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Plant Diseases/Questions Answered by Expert Jim Hyland
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Magnolia tree | 11/9/2011 |
| Q: I have a magnolia tree that is approx. 12 years old. It has always been healthy until this summer. ... A: Sounds like Magnolia scale, an insect. This small insect lives in a scale and sucks the plant juices ... | |
| Foam on trees | 10/24/2011 |
| Q: Why is there foam on my backyard tree after it rains? A: With heavy rain, water works its way through the bark, especially towards the tops of the trees, to ... | |
| River Birch Roots | 10/21/2011 |
| Q: I live it a condo complex, which has River Birch's between each set of condo. These Birch Tree were ... A: This being a river birch, there should not be a problem with the roots. You should not have a ... | |
| White Oak trees | 10/20/2011 |
| Q: We have multiple white oak trees planted in medians and in the landscape... in the past 3 yrs we ... A: Hardwood trees especially oaks have a tendency to sprout water shoots when planted as single open ... | |
| Sick Golden Raintree | 10/19/2011 |
| Q: I live in Central Florida and I have a large 20-30 year old golden raintree in my front yard that is ... A: There are several things going on with your tree. First the blue and red insect is a Golden raintree ... | |
| Yellow Pine Needles | 9/22/2011 |
| Q: I live just east of San Antonio, TX. We have had severe drought conditions over the last year. I ... A: Water with 1 inch of water--place a pan under the tree and turn the sprinkler on and when he pan has ... | |
| flies | 9/20/2011 |
| Q: We have a tree in a filed out back and today it was covered in tons of flies and some bees and it ... A: Sounds like the tree may have a disease called slime flux. The sap will run out and the flies and ... | |
| worms | 9/17/2011 |
| Q: About a month ago I noticed these worms on my Oleander bush. I took them off and put them in soapy ... A: The Oleander caterpillar is the most significant insect pest of oleanders. The caterpillar is an ... | |
| Willow tree fungus? | 9/10/2011 |
| Q: I'm in York, Pa and just recently noticed these red "rubbery feeling" spikes coming out of the ... A: These are the frass from a borer (beetle) that has infested the trunk. About all that can be done is ... | |
| Westmont Arborvitae | 9/9/2011 |
| Q: I planted two Westmont Arborvitaes about a month ago & have been watering them daily. I noticed ... A: Sounds like too much water. Over watering will cause the same symptoms as too little water--needles ... | |
| Trunk fungus? or peeling bark - pink dogwood | 9/3/2011 |
| Q: We have a pink dogwood tree in our backyard. It's leaves show no sign of anthracnose or any other ... A: Bark splitting can occur in response to various environmental factors at different times of the ... | |
| Dogwood: Pruning, Fertilizing, Disease Control??? | 8/21/2011 |
| Q: I have two white Dogwoods. Both are approx. 10" in trunk diameter. They are slowly dying as some ... A: Dead branches can be pruned at any time of the year. Live branches should be pruned in the dormant ... | |
| Killing Maple Tree Fungus/Fungi | 8/20/2011 |
| Q: I have a large maple tree in my yard. It has an open knot hole approx. 3" in diameter. There is a ... A: This sounds like one of the decay type fungi. What you are seeing is the fruiting body of the ... | |
| Debra Maple | 8/17/2011 |
| Q: My Debra Maple in Colorado is getting odd brown areas along the veining on the leaves. Then this ... A: Sounds like Maple anthracnose. The most common symptoms include brownish discoloration along veins, ... | |
| Fuzzy Parasite | 8/10/2011 |
| Q: I need to know what is this parasite on the image. It's fuzzy, yellow and it comes from some leaf ... A: It is one of the leaf gall insects but there are many and I can only guess which species this is--I ... | |
| Italian Cypress/ needle blight/browning | 8/7/2011 |
| Q: Several Italian Cypress in central Florida are browning and dropping needles from bottom up. Have ... A: The browning of evergreens is commonly referred to as needle blight. Needle blights are caused ... | |
| moss on tree | 8/4/2011 |
| Q: My trees covered by green stuff like moss it later on kill the tree, so where can I get: Kocide 101 ... A: These are lichens. And can be controlled with the Kocide product however Kocide DF has been ... | |
| Dogwood Tree - Brown Splotches on Leaves | 8/1/2011 |
| Q: I have a white dogwood tree in front of my window facing the west. When I returned from Florida in ... A: It could also be Dogwood anthracnose. The treatment for lack of water and this disease are ... | |
| Maple Tree | 7/14/2011 |
| Q: Further to my last question re white blobs on the branches and leaves, I attach two photos to ... A: These are cottony scales. The cottony maple scale, Pulvinaria innumerabilis (Rathvon), is a highly ... | |
| flowering plum tree | 7/13/2011 |
| Q: We had a rare freeze in West Tx. in mid. Jan.(-6º). Our 35 yr. old flowering plum tree bloomed in ... A: Sounds like it sorry! You can see if any of the branches are still alive by starting near the end of ... | |
| AUTUMN BLAZE MAPLE CONCERN | 7/11/2011 |
| Q: MY WIFE AND I HAVE PURCHASED ABOUT A 16 FOOT AUTUMN BLAZE MAPLE AT A LOCAL TREE NURSERY TO BE ... A: Sounds like a scale insect I would NOT buy a tree with this on it. In fact I would not plant a tree ... | |
| OAK TREE | 7/9/2011 |
| Q: MY OAK TREE HAS WHAT LOOKS LIKE SPIDER WEB FROM BASE OF TREE MOVING UP. ITS ABOUT HALF UP THE TREE ... A: Sounds like bark lice. Bark Lice are more properly called Psocids (pronounced "SOSS-sids"). They ... | |
| Cotton candy? | 5/30/2011 |
| Q: I have a small gumbo-limbo tree around 4 yr old. I noticed one of its branches is now covered with a ... A: This sounds like a relatively new insect to Florida called Gumbo Limbo Spiraling Whitefly. White ... | |
| Maple Octobery Glory | 5/26/2011 |
| Q: I recently planted a Maple Octobery Glory tree and it was doing very well, but now it has developed ... A: These are leaf spot caused by a fungus. I am going to guess it is Phyllostict leaf spot. A leaf spot ... | |
| maple tree leaf disease | 5/25/2011 |
| Q: I have a 25 year old maple tree. Last year the leaves developed black spots all over them and then ... A: Several different fungi in the genus Rhytisma infect the leaves of maples and cause raised, black ... | |
| Pear tree disease | 5/24/2011 |
| Q: i have two pear trees, the beginning of summer the leaves looks green and beautiful after the leaves ... A: This sounds like a leaf spot called Fabraea Leaf Spot. This is controlled with the use of a ... | |
| Flowing Plum Tree | 5/23/2011 |
| Q: this season the tree started out blooming very well,but it has just started to do the same thing as ... A: I would guess that this is the feeding of Japanese beetles. There are a few caterpillar type insect ... | |
| Unhappy Spruce | 5/22/2011 |
| Q: Sorry, Jim, I submitted this question a moment ago without the photo attached. Hello Jim, I have ... A: Looks like a disease. The most important disease of spruce in landscape plantings is Cytospora ... | |
| Weeping willow tree | 5/22/2011 |
| Q: My approximately 5-6 year old weeping willow tree is excreeting white foam like substance from the ... A: This is called Frothy flux of willows. Frothy Flux is different from the Bacterial wetwood (slime ... | |
| Soot like cover on holly leaves | 5/21/2011 |
| Q: I have three holly trees which are robust and normally healthy; the trees are all in full bloom. ... A: Check a couple of things--if the leaves are sticky this is an insect either an aphid scale. These ... | |
| Autumn Blaze Maple Bark Issues | 5/19/2011 |
| Q: I planted an Autumnblaze about 3 or 4 years ago. It was about 12' tall with a 3' caliper. Last year ... A: No sounds like the tree is recovering nicely. It sounds like a case of sunscald. Young maples are ... | |
| Bugs inmy Bradford | 5/18/2011 |
| Q: I have recently had a Bradford pear in my yard struck by lightening. When chopping up the part fell ... A: Sounds like a Betsy beetle. They do not cause any damage nut feed on decaying wood. Sounds like the ... | |
| Need unknown growth identified | 5/15/2011 |
| Q: I am attaching an image of something that has suddenly appeared overnight (almost). It has a spongy ... A: This is one of the stinkhorn mushroom. The stinkhorns probably take the prize for most phallic ... | |
| Quaking Aspen | 5/11/2011 |
| Q: I have three aspens planted together appx age 8 yrs. This is the first spring I noticed a rusty ... A: This is a canker disease called Cytospora canker. In disease affects already weakened or stressed ... | |
| Aspen tree wilting | 5/10/2011 |
| Q: I have an aspen tree whose leaves are curling up on the edges and drying out. I noticed this after I ... A: Over watering can be as bad as too little water and the symptoms are about the same--wilting ... | |
| Maple | 5/10/2011 |
| Q: I purchased a Japanese maple; and placed it n a location in my yard that register too much sun. ... A: It sounds like the tree is going through the stress of the planting and replanting. If you have not ... | |
| dwarf burford holly | 5/9/2011 |
| Q: I planted 2 of these plants about 7 wks ago & now 1 has black spots & the leaves are drying up, ... A: Sounds like leaf spot disease. I would rake the leaves up that fall and remove from the area. ... | |
| birch tree heavy seeping or fubgus | 5/6/2011 |
| Q: We cut two large branches off a birch tree earlier this year, Now have a large mass on one spot, ... A: This is normal. River birch transpire a great amount of water-this is especially true in the spring ... | |
| pine tree fungus | 4/19/2011 |
| Q: I have two Douglas fur pine trees with what appears to be a seasonal fungus. I have noticed that ... A: Sounds like Cooley spruce gall adelgid. The Cooley spruce gall adelgid overwinters as an immature ... | |
| maple trees | 4/16/2011 |
| Q: I'v got two maple trees. They have a green moss like growing up them. What can I do to stop it? A: Lichens are an example of a symbiotic relationship between algae and certain fungi. They are capable ... | |
| Dogwood tree | 4/13/2011 |
| Q: We live in Southeast Michigan and this past winter the leaves on our Dogwood tree never fell off. We ... A: There are not many diseases that will cause the leaves to stay on dogwood trees. Sounds like it ... | |
| Sweet Gum Tree | 4/4/2011 |
| Q: We have a Sweet Gum Tree in our front yard that is well over 30 years old. I have just noticed that ... A: This sounds like either slime flux or alcoholic flux. The oozing is called "slime flux" and is ... | |
| Pin Oak in Backyard | 4/2/2011 |
| Q: This season many of the buds on the lower branches of my oak tree are spliiting off about an inch ... A: Sounds like a reaction form the cold. As long as the tree is putting out new growth it will be fine. ... | |
| white mold on my front yard shrubs | 4/1/2011 |
| Q: my problem, my wife and i found a white mold all over the shrubs hedge that was infested with wasps? ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew. Powdery mildews, as the name implies, often appear as a superficial ... | |
| red tip maple tree | 4/1/2011 |
| Q: My red tip maple is 8 years old and and a large limb at the crotch has fallen and torn the bark from ... A: In general I would say the tree does not need removing. Decay fungi get into the woody cells of a ... | |
| dead arbovitaes | 3/29/2011 |
| Q: In live in Northern NJ and have 30 6' arbovitaes planted around my yard perimeter for about 10 ... A: Sounds like a foliage disease. Here are a few of the foliage diseases of arbovitae. Phomopsis ... | |
| Southern Live Oak | 3/26/2011 |
| Q: We live in Williamsburg, Virginia and we have a Southern Live Oak that is about 8 years old. We are ... A: Looks like a leaf spot fungus. There are several leaf spot fungi that will infect an oak. Leaf ... | |
| japanese maple | 3/12/2011 |
| Q: We had a real bad winter this year and after many feet of snow melted we saw our maple trees trunk ... A: After the snow is off the tree where you can pull the halves together without the weight of the snow ... | |
| Bonita Ash Tree | 3/11/2011 |
| Q: We have a young Bonita Ash that has not begun to bud yet, even though everything else around has ... A: Ash pecan and hickory tree are usually later leafing out then the other hardwood tree. To determine ... | |
| Growth on pecan tree limbs | 3/5/2011 |
| Q: I am trying to restore several old pecan tree orchards. I am having trouble with a green mossey ... A: Sounds like it could be resurrection moss or lichens. Here is a web link with pictures of both. ... | |
| Flying ants living in bradford pear trees | 3/4/2011 |
| Q: Flying ants came out of mulch and entered bradford pears. I noticed wood peckers have drilled holes ... A: The ants are taking advantage of a tree that has decayed wood in it. Decay fungi enter through ... | |
| arborvitae tree diseases | 1/2/2011 |
| Q: One of the evergreen trees (arborvitae or pine) along my back yard fence changed color from green to ... A: Looks like maybe Italian cypress. The drought did not cause this --drought damage would have shown ... | |
| oak leaves | 10/23/2010 |
| Q: We have a very large pin oak and this year the leaves have developed unusual brown bumps on the ... A: These are leaf galls formed by an insect -tiny wasp. There are a variety of gall-forming species of ... | |
| Pin Oak Disease | 10/21/2010 |
| Q: Our pin Oak trees have a ball the size of a walnut on the branches. We have heard that is a disease ... A: There are a variety of gall-forming species of small wasps that commonly infest oak, Quercus spp. ... | |
| gray/white on upside of Japanese Red Maple branches (Georgia) | 10/19/2010 |
| Q: Our Japanese Red Maple has gray/white deposits on the upper side of its branches, and many of the ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew. Powdery mildews, as the name implies, often appear as a superficial ... | |
| CURLY RED WILLOW | 10/18/2010 |
| Q: TWO YEARS AGO I PLANTED A CURLY RED WILLOW APPROXIMATELY 6' FROM THE LAKE THAT I LIVE ON. IT GREW TO ... A: Sounds like a scale insect probably willow scale. These insects attach to the twigs and suck the ... | |
| Wasp? Unusual insect | 10/14/2010 |
| Q: In the past two weeks, I have seen an insect on my silver maple that looks like a large (2 1/2 to 3 ... A: Sounds like a clearwing borer. Clearwing borers are a group of day-flying moths with relatively ... | |
| White spots on 10 ft jasmine tree | 10/4/2010 |
| Q: I worked as an agricultural pest control tech in CA for 7 years. I've found white spots on my 10 ft ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew. Powdery mildew fungi belong to the group of plant pathogens called ... | |
| Red Japanese maple tree | 10/2/2010 |
| Q: Why does one half of the leaves on one side of my tree look like they are parched,brown and wilted ... A: I would guess that the side with the damage is next to a building or a sidewalk or driveway and the ... | |
| crepe myrtle leaves turning brown | 9/29/2010 |
| Q: Me and my husband recently planted 2 crepe myrtles that my husband brought home from his ... A: The spots on the leaves are just a leaf spot disease that is not a problem to the health of the tree ... | |
| crepe myrtle leaves turning brown | 9/28/2010 |
| Q: Me and my husband recently planted 2 crepe myrtles that my husband brought home from his ... A: Sounds like shock form the planting. Check and see if the trees are still alive--start near the end ... | |
| euwanomus, verigated | 9/24/2010 |
| Q: we have white scale what is the best spray to use and how often? A: It is best to treat with a product called Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect control. It is ... | |
| flowering plum | 9/20/2010 |
| Q: I live in Az. and my flowering plum tree has sap seeping from many ares on the trunk. I think ... A: Sounds like the Peachtree Borer Synanthedon exitiosa (Say) The peachtree borer is a major pest of ... | |
| mimosa wilt | 9/14/2010 |
| Q: i have a mimosa tree that started losing its leaves limb by limb at the start of this summer, it was ... A: I am sorry to say this sounds like a disease that is fatal to mimosa. It could be one of two ... | |
| Maple tree Infestation | 9/13/2010 |
| Q: There are now three very old large maples on our block (two regular and one red) that all have some ... A: Sounds like cottony maple scale. The cottony maple scale, Pulvinaria innumerabilis (Rathvon), is a ... | |
| Black powdery substance on gardenia leaves. We are in Casino NSW | 9/6/2010 |
| Q: My Son has a lot of Gardenias and they have a Black podery substance coating the leaves like they ... A: Sounds like a scale insect problem. Various scale insects feed on gardenias, including the soft ... | |
| Honey Locust trees | 9/4/2010 |
| Q: Three weeks ago, we had two honey locust trees planted by a local nursery in Richmond, VA. The trees ... A: This time of the year is about the worst time to plant trees due to the heat and lack of ground ... | |
| Green Ash Tree in Central Minnesota | 9/2/2010 |
| Q: We had a very bad thunderstorm last night and one of my green ash trees broke in half. The tree ... A: Sounds like one of the heart rot decay fungi. Several wood-rotting fungi attack living green ash ... | |
| Rid Meyer Lemon Tree of Fungus Gnats? | 9/1/2010 |
| Q: I have a Meyer Lemon Tree (2' + tall) that I purchased a few weeks ago from my local Lowes hardware ... A: More than likely they came from the potting soil--gnats like the high humus and damp potting soil. ... | |
| Globe Willow oozing and turning black | 8/31/2010 |
| Q: We have a globe Willow that is about 3 years old that is oozing clear or white foam and the main ... A: The tree will be fine fluxes will not kill the tree and can dry up on their own. No need to remove ... | |
| Fungus? | 8/30/2010 |
| Q: I am concerned about some wood I picked up from a friend of mine for wood turning. I am almost ... A: If the moisture content of the wood is high enough the fungus will grow these root like filaments ... | |
| White powder on mulberry tree | 8/29/2010 |
| Q: Jim - I've seen similar postings previously, but we've got this white powdery substance coating ... A: Usually powdery mildew is on the leaves and the small stems near the leaves and not on the tree ... | |
| White powder on mulberry tree | 8/29/2010 |
| Q: Jim - I've seen similar postings previously, but we've got this white powdery substance coating ... A: This is an insect called bark lice. Bark lice are small, brown insects that live on the rough bark ... | |
| Italian Cypress Trees | 8/28/2010 |
| Q: We have a dozen 27 year old trees and some them have several of their branches bowing down towards ... A: Drooping limbs on Italian cypress is usually caused by over fertilization, over watering or both. ... | |
| Italian (?) Cypress Tree | 8/27/2010 |
| Q: We believe we have Italian cypress (5) planted in a row 2 of them have dying branches the othr 3 are ... A: Looks like it could be a canker disease rather than an insect. Cypress canker is a spore-born ... | |
| Large growths on oak trunk bark | 8/26/2010 |
| Q: We have had a 12" round bulging growth on the trunk of our oak tree, I didn't like the looks of it, ... A: These are called burls. Burls are abnormal growths on the trunks and branches of trees. The ... | |
| Oak tree in florida | 8/17/2010 |
| Q: I live in Central Florida...I just noticed on my oak tree a blanket of cobweb, however, it's not ... A: Yes Florida does have bark lice as well as here in Alabama. It is found in most of the Southern ... | |
| Mulberry Tree problem | 8/16/2010 |
| Q: We have a mulberry tree that apparently has a bore in it. The leaves on some parts of the tree are ... A: I would treat the tree with an insecticide called Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect control. This ... | |
