tree to build a planter made of stone to create a raised garden bed around the tree ...we are trying not to suffocate the roots...having a type of canal so that the tree can breathe and not develop root rot..we understand that it's not healty to have dirt or mulch right up against the trunk, but using some type of retaining wall before the actual garden wall is created...the concept would be like a ring around the trunk that would keep dirt away from the trunk and the dirt enclosed inside the stone planter It is really not recommended to make a planter around a tree, studies have shown that the covering of the roots in any way can cause the roots and the tree to develop diseases and die. It is recommended that ground cover be planted at the surface level of the existing soil. If you really want to have a garden at the base of the tree you might want to consider pots or some other type of planter that does not cover the roots in any way. |
Can you please give me information for a safe organic spray to use on my apple tree for codling moths? I understand there is a new product out for this which can be used either folier or systemic. It is called Azitrol Oil. But I am beside myself. Last year I put out jugs of vinegar/sweetener/water to lure them, and many did drown in the season. But in the end, my apples still had as much codling moth damage. Thanks very much! You can use the Garden-Ville Organic Insecticide mixed with water to spray the trees to kill off the moths, mix at a rate of 6.5 ounces of Organic Insecticide per 10 gallons of water and spray the trees. You can purchase the Organic Insecticide in 3 pound bottles on our website or if you are in the Austin/San Antonio area you can pick them up at any Garden-Ville for about $23.00 per bottle. |
I have a mountain ash that developed a fungus last summer. I sprayed the fungus with isopropal alcohol and that seemed to keep it in check. The tree had very few buds last year and didn't fair well over the summer. It has almost no buds this year except in a few areas. Can I save this tree as it provides shade to our front south facing window? Garden-Ville has a product called Potassium Bicarbonate that will kill off the fungus in a couple of applications and will not harm the tree. In addition to the Potassium Bicarbonate you might also want to spread horticultural corn meal around the base of the tree and water it in, the corn meal and the potassium bicarbonate should take care of any fungal problems you have. After the fungus is gone spread compost around the drip line of the tree to build up the health of the tree and make it less susceptible to other diseases. Garden-Ville has a product called Sick Tree Treatment that is great for helping diseased trees along and is available in 40# bags. All products mentioned above are available at any Garden-Ville location or on our website. |
Hi, I planted three tress around Easter and one the leaves have fallen off and the other the leaves look yellow. Is this because of two much rain or because I did not plant them correctly? They were Oak and China Berry andl small enough that the bamboo stick was still attached. Thanks, Brian. Since you have planted the trees how many times have you fertilized? Also, after planting did you add a ring of mulch around the tree? If so is the mulch touching the bark of the tree? If you have not fertilized since planting the tree I would suggest feeding the tree with a good organic fertilizer like Garden-Ville’s Premium Lawn Fertilizer 7-2-2 and follow up with and application of an iron source like Garden-Ville’s Greensand. The rain might have leached out the nutrients in the soil and since trees require the most fertilizer and care when they are starting out that could be the reason for what you are seeing. |
As I would like to grow more Angel Trumpet trees in my garden, is there any way that I can regenerate new Angel Trumpet trees form smaller ones growing at the base of my existing mature trees? The process you are talking about is rooting cuttings, I have pasted a link to a website that will give you a step by step description of the cutting process. If you have any other questions please let me know.
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we have three large and very beautiful ornamental pear trees. However as it gets hotter as summer approaches they develop fire blight. It happens every year. Is there any thing we can do now to stop this? Thank you for your help. Martha,
Garden-Ville has a product called Sick Tree Treatment which is a mixture of compost, lava sand, and greensand. Trim back the dead leaves and leave the green ones behind, then spread a layer of horticultural corn meal around the drip line of the trees and then spread a layer of the Sick Tree Treatment on top of the corn meal and water it in. The fire blight is a fungus that affects many roses and trees alike, the corn meal along with the Sick Tree Treatment will help to fight the fungus in the ground around the trees. You can pick up both products at any Garden-Ville location. If you have any other questions please let me know. |
Can Mexican Fan Palms be cut back? Will they re-grow? The crown can be trimmed back, but I have heard that if it is not necessary to trim the plant to leave it alone. The dead leaves of the plant contain nutrients that the plant absorbs until depleted then drops the leaves. If you were to trim back the plant it has been said to picture the crown of the plant as the face of a clock and only trim to 3 and 9. You might want to have a certified arborist come out and give you tips on what to do about your particular tree. |
Can you give me an idea about trimming/pruning an oak tree. It has been in the ground for three years. I asked Bob Webster about it and after I hung up I remember him saying something about the limbs coming off the trunk would start at about 6 feet. I have limbs the size of quarters and half dollars starting at three feet off the ground. There are a bunch of limbs the size of fingers that go straight up like the trunk. The tree is about 12-13 foot tall and the trunk is about 11 inches in circumference Frank,
Basically what Bob was saying is that he recommends that you start your limbs around 6’. If the limbs on your tree are lower then they would need to be pruned off. Basically a tree will grow to however you want it to look. All you need to do is clean up the tree’s appearance, trim up the lower branches and just make it look how you would want it to look. |
We are buying a house in west Ft. Worth near Azle and would like to plant an evergreen privacy screen between our neighbors on either side. We would like something that does not have to be maintained but natual and about 6 to 8 feet tall. any suggestions. thanks . R. Reid Your local growers will be able to recommend something for the area. Everything that I have looked at grows to a height of about 15’ tall unless maintained properly.
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I have a four foot wide flower bed that is bordered on one side by my house and on the other side by my front sidewalk. I would like to plant two Italian Cypress trees in this bed to flank my front window. How much room does the rootball of this plant need to prevent damage to the structure and to the sidewalk? Thanks for your help! I would not recommend you plant the tree in such a small area. The tree can grow to 6' wide when mature and a good rule of thumb is that the roots will be as wide or wider than the width of the tree. If you would like to have the cypress tree I would recommend that you plant them in pots so you can step them up as the tree grows. |
The Texas Forrestry Service has a web page that allows users to select their county, and then go on to specify other parameters if desired such as tree size, color, etc. If you enter Comal County, a list of trees comes up that are apparently recommended for Comal County. The listings include American Elm and Lacebark Elm. I know that Dutch Elm Disease has been hard on American Elms, but the statement is that the disease has not spread to South Texas. When I called several large nursuries, I was told that the only elm worth planting in this area are Cedar Elms. What do you thiink? Are either of these trees suitable for Comal County? The Texas Forestry Service is through Texas A&M University, they usually know what they are talking about. In my opinion I would go with either the Lace Bark Elm, or the Cedar Elm and err on the side of caution. Even though it has not spread to South Texas there is a chance that it could. Both trees are suitable for most of Texas and the Cedar Elm is native to South Texas, so either way you can’t go wrong. |
I have 2 mature pecan trees in my back yard. In the 6 years I've lived here, they have never produced a good pecan. We get lots of blooms and nuts, but when I crack them open, the nut is all black and shriveled. Is this a disease or a pest problem? What can I do about it? Thanks, Jenn You might want to try and fertilizer with a high middle number, that is your phosphorus. Also, keep your trees on a regular watering schedule and add some compost around the drip zone of the tree to condition the soil around the root zone. If that does not work you may want to take a sample of the soil around the trees and send it off for analysis. |
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