| Our maple tree | 8/16/2010 |
| Q: Our maple tree which is approx. 20-30 yrs. old is losing limbs from the bottom up. We have lived ... A: Lower limbs self shed from being shaded as the tree grows older. The cracks sound like sunscald. ... | |
| Dying Oak Trees | 8/15/2010 |
| Q: We have an oak tree that seems to be dying. It's acorns have not developed and the leaves appear to ... A: Any distrubance of the roots espectially near the tree trunk can cause die back of the foliage. The ... | |
| river birch | 8/13/2010 |
| Q: I live in the Houston,Tx area.I have a birch that has been blooming later and losing leaves earlier ... A: Sounds like birch leaf blight. Defoliation caused by birch leaf blight has been extensive this ... | |
| oak trees | 8/13/2010 |
| Q: the oak trees outside my house should be fine because it is raining a lot, but the bark is falling ... A: If you are saying that paving was put around the trees and what effect this has?? The paving ... | |
| Shumard Oak | 8/9/2010 |
| Q: I hope you can help! We recently purchased a 30 gallon Shumard Oak and planted it. We followed the ... A: Oaks the first year of planting have a tendency to die back as they concentrate the growth on the ... | |
| Oak tree leaves | 8/4/2010 |
| Q: I have a medium sized oak in my back yard here in NE Ohio that I noticed a few tent caterpillar nest ... A: The tents sounds like fall webworm --they will eat the leaves near the tent and some will not be ... | |
| Scale on Magnolia Tree | 8/4/2010 |
| Q: We have a beautiful magnolia that is totally infested with scale. I wonder if you could tell me what ... A: Yes there is an insecticide that can be applied to the soil around the tree and the roots will carry ... | |
| Willow tree fungus | 8/4/2010 |
| Q: I have a mature willow tree that has developed a light brown fungus on the trunk of several of the ... A: Well lets start over. I went the wrong way on your first question--the picture helps a lot. The ... | |
| Web Worms in Tall Pecan Trees | 8/2/2010 |
| Q: I read your advice on web worms but none of it is going to work for me. First, mine are in the ... A: It is more than likely too late to spray Bt on the foliage since the caterpillars are already in the ... | |
| Aloe vera plant | 7/31/2010 |
| Q: I have had my aloe vera plant for about 8 months. I water it weekly with Miracle Grow. It has put ... A: sounds like mealy bugs. Mealy bugs are similar to scale insects but are covered in fine white fluff. ... | |
| Goodland Apple Tree - Fungal Growth | 7/31/2010 |
| Q: Two years ago in Manitoba we had a quick freeze and my Goodland Apple tree split in the main trunk. ... A: I am not sure which decay fungi this is but it is the fruiting body of a fungi that is growing in ... | |
| Indian Hawthorn | 7/31/2010 |
| Q: My hawthorns' leaves are a mottled yellow and green. Many leaves also have small brown dots on the ... A: Sounds like Hawthorn Rust (pathogen: Gymnosporangium globosum): Hawthorn rust is very similar to ... | |
| tiny black spots and yellowing oak tree leaves | 7/31/2010 |
| Q: Our oak tree that is about 3 years old has yellowing of the leaves and tiny black spots all over ... A: Sounds like leaf spot disease or leaf gall insect. Leaf spot is a common descriptive term applied ... | |
| Damaged bark on maple tree! | 7/30/2010 |
| Q: I have a small sapling red maple about 8' tall and couple of inch diameter planted only about a ... A: It will be tough but I would give it a try. First remove any loose bark from the wound. The tree has ... | |
| Oak Leaf Problem? | 7/28/2010 |
| Q: Good Afternoon Jim, I've just had a walk in the local fields, most of which have been recently ... A: They are all galls caused by an insect (small wasp) The wasp lays its eggs on the surface of the ... | |
| Holly Tree Fungus | 7/27/2010 |
| Q: I have a white fungus infection on my holly tree leaves. The fungus is rectangular in shape on the ... A: Sounds like a disease called powdery mildew. Powdery mildews, as the name implies, often appear as ... | |
| Willow tree fungus | 7/25/2010 |
| Q: I have a mature willow tree that has developed a light brown fungus on the trunk of several of the ... A: Sounds like a decay fungus fruiting body--like the flower of a plant. One of the life stages of the ... | |
| oak tree growth | 7/24/2010 |
| Q: there is a weird growth at the base of an oak tree. it is white, slimy, and dripping condensation. A: This is the fruiting body ("flower" ) of a decay fungi. The fungi is living on the woody cells of ... | |
| crepe myrtles and upright elephant ears | 7/22/2010 |
| Q: I have planted "upright elephant" ears under my crepe myrtles as this is the only spot for the ... A: This caused by an insect either an aphid or a scale. Both of these insect suck the plant juices ... | |
| growths on a pin oak tree | 7/21/2010 |
| Q: My pin oak tree up to now has been very healthy. It still looks good, but this summer we noticed ... A: These are gall insects. Galls are irregular plant growths which are stimulated by the reaction ... | |
| Magnolia Tree | 7/13/2010 |
| Q: My Magnolia tree has white spots on the branches. There is something sticky dripping all over my ... A: Sounds like magnolia scale. These insects suck the plant juices from the plant an secrete a ... | |
| Problem with Eastern White Pine | 7/12/2010 |
| Q: I have several pines that have developed an apparent disease that has covered most of the trunk with ... A: It looks like bark lice Archipsocus nomas, the webbing bark louse. Bark lice are small, brown ... | |
| bagworms/pinetree worms | 7/12/2010 |
| Q: what can of spray can i use for them? i have 4 pine trees in my yard and one has died. the worms are ... A: Make sure this is bagworms first. ... | |
| crepe myrtle leaves | 7/12/2010 |
| Q: on crepe myrtle appearence of white eggs? small white worms and what apears to be white delta ... A: Sounds like white flies. Whiteflies damage plants by sucking out plant juices. Because large ... | |
| Arborvitae - green leaves dropping | 7/12/2010 |
| Q: I live in Durham, NC and have an arborvitae at the corner of my house. The tree was planted in 2004 ... A: Since you did not say what type of mulch I will assume that you are correct. Mulch should be organic ... | |
| horned oak gall | 7/11/2010 |
| Q: My pin oak trees(3) have this gall and I saw in your answer on 7/8/2010 that this could cause death ... A: There are a variety of gall-forming species of small wasps that commonly infest oak, Quercus spp. ... | |
| japanese maple | 7/11/2010 |
| Q: all the leaves are turning green and the tips are dying,also the leaves are bunching together. ... A: Japanese red Maple leaves turn from red to green when the intensity of light is decreased. Most if ... | |
| galls | 7/11/2010 |
| Q: have apin oak that is covered top to bottom with galls ave 1"-3.5" in diameter any cure? any ... A: These are called horned oak galls. The horned and gouty oak galls may be seriously injurious to pin ... | |
| Holly bush care | 7/9/2010 |
| Q: Two of our holly bushes that are close together have white spot(looks like a mold) and the lower ... A: It sounds like either an aphid or a scale type insect. Check and see if the leaves where the black ... | |
| Green ash leaves curling | 7/8/2010 |
| Q: I have a green ash, about 35 yrs old, (I live in Calgary, Alberta Canada)the tree looks good but ... A: Ash leaf-roller enjoys leaves of all ash species, including green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), ... | |
| Pin oak disease | 7/8/2010 |
| Q: There is a pin oak at my job that has big knots on the branches and limbs. Some about golf ball size ... A: There are a variety of gall-forming species of small wasps that commonly infest oak, Quercus spp. ... | |
| kwanzan cherry | 7/8/2010 |
| Q: I take care of an estate in the foothills of North Carolina. The entrance to the property is line on ... A: Sounds like bacteria canker. Bacterial canker is a plant disease which has two other names. ... | |
| Oak trees | 7/7/2010 |
| Q: Jim, How close to a fully grown oak should you plant broad leaf sycamores so as to guarantee no ... A: Plant the sycamore trees outside the dripline of the oak. The dripline is where the branch extend to ... | |
| crape myrtle | 7/1/2010 |
| Q: i planted my tree 2 weeks ago and now the leaves are light brown and crumbling i don't no what to do A: The tree is in shock from the planting--summer is the very worst time of the year to plant a tree ... | |
| ARISTOCRAT PEAR TREE | 7/1/2010 |
| Q: Last year we had a 20 ft. Aristocrat Pear Tree planted in our yard. It was beautiful with deep green ... A: Newly planted tree especially if they are large trees will concentrate the growth the first year on ... | |
| Locust Tree | 6/30/2010 |
| Q: I have a large locust tree that has appeared happy and healthy for the past 11 years. However, this ... A: No I would not remove the hostas this may cause more damage to the newly forming tree roots. I would ... | |
| Locust Tree | 6/30/2010 |
| Q: I have a large locust tree that has appeared happy and healthy for the past 11 years. However, this ... A: It depends on how much digging the prepare the bed for the hostas you did. The tree roots are in the ... | |
| lilcacs and peonies | 6/30/2010 |
| Q: the leaves on both have a white powdery substance on them what could it be A: Sounds like powdery mildew. Powdery mildews, as the name implies, often appear as a superficial ... | |
| Maple tree appears to be dying | 6/29/2010 |
| Q: I live in southeastern Michigan and I have several maple trees in my yard. They are approximately ... A: Looks like a problem with the root system--I would guess the roots are not growing out from the ... | |
| Bradford Pear | 6/28/2010 |
| Q: We are located in Virginia's northwest corner, bordering W.VA.We have 2 Bradford Pear trees approx. ... A: Sounds like fire blight. Fire blight, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, is a common and ... | |
| Hole in pin oak tree | 6/28/2010 |
| Q: I live in Sw Missouri, and have a very large, and seemingly healthy pin oak tree on the east side of ... A: Sure sounds like slime flux. The oozing is called "slime flux" and is caused by a bacterial ... | |
| Rose of Sharon | 6/27/2010 |
| Q: I have a purple flowered Rose of Sharon shrub that is now approximately just over 6' tall. This yr I ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew. Powdery mildew fungi belong to the group of plant pathogens called ... | |
| WILLOW FLEA WEEVIL AND IMPORTED WILLOW LEAF BEETLE | 6/26/2010 |
| Q: we have 4 or 5 willow tress and this year they have Willow Leaf Beetles. First time I have noticed ... A: If the tree is too tall to spray with liquids I would use Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect ... | |
| Black knot disease | 6/24/2010 |
| Q: I have a plumb tree that bloomed beautifully this year and is hanging loaded with plumbs. I don't ... A: Black knot can be managed by pruning out and destroying all galls infecting the tree. Prune trees ... | |
| Pecan Wood Borer? | 6/24/2010 |
| Q: I have well established Pecan trees in my front yard in central Missouri. There have appeared a ... A: Sounds like sapsuckers wood peckers Most woodpeckers rely on insects and tree sap as their primary ... | |
| Maple tree and a red fungus | 6/23/2010 |
| Q: There is a red fungus looking material on the underside of the leaves on my sugar maple trees. It ... A: These are gall mites and do not realy effect the health of the tree. The life cycle of the mite ... | |
| Plant Disease | 6/23/2010 |
| Q: My English Holly Bushes (2) have developed white mildew "spores" on the underside of the leaves. It ... A: The fungi which cause diseases known as powdery mildew attack a wide variety of ornamental plants ... | |
| White spots on underside of maple leves | 6/22/2010 |
| Q: Does the tree have to be taken down if you have white cotton spots on the underside of the leaves? A: These sound like insect galls and are really not a major treat to the health of the tree. There is ... | |
| Fungus on Japanese Maple | 6/4/2010 |
| Q: I have an orange gooey fungus about 2-3 in. from the ground that completely encircles the trunk. The ... A: It does not sound like anything that is harmful to maple, Sounds like a decay fungus that is growing ... | |
| Marshmellow looking elm and maple tree disease? | 6/3/2010 |
| Q: I have two different trees that are showing weird signs of some type of disease. The confusing part ... A: looks like cottony maple scale. The cottony maple scale, Pulvinaria innumerabilis (Rathvon), is a ... | |
| Reply to your email | 5/31/2010 |
| Q: You asked for a photo to be sent to help your diagnosis. Here is my previous email and your answer + ... A: This looks like cottony maple scale. The cottony maple scale, Pulvinaria innumerabilis (Rathvon), ... | |
| Bradford pear tree problem | 5/24/2010 |
| Q: We have a Bradford pear tree in our backyard that is about 4-5 years old. It has been growing great. ... A: I would spray the areas that have the mildew and adjacent areas. IF you can it would not hurt to ... | |
| Bradford pear tree problem | 5/24/2010 |
| Q: We have a Bradford pear tree in our backyard that is about 4-5 years old. It has been growing great. ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew. Powdery mildews, as the name implies, often appear as a superficial ... | |
| Japanese red maple | 5/22/2010 |
| Q: We have a mature Japanese red maple approx. (12 feet tall) that seems to have died this year, I say ... A: The growths are lichens and would have not cased the death of the tree. Did you happen to use a lawn ... | |
| Maple tree leaf concern. | 5/21/2010 |
| Q: I have the what looks like warts on my maple tree leafs. By the end of the season they do put holes ... A: These sound like leaf spot caused by a fungus. I am going to guess it is Phyllostict leaf spot. A ... | |
| Chitalpa tree. | 5/21/2010 |
| Q: I have followed your instructions to scape the bark of my 5 year old chitalpa tree to find green. It ... A: I am not sure why the tree died back. But the root system seems to be alive and growing the sprouts. ... | |
| Plum Tree problem | 5/21/2010 |
| Q: Our 3 year old plum tree is showing signs of being infested with something. The bark on about 3 ... A: Sounds like a disease called black knot. Black knot can be managed by pruning out and destroying all ... | |
| Old locust trees | 5/20/2010 |
| Q: I have two very tall locust trees, perhaps 100 years old, in front of our adobe house in northern ... A: Sounds like it may need fertilizing. I would use 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb per inch of ... | |
| Japanese Maple | 5/20/2010 |
| Q: i planted 2 trees 15 years ago and they have done very well(12 and 15 feet tall) without any ... A: Mulch should not be more than 3 inches deep and not piled up on the trunk. The black will absorb ... | |
| Autumn Blaze Maple problem | 5/16/2010 |
| Q: I have 4 25foot tall Autumn blaze maples in my yard i planted 2 yrs ago. I noticed 2 of them have ... A: Thess are leaf galls. The upper surface of silver and red maple leaves often become covered with ... | |
| Fruitless mulberry tree problem | 5/15/2010 |
| Q: I have a several fruitless mulberry trees that are over 25 years. One of them I think has armillaria ... A: If the tree has a root rot fungus it can be helped by fertilizing the tree with 10-10-10 fertilizer ... | |
| arborvitae | 5/15/2010 |
| Q: I planted 20-6' arborvitae's at the bottom of the plant some of the leaves have turned black? could ... A: Dog Urine is a problem on cedars when the tree is within a fenced area with dogs or along a walking ... | |
| water oak or pin oak trees | 5/14/2010 |
| Q: i have 6 pin oak/water oak trees in my yard. all about 24" in diameter. i have notice hard ball type ... A: These are called horned oak galls. The horned and gouty oak galls may be seriously injurious to pin ... | |
| pin oak gall | 5/14/2010 |
| Q: JIM, I HAVE A PIN OAK IN NORTHERN MISSOURI THAT HAS SOME TYPE OF GALL THAT GROWS AROUND THE STEMS. ... A: These are called horned oak galls. The horned and gouty oak galls may be seriously injurious to pin ... | |
| Oak tree leaf with red spots | 5/9/2010 |
| Q: I live in NH and our oak tree leaves have reddish spots on one side and the underside is more white ... A: Sounds like leaf spot disease or leaf gall insect. Leaf spot is a common descriptive term applied ... | |
| Krauter Vesuvius | 5/9/2010 |
| Q: We planted two twenty gallon Krauter Vesuvius trees 2 weeks ago. I have been watering 2 to 3 times ... A: The holes are usually an indication of insets feeding on the leaves. the leaves turning brown is a ... | |
| pink dogwood tree diseases | 5/8/2010 |
| Q: We live in Central Okla.and have a pink dogwood that seems to be infected with some kind of blight. ... A: Sounds like dogwood anthracnose. Leaf symptoms are first noted on newly opened leaves in spring. ... | |
| Maple tree | 5/7/2010 |
| Q: I have a Maple tree that has tiny orange balls attached to the leave. Just wondering what they are? A: The upper surface of silver and red maple leaves often become covered with small, red, round ... | |
| Flower Plum Tree | 5/3/2010 |
| Q: My flowering plum blossomed as usual this April. Now I have noticed that there are not many leaves ... A: Sounds almost normal. The leaves sprout after the bloom fades away from the trees. With the approach ... | |
| Aspen pines | 5/3/2010 |
| Q: Last year I paid TruGreen and they treated my dwarf Aspin Pines for mites and a "deep feeding". How ... A: Spider mites are controlled using a miticide which is different than an insecticide. There is a ... | |
| eastern red cedar decline | 5/3/2010 |
| Q: I have a 50 ft high 16-20"DBH red cedar tree that appears to be dying. The foliage is very sparse ... A: Sounds like a disease called Annosus Root Rot. This is a root disease that cedar is highly ... | |
| Holly Bush | 4/21/2010 |
| Q: I have a young holly bush we planted September 2009. It stands maybe 20 inches high and is about 24 ... A: Check to see if the plant is still alive it may just has reacted to the cold. Start near the end of ... | |
| Magnolia Tree | 4/21/2010 |
| Q: I have white spots on the lower trunk, and black spots on almost all of my branches. I've used ... A: These are lichens and not a real problem. Lichens are an example of a symbiotic relationship between ... | |
| Kingston Hardwood maple tree | 4/20/2010 |
| Q: We have subject tree and now that springs is here a couple of branches are dead. Also, there is ... A: I would think this is a condition called slim flux. Slime flux is the name given to the oozing or ... | |
| sap weeping in white oak | 4/19/2010 |
| Q: I have a 30' white oak that has a vertical line (crack) in the trunk (about 5-6' long). The crack ... A: Sounds like slime flux. Wetwood and slime flux are poorly understood tree disease problems. Wetwood ... | |
| leaf-less branches on white oak | 4/18/2010 |
| Q: I'd been noticing branches failing to grow leaves on my white oaks - mostly the lower branches. I ... A: I agree with you. As a tree especially oaks mature they will shed the lower branches which is ... | |
| Coral Bark Maple | 4/17/2010 |
| Q: I have a Coral that has been in the ground for 3 years. Today I noticed that half of the tree is ... A: With a tree this young it will recover and in 5 years you will not be able to tell that you cut one ... | |
| sugar maple | 4/15/2010 |
| Q: The trunk on my sugar maple has turned black and the black is going up the tree. In addition to the ... A: If the holes are in a line the holes are from a bird called a sap sucker (wood pecker). They make ... | |
| ROOT ROT | 4/12/2010 |
| Q: We purchased a couple of Variegated Willow Myrtle's approx 3 weeks ago and planted 2 weeks ago. One ... A: I do not think it was root rot. This is a disease that like most diseases will take a long time to ... | |
| Prairie Fire Crabtree | 4/10/2010 |
| Q: My "Prairie Fire crabtree, which is located on the west side of our house in Plymouth, MA, is ... A: Lichens are an example of a symbiotic relationship between algae and certain fungi. They are capable ... | |
| Maple Tree | 4/8/2010 |
| Q: We have a very old maple tree and each year we've noticed that there are a lot more dead branches ... A: I would try fertilizing it with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb per inch of trunk diameter ... | |
| My newly planted annuals are dying | 4/2/2010 |
| Q: Please help me in understanding what the problem is and how I can rectify that so that my flowers ... A: Aphids secrete a substance called honeydew which is high is sugar content and sticky to the ... | |
| My newly planted annuals are dying | 4/2/2010 |
| Q: Please help me in understanding what the problem is and how I can rectify that so that my flowers ... A: Sounds like slug damage. Slugs have been described as snails without shells, though slugs have a ... | |
| Grancy Greybeard Tree | 4/1/2010 |
| Q: I have a Grancy Greybeard tree (fringe tree) that is 6yrs old. Last year we had a late frost right ... A: Sounds like a root problem--maybe the roots a not spreading out enough and they are still in the ... | |
| Little Gem Magnolia | 3/31/2010 |
| Q: Help, my little gems are having a problem. I'm attaching an image. We have 3 in this grouping and as ... A: Looks like the weather has effected the tree. I would first check and see if the stems with the ... | |
| crabapple and dogwood trees are losing leaves right after mature size of leaves over aperiod of 6 + weeks, they just keep on falling | 3/31/2010 |
| Q: what can I do early in the seasonI have had these trees for at least 10-12 years, for the last two ... A: Sounds like dogwood anthracnose a disease. This can be controlled with fungicides and cultural ... | |
| Arborvitae damage | 3/8/2010 |
| Q: During the recent snowstorms two large branches of this tree (over 20 feet tall) snapped. There is ... A: Depending on the size and the amount of breakage it may recover. You can either wait and see if the ... | |
| Hickory tree diseases | 3/4/2010 |
| Q: My father has a farm with several woodlots on it. In one of the woodlots there is a large ... A: This sounds like a decay fungi called Inonotus obliquus. But there are several fungi that fit the ... | |
| scale | 2/1/2010 |
| Q: We are having a problem with scale and sooty mold doing a number on our Cocoa Plum. This is about a ... A: It will depend on if you are going to eat the fruit. IF not then the Bayer Advanced product will ... | |
| Krauter Vesuvius flowering plum | 11/15/2009 |
| Q: I have had a flowering plum for 12 years. Two years ago, I had it pruned, sense that time it blooms ... A: By "does not leaf out in the Spring' you mean that it has no leaves then it is dead. If you mean ... | |
| Weeping Willow Disease | 11/11/2009 |
| Q: My old, formerly-healthy Alameda, CA weeping willow is suddenly exuding a clear, gelatinous ... A: Larger, reasonably healthy trees seem to outgrow the problem. A weaker tree may have frothy flux for ... | |
| mulberry trees | 11/8/2009 |
| Q: Do large black blotches on the trunk of a Mulberry tree indicate some type of disease? A: Sounds like Lichens. Lichens are an example of a symbiotic relationship between algae and certain ... | |
| brown spots on maple leaves | 11/4/2009 |
| Q: I live near Philadelphia and have an almost 30-year-old maple tree in my backyard. This fall I have ... A: These are leaf spot caused by a fungus. I am going to guess it is Phyllostict leaf spot. A leaf spot ... | |
| green growth on maple tree trunk | 11/4/2009 |
| Q: I live near Philadelphia and have a treasured maple tree in my backyard that has a fairly heavy ... A: These are lichens. Lichens are an example of a symbiotic relationship between algae and certain ... | |
| Black Knot on Cherry Trees | 11/3/2009 |
| Q: My wife and I have a 7 acker lot on a lake in Northern Minnesota. A summer place and we will be back ... A: Black knot can be managed by pruning out and destroying all galls infecting the tree. Prune trees ... | |
| Arborvitae Damage | 10/29/2009 |
| Q: Our trees had some bagworms that did some damage. One of the trees is still brown on top...can we ... A: Yes the foliage should grow back from bagworm feeding. I would wait until next spring and see how ... | |
| Mimosa Wilt | 10/27/2009 |
| Q: Most articles talk about Maryland and south. Any history of this disease occuring on Long ... A: Yes the disease is on mimosa trees where ever they will grow. The mimosa tree's native range is ... | |
| Crape Myrtle - disease | 10/20/2009 |
| Q: I have several mature crape myrtles in my front yard (morning to noon sunlight) which have a black ... A: It sounds like sooty mold, which is a fungus that grow on honeydew. Honeydew is high on sugar ... | |
| Crepe myrtle is not healthy | 10/19/2009 |
| Q: I live in Ft. Worth,TX (Northern TX) I have a crepe myrtle that is approx 10-12 years old.It has not ... A: Sounds like a scale type insect. These insects suck the plant juices from the plant and usually ... | |
| sago palms desease (scales) | 10/18/2009 |
| Q: Where do I purchase malathion or Hordicultural oil? I have my sago palms for years and now they are ... A: Malathion and Horticultural oil can be found at your local nursery. Oil sprays should be your ... | |
| Crab Apple Tree in UK | 10/16/2009 |
| Q: We have an old crab apple tree and noticed white fluffy fungus which we believe could be bark scale ... A: If it is an insect (scale) you will need to spray it with an insecticide. I am not familiar with ... | |
| Globe Willow Seeping | 9/29/2009 |
| Q: My older globe willow has the following symptoms: 1) shedding of outer bark, mostly on trunk and ... A: Sounds like a condition called Froth Flux. Honeydew will be on the foliage and under the tree on the ... | |
| crepe myrtle trees | 9/29/2009 |
| Q: Our 2 crepe myrtle trees have developed sticky leaves and some dark blotching and are dripping the ... A: Sounds like aphids--the sooty mold is growing on the honeydew from the aphids. Crape myrtle aphids ... | |
| web all over trunk branches of 40ft tree | 9/28/2009 |
| Q: i think it is a type of maple covered it silk like web the whole of the bark is covered with web . ... A: These are bark lice. Bark lice are small, brown insects that live on the rough bark of hardwood ... | |
| Oak Tree Disease | 9/25/2009 |
| Q: I have property with about 50 oaks. The entire front of the house and side yard oaks are dropping ... A: A very common leaf spot disease this year is oak leaf blister. All varieties of oaks can get this ... | |
| very old white oak tree | 9/25/2009 |
| Q: the bark is looking loose & small ferns are growing on some limbs is this tree sick? A: As long as the foliage is green and healthy looking the tree is ok. Ferns do grow on some older oaks ... | |
| Disease of Fruitless Mulbury Tree | 9/24/2009 |
| Q: I live in the Dallas area. We have Fruitless Mulberry trees in our front yard. They are about 30 ... A: Sounds like lichens. Lichens are an example of a symbiotic relationship between algae and certain ... | |
| tulip tree | 9/23/2009 |
| Q: the leaves on my tulip tree are turning white, almost powdery looking. do you know what this is A: Sounds like powdery mildew. A powdery, fluffy white to light gray-colored fungus growth on succulent ... | |
| Mimosa tree issue | 9/22/2009 |
| Q: I have a VERY large mimosa tree that is approximately 40 years old. In the last 3-4 years during the ... A: Sounds like an insect called an aphid. These small insect suck the plant juices from the plant and ... | |
| Crepe Myrtle | 9/15/2009 |
| Q: Our crepe myrtle is about 10 years old. This year, the foliage is getting black spots. The leaves ... A: Yes the color of the spots will vary I do think it is a fungi leaf spot. Spots develop in mid-summer ... | |
| Crepe Mrytle | 9/15/2009 |
| Q: I'm in Georgia my crepe mrytle has black on all it's leaves. It just started 2 weeks ago when it ... A: If the black is sticky this would be a sign that there is an insect called an aphid on the plant. ... | |
| Crepe Myrtle | 9/14/2009 |
| Q: Our crepe myrtle is about 10 years old. This year, the foliage is getting black spots. The leaves ... A: Sounds like a disease called a leaf spot. Cercospora Leaf Spot: Leaf spots may appear on crape ... | |
| oak tree | 9/14/2009 |
| Q: I live in north Texas and we have an oak tree that is at least 60 years old in out back yard. This ... A: From the description you gave,It could be anything from herbicide damage from a lawn fertilizer with ... | |
| Black Oak Diseases | 9/13/2009 |
| Q: I live in southern California mountains @ 5000ft elevation.Several oak trees have dying leaves & are ... A: There is a disease that is effecting oaks in Calif. that is a major problem. It fits some of the ... | |
| Pecan trees | 9/11/2009 |
| Q: Before my Dad passed away, he planted 2 pecan trees in the front yard of his Arkansas home. I just ... A: Sound like Fall Webworms. These caterpillars construct a web over the foliage in the late summer or ... | |
| white sap on leaves | 9/8/2009 |
| Q: i have five Plumeria in my yard of diferent sizes and they all started to produce this thin sticky ... A: Sounds like aphids. Aphids are small (1/16-1/8 inch long), soft bodied insects commonly called plant ... | |
| botony | 9/8/2009 |
| Q: Q.1 what is unisexual flower? can a unisexual flower be self pollinated? please clear my doubt. A: These unisexual flowers are on the same plant, the plant is "monoecious," meaning one house. If the ... | |
| pine tree | 9/8/2009 |
| Q: I have serria's one is already gone from last year, it seems to be little circle holes, like a ... A: What you are describing is made by a woodpecker (bird) called a Sap sucker. These birds make the ... | |
| Curled leaves on lilac. | 9/8/2009 |
| Q: I have a 3 year old lilac that has been growing very nice until last year. The leaves have started ... A: Sounds like aphids. These small insect suck the plant juices from the leaves and twigs and secrete a ... | |
| crape myrtle | 8/25/2009 |
| Q: i have 4 crape myrtles 2 of which had become like a white powdery substance on them, so i kept them ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew. If grayish-white areas recently appeared on the new growth of your ... | |
| I have a white powder an the leaves of my lilac!!! | 8/25/2009 |
| Q: I have a white powder-looking substance witch i believe to be a fungus. I do not have a picture... ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew. A powdery, fluffy white to light gray-colored fungus growth on succulent ... | |
| pine tree | 8/25/2009 |
| Q: I have a Pine Tree that has a few branches that look like they are covered in black oil. Even the ... A: These are aphids--they suck the plant juices from the plant and secrete a substance called honeydew ... | |
| maple tree | 8/24/2009 |
| Q: we have several maple trees on our property that have some form of disease the leaves are brown it ... A: Yes I think it is the rainfall if you have had more than normal amount. Too much rain is as bad as ... | |
| crimson king maple | 8/18/2009 |
| Q: It is august and the leaves on my crimson king maple are turning from red to green and dropping.My ... A: Japanese red Maple leaves turn from red to green when the intensity of light is decreased. Red leaf ... | |
| Caragana bushes with white leaves. | 8/17/2009 |
| Q: Our caragana bushes leaves have a white chalky look to them. They were fine 2 weeks ago, but have ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew. Powdery mildews, as the name implies, often appear as a superficial ... | |
| tree | 8/17/2009 |
| Q: i live in Westminster Maryland and i think it's an oak tree small in size leaves are round on bottom ... A: Sounds like Slim Flux or wetwood. The foul-smelling and unsightly seepage of sap from the trunk of ... | |
| Is my tree dieing? | 8/15/2009 |
| Q: Over the past 2 years our weeping cherry tree has been showing less and less blooms in the spring ... A: Sounds like a blight disease. If you take you finger nail or a small knife and scrape a small bit of ... | |
| Crepe Myrtle Diseases | 8/15/2009 |
| Q: I live in Vacaville, California between San Francisco and Sacramento and have a Crepe Myrtle of ... A: The peeling of the bark of Crept Myrtle is normal and nothing to worry about. Too things that slow ... | |
| black mildew on Crepe Myrtle | 8/15/2009 |
| Q: I live in Southern Alabama and I noticed some of my Crepe Myrtle have black leaves...the whole ... A: Check and see if the leaves are sticky or where the black is sticky. IF is it this is honeydew from ... | |
| Moths or Spiders | 8/14/2009 |
| Q: A friend at work told me she has a very large whitish, cottony nest of some kind in one of her ... A: It is Fall Web worm. The fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury), is most often discovered when the ... | |
| Magnolia Tree Scale | 8/13/2009 |
| Q: Our magnolia tree has white patches (looks like pussywillow) on its branches. A few of the branches ... A: You could scrape them off by hand and this will not harm the tree but would be a big job on a large ... | |
| Quaken Aspen tree | 8/12/2009 |
| Q: I have noticed the last little while that the leaves on all of my quaken aspen trees have a white ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew. A powdery, fluffy white to light gray-colored fungus growth on succulent ... | |
| Black "fluid" dripping down bark of Chinese Pistache | 8/11/2009 |
| Q: We have a 2-3 year old Chinese Pistache which I just recently noticed has a black looking "fluid" ... A: It could be slime flux--in that case washing it off will help. Or it could be a borer an insect. ... | |
| Oak Tree Bore Worms | 8/10/2009 |
| Q: We have a 30-year old oak tree that has been attacked by bore worms. What can I do to save 1/2 of ... A: Most borers attack only trees that are stressed due to drought, injury or disease. Consequently, any ... | |
| maple trees in southwestern Michigan | 8/9/2009 |
| Q: I have 7-8 large maple trees. Two-three of them have sparse leaves that are prematurely turning ... A: I would fertilize them with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb per inch of trunk diameter ... | |
| pecan trees | 8/8/2009 |
| Q: I have no clue what to do. Please help. I live in central north carolina.. A: To plan an effective schedule of prevention and control, it helps to understand the life cycle of ... | |
| Crepe Myrtle | 8/7/2009 |
| Q: My Crepe Myrtle is the older variety bush and was just purchased and planted about 3 months ago. ... A: The sticky is a sign of aphids or scale insects. probably aphids. these insects suck the plant ... | |
| RED SUNSET MAPLE TREES | 8/7/2009 |
| Q: We have two red sunset maple trees that are in their second year of planting. They are ... A: The root system has not caught up with the foliage growth. The roots can just support so much ... | |
| diseased tree | 8/6/2009 |
| Q: I have a sugar maple that the bark is spliting about a foot off the ground and at seven foot.The ... A: The bark split looks like a lightning strike. The fungi are called lichens and do not harm a tree ... | |
| crepe myrtle | 8/5/2009 |
| Q: I bought a crepe myrtle half price and thought I could nurture it back to health. I can see new ... A: Crept myrtle are very tough trees and can stand a great deal of abuse and still live. It sounds like ... | |
| LIve Oak insects | 8/4/2009 |
| Q: I have a live oak in south florida that has a insect all over it. It has white on its backs and also ... A: Sounds like one of the tussock moth caterpillars. Tussock moth caterpillars are occasionally ... | |
| Flowering cherry tree disease | 8/4/2009 |
| Q: Our son sent us a picture of his cherry bloosom tree with this ugly growth near the base of the ... A: Sounds like bacteria canker. Bacterial canker is a plant disease which has two other names. ... | |
| Crape Myrtle | 8/3/2009 |
| Q: I have a new crape myrtle, planted approximately 2 months ago. I am now noticing that the ends of ... A: sounds like shock from the panting. If you have not done so mulch around the tree with not more than ... | |
| CRIMSON/OCTOBER GLORY MAPLE | 8/2/2009 |
| Q: I LIVE IN LONG ISLAND, NY. I PLANTED A CRIMSON KING AND AN OCTOBER GLORY IN THE BEGINNING OF JUNE. ... A: These are leaf spot caused by a fungus. I am going to guess it is Phyllostict leaf spot. A leaf spot ... | |
| Mature healthy carrotwood in L.A. oozing black from major limb | 8/1/2009 |
| Q: New in past few weeks: black stain on lowest and major horizontal limb of huge, beautiful ~40 yr. ... A: No pruning would not have caused the problem it is really not understood why some trees get slime ... | |
| maple trees | 8/1/2009 |
| Q: The bark appears to be splitting and the leaves are curling up with flat brown spots on our maple ... A: Sounds like a borer insect. I would spray the trunk where the wound exists with an insecticide ... | |
| Tulip Poplar Tree | 8/1/2009 |
| Q: I am trying to determine if our tulip tree is diseased and should be cut down. It was on the ... A: Yellow poplar has a long life span 150+ years. It sounds like a decay fungi that has entered the ... | |
| Aspen Tree problems | 8/1/2009 |
| Q: I just noticed that several of our Quaking Aspen trees have sawdust at their bases and it appears ... A: US Forest Service researchers are looking into the problem of Aspen dying across the West. Sudden ... | |
| Tulip poplar issue | 7/31/2009 |
| Q: we have several tall tulip poplars on our property and recently we noticed that a tree on our front ... A: Sounds like slime flux. Slime flux or Wet Wood is a foul-smelling and unsightly seepage of sap from ... | |
| Willow Leaves Spotting, Yellowing and Dropping | 7/31/2009 |
| Q: I have several weeping willows in my yard (south-central Tennessee). The largest is about 20' feet ... A: It does sound like leaf spots but this late in the year I would do nothing except rake the leaves ... | |
| CRIMSON/OCTOBER GLORY MAPLE | 7/31/2009 |
| Q: I LIVE IN LONG ISLAND, NY. I PLANTED A CRIMSON KING AND AN OCTOBER GLORY IN THE BEGINNING OF JUNE. ... A: It is typical for hardwood trees planted out of the normal planting season to under go a stress form ... | |
| Mature healthy carrotwood in L.A. oozing black from major limb | 7/30/2009 |
| Q: New in past few weeks: black stain on lowest and major horizontal limb of huge, beautiful ~40 yr. ... A: If this is a certified arborist I would take his word since he has seen the tree. It does sound like ... | |
| Aspen trees | 7/28/2009 |
| Q: I have a rental house in Sandy, Utah with 4 Aspen trees in the front of the house. They were there ... A: Sounds like the tree maybe dying. You can check to see if the limbs are still alive by scraping a ... | |
| Black fungus-like stuff running down Maple trunk | 7/27/2009 |
| Q: A few weeks ago, I noticed what at a distance looked like someone spray painted some black vertical ... A: I would think this is a condition called slim flux. Slime flux is the name given to the oozing or ... | |
| Autumn Blaze maple leaf "disease" | 7/26/2009 |
| Q: Live in Des Moines, Iowa. Was looking at otherwise healthy leaves on younger maple tree and noticed ... A: These are leaf spot caused by a fungus. I am going to guess it is Phyllostict leaf spot. A leaf spot ... | |
| water oak trees | 7/26/2009 |
| Q: Two of my water oak trees have developed many brown spots on their leaves. This is the first time to ... A: A very common leaf spot disease this year is oak leaf blister. All varieties of oaks can get this ... | |
| sap bleeding from yoshino cherry tree | 7/25/2009 |
| Q: I just read a great answer about the gummy sap running from the bottom of a cherry tree, which could ... A: When a tree like cherry is wounded it will bleed. The wound will heal by itself but needs to be ... | |
| Sunset maple disease | 7/25/2009 |
| Q: 9 year old sunset maple trees at sidewalk in 5 ft wide space between walkway and street. Bark ... A: The first thing to remember regarding borer control is that borers tend to attack trees under ... | |
| Sunset maple disease | 7/24/2009 |
| Q: 9 year old sunset maple trees at sidewalk in 5 ft wide space between walkway and street. Bark ... A: This sounds like an insect called a borer. The bark is a result of the feeding of the insect. I ... | |
| mulberry tree disease | 7/15/2009 |
| Q: the city planted a red mulberry tree in the front of out r house three years ago. this year we ... A: Sounds like the tree has an insect called a scale. These insect suck the plant juices from the tree ... | |
| ornamental plum tree | 7/14/2009 |
| Q: My tree has japaneese beetles eating all the leaves and the branches are all covered with long black ... A: There are a couple of methods to treat Japanese Beetles --spray the foliage with an insecticide ... | |
| Japanese Red Maple | 7/14/2009 |
| Q: My very young Japanese Red Maple leafs out just fine every year, but around this time develops dead ... A: I think you have a disease called leaf spots. Purple eye" leaf spot is a common disease and ... | |
| Nutall Oak problem | 7/14/2009 |
| Q: ..I planted 50 Nutall Oaks on my place two years ago. I have done my best to keep them watered and ... A: Sounds like a problem with the root system. There are a lot of unknowns here such as-type of soil, ... | |
| emarald green arbovitae | 7/14/2009 |
| Q: I planted my emerald green arbovitae last fall and this summer i notice that the inner part of the ... A: I'd be concerned that you are giving them too much water, especially if it is clay soil which ... | |
| Red Japanese maple, mostly shade, in East PA | 7/13/2009 |
| Q: This maple about 20-25 years old, mostly shady area about 15 feet tall usually very healthy. It ... A: About all that needs to be done is remove any loose bark from around the wound and the tree will ... | |
| corkskrew willow tree | 7/13/2009 |
| Q: I have a corkscrew willow that is dying...it seems to be covered in tiny black aphids? the bark on ... A: Treat the tree with an insecticide. Either spray the tree with an insecticide called Orthene or ... | |
| Red Japanese maple, mostly shade, in East PA | 7/13/2009 |
| Q: This maple about 20-25 years old, mostly shady area about 15 feet tall usually very healthy. It ... A: Yes a photo would help I am leaning toward a lightening strike. There are many variables to ... | |
| pecan tree bag worms | 7/12/2009 |
| Q: we have a big problem with bag worms/web worms using seven spray now a friend used a paste around ... A: The product you are asking about is called Tanglefoot. It is sticky and is spread either on the ... | |
| weird pattern like holes in a willow tree | 7/12/2009 |
| Q: my parents bought a willow tree and about a year ago and now it has these funny hole like patterns ... A: These are hole made by a bird called a sap sucker. Sapsuckers will make the holes and the sap oozes ... | |
| Autunm Blaze Maple | 7/11/2009 |
| Q: One of two maples we planted last year 08 has split bark in 09. The installers put black wrap on ... A: Sounds like sunscald. Sunscald often is called southwest injury because it most often occurs on the ... | |
| cotton scale on magnolia tree | 7/10/2009 |
| Q: Read your answer regarding controlling aphids on trees, but can you tell us when we should be ... A: Aphids are small (1/16-1/8 inch long), soft bodied insects commonly called plant lice or ant cows. ... | |
| willow tree | 7/10/2009 |
| Q: I have noticed yellow leaves with black spots on her. Not alot about 20 do I need to worry? A: It sounds like leaf spots but this late in the year I would do nothing except rake the leaves when ... | |
| tri color beach tree / disease gull | 7/10/2009 |
| Q: i have a tri- color beach aprox. 30 years old the last 3 years it has had a strange almost like a ... A: I am not sure what you are asking. Galls are formations made by insects. The insect lays its eggs on ... | |
| Moss or Green "stuff" on tree trunk | 7/9/2009 |
| Q: There is light green "stuff" on my tree trunks. The one tree/bush has sap seeping from the leaves. ... A: The sap from the leaves is caused by an insect called an aphid. These suck the plant juices from the ... | |
| brown needles/white pine | 7/9/2009 |
| Q: My pine is about 20 yrs. old. All the branches have brown needles at the very end. What is going on? ... A: If the needles on the ends of the branches are turning then it sounds like the tree is dead. Sorry. ... | |
| "Baby" Apple Tree Sapling Turned Fuzzy | 7/9/2009 |
| Q: Okay, here's the background: I live on the East Coast where it rains about every week... I had found ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew. Powdery Mildew is the most common disease of apple trees. It is caused ... | |
| Redbud Tree | 7/9/2009 |
| Q: I planted a Redbud about 4 months ago. It has been growing beautifully. However, lately I see the ... A: Looks like insect feeding on the leaves. I would spray the tree with an insecticide called Orthene. ... | |
| LEAF SPOTS ON RED JAPANESE MAPLE TREE | 7/7/2009 |
| Q: I live in Tucson, Az. and have had this Acer palmatum for 15 months. In February I repotted it with ... A: These are leaf spot caused by a fungus. I am going to guess it is Phyllostict leaf spot. A leaf spot ... | |
| Extreme Pine Tree Brownness | 7/7/2009 |
| Q: I have a very tall pine tree that since I purchased the property 4 years ago has had a bulge in its ... A: The lower limbs of pines will shed as the tree self prunes and the interior browning of the needles ... | |
| Extreme Pine Tree Brownness | 7/7/2009 |
| Q: I have a very tall pine tree that since I purchased the property 4 years ago has had a bulge in its ... A: The swelling sounds like a disease called Fusiform rust. It has nothing to do with the needles ... | |
| red sunset maple tree | 7/6/2009 |
| Q: Our four year old maple tree has yellowish green leaves with small brown spots on top of leaves. ... A: These are leaf spot caused by a fungus. I am going to guess it is Phyllostict leaf spot. A leaf spot ... | |
| Crepe myrtle | 6/25/2009 |
| Q: My crepe myrtle tree leaves are turning white. Why? A: Sounds like powdery mildew. If grayish-white areas recently appeared on the new growth of your ... | |
| Crape Myrtle not blooming | 6/25/2009 |
| Q: I have had a crape myrtle for aprox 3 years and it never blooms. Each year I hope it will be the ... A: Too things that slow crept myrtle from blooming--not enough sunlight and the need for fertilizer, ... | |
| Juniper Blight | 6/25/2009 |
| Q: Juniper bushes have an infestation of what looks like "spit", with tiny orangy eggs or what looks ... A: This is an insect called a spittle bug. The pine spittlebug, Aphrophora parallela (Say), is "often ... | |
| black walnut trees | 6/24/2009 |
| Q: Hey, I have some land in south Al. that was once pine tree land , resently we cleared the pines off ... A: If these spots are on the leaves it sounds like one of the leaf spot fungi on maybe a insect gall. ... | |
| leyland cypress | 6/23/2009 |
| Q: We have spit-like sacs on the branches of our trees. The trees are 5 years old and we have never ... A: The pine spittlebug, Aphrophora parallela (Say), is "often abundant on white, jack pines as well as ... | |
| what is eating my tree | 6/23/2009 |
| Q: I think my tree is dying. I just notice that something is wrong with my tree. There are holes all ... A: If the foliage is still green you should be able to save it. Sounds like either a insect borer or if ... | |
| Sunset Maple | 6/21/2009 |
| Q: Sir, We have a sunset maple that we planted two years ago. Last year it lost most of it's leaves ... A: If you dig under the mulch and the soil is wet (has water in it if you squeeze the soil in your ... | |
| Maple Tree infectation | 6/20/2009 |
| Q: Our maple tree is approximately 65 years old and about 65 feet high. Something is boring into its ... A: I do not know of an organic spray that will work on borers. Sounds like an insect called a borer. ... | |
| dying maple? | 6/18/2009 |
| Q: We've been in our house for 8 years, have a 20 foot maple that about 5 years ago started getting ... A: Several different fungi in the genus Rhytisma infect the leaves of maples and cause raised, black ... | |
| WEEPING WILLOW PROBLEM | 6/18/2009 |
| Q: MY HUSBAND HAS HAD A WEEPING WILLOW TREE FOR APROX 5 YEARS THIS SPRING THE THE LOWER BARK ON THE ... A: Sounds like borer damage. I would spray the lower trunk with an insecticide called Merit. This will ... | |
| Leaf disease(?) on my tree | 6/16/2009 |
| Q: I essentially live in the woods in the Pocono Mountains of NE PA. Attached is a picture of the ... A: These are galls caused by more than likely a mite feeding on the leaf or laying eggs on the leaf. ... | |
| Vine Maple disease or fungus? | 6/16/2009 |
| Q: I have two vine maple trees that have yellowish brown spots spreading all over the leaves. I'm not ... A: Sounds like lichens. When lichen is wet from rain or dew, it grows actively. It also likes sunshine, ... | |
| willow tree | 6/15/2009 |
| Q: I recently moved to northern Nevada (altitude about 5,000 ft) and I have a type of willow tree that ... A: Frothy Flux is different from the Bacterial wetwood (slime flux) seen afflicting many other hardwood ... | |
| Bug? Disease? or normal? | 6/14/2009 |
| Q: And thank you in advance for your answer. Your time and expertise is truly appreciated. I have a ... A: This is a elm tree and the growth is an Elm Pocket Gall (Aceria ulmi) The Elm Pocket Gall is ... | |
| BIRCH TREE DEAD? | 6/14/2009 |
| Q: IN OUR FRONT YARD WE HAVE A 20-25 YEAR OLD PAPER BIRCH. LAST YEAR I NOTICED IT LOOKED A LITTLE ... A: Sounds like it is dead. Try scraping a small bit of bark off the end of an upper outer branch and if ... | |
| Oak Tree is weeping | 6/14/2009 |
| Q: I live in Ellis County, Texas (North Central Texas). I moved here in November and this spring I ... A: Sounds like oak borer an insect. I would spray the area on the trunk with an insecticide called ... | |
| gingko tree | 6/14/2009 |
| Q: Our home is 8 years old and had a 4 foot gingko tree in the front yard when we moved in. This year ... A: Too much water can give the same wilted look to the leaves as too little water. Since the water came ... | |
| Fig Question | 5/18/2009 |
| Q: I live in NW Georgia and have a small fig tree appx. 3 years, 4 feet high and wide. This year it ... A: Sounds like one of the borer type insects the GRANULATE AMBROSIA BEETLE fits the description you ... | |
| black lumps on newly planted aspens | 5/13/2009 |
| Q: I planted 16 Aspens last fall rangeing height of 10-15 feet tall. All have leaved out but 3. These 3 ... A: These are called gall insects and will not kill the tree. The insect lays its eggs on the twig and ... | |
| Pin Oak Tree with bubble on stem | 5/11/2009 |
| Q: I live in GA and have a Pin oak that has swollen bubbles all over the stems. The bubbles break off ... A: They are called galls and are caused by an insect (small wasp) The wasp lays its eggs on the surface ... | |
| pine worms | 5/11/2009 |
| Q: i have a blue spruce and "christmas tree type" of pine in my yard. both approx 18'-20' high. a ... A: Spruce and pine both shed needles. There is not any insect called a "pine worm". There are ... | |
| problem with young Lacy Bark Elm | 5/9/2009 |
| Q: Our young Lacy Bark Elm has been growing wonderfully, in the last few days however the whole top ... A: Looks like the tag is still on the tree. I would take it back to the nursery and ask for a ... | |
| diseases of emerald arborvitae | 5/9/2009 |
| Q: I live in NE PA and had several Emerald Arborvitae planted last Aug. I watered them thru Sept. and ... A: Diseases usually do not infect these often, There area couple of insects that can cause this type ... | |
| Tooth fungus on my saw tooth oak tree | 5/7/2009 |
| Q: What can I do to get rid of this fungus off the branches of my 20 year old oak tree? Can this kill ... A: Sounds like lichens. Lichens are an example of a symbiotic relationship between algae and certain ... | |
| willow tree dead? | 5/6/2009 |
| Q: ive a well established 20 year willow tree which this year has decided not to bloom or show any ... A: Trees can be damaged or killed by a wide variety of construction activities. Some practices lead to ... | |
| Bark falling off live oaks | 5/6/2009 |
| Q: The bark on my live oaks appears to be splitting and falling off. More noticeable when you look at ... A: Cutting the dead limbs will decrease the amount of fungi spores but cutting the live limbs will ... | |
| Spreading Juniper "fungus" | 5/5/2009 |
| Q: We have a large spreading juniper. A few days ago I noticed a small patch of bright orange "fungus" ... A: This is cedar apple rust fruiting bodies. During warm rainy days in late April and early May, cedar ... | |
| white mold on bush | 5/5/2009 |
| Q: I have a bush in the yard that suddenly has a powdery mold speading on the leaves. It has space all ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew. Powdery mildews, as the name implies, often appear as a superficial ... | |
| Oak Tree | 5/5/2009 |
| Q: Hey Jim, My name is David and I have a large oak in the front losing it's bark. There is a powdery ... A: Sounds like Hypoxylon canker. The most obvious early symptom of Hypoxylon is the sloughing off of ... | |
| Japanese red leaf maple disease | 5/4/2009 |
| Q: I have a beautiful Japanese red leaf maple that is approximately 20 years old. It has never had any ... A: Sunscald is a form of winter injury that can cause cracks and splits. Sunscald occurs when cells in ... | |
| weeping willow tree | 5/4/2009 |
| Q: The tree has not put on any new leaves spring. There is a green scale (I thank it's scale) on the ... A: Sorry there is a good chance that the topping did kill the tree or allowed fungi to enter the trunk. ... | |
| Aspen Tree Leaf Disease | 5/4/2009 |
| Q: I have a very tall, 10 year old Aspen Tree which has always been healthy. This spring I am noticing ... A: Do these "caterpillars move?? Sounds like the flowers of the aspen--called catkins. see picture ... | |
| Magnolia Tree | 5/4/2009 |
| Q: I have a 20' Magnolia I planted in NW Florida about 4 years ago when it was about 12'. It looked ... A: Magnolias do drop their leaves but usually not all at the same time. If the ends of the branches are ... | |
| Bark falling off live oaks | 5/3/2009 |
| Q: The bark on my live oaks appears to be splitting and falling off. More noticeable when you look at ... A: Sounds like one of the canker diseases. If you could a picture would really help. Most cankers are ... | |
| Maple Tree | 5/3/2009 |
| Q: We have a large maple tree that has lichen growing on many of the branches and they die and fall ... A: Lichens do not kill trees but they can be a sign of the tree under stress. I would fertilize the ... | |
| crape myrtle disease or virus? | 4/29/2009 |
| Q: Hey Jim, I have a tree form crape and its about 3 yrs. old. I prune it every year like one ... A: Sounds like a disease called a leaf spot. Cercospora Leaf Spot: Leaf spots may appear on crape ... | |
| holly bush fungus | 4/28/2009 |
| Q: Jim, i have three nice holly bush's none of them have berries on them,I'm not sure if their male or ... A: Since you said the black was all over the leaves it sounds like sooty mold. Sooty mold grows on a ... | |
| bradford pear | 4/28/2009 |
| Q: I have a 14 year old Bradford pear that bloomed this spring in Missouri. After the blooms fell off ... A: I would fertilize the tree with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb per inch of trunk diameter ... | |
| Gardenia plants | 4/24/2009 |
| Q: We have a gardenia plant that we have planted outside. its leaves have a black discoloration on ... A: Sounds like sooty mold. This fungus grows on the secretion of sucking type insects. The insect suck ... | |
| willow tree | 4/23/2009 |
| Q: I planted a willow tree 1 week ago. It is about 6 feet tall and was in a ten gallon container. ... A: It is more then likely just the shock of the planting. Willows need more water than other trees so I ... | |
| Fire Blight Chanticleer Pear Tree | 4/23/2009 |
| Q: I have four Chanticleer Pear Trees (3 of which have fire blight really bad...blackend whithered ... A: Fire blight development is influenced primarily by seasonal weather. When temperatures in the range ... | |
| Chilatpa brown tip on new spring leaves | 4/22/2009 |
| Q: I have a 20' high 2nd year pink dawn Chitalpa tree. Right now all the new spring growth has brown ... A: Sounds like maybe herbicide damage. have you used a herbicide on the lawn? Possibly a weed and feed ... | |
| Emerald Green Arborvitae | 4/20/2009 |
| Q: I have a emerald green arborvitae that was replanted due to some construction work. The arborvitae ... A: Arborvitaes benefit from fertilization especially as young plants, but often there are enough ... | |
| yellowing of leaves on dwarf boxwood | 4/14/2009 |
| Q: I have dwarf boxwoods lining the foundation of my house. The leaves are yellowing, what is wrong? A: A sign of nitrogen deficiency is yellowing of leaves, particularly older leaves inside the plant. I ... | |
| willow fungus | 4/8/2009 |
| Q: Further to previous email today, I am sending picture. The fungus is not drying out, in fact seems ... A: The picture was great without it I might have not IDed the conk. I only answered this one and let ... | |
| Dying Everygreen Shrub | 4/5/2009 |
| Q: My Golden Euonymous are covered in what appears to be a white in color mite.I am experiencing a loss ... A: Sounds like the Euonymus scale. see web link for pictures. ... | |
| leyland cypress disease | 4/5/2009 |
| Q: We have beautiful leylands maybe 40` tall and this winter we noticed a dead streak running up the ... A: Without looking at the tree it maybe difficult to diagnose the problem. I would suggest that you ... | |
| Japanese Elm Fungi | 4/4/2009 |
| Q: I have a 15 year old, mature japanese elm. Looks healthy (leaves, growth etc). At the base there is ... A: It sounds like one of the powder puff fungi. The "smoke" are the spores from the fruiting body --the ... | |
| maple "disorder" | 4/3/2009 |
| Q: I have 5 maples in a row in my side yard. The middle tree has budded two weeks later than the other ... A: The genetics of tree of the same species can be different and this would cause a tree to leaf out a ... | |
| Japanese MapleBug Infestation | 4/3/2009 |
| Q: We recently discovered that our grafted Japanese maple had a lot of dead dry branches, even though ... A: Sounds like aphids. These insects suck the plant juices from the plant and will cause the leaves to ... | |
| disease on japanese maple | 4/2/2009 |
| Q: My maples has just been planted. Over the last 5 weeks it have formed brown spots on the leaf edge ... A: These are leaf spot caused by a fungus. I am going to guess it is Phyllostict leaf spot. A leaf spot ... | |
| Buring Bush - something on Branches | 4/1/2009 |
| Q: I have 4 Burning bushes next to each other. Overthe the wintee they developed something on the ... A: It could be one of a couple of things--there is a woolly aphid that is covered with a white cotton ... | |
| white oak tree | 3/31/2009 |
| Q: i live in South Jersey, and i've noticed that a few of the white oak trees in my yard have some ... A: Sounds like twig galls. Galls are abnormal plant growth or swellings comprised of plant tissue. ... | |
| Disease on Loblolly Pine | 3/30/2009 |
| Q: Tree is 3.5 ft. in diameter. Bark is falling off around the base (approx. 25 percent of the base) ... A: From the picture it look as if there are holes in the wood which would mean some type of borer ... | |
| Oak Tree Disease (NJ) | 3/30/2009 |
| Q: My oak tree has a greenish white looking scale. A limb fell and it had strings of brown rubbery ... A: A lichen is composed of not one, but two organisms: a fungus and an alga or cyanobacterium. The two ... | |
| Oak Tree Disease (NJ) | 3/29/2009 |
| Q: My oak tree has a greenish white looking scale. A limb fell and it had strings of brown rubbery ... A: These are lichens and not a problem. Lichens are organisms consisting of a fungus and a green or ... | |
| Aspen Trees | 3/29/2009 |
| Q: We just bought a young Aspen (2" trunk dia.)We would like to plant it in a raise bed about 3" deep ... A: Without seeing the site it is difficult to give you a precise answer. BUT --- At maturity Aspen have ... | |
| TREES FUNGUS ??? | 3/28/2009 |
| Q: I LIVE ON THE GULF COAST IN ALABAMA. I HAVE A WATER OAK, MAGNOLIA, AND A POPCORN TREE. THEY ARE ALL ... A: These are lichens and not a problem. Lichens are organisms consisting of a fungus and a green or ... | |
| light green growth on all sorts of trees in yard | 3/28/2009 |
| Q: We moved into our house over a year ago, there are all sorts of trees in the yard, sweet gum, ... A: These are lichens and not a problem. Lichens are organisms consisting of a fungus and a green or ... | |
| Foam around my trees! | 3/27/2009 |
| Q: I have some trees in my back yard, which I think started out as a privacy hedge, but I've lived in ... A: It looks like spittle bugs. These insect hide in the spittle. They can be found in the grass or on ... | |
| Tree Disease | 3/27/2009 |
| Q: We have a development with many trees. Several of the trees have dark colored balls about the size ... A: Sounds like one of the gall wasp, an insect. These are common on oak trees. There are a variety ... | |
| Italian Cypress (Washington State) | 3/26/2009 |
| Q: I live in Washington State, the wet eastside of it. I have 10 Italian cypress trees. I planted ... A: It sounds like the webbing from the spider mites. During feeding some mite species may inject ... | |
| italian cypress | 3/26/2009 |
| Q: My Italian Cypress trees look as tho they are turning grey and have small webs on their leaves, what ... A: Sounds like spider mites. Mites are not insects but are more closely related to spiders. They are ... | |
| Italian Cypress (Washington State) | 3/26/2009 |
| Q: I live in Washington State, the wet eastside of it. I have 10 Italian cypress trees. I planted ... A: Sounds like spider mites. Mites are not insects but are more closely related to spiders. They are ... | |
| Old Mulberry Tree dying | 3/25/2009 |
| Q: Can I save my giant 30 year old bearing Mulberry Tree. Last year, this main shade tree in our front ... A: I would treat the tree with an insecticide called Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect control. This ... | |
| Gardenia bushes | 3/25/2009 |
| Q: My gardenia bushes has some Black substance on some the leaves I live in Florida A: This sounds like sooty mold. Sooty mold fungi grows on a substance called honeydew. Honeydew is ... | |
| hollies | 3/24/2009 |
| Q: My young hollies had some black spots , then curling leaves, now all leaves are brown and dry but ... A: Sounds like a fungi called leaf spots. The soap will not have any effect on the fungi. There are ... | |
| rose of sharon and crape myrtle | 3/23/2009 |
| Q: Hey Jim, I have several rose of sharon and crape myrtles' both seem to have a grayish/white looking ... A: Sounds like lichens. Lichens are organisms consisting of a fungus and a green or blue-green alga ... | |
| Silver leaf maple | 3/22/2009 |
| Q: Something has eaten a large hole in the upper part of the trunk of my maple tree. I see no evidence ... A: About all that can be done to a open wound on a tree is remove any loose bark. The tree will heal ... | |
| pecan tree - bark peeling | 3/21/2009 |
| Q: i have two pecan trees in my backyard in south texas. the bark is peeling, and another bark seems ... A: Yes it is normal. As the pecan tree grows in size with age, the oldest bark changes from smooth to ... | |
| cottonwood trees dying black beetles in dead wood | 3/20/2009 |
| Q: please please hepl my entire 4 acreas are mowed and 25 cottonwoods, were beautiful like a park!! ... A: There is not enough information to ID the problem. The beetles in the dead trees are not causing the ... | |
| Fruitless Mulberry | 3/18/2009 |
| Q: My Mulberry is approximately 40 yrs. old. It has always been beautiful and healthy. It gets ... A: This sounds like a rust fungi. Mulberry rust is common in China where they raise silkworms on ... | |
| American Holly black spots | 3/17/2009 |
| Q: My holly is yellowing and the leaves have black spots. The berries are red. I know the leaves will ... A: Your plan is good--I would also spray the foliage with a fungicide. This sanitary step should be ... | |
| varda valley and american boxwoods | 3/17/2009 |
| Q: My boxwood leaves are curling. They are not turning yellow, although their color could be better. ... A: Sounds like an insect called boxwood psyllid ,Cacopsylla buxi. The boxwood psyllid is a small ... | |
| flowering plum tree disease | 3/15/2009 |
| Q: We are located in upstate NY. I noticed today that our flowering plum tree has dark growths on some ... A: This sounds like is black knot of plums. Plum trees infected with this fungus disease become stunted ... | |
| Water Oak | 3/15/2009 |
| Q: Recently, my water oak tree has developed two black holes that are about i inch across each that go ... A: These look like hole created by an insect called a borer. It will bore into the bark and the wood ... | |
| cedar-apple rust | 3/15/2009 |
| Q: I asked a question about cedar-apple rust Friday, and I appreciate your answer. Will this go away on ... A: The gelatinous stage of cedar apple rust is in the spring. This is how the fungi spreads by ... | |
| Cedars | 3/14/2009 |
| Q: I bought a home which has four large mature{20+yrs.)in the yard.This spring I noticed a dark orange ... A: This is a disease called cedar apple rust. During warm rainy days in late April and early May, ... | |
| Japanese Maple tree | 3/12/2009 |
| Q: I bought a beautiful Japanese Maple last year and it seems to be doing well. The other day I noticed ... A: Looks like sunscald. Young maples are particularly susceptible to sunscald. Sunscald is basically a ... | |
| Quaken Aspen | 3/11/2009 |
| Q: I have a 3 year old Quaken Aspen about 30 feet tall that I have had to re-anchor to keep the tree ... A: It is not necessarily the dept of the root but the spread and amount of the root system. What is ... | |
| plant growth | 3/10/2009 |
| Q: I really need help with my assignment.I need to know how long it takes for a tree to grow for the ... A: In will depend on the location, tree species, density of the planting and the product. Location--in ... | |
| transplanted bald cyprus | 3/9/2009 |
| Q: Last February (o8)I transplanted a bald cyprus tree from the backyard to the front. In early April I ... A: Sounds like there was not enough root system saved to support the foliage. About all that can be ... | |
| Coral Bark Japanese Maple Oozing Sap | 3/8/2009 |
| Q: I have a beautiful coral bark japanese maple that we planted in a sunny location location about 3 ... A: Sounds like an insect called a borer. The bark of maple trees in thin and any damage to the bark ... | |
| Golden Deodora | 3/8/2009 |
| Q: We have a deodora in our pool area for 4-5 years now and it has always been beautiful, until now. ... A: It could be a couple of things. Conifers do drop needles naturally. Most every two years but some up ... | |
| Black spots on branches | 3/8/2009 |
| Q: My Live oak about 5yrs old and about 7foot tall has black spots on the branches not on the leaves ... A: These are an insect called scales more than likely Lecanium scales. They live most of their life ... | |
| maple tree disease/fungus | 3/6/2009 |
| Q: we have a really big maple tree. we noticed today that it has some strange white spots on some of ... A: IF the bark is not loose this is not a disease. I would guess it is a lichen. Lichens are an ... | |
| TREE EXUDATE? | 2/28/2009 |
| Q: What is this material oozing form this tree? Photo taken in Mendocino National Forest. A: I can not tell the species of the tree BUT it looks like a conifer tree. Assuming this it looks like ... | |
| Crape Myrtle | 2/24/2009 |
| Q: I purchased my home 2 years ago and have a crape myrtle in front yard approximately? 5 years old. ... A: The black is a fungi called sooty mold. It grows on a secretion from aphids. The aphids are small ... | |
| Hickory tree cankers.galls | 2/23/2009 |
| Q: My neighbor has a fence row which has young hickory trees growing in it. Several of the trees have ... A: These sounds like gall wasp type galls and they will not cause the trees any health problems. They ... | |
| tree holes | 2/21/2009 |
| Q: I have recently noticed that on my Cedar Spruce tree that there are holes in the bark. They go ... A: Sounds like sap sucker damage. These are wood pecker type birds that make the holes and when insects ... | |
| leylandii diseases | 2/20/2009 |
| Q: The trees around my garden have started to go brown mainly on the inside. This is spreading through ... A: Sounds like a needles disease-Cercospora needle blight Caused by the fungus Cercosporidium ... | |
| diseased crepe myrtle trees | 2/20/2009 |
| Q: I have two trees in my eastern facing front yard that appear to have a fungus, as the trunk and ... A: The black is a fungi called sooty mold. It grows on a substance called honeydew. Honeydew is ... | |
| Maple tree bark coming off... | 2/19/2009 |
| Q: Greetings Jim. A maple tree in our yard has begun loosing it's bark at the base of the tree, a ... A: Mushrooms growing from the trunk are the fruiting bodies of the fungus--this means the tree is more ... | |
| Not sure if it is black sooty mold... | 2/19/2009 |
| Q: I live in S. FL and have a long hedge of cocoa plum. It stand opposite a leafy shrub that is prone ... A: This sounds like a scale insect--take your finger nail and squash the "bump" and if a liquid comes ... | |
| Soil disease | 2/17/2009 |
| Q: I have a problem with what looks like it may be a fungus attaching and growing on the roots of some ... A: Sounds like the roots have a abundance of Mycelium on the root system. Most of these are good fungi ... | |
| euonymous has scale | 2/17/2009 |
| Q: We have a euonymous that has a problem with scale on a grand scale! I spray every spring for this ... A: Scales suck the plant juices from the plant and since they are under a shell they can be difficult ... | |
| Orange Jasmine hedge | 2/17/2009 |
| Q: I have a hedge about ft. tall of Orange Jasmine that has been healthy but now is showing signs of ... A: I would think the white flies are the problem. Whiteflies damage plants by sucking out plant juices. ... | |
| plumeria | 1/27/2009 |
| Q: Last year my plumeria tree got leaves , but never blumed , everything else in the garden did . A: For plumerias you should use a fertlizer with high phosphate content, such as Green Thumb Blossom ... | |
| Leaf curl & leaf Miner - Citrus trees | 1/27/2009 |
| Q: I still have some fruit on the naval & grapefruit & getting leaf curl & leaf miner. Can I spray with ... A: Volck is used to discourage leaf miners--spray new growth every few days until the leaves mature. It ... | |
| small holes in trunk | 1/12/2009 |
| Q: one of the 13 Maples i planted 2 years ago had water running down the truck today and the others did ... A: Looks like wood pecker holes. Maples have a thin bark so it does not take much damage for them to ... | |
| tree bark | 1/12/2009 |
| Q: I planted 13 large maple trees 2 years ago... the trunk of one tree was damaged and does not have ... A: Looks like the tree is starting to heal over the wound good. I would watch the area for borer damage ... | |
| Holly bush | 1/7/2009 |
| Q: We have Buford Holly bushes around our office building that keep getting a black covering on the ... A: It sounds like scale insects-they suck the plant juices and excrete honeydew and a black sooty mold ... | |
| loquat trees blossoms turning brown | 1/6/2009 |
| Q: Sorry wrote the question in wrong box. Please let me know what fire blight looks like on loquat ... A: Fire blight, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, is a common and frequently destructive ... | |
| euonymus scale | 1/5/2009 |
| Q: I had an eyonymus that was heavily infested with scale - I removed it from the small flower bed that ... A: No scale insect that would infest eyonymus will not infest other plant species. IF you are concerned ... | |
| is yucca smell? | 12/14/2008 |
| Q: I have a indoor yucca tree over a year, recently, the pot plant area smell like cat pee, I watered ... A: It sounds like you have over watered the plant and the roots are decaying. Here is a answer from the ... | |
| Blue Boy & Blue Girl Holly Mold | 12/7/2008 |
| Q: I have a hedge in my front yard that consist of both Blue Boy & Girl Holly bushes, I have noticed ... A: The aphids suck the plant juices from the plant and some deposit a waxy material. They secrete a ... | |
| scale on Hollyberry tree | 11/30/2008 |
| Q: Jim, I first discovered scales on my Hollyberry tree in Novato, Ca on 09/2007 and Clark's pest ... A: The product to use is Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect control. It is applied around the tree in ... | |
| GROWTH ON GARDENIA | 11/29/2008 |
| Q: I HAVE A GARDENIA PLANT WHICH HAS SOME WHITE GROWTHS ON THE STEMS. THE WHITE BUBBLE LIKE THINGS ARE ... A: These sound like a soft scale. These are insect that suck the plant juices form the plant. Soft ... | |
| Bradford Pear tree desease | 11/12/2008 |
| Q: I have 16 Bradford Pear Trees and there are lots of bored holes on the trunk of several trees. My ... A: If these holes are in a line around the tree trunk they are caused by a woodpecker called a sap ... | |
| Crepe Myrtle Disease | 11/8/2008 |
| Q: Shiny, sappy substance on leaves. Stopped blooming. Dropping sticky dark brown substance. Looks ... A: this sounds like aphids. Aphids are small (1/16-1/8 inch long), soft bodied insects commonly called ... | |
| globe willow | 11/7/2008 |
| Q: globe willow has black areas on branches and some weeping of a clear substance A: Sound like aphids or scale insects. Both will suck the plant juices from the leaves and twigs and ... | |
| Weeping Willows | 11/6/2008 |
| Q: I have three mature weeping willows- about 30 years old- and about 1/4 of the branches are dead. I ... A: Prune only the dead branches. Branches die usually form shading and ones on the inner part of the ... | |
| Pine Tree fungus... Can you tell me what it is? | 11/4/2008 |
| Q: I have a Jack Pine in my yard. It has a black powder that is covering the tree and killing it ... A: Sounds like sooty mold. If it is on the foliage and the area is sticky to the touch it is a fungi ... | |
| rust color needles on norway spruce | 11/1/2008 |
| Q: I have some sick norway spurce where the needles are turning rust color on the inner branches. These ... A: If the outer needles are green and the tree shows signs of growth at the ends of the branches I ... | |
| Japanese red maple | 10/31/2008 |
| Q: We are located in central eastern CT.(Columbia, about 24 miles east of Hartford.) Our Japanese red ... A: This time of the year it sounds like normal leaf drop. If the weather has not been "normal" the ... | |
| Yellow needles in the fall | 10/30/2008 |
| Q: There is a large pine tree in my yard and every fall all of the needles turn golden yellow all at ... A: Although most conifer trees are considered evergreens, they all eventually drop their needles. What ... | |
| holly tree | 10/29/2008 |
| Q: My holly tree has a white residue that has suddenly appeared on some of the limbs and branches. It ... A: It sounds like you have Powdery mildew, a disease of leaves of many plants. To control this disease ... | |
| White fuzzy balls on banana plant/tree | 10/28/2008 |
| Q: I think that my indoor banana plant/tree is infected with bugs. There are white fuzzy balls on the ... A: These are an insect called an aphid. They suck the plant juices from the plant and some carry a ... | |
| Dead or Not? | 10/26/2008 |
| Q: I have a 30' White Spruce that was damaged during construction in my neighbors yard. The city has ... A: If all the needles on the tree are brown the tree is dead. Hardwoods have the capability of budding ... | |
| Tree disease | 10/23/2008 |
| Q: I planted 1-1/2 acres in pines in hopes of getting a small forest quickly. They were planted ... A: The spots on the leaves are from a fungi or more than likely different fungi on each species. These ... | |
| Arborvitae tree | 10/20/2008 |
| Q: The past couple of weeks the leaves inside the tree are browning out and dropping. Is this a disease ... A: If it is only on the inside of the foliage this is normal. Even evergreens will drop needles and the ... | |
| webbing insect on my mums | 10/15/2008 |
| Q: I notice a webbing covering the buds and leaves on my fall mums. I need a systemic ... A: Sounds like spider mites. I would use a systemic insecticide called Bayer 2-in-1 Systemic Rose & ... | |
| crapemyrtle disease | 10/14/2008 |
| Q: I have about 20 crape myrtle in our backyard.Something that looks like 'spiderwebs' is covering a ... A: Since it is sticky it sounds like a cottony aphid. These are small soft bodied insects that suck the ... | |
| yoshino cherry tree | 10/14/2008 |
| Q: I am from Savannah, Georgia. I have 2 yoshino cherry trees. Both of my trees are having problems ... A: Not anything that needs to be done at this time of the year. The leaves will be dropping soon and ... | |
| tree disease | 9/30/2008 |
| Q: We are considering pruchasing an Autumn Blaze Maple. Researsh tell us these trees are very desease ... A: Maple Anthracnose Anthracnose, caused by Discula spp., is a common springtime problem on maple, ... | |
| Sycamore diseases | 9/30/2008 |
| Q: I've got a client with a 25 year old sycamore. The bark is badly popping off (in about an 18" ... A: This is normal fo sycamore tres. Although it may be disturbing to see bark strewn all over your ... | |
| ant on plants | 9/29/2008 |
| Q: I just bought 3 Petunias, 1 Dahlia and a Potato plant(in an diffrent area) on 9/28/08 and I had a ... A: Use one of the ant baits. This will be eaten by the ants and not efect butterflies. For many ant ... | |
| Ill Locust thornless tree | 9/29/2008 |
| Q: I live in Kansas City and it seems that a lot of the trees in the parks got this illness. Now mine ... A: Sounds like fall webworm. The fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury), is most often discovered ... | |
| Holly bushes | 9/29/2008 |
| Q: There are small white mites on along the leaf veins of our holly bushes with larger white ones ... A: Southern red mite (Oligonychus ilicis) is an important pest of hollies, especially I. crenata ... | |
| crape myrdle brown edged leaves | 9/27/2008 |
| Q: My young crape myrtle hardly flowered this year and has had brown laced leaves for a few months now. ... A: The most common reason Crepe myrtles fail to bloom is a lack of sun. These trees need a lot of ... | |
| privet problem | 9/27/2008 |
| Q: We have about about 400 ft of 80 year old, well groomed privet hedge. This week we discovered 3 ... A: This vould be a couple of things. An insect or a fungus. Check and see if there is movement when ... | |
| Camellia | 9/27/2008 |
| Q: I have a camellia hedge that needs help. The leaves branches and trunk are covered with black ... A: This is called sooty mold. Sucking insects are the primary cause of sooty mold growth. Many plant ... | |
| boxwood | 9/23/2008 |
| Q: I have several four foot boxwoods the air conditioning unit. One of the boxwoods in turning brown. ... A: Sounds like the Freon killed the foliage of the boxwood. I would prune the dead off (part that is ... | |
| maple tree without many leaves | 9/22/2008 |
| Q: 2 years ago, I bought a house with a maple tree, which I guess is approx. 35-40 years old. Although ... A: The leaves on the inner part of the trees crown will die due to the shading effect. The leaves can ... | |
| Aphids on quaking aspen trees | 9/20/2008 |
| Q: I have three quaking aspen I planted about six years ago which are not fully mature yet. Each of the ... A: Aphids are small (1/16-1/8 inch long), soft bodied insects commonly called plant lice or ant cows. ... | |
| Crimson King Maple Tree | 9/19/2008 |
| Q: The leaves on my Crimson King have turned to a milky white color? Any idea of a cause and/or a ... A: Sounds like a disease called powdery mildew. The damage due to infection by the fungi causing ... | |
| japanese maple | 9/16/2008 |
| Q: I have found individual brown lumps have developed on the underside of one of the branches of my ... A: Try scraping the "bumps" off and if they are soft and contain a liquid these are scale insects. ... | |
| yellow/brown mushrooms | 9/15/2008 |
| Q: I found a whole lot of these mushrooms under some pine trees on the northern sides in Kansas City ... A: In general IF you are not sure do not eat them. Here is a web link that will give you information ... | |
| How to kill bracket fungi | 9/14/2008 |
| Q: "I found what look like bracket fungi on the trucks of a few of my trees in my front yard (see ... A: The three main nutrients that have been identified as absolutely necessary for plants are nitrogen ... | |
| dying leyandii hedge | 9/13/2008 |
| Q: OUR LEYANDII HEDGE HAS GONE BROWN AND LOOKS DEAD IN THE MIDDLE. IT IS ABOUT 8FT TALL AND 20FT LONG. ... A: More than likely it will not come back. Sounds like a foliage disease. Leyland cypress are being ... | |
| How to kill bracket fungi | 9/12/2008 |
| Q: "I found what look like bracket fungi on the trucks of a few of my trees in my front yard (see ... A: What you are seeing is the fruiting body of a decay fungi. The fungi is living on the dead woody ... | |
| American Bitersweet Diseases | 9/11/2008 |
| Q: My bittersweet has scale - I think. I live in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia (New Market). I ... A: Scale control can be challenging and may need to be repeated over several seasons. Proper timing of ... | |
| Sick Weeping Cherry Tree | 9/8/2008 |
| Q: I planted a Weeping Cherry tree this summer. The tree is now oozing sap and has sprouted next to ... A: This looks like borer damage. These are insects that will bore into the tree and cause the swelling ... | |
| giant poison ivy | 8/12/2008 |
| Q: How do I get rid of a poison ivy vine up my tree? This vine won't pull off and is about as thick as ... A: You can kill the vine with a herbicide called Roundup. IF you can reach the leaves spray them with ... | |
| sap from trees | 8/12/2008 |
| Q: I have a tree that has been leaking sap for 4 years now. I noticed that my roof, car , driveway and ... A: Aphids can be treated any time of the year that the tree has foliage. The spring would be the best ... | |
| sap from trees | 8/11/2008 |
| Q: I have a tree that has been leaking sap for 4 years now. I noticed that my roof, car , driveway and ... A: Sounds like either an insect called an aphid or a scale insect. Both insects will suck the plant ... | |
| Pin Oak tree trunk discoloration | 8/11/2008 |
| Q: I would like to know why my pin oak seems to be crying a dark reddish brown color. We are in ... A: I would think this is a condition called slim flux. Slime flux is the name given to the oozing or ... | |
| Arborvitae Question | 8/10/2008 |
| Q: I planted a couple dozen arborvitae plants about four years ago that have recently been showing ... A: This is an insect called a bagworm. They are really not killing the plants but eating the foliage, ... | |
| oak tree fungal infection | 8/9/2008 |
| Q: have a large legacy broad leaf oak tree in distress. tree has girth of at least 10 feet. lowest ... A: If it is not hollow it just means the fungi has not been there long enough to hollow the tree but I ... | |
| oak tree | 8/9/2008 |
| Q: I have an oak tree that is about 60 to 75FT tall. The first signs of trouble was when the leaves ... A: Sounds like Hypoxylon canker. The most obvious early symptom of Hypoxylon is the sloughing off of ... | |
| birch | 8/8/2008 |
| Q: Our two birch trees are oozing a red discharge from under the bark.I would like to know what this is ... A: Sounds like it could be Bronze Birch Borer. The bronze birch borer attacks paper (canoe), European ... | |
| oak tree fungal infection | 8/8/2008 |
| Q: have a large legacy broad leaf oak tree in distress. tree has girth of at least 10 feet. lowest ... A: Sounds like what you are seeing is the fruiting stage of a decay fungi. I would suspect that the ... | |
| Magnolia Tree | 8/7/2008 |
| Q: I have a 40yr old magnolia tree that has never had any problems until this summer. Here in Dallas we ... A: As long as the leaves and buds on the ends of the branches are still green the tree will survive. I ... | |
| Cypress tree dead spot | 8/4/2008 |
| Q: I have a row of 15 Italian cypress trees about 12 ft tall. They are kept manicured, but the end tree ... A: Check and see if there maybe spider mites present. Take a piece of white paper and put under a ... | |
| Alder tree problem | 8/4/2008 |
| Q: There is a series of holes, about one-quarter inch in diameter, that form a ring around the trunk. ... A: This is woodpecker hole from a bird called a sap sucker. The bird makes a line of holes and insects ... | |
| japanese red maple | 8/2/2008 |
| Q: I have a Japanese red maple tree. The leaves have turned mostly green this summer and many are just ... A: Japanese red Maple leaves turn from red to green when the intensity of light is decreased. Most if ... | |
| craape myrtles | 8/1/2008 |
| Q: I need to know why my crape myrtles leaves are turning black, and what can i do to fix this problem. ... A: Sounds like aphids. These insect suck the plant juices for the plant and secrete a substance called ... | |
| Japanese Maple | 7/31/2008 |
| Q: My Japanese maple is at least 8 years old. Each year about this time in August the leaves bgein to ... A: These are leaf spots caused by a fungi. Leaf spot fungi do not really harm the health of the tree ... | |
| red maple | 7/31/2008 |
| Q: We planted our maple tree last year and for some time now the bark has peeled away about 6in from ... A: This sounds like sun scald. The bark splitting isn't something you can really do anything about ... | |
| Maple Red Sunset | 7/29/2008 |
| Q: I recently had a red sunset maple put in and noticed there are hard reddish raised dots on some of ... A: Sounds like gall wasps. The insect lays its eggs on the leaf and secretes a chemical that causes the ... | |
| rust on walnut trees | 7/29/2008 |
| Q: Dark spots on leaves turn into larger black areas and growth seems stunted. Tree appears healthy ... A: Sounds like walnut anthracnose. Anthracnose is a general term used to refer to diseases caused by ... | |
| dead tree limbs. | 7/28/2008 |
| Q: We just planted a fruitless snow crabapple tree about 3 months ago.it is about 10 years old. It's ... A: It is not getting enough water. A tree this large that is transplanted will under go a great deal of ... | |
| limb dying on a large burch tree | 7/27/2008 |
| Q: I have a Burch tree it has some kind of spots on the leaves and is acting like it is dying only on 1 ... A: I would not worry about one limb dying. If the foliage on the other limbs is green and looks healthy ... | |
| mulberry tree - carpenter beetles | 7/25/2008 |
| Q: I moved into a home that has a medium sized mulberry tree. There are dead limbs that the carpenter ... A: Sounds like borer damage. I would spray the areas on the trunk with an insecticide called Merit. ... | |
| Mulberry disease/pest | 7/24/2008 |
| Q: We have what was a healthy Male Mulberry (we live in Salt Lake City, Utah), but now most of its ... A: Sounds like borer damage. I would spray the areas on the trunk with an insecticide called Merit. ... | |
| web on oak tree | 7/23/2008 |
| Q: I have a large oak tree (I think it's a live oak) probably 40+ years old. It has a web that covers ... A: This webbing is produced by small insects called bark lice and though the tree is apparently not ... | |
| Muskogee Crepe Myrtle Diseased | 7/22/2008 |
| Q: I recently purchased two Muskogee Crepe Myrtles and one of them started having yellow leaves with ... A: Sounds like sooty mold. Sooty mold grow on a secretion from aphids called honeydew. Honeydew is high ... | |
| Bradford pear possible wood borers | 7/20/2008 |
| Q: Bradford Pear approx 9 years old. leaves are dying and falling off. Sawdust build-up around bases of ... A: Does sounds like borers. spray the trunk with an insecticide called Merit. This insecticide will ... | |
| sugar maple disease | 7/19/2008 |
| Q: We live in Northfield, Vermont and have recently noticed that leaves on our sugar maple, and others ... A: Sounds like leaf scorch. Maple leaves often show a browning or drying at the outer margin of the ... | |
| Korean Dogwood - Milky Way | 7/18/2008 |
| Q: I live in the Pacific NW. In Feb 07 this 5' tree was planted in the garden of our new home. In the ... A: I would cut back on the water--a tree needs about 1 inch of water per week--place a pan under the ... | |
| aphids? | 7/17/2008 |
| Q: Don't know if Aphids are what my bushes have ....the are tiny white things all over my bushes and ... A: If it is aphids you will see or feel there is a sticky substance on the foliage where the aphids ... | |
| Insects on plum tree leaves | 7/16/2008 |
| Q: There are some little tiny white insects on the bottom of the leaves on my plum tree that seem to be ... A: Sounds like aphids. these are small insects that suck the plant juices from the leaf causing the ... | |
| oak tree | 7/16/2008 |
| Q: I have an oak tree that is about 75ft. Over the last 2 weeks the leaves on the tree started turning ... A: Does seem to be something environmental. Insects and disease rarely attack different species of tree ... | |
| yellowing willow leaves | 7/15/2008 |
| Q: Saw your answer to a previous post that a "fertilizing" turfbuilder could be to blame for the ... A: If you used a fertilizer on the grass under and around the tree that contains a weed killer then the ... | |
| maple tree | 7/15/2008 |
| Q: I live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Six years ago I had a tree planted on my side walk it is a red ... A: Sounds like sun scald. Sunscald is a form of injury to the trunk of many landscape trees. Often ... | |
| fruitless mulberry is sick looking | 7/14/2008 |
| Q: We have 2 fruitless mulberry trees in our front yard, They are about 20ft tall and beautiful, great ... A: Sounds like slime flux or wet wood. Slime flux or Wet Wood is a foul-smelling and unsightly seepage ... | |
| maple tree d2ljunying | 7/14/2008 |
| Q: we have a maple tree on our property, and have several times had truckloads of rock delivered, ... A: The weight of the truck and the rock compacted the soil around the tree causing the roots to die and ... | |
| cleveland pear tree | 7/14/2008 |
| Q: We moved into our home about one year ago. We planted a cleveland pear tree in our front yard. A ... A: It sounds as if you have a fungal leaf spot on your pear. With wet weather, leaf spots are a common ... | |
| Burch Tree | 7/9/2008 |
| Q: I live in Maryland and planted two large river birch in our yard late last year that were doing fine ... A: Sounds like slime flux or wet wood. Slime flux or Wet Wood is a foul-smelling and unsightly seepage ... | |
| Leaves on Birch tree cluster yellowing | 7/9/2008 |
| Q: We planted a new cluster of white paper birch in early June. The leaves are now turning a bright ... A: Stress from the planting. I would water with 1 inch of water every third day unless it rains. Place ... | |
| Oak tree leaf fungus? | 7/9/2008 |
| Q: I recently purchased a cabin in Northern CA at ~5000ft elevation and noticed that the oak trees in ... A: A picture would be helpful. There should be a place at the bottom of the question page to attach a ... | |
| Sycamore Tree "wet spots" on trunk | 7/8/2008 |
| Q: Southern California, tree at least 45 years old. It has been healthy for the 37 years we have been ... A: Sounds like damage from a flathead borer. These insect bore into the trunk and the tree exudes a sap ... | |
| Oak Trees | 7/3/2008 |
| Q: We noticed the leaves on some of our oaks were developing "boils" or raised bumps, with no ... A: These are leaf spots caused by a fungus called leaf blister. Oak leaf blister is a fungal leaf spot ... | |
| Black Oak Seeping Sap | 7/3/2008 |
| Q: Yesterday I noticed sticky sap seeping down the trunk of our Black Oak (at about 4 feet off the ... A: The oozing is called "slime flux" and is caused by a bacterial infection inside the trunk. There are ... | |
| lilac bush with fuzzy white stuff on branches | 7/2/2008 |
| Q: My lilac bush is about 3 years old. This spring it finally bloomed and now in June it is covered in ... A: First touch the "fuzzy coating" If is does not move it is powdery mildew and can be controled with a ... | |
| crepe myrtle infestation | 7/1/2008 |
| Q: I have a crepe myrtle tree. It is infested with insects that seem to be attached to the branches ... A: The insect causing the sap is a scale. These insects suck the plant juices from the twigs and ... | |
| Macintosh Apple Tree - Pollination | 6/30/2008 |
| Q: I have 1 dwarf Macintosh apple tree and would like to know if there is some way to pollinate it ... A: Unless the tree specifically states that it is self-pollinated, you will need to get two trees of ... | |
| slime flux in white oak - transmission to other plants | 6/30/2008 |
| Q: I have a 75-100 year old white oak in my front yard. My city is condemning the tree and making me ... A: Alabama has been under a drought for the last several years and has stressed the urban as well as ... | |
| Crape Myrtle Disease | 6/29/2008 |
| Q: I have a Cra[e Myrtle about 10 years old. The leaves of the tree are turning yellow and falling off ... A: I would fertilize the trees with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb per inch of trunk diameter ... | |
| Possible White Oak Tree Disease | 6/28/2008 |
| Q: It's a mature tree that leafed out this spring with several dead limbs. The trunk exhibits black ... A: Sounds like a disease called hypoxolyn canker. Hypoxylon cankers are prevalent and highly visible ... | |
| slime flux in white oak - transmission to other plants | 6/27/2008 |
| Q: I have a 75-100 year old white oak in my front yard. My city is condemning the tree and making me ... A: The slim flux will not spread form species to species. It is a bacteria disease which builds up in ... | |
| flowering dogwood trees | 6/26/2008 |
| Q: We planted two flowering dogwood trees this spring and they had been doing real good, we hav noticed ... A: Sounds like planting shock. Dogwoods like semi shade and if planted in the sun they sometimes will ... | |
| Green moss like growth on my trees | 6/26/2008 |
| Q: I have two young trees on the east side of the front lawn. One has its leaves turning yellow and ... A: This sounds like lichens. Lichens are unusual creatures. A lichen is not a single organism the way ... | |
| evergreen bush | 6/24/2008 |
| Q: Does rust-colored dead growth on an evergreen bush indicate mite infestation...or could it be ... A: If the plants are turning a rust color, I would recommend checking them for mites. Shake the ... | |
| Diseased Maple | 6/20/2008 |
| Q: I have, in Ohio, what I believe is a red maple whose leaves are covered (underside along veins) with ... A: These are gall wasps. The insect lays its eggs on the leaf and secretes a chemical that causes the ... | |
| Maple trees with diseaed leaves | 6/19/2008 |
| Q: I have what I believe is a Autumn Glory Maple Tree. Different leaves on the same tree show two ... A: They could be but the brown spots could be a leaf fungi spot. Leaf spots from fungi are not a ... | |
| Maple trees with diseaed leaves | 6/18/2008 |
| Q: I have what I believe is a Autumn Glory Maple Tree. Different leaves on the same tree show two ... A: These are leaf spots caused by a tiny gall wasp. They will not cause any real health problems with ... | |
| wax myrtle | 6/17/2008 |
| Q: I live in north Texas (Dallas area) I had some wax myrtles planted at the back of my fence back in ... A: The berries are just that berries and not a disease. Wax myrtle like full sunlight and water. As ... | |
| maple trees | 6/16/2008 |
| Q: My maple trees have little tiny red pin spots on the back side of the leaves? What is it and how do ... A: Ok I am going to guess that it is the early stages of a insect gall. These are galls caused by an ... | |
| crepe myrtles | 6/16/2008 |
| Q: WE HAVE TWO CREPE IN OUR YARD AND AS I WAS WATERING THEM A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. I NOTICED SOME BUGS ... A: Sounds like one of the leaf beetles possibly Galerucella pusilla. Leaf beetle feeding can be ... | |
| Oak Tree has a big crack in the bark | 6/13/2008 |
| Q: I live in North Eastern CT and I have a large Oak tree (about 24 inches in diameter) in the front ... A: Sounds like a wound that fungi got into and is decaying the woody part of the tree. Decay fungi ... | |
| October Glory Maple | 6/13/2008 |
| Q: I have an October Glory that is a couple of years old. At this point the leaves look like they are ... A: Trees need about 1 inch of water per week (place a pan under the tree and turn the sprinkler on and ... | |
| maple tree disease | 6/12/2008 |
| Q: I have a 20 year old maple tree (bronze, I think) that has started oozing from the crotch about 6 ft ... A: It could be a couple of things. There is a bacteria disease called slime flux that causes a tree to ... | |
| Elm Tree with Maple Bladder Gall Disease | 6/12/2008 |
| Q: Omaha, Nebraska Has Maple Bladder Gall Disease been found/identified on Elm trees before? I will ... A: Elm has a different leaf gall called a finger gall that looks very similar to the ones on maple but ... | |
| YOUNG MAPLE TREE PROBLEM | 6/11/2008 |
| Q: I HAVE 12 YOUNG MAPLES WE PLANTED 2 YRS AGO ABOUT 12 FT TALL.SOME ARE HAVING VERY SMALL LEAVES AND ... A: Sounds like an insect called a borer. I would spray the wounded area with an insecticide called ... | |
| black bugs eating my weeping willow tree leaves | 6/10/2008 |
| Q: how do i get rid of these? they are roound, black ,maybe 3/16 of an inch, and they are on a lot fo ... A: Sounds like WILLOW FLEA WEEVIL AND IMPORTED WILLOW LEAF BEETLE Willow (and poplar) leaves may be ... | |
| Pecan Tree | 6/10/2008 |
| Q: I have a pacan tree in my yard. On the ends of a couple of the branches there are these spidery ... A: Sounds like webworms. These are insect (caterpillars) that will enclose foliage of branches and eat ... | |
| Red/Crimson Maple Health | 6/10/2008 |
| Q: 4 years ago I planted two crimson maples on the east side of my house. The southern most tree is ... A: Sounds like the Weed and Feed has gotten to the tree. I would water with 1 inch of water every day ... | |
| Jelly substance on tree branches | 5/25/2008 |
| Q: I have several trees in my yard that drop brnaches from time to time depending on the weather, i.e. ... A: These are types of fungi called decay fungi. The infect dead wood as part of the process of nature ... | |
| Maple trees | 5/24/2008 |
| Q: We have a green leafed maple, about 30'+ high. We had it pruned last year.This May it has an ... A: The tree producing a large crop of seeds does not mean that the tree is declining. The amount of ... | |
| crape myrtle | 5/24/2008 |
| Q: I have a beautiful white crape myrtle I believe it is a Acoma? It is 10-15' in height and the bark ... A: As a crept myrtle gets older they will shed the bark--this is normal. The bugs sound like a fungi ... | |
| Arborvitae (Aurea nana) tips brown | 5/23/2008 |
| Q: Good morning and thank you for your help. Please bear with me and my scientific background if I give ... A: Sounds like a couple of things--when a plant is first planted it is under a great deal of stress and ... | |
| Oak Tree Drippings | 5/21/2008 |
| Q: I live in Eastern Ontario, and have a property with many mature oak trees. Last year the trees ... A: I would guess it is either aphids or scale insects. Both are sucking type insects and secrete a ... | |
| lace bark elm tree problems | 5/21/2008 |
| Q: 10 yr old tree, tiny holes in almost a circle on the trunk from the ground to about 4ft up. some ... A: If these holes are in a line around the trunk they are caused by a wood pecker called a sap sucker. ... | |
| japanese maple diseses | 5/13/2008 |
| Q: what product will help with leaf spots A: Purple eye" leaf spot is a common disease and recognizable by the distinctive circular spots which ... | |
| Maple trees | 5/13/2008 |
| Q: I live in Michigan and have 3 large maple trees in my front yard. One is getting leaves normally, ... A: I would try fertilizing the tree with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb per inch of trunk ... | |
| Oak Tree | 5/12/2008 |
| Q: We have a 100+ year old oak tree in our front yard. We noticed several weeks ago that there was a ... A: This is called slime flux or wetwood. The foul-smelling and unsightly seepage of sap from the trunk ... | |
| pine needle tips | 5/12/2008 |
| Q: Most of my pine trees have needles that are turning brown on the tip. what should I do?? A: If you are talking about the needled on the very tip of the branches it is an insect called tip ... | |
| webs on yaupon holly | 5/10/2008 |
| Q: I live in Thomasville, Georgia. I read with interest your response to a question involving webs on ... A: Here is a product that will work. Bayer Advanced™ 3-in-1 Insect, Disease & Mite Control ... | |
| dead spots on aborvitae | 5/10/2008 |
| Q: I have 15 emerald green aborvitae planted last year in September. 5-6 feet tall. Very green and ... A: As new foliage buds out the older foliage will drop. If the dead foliage is on the inter parts of ... | |
| live oak tree disease? | 5/9/2008 |
| Q: I have a live oak tree planted about 8 years ago with stunted growth of limbs (on one side of the ... A: If there is a problem only on one side than this is usually environmental. Something is effecting ... | |
| Leaf warts | 5/9/2008 |
| Q: I live in northern British Columbia, Smithers, and have a question about my maple tree. For the past ... A: These are leaf gall insects and they will not harm the tree. The tiny insect (wasp) lays its eggs on ... | |
| Dwarf Weeping Cherry | 5/8/2008 |
| Q: I read your response regarding the roots of the willow tree. I actually bought two dwarf weeping ... A: There can be a couple of problems with the tree right over the septic tank. All tree roots can ... | |
| Planting an October Glory Maple | 4/27/2008 |
| Q: We are replacing a cottonwood tree we had to remove 6 or 7 years ago and have decided to replace it ... A: The product you put on the cottonwood stump is long gone and will have no effect on the new tree. No ... | |
| Red Maple Tree | 4/26/2008 |
| Q: I live in Littleton Colorado, 4 years ago I planted a red maple tree that is now about 25' tall. ... A: Sounds like borer attack. This is an insect that will infest the trunk and and where the branch ... | |
| Question | 4/25/2008 |
| Q: how are you going? Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. My name is Christina and I ... A: You can try watering the pot and keep the soil moist but not wet and see if the plant will sprout ... | |
| Magnolia tree desease | 4/25/2008 |
| Q: I have a young magnolia, the very large flower variety. I had to transplant it last winter and it is ... A: Any organic mulch would be good--bark. pine needles. Put not more then 3 inches deep and not piled ... | |
| Magnolia tree desease | 4/24/2008 |
| Q: I have a young magnolia, the very large flower variety. I had to transplant it last winter and it is ... A: Sounds like shock from the move. Make sure you mulch around the tree with nort more than 3 inches of ... | |
| Yellowing leaves on holly tree | 4/22/2008 |
| Q: We live in East Texas and have a mature holly tree (I don't know what species) that I just noticed ... A: If the leaves are on the lower branches or not near the ends of the branches this is normal leaf ... | |
| king red maple | 4/22/2008 |
| Q: Jim, We have a king red maple that is about twenty years old and about 15 feet high. The tree is ... A: Sounds like a combination of the drought and tilling of the yard damaging the roots. Roots of trees ... | |
| lilac bushes/insects | 4/22/2008 |
| Q: I have an existing lilac bush that has ladybugs in the grassy area around it. Is this healthy? A: Ladybugs will not harm the bush in fact they are a predator to aphids that feed on the bush. I would ... | |
| Red Japanese Maple | 4/22/2008 |
| Q: I live 30 miles SE of Dallas, TX. With Sandy/Clay soil.My sister gave me a large pot grown Japanese ... A: I would leave the tree as is --the stress of moving it might kill it. I would leave the leaves alone ... | |
| Holly bush | 4/21/2008 |
| Q: What causes black spot on holly bush leaves (male & female? The leaves turn black then turn brown & ... A: Sounds like tar spot fungus. Tar spot - Tar, or black, spot causes considerable damage to hollies, ... | |
| Ginko Tree | 4/20/2008 |
| Q: Subject tree is stunted but has some growth. It has nail-size holes around the trunk circumference ... A: Sounds like sap sucker damage. These are wood pecker type birds that make the holes and when insects ... | |
| Japanese Maple turning white | 4/20/2008 |
| Q: We have a Japanese maple tree that has been planted for at least 5 years. Last summer it was ... A: First determine if the tree is still alive--start near the end of a upper branch and scrape a small ... | |
| scrub oak/live oak | 4/19/2008 |
| Q: We have ball moss on our oak trees and also fungus on the tree trunks. What is this fungus and how ... A: The fungus on the bark sounds like lichens. If you have lichen growing on the trunks or branches of ... | |
| Injured maple tree | 4/16/2008 |
| Q: I have two 15 ft tall maple trees that were run over by a truck that crashed in my front yard. The ... A: I would try to straighten them upand brace them with cables holding the tree in position for about a ... | |
| boxwood shrubs | 4/15/2008 |
| Q: I have one boxwood, out of many, that has developed white raised spots on the stems. You can scratch ... A: Sounds like one of the scale insects. These are insets that live their live under a shell like ... | |
| Bradford Pear | 4/15/2008 |
| Q: Mr. Hyland: I have a wonderful 22-year old Bradford Pear tree which shades the entire southwest side ... A: This could be several things--from a leaf disease to root damage by ants to use of we lawn ... | |
| globe willow | 4/10/2008 |
| Q: I live in Kingman Arizona and have a globe willow that has a hole where the main trunk starts to ... A: This is called slime flux caused by a bacteria. The bacteria builds up in the tree and the pressure ... | |
| gypsy moth control | 4/9/2008 |
| Q: I purchased Volck oil to control gypsy moths. Is this product effective for this application? I ... A: Various mechanical control measures, such as egg mass removal or adult moth trapping may have some ... | |
| Red Japanese Maple | 4/9/2008 |
| Q: I live 30 miles SE of Dallas, TX. With Sandy/Clay soil.My sister gave me a large pot grown Japanese ... A: May be too wet or not planted properly. too much water can be as bad as too little water. The hole ... | |
| Bradford Pear in Fort Worth, TX | 4/9/2008 |
| Q: We have a 6 year old Bradford Pear tree that has always done well up to now. This year it bloomed ... A: Sounds like some kind of environmental problem since any disease or insect would not show up this ... | |
| willow tree | 4/9/2008 |
| Q: I live in NC and have a willow tree that is over 4 years old. For the first few years it seemed to ... A: To check and see if the tree is still alive--start near the end of an upper branch and scrape a ... | |
| 2 year old weeping willow tree | 4/7/2008 |
| Q: My weeping willow tree was putting out green leaves about 3 weeks ago. I noticed last week the ... A: The ants will damage the roots of a young trees and could possibly kill it. I would control the ants ... | |
| sunset maple lack of leaves | 4/7/2008 |
| Q: I've got a sunset maple that I planted about 4 years ago. The last 2 years I have noticed that ... A: As a tree grows the leaves appear to be on the outer part of the limbs and less near the trunk. This ... | |
| peach tree | 4/7/2008 |
| Q: Our peach tree has "sprouted" numerous extrusions about 1/4 to 1/2 inches long. They look almost ... A: Sounds like Asian Ambrosia beetle. DAMAGE: Female beetles bore into stems and young trees. Visible ... | |
| Japanese Maple tree bark loss | 4/6/2008 |
| Q: Jim: I noticed that the bark around the trunk(near the root) of my 30 years old Japanese Maple tree ... A: Sounds like you may have a insect called a borer infesting your tree. Spray the trunk with an ... | |
| Crimson King Maple | 4/5/2008 |
| Q: We planted a crimson king maple about 15 years ago and it was beautiful with large leaves until ... A: Sounds like borer damage. These are insects that attack trees that are weaken or under stress. If ... | |
| Arbor vitae | 4/4/2008 |
| Q: I am surprised that this is outside your expertise...given the information about you areas of ... A: I deal with more trees than shrubs but I did find a one reference of black foliage on Arborvitae. ... | |
| Holly bushes | 3/30/2008 |
| Q: We have holly bushes in the front of our house. On the underside of the leaf there is a white ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew. Powdery mildews, as the name implies, often appear as a superficial ... | |
| Maple Tree | 3/29/2008 |
| Q: I have a maple tree that is in my front yard, close to the road and to our driveway. The last 3 ... A: Here are a few thing that come to mind: Make sure that the fertilize you use on the lawn does not ... | |
| crepe myrtle | 3/26/2008 |
| Q: I have 5 crepe myrtles in my yard. Three of them have great looking bark, but on two of them, the ... A: Sounds like the trees have or had an aphid infestation. Crapemyrtle aphids are pale yellow in color ... | |
| Hackberry trees | 3/26/2008 |
| Q: I have 4 hackberry trees on my property,the 1 largest lost a limb in the ice storm,we had them all ... A: The sapwood of hackberry is pale yellow to grayish or greenish yellow, while the heartwood is a ... | |
| Black tree trunk | 3/25/2008 |
| Q: We have a Live Oak approximately 15 ft tall and the trunk is turning black. The blackness is from ... A: I do not think it is a disease problem but as a tree grows older the bark will turn darker starting ... | |
| Tree Moss? Infestation | 3/25/2008 |
| Q: I live in Central Florida and have a moss or some other type of plant parasite growing in my oak and ... A: Generally moss does not kill a tree but will grow on healthy as well as dying trees. I would suggest ... | |
| Plum Tree | 3/15/2008 |
| Q: I have a plum tree that has a green mildewy coloring on the trunk. Is this a fungus or harmful? ... A: These are lichens and not a problem. Fertilize the tree and keep it healthy. Lichens are organisms ... | |
| Dormant/Volck Oil Spray | 3/10/2008 |
| Q: A: Dormant oil spraying should be done on a clear day when there is little or no breeze. The ideal ... | |
| black trunk on a sugar maple | 3/10/2008 |
| Q: I have, what I'm told is a relatively young, Sugar Maple in the front of my home (GA). When we ... A: Sounds like the normal growth of the bark. Wait until the tree leafs out this spring and if the ... | |
| Georgia Tree bark problem | 2/25/2008 |
| Q: I have 2 trees in my front yard. the smaller ones limbs are completely covered in what appears to be ... A: You can send the pictures to jimhyland@yahoo.com and I will see if I can ID the problem. In the ... | |
| plum tree | 2/23/2008 |
| Q: I just noticed three spots on our plum tree that looked like a clear jell. It was on the branches of ... A: This is a condition called Gummosis. The tree is reacting to some type of damage. I would either ... | |
| manangment | 2/18/2008 |
| Q: What is the best methods for controlling Apple powdery mildew? A: Control Apple varieties vary greatly in their susceptibility to powdery mildew. Jonathan, Granny ... | |
| Pine tree mystery | 2/17/2008 |
| Q: Jim: I live in northern Georgia (lots of pine trees). We just had a terrific storm (tornado ... A: Sorry I do not have any idea what this could be. The only thing I can think of is the pine has been ... | |
| Sugar Maple | 2/15/2008 |
| Q: I have a 'Green Montain' Sugar maple that was planted several years ago. It is appx. 5 inches in ... A: A condition called bacterial wetwood (also called slime flux) is likely to blame. Bacterial wetwood ... | |
| Cedar trees | 2/13/2008 |
| Q: I live on 19 acres in east Texas with many older Cedar trees. I have noticed that some to most of ... A: Sounds like several things maybe going on here. Older cedars do loose their lower branches, there ... | |
| weeping cherry weeping. | 2/11/2008 |
| Q: We have a weeping cherry approx. 10yrs old in our garden, (south of Birmingham Alabama) which is ... A: Sounds like a 'disease" called Slime flux or borers. The presence of sap does mean that the bark has ... | |
| Bradford Pear Tree | 2/9/2008 |
| Q: My 12 year old Bradford Pear died last spring for no apparent reason. I cut it down today and found ... A: The insect you have described is either a shothole borer or one of the ambrosia beetles. Although ... | |
| Mulberry tree | 1/13/2008 |
| Q: I have a mulberry tree that is about 40 yrs old. The main trunk is only about 4 ft high with ... A: Sometimes as a tree grows the bark will sluff off growing limbs. If the foliage is green and thick ... | |
| green moss/fungus killing trees | 1/11/2008 |
| Q: Many of the trees in my yard are being covered by a light green stuff that looks like moss or fungus ... A: These are lichens and are wide spread in the wet climate of Western Washington. Presently, no ... | |
| Fungus in Douglas Fir? | 1/1/2008 |
| Q: I recently purchased a cord of firewood consisting of Douglas Fir and Alder. The wood was seasoned ... A: In the stem, Black stain Root Disease in cross-section appears as narrow bands following the ... | |
| pine tree "mold" | 1/1/2008 |
| Q: On two of our pines there is a black hard growth on the trunk and limbs of the trees. It appears to ... A: It is not needle cast. Sounds like one of the gall rust diseases. If the pines are shortleaf or ... | |
| Oak Trees | 12/1/2007 |
| Q: Hyland, I found you online while doing some research in an attempt to find out what is wrong with my ... A: There are many different caterpillars that will eat the leaves of oak. From your description I can ... | |
| Pin Oak spider webs | 11/11/2007 |
| Q: Our pin oak tree has what look like spider webs all over the leaves (not on the bark). There are no ... A: Sounds like fall webworm an insect. The fall webworm is a widely distributed native pest of shade ... | |
| ball-like growths on tree | 11/11/2007 |
| Q: I have what I believe to be a hickory tree that is at least 35 years old. It has these dark, round ... A: These are gall insects caused by a small wasp. The insect lays its eggs on the twig and secretes a ... | |
| White Oak Diseases | 11/10/2007 |
| Q: In my neighborhood, there are plenty of Oak trees. Many of them are oaks. The Oaks, particularly ... A: These are oak leaf galls made by an insect a small wasp usually. The insect lays its eggs on the ... | |
| Oak Problem | 11/9/2007 |
| Q: We live in NW Austin, TX and have an Oak tree that has a growth about the size of a small orange. It ... A: Just cut the growth off and leave a clean edge around the wound. The tree will heal over the wound ... | |
| Unknown Tree | 10/24/2007 |
| Q: I have a tree in my back yard that we here when I moved in. I have noticed since I moved in that the ... A: These are called leaf galls they are made by an insect. Generally the insect lays its eggs on the ... | |
| Crepe Myrtles and decorative pine | 10/22/2007 |
| Q: Jim, I need some help on two different ornamental trees I have in my yard. We live Texas north of ... A: I would recommend that you fertilize the crept myrtle. A complete general-purpose garden fertilizer ... | |
| fungus on leaves | 10/21/2007 |
| Q: i have noticed that my magnolia and hydrangea have a silvery slightly powdery dust on their leaves ... A: Sounds like a disease called powdery mildew. A powdery, fluffy white to light gray-colored fungus ... | |
| Disease of Walnut | 10/21/2007 |
| Q: Our Walnut tree has small white worm like insects beteen the nut and the green coverning. Can you ... A: Sounds like the walnut husk fly. The walnut husk fly and the walnut husk maggot both occur commonly ... | |
| Pine Tree Disease? | 10/20/2007 |
| Q: We have a cluster of three quite tall pine tress in the backyard. One began losing foilage or the ... A: Sounds like a lightning strike. Lightning damage is a life-threatening situation. Lightning either ... | |
| Spider webs on evergreen shrub/Holly | 10/19/2007 |
| Q: i have a Holly that has a spider web problem. I don't see any bugs.I do see clusters of webs with ... A: Sounds like spider mites. Spider mites have tiny mouthparts modified for piercing individual plant ... | |
| White specks | 10/18/2007 |
| Q: A portion of each of my Euonymus"Blondie" bushes have white specks on them and these areas are ... A: Sounds like Euonymus scale. When abundant, these armored scales can completely encrust twigs and ... | |
| October Glory Maple tree question | 10/18/2007 |
| Q: Some of the bark on our Oct. Glory Maple (planted 4 years ago)has turned black, feels a little slick ... A: Please send the pictures to jimhyland@yahoo.com and I will see if I can ID the problem. Put in the ... | |
| Red Sunset Maple | 10/18/2007 |
| Q: My Red Sunset Maple trees aren't turning their usual brilliant Fall color. I live in zone 6 in ... A: The manure may be burning the roots--normally it is not recommend to fertilize trees for a year ... | |
| Red Sunset Maple | 10/16/2007 |
| Q: My Red Sunset Maple trees aren't turning their usual brilliant Fall color. I live in zone 6 in ... A: Anthocyanin pigments are responsible for the pink, red, and purple leaves of sugar and red maple, ... | |
| spider webs on dwarf yaupon holly | 10/15/2007 |
| Q: My dwarf yaupon holly have spider webs all over them. The leaves turn brown near the webs and fall ... A: Sounds like spider mites and whiteflies. Spider mites have tiny mouthparts modified for piercing ... | |
| Fruitless Mullberry | 10/11/2007 |
| Q: I have 2 fruitless mullberries probably 5 years old. The last two years the leaves have been very ... A: Sounds like it needs fertilizer. Fertilize with 1 lb of 10-10-10 fertilizer per inch of tree ... | |
| fruitless mulberry tree | 10/10/2007 |
| Q: My trees leaves are starting to look like they are wilting . I live in the soutwest and we have so ... A: Too much water will effect a tree the same as too little--leaves wilting and turning prematurely. ... | |
| Discoloration of Oak Tree Bark | 10/10/2007 |
| Q: We have an Oak Tree in our back yard, I believe it is an English Oak, and I have been finding a lot ... A: The small twigs sounds like damage from an insect called a twig girdler or twig Pruner. These ... | |
| Waterfall Japanese Maple | 10/8/2007 |
| Q: I have a Waterfall Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum 'Waterfall') tree growing in full sun. It was ... A: Sounds like it does need water-- first if you have not done it mulch around the tree with not more ... | |
| black spots on leaves | 10/7/2007 |
| Q: We just planted a sunset maple this summer and it seemed to be doing just fine, but we just noticed ... A: These are leaf spot fungi and really not a problem. The worst that can happen is the fungi will ... | |
| Holly Infection | 10/6/2007 |
| Q: my holly bushes have small white grub like infection on the underside of the leaves,and on the ... A: Sounds like leaf miners. Leafminers: Leafminers (Phytomyza species) are common pests of hollies. In ... | |
| Whiteflies on redbud | 10/4/2007 |
| Q: I have a newly planted (18 months) redbud in Zone 5B (Chicago, IL) that seems to have a heavy ... A: Whiteflies damage plants by sucking out plant juices. Because large amounts of sap can be removed, ... | |
| oak tree problems | 10/2/2007 |
| Q: I have what I believe is a large white oak in my front yard,with several others in the back yard. ... A: This sounds like a leaf gall insect. These insects will secrete a chemical on the leaf and lay eggs ... | |
| maple leaf disease? | 10/1/2007 |
| Q: the maple leaves on the 40' tree have what looks like spikes coming out of the top of the leaf. the ... A: This is a gall mite called Maple spindle gall. Maple Spindle Gall Mites (Vasates aceris-crumena ... | |
| Crepe Myrtle | 9/30/2007 |
| Q: I have several crepe myrtles that have been overtaken with what I thought was aphids or powder ... A: Sounds like aphids--the sooty mold is growing on the honeydew from the aphids. Crape myrtle aphids ... | |
| Thick white fungus on sycamore tree | 9/28/2007 |
| Q: We recently moved into a house with what we think is a sycamore tree (with maroon-ish broad leaves ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew. Powdery mildews, as the name implies, often appear as a superficial ... | |
| lilac tree | 9/28/2007 |
| Q: i have 2 lilac trees about 2years old tey are starting to to get what looks like grayish mold and ... A: This sounds like powdery mildew. Powdery mildews, as the name implies, often appear as a superficial ... | |
| Disease on my fruitless muilberry? | 9/26/2007 |
| Q: I have a fruitless mulberry tree in my backyard which has leaves with brown splotches all over them. ... A: The leaf spots will not kill the tree just cause some growth loss by the premature leaf drop. There ... | |
| maple tree | 9/25/2007 |
| Q: Jim, what might be causing black soot or fungus on my tree? Its on the main trunk of tree & on the ... A: They is a fingi called sooty mold. It grows on honeydew that is excreted by aphids. Aphids suck the ... | |
| miniature dogwood | 9/25/2007 |
| Q: The tips of the leaves on my dogwoods are turning brown. Is this a disease or does it need more ... A: It is lack of water and heat scorch. If you do not have it now mulch around the tree with not more ... | |
| Disease on my fruitless muilberry? | 9/24/2007 |
| Q: I have a fruitless mulberry tree in my backyard which has leaves with brown splotches all over them. ... A: This sounds like a leaf spot fungi. For now rake the leaves up and move them off site. This will ... | |
| Leylandii Hedge | 9/24/2007 |
| Q: I don't know if you can help me on this, I have a leylandii hedge, and this year it has turned ... A: Sounds like a disease called Seiridium canker. The under lying cause is stress on the tree by ... | |
| Fall Webworms | 9/21/2007 |
| Q: I have a mature Papershell Pecan tree in the back yard and I cut out all of the tents I saw this ... A: Sounds like Walnut caterpillar. The caterpillars develop in large clusters and rapidly defoliate ... | |
| mulberry | 9/21/2007 |
| Q: I have 2 mulberry trees that have no leaves on the ends of the branches. I had a tree service come ... A: Sounds like leaf spot fungi. these will infect the leaves and cause the leaves to drop pre maturely. ... | |
| hybrid willow hit by weed and feed | 9/17/2007 |
| Q: I have a hybrid willow in it's first year grown from a root. It has grown 5 feet tall. It was hit ... A: Start near the end of a upper branch and scrape a little of the bark off and if the color under the ... | |
| Pine Tree Disease | 9/11/2007 |
| Q: Our neighbor has what looks to be a Lodgepole Pine. We noticed the needles are turning red and there ... A: Sounds like a bark beetle attack. These beetles will emerge and attack nearby trees. If there are ... | |
| catapillars/butterflies | 9/10/2007 |
| Q: This might not be your expertise but I can't seem to find any one else to answer this question. ... A: After the caterpillar is fully grown, it becomes a pupa. This is a resting stage which helps it grow ... | |
| Gardenia Plants | 9/8/2007 |
| Q: I live in SW Florida and have two gardenia plants near my front door, the leaves have a dark colored ... A: White flies Whiteflies are tiny, soft bodied insects. They are not true flies, but belong to the ... | |
| fine webbing on my trees | 9/3/2007 |
| Q: "I see it is some kind of lice in texas, would it be the same in south carolina? I iave a gigantic ... A: The webs on the trunk is bark lice. The webs in the pecan tree covering the leaves is Fall Webworm. ... | |
| dogwood tree | 9/2/2007 |
| Q: My dogwood tree is losing it's bark. The tree was here before we moved in 3years ago. This summer ... A: It sounds like a reaction to the weather. Also sometimes the tree reacts to the mulch being piled ... | |
| oak tree ,excessive sap | 9/1/2007 |
| Q: I have an Oak tree that has been dropping excessive sap. I can't see any sap oozing from the tree. ... A: Sound like aphids or scale insects. Both will suck the plant juices from the leaves and twigs and ... | |
| Oak Tree | 8/31/2007 |
| Q: I have a small oak tree and the leaves are turning white on the bottom. What is causing this and ... A: Did not say which oak you have. Check and see if the "white stuff" will rub off--if so it is a fungi ... | |
| garden fungus | 8/31/2007 |
| Q: I seem to have a general problem with fungus. I have a semi-shade garden that gets various types of ... A: When you spray the plants completely spray all the foliage with a fungicide. Completely cover the ... | |
| Dying mature Willow tree | 8/31/2007 |
| Q: I live 30 miles west of Boston and I have a willow that is over 50 percent dead in my back yard. It ... A: The willow likes water and it got used to the steam being close and when the stream bed was dug ... | |
| Crepe Myrtle | 8/24/2007 |
| Q: I've noticed lately that my crepe myrtle has a ton of wasps and bees and other insects on it. It ... A: Sounds like an insect called aphids. These insects suck the plant juices from the leaves and excrete ... | |
| trees | 8/23/2007 |
| Q: we live in NW Conn and have trees that have a "cotton candy" type webbing around several branches. ... A: Sounds like an insest called Fall Webworm. The fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury), is most often ... | |
| walnut tree with huge spider web like bags full of worms spanning several branches | 8/23/2007 |
| Q: What are these and how can I kill them? A: Sounds like an insest called Fall Webworm. The fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury), is most often ... | |
| sycamore tree | 8/22/2007 |
| Q: i have 3 mexican sycamore trees and 2 american sycamore trees. I live in las cruces, NM (lately it ... A: I think they are mainly lacking water. Sycamore trees grow naturally near water but since people ... | |
| Lemon/Lime tree fungus | 8/21/2007 |
| Q: I have a lemon or lime (the citrus are green but my landlords say it's a lemon tree) in my backyard. ... A: For the aphids there are couple of treatments these work less than the insecticides. For the powdery ... | |
| Lemon/Lime tree fungus | 8/21/2007 |
| Q: I have a lemon or lime (the citrus are green but my landlords say it's a lemon tree) in my backyard. ... A: Sounds like you have aphids and powdery mildew. Aphids are small insects that suck the plant juices ... | |
| Yellowing leaves on hackberry | 8/20/2007 |
| Q: I live in southern Arkansas and have three large hackberry trees in my backyard near an above ground ... A: Sounds like aphids and they excrete the honeydew. Control the aphids and the honeydew will go away. ... | |
| Dead Pine Tree and Ferns? | 8/19/2007 |
| Q: We live in Houston, TX, the weather was unusually cool for Houston this year, we have had a LOT of ... A: You did not say what was sprayed on the stump so I assume that it was a herbicide of some kind. The ... | |
| fruitless weeping mulberry tree | 8/19/2007 |
| Q: Just a few days ago I notice my once beautiful young tree with yellow leaves and black spots on one ... A: Sounds like a leaf spot fungi but this late in the year the tree will soon start shutting down for ... | |
| Crepe Myrtle insects | 8/16/2007 |
| Q: All of our crepe myrtle's in our yard have white insects(largest are the size of an eraser on a ... A: These are an insect called aphids. Aphids suck the plant juices from the leaves and twigs and ... | |
| pesky plant sucking tick | 8/9/2007 |
| Q: help!! My crate myrtles are being invaded by these ladybug size critters. They are attached to the ... A: The insects that are attached to the plant are called scale insects and the white "bugs" sound like ... | |
| Maple tree | 8/7/2007 |
| Q: I live in Jacksonville, FL and I have a maple tree in my yard that has some sort of white/tan stuff ... A: Sounds like slime flux or wetwood. The foul smelling liquid that oozes from wounds in the bark or ... | |
| Oak tree | 8/5/2007 |
| Q: My oak tree, (water oak, I think) has a white web on the main trunk and child branches. What is it? ... A: Sounds like bark lice. Bark Lice are more properly called Psocids (pronounced "SOSS-sids"). They ... | |
| Fruitless Mulberry Tree | 8/5/2007 |
| Q: We live in Austin Texas. I saw your reply to a previous question about the black spot on the leaves ... A: The Fruitless Mulberry is a tough landscape tree that will tolerate many urban conditions, such as ... | |
| Locust Tree | 8/5/2007 |
| Q: Our Locust Tree leaves are turning yellow and falling off, like it is fall and it is only August. ... A: We often see a lot of leaf drop in June as a result of the increasing heat and dryness. Leaves ... | |
| Flies in my tree | 8/4/2007 |
| Q: I have a tree in front of my house that recently started spraying a sticky substance all over my ... A: Sounds like an insect called aphids. Aphids are small (1/16-1/8 inch long), soft bodied insects ... | |
| sticky webby substance growing on tree trunks | 8/3/2007 |
| Q: Location Houston There is a white sticky, web-like substance growing around the TRUNK of my trees. ... A: Sounds like bark lice. Bark Lice are more properly called Psocids (pronounced "SOSS-sids"). They ... | |
| live oak webs | 8/2/2007 |
| Q: our live oak tree has suddenly been overtaken with fine webbing running parrallel to the trunk from ... A: Sounds like bark lice. Bark Lice are more properly called Psocids (pronounced "SOSS-sids"). They ... | |
| White discoloration on leaves of our Crimson King | 8/1/2007 |
| Q: On the North side of our house is our problem Crimson king Red maple. A couple of years ago I ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew. Almost all landscapes have plants that become diseased with one of the ... | |
| Maple bark oozing white foam | 7/28/2007 |
| Q: Our crimson king maple is about 20 years old and appears very healthy with this exception. There ... A: This is called wetwood or slime flux. The bacterial wetwood is found in the roots, branches, and ... | |
| Crabapple tree | 7/28/2007 |
| Q: I have a problem with leaf spotting on the tree and also from the top of the tree moving down the ... A: Sounds like an insect called Fall webworm. This is a caterpillar type insect that lives in a web but ... | |
| My Mimosa | 7/27/2007 |
| Q: I read your reply to Carol from Oklahoma about her mimosa tree which oozed white slime that you ... A: If it is near the driveway I would move it (the flowers of mimosa will stain the paint of a ... | |
| My Memosa | 7/26/2007 |
| Q: I read your reply to Carol from Oklahoma about her mimosa tree which oozed white slime that you ... A: The difference is with wetwood or slime flux the foliage is not effected BUT with mimosa wilt the ... | |
| Maple: Lots of Sap | 7/26/2007 |
| Q: I have a mature maple near the driveway that is oozing an excessive amount of sap. The sap is ... A: Sounds like two problems. If the sap getting on your car is sticky this is called honeydew a ... | |
| Pine tree disease | 7/25/2007 |
| Q: I have a huge (old) pine tree in the backyard. Recently some branches have swollen - like baloons ... A: These galls are typical symptoms of one of the gall rust diseases, most likely western pine gall ... | |
| Mimosa | 7/23/2007 |
| Q: I have a mimosa tree in Kansas and it has grown quickly and has bloomed every year. This year, the ... A: I am sorry to say this sounds like a disease that is fatal to mimosa. It could be one of thwo ... | |
| Holly Bush | 7/22/2007 |
| Q: Holly bush was here 11 yrs. ago when I bought this house and it does get berries; however leaves are ... A: Sounds like Cylindrocladium Leaf Spot. Thsi fungi can be contolled by the use of a fungicide. ... | |
| Mamosa diseases | 7/22/2007 |
| Q: I read your post about mamosa trees fluxing. I have 4 large mamosa trees. One of them recently ... A: I am sorry to say this sounds like a disease that is fatal to mimosa. It could be one of thwo ... | |
| Webs in my holly bushes | 7/21/2007 |
| Q: I have several holly bushes that have what appear to be spider webs in them. What would be causing ... A: Sounds like spider mites. Spider mites have tiny mouthparts modified for piercing individual plant ... | |
| Locust Borer | 7/20/2007 |
| Q: I have a client who has 2 trees already infested with the Locust Borer. The first one has already ... A: Soil-applied Systemic Insecticides Systemic insecticides applied to the soil are taken up by the ... | |
| Fungus On Miniature Weeping Willow | 7/19/2007 |
| Q: My Miniature weeping willow has developed a yellow fungus on the leaves and the wood, it looks ... A: It sounds like powdery mildew. This is a fungus that infects a large number of different plants. On ... | |
| maple tree issue | 7/19/2007 |
| Q: My Mountain Maple has vertical splits in the trunk and a couple of the branches. It looks like the ... A: Maple has the tenancy for the bark to split due to the thin bark and fast growing nature. It is ... | |
| live oak leaf problem | 7/17/2007 |
| Q: I have a 15ft-20ft tall live oak in NE Florida. The tree appears healthy (new growth and green) ... A: I can not ID the problem from the information you sent. I would suggest you contact the Florida ... | |
| Maple Tree Disease | 7/16/2007 |
| Q: I live in Maryland and have three Maple Trees in the front yard. All are about 25-30 ft. Two of ... A: My guess would be sooty bark disease. Sooty bark disease, caused by Cryptostroma species, can kill ... | |
| white foam from Oak Tree | 7/15/2007 |
| Q: I have a huge beautiful white oak close to my home that has a small hole at its base. From that hole ... A: The foul-smelling and unsightly seepage of sap from the trunk of shade trees is commonly called ... | |
| Maple Disease | 7/14/2007 |
| Q: My 4 year old Maple tree has black spots from ground to about 8 inches up on trunk. Also two three ... A: The black spots and the "bluish fungus"on the bark sounds like just some type of bark fungus or ... | |
| tea scales on euoymus | 7/12/2007 |
| Q: What is a good insectide to use on the shrub to kill the tea scales? How often do you use it? A: A major problem with tea scale control is that often damage has been done before the scale ... | |
| leland cypress | 7/12/2007 |
| Q: each year there is some browning on the inside but this year seems worse. also, some trees have some ... A: It could be one of two things Seiridium Canker and Twig Dieback or Botryosphaeria (Bot) Canker. The ... | |
| conifers | 7/12/2007 |
| Q: I have 6 conifers in my back garden one of them on the end is starting to change colour like a burnt ... A: I would call your local Forestry agency and have one of their Foresters come out and check your ... | |
| My mimosa | 7/11/2007 |
| Q: I have a large mimosa, in Skiatook Oklahoma,just north of Tulsa, this year we just noticed there is ... A: Wetwood, or slime flux, is a bacterial disease. The bacterium usually enters the tree through ... | |
| Web | 7/10/2007 |
| Q: I have webbing on every part of our tree except the leaves, I would like to know if it is harmful to ... A: Sounds like bark lice. Bark Lice are more properly called Psocids (pronounced "SOSS-sids"). They ... | |
| Magnolia Tree | 7/10/2007 |
| Q: I have a Magnolia Tree that has developed white fungus spots all over the tree and branches, along ... A: Sounds like an insect called aphids. They suck the plant juices from the plant and excrete a ... | |
| Identifying green growth on the trunk of a Maple tree | 7/10/2007 |
| Q: I live in South Eastern WI and I have a medium colored green growth covering much the trunks of my ... A: Sounds like one of the lichens. When lichen is wet from rain or dew, it grows actively. It also ... | |
| Japanese(red) Maple disease? | 7/8/2007 |
| Q: Mr. Hyland, We have a Japanese Maple about 3 feet tall, approx. 9 years old that has been doing ... A: The symptom known as leaf scorch results when the roots are unable to supply enough water to replace ... | |
| maple tree | 7/8/2007 |
| Q: our big maple tree has shinny leaves, almost like it had been sprayed with pop, but it's spreading ... A: This is caused by an insect called aphids. These insects suck the plant juices from the plant and ... | |
| scale on a weeping willow tree | 7/8/2007 |
| Q: We have a 5 year old weeping willow that has been doing great until this year. We live in Kyle, ... A: I products you mentioned will not work on scale insects. i would suggest using an insecticide. Treat ... | |
| Plum tree | 7/7/2007 |
| Q: I have a plum tree that I planted last year. It was doing great until about a week ago. The leaves ... A: It sounds like a water problem. I would water it once a week but put about 1 inch of water on the ... | |
| trees | 7/7/2007 |
| Q: We have recently moved to NW Arkansas. We have a heavily treed back yard and I noticed that several ... A: Sounds like one of the insects called leaf skeletonizer. These insects eat the "green" off the leaf ... | |
| crepe myrtle trees | 7/5/2007 |
| Q: I live in Central Florida. I have a white crepe myrtle tree that is not happy. When it finally ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew. If grayish-white areas recently appeared on the new growth of your ... | |
| Fungus on my weeping willow | 7/5/2007 |
| Q: I have a weeping willow in my front yard. The tree it self is doing great, but there looks to be a ... A: You did not say if the growth was on the trunk or the leaves. If the growth is on the leaves it is ... | |
| red spots on our maple tree | 7/4/2007 |
| Q: We just noticed that the leaves of our Autumn Blaze maple tree are covered with little raised, red ... A: These are galls caused by an insect relative a mite. Maple, Acer spp., leaves are often infested ... | |
| Weeping Willow | 7/4/2007 |
| Q: My 2-3 yr. old Willow is excreting white foam from tiny pin holes in the bark of the trunk. Can you ... A: Frothy Flux is different from the Bacterial wetwood (slime flux) seen afflicting many other hardwood ... | |
| Red Maple Tree | 7/3/2007 |
| Q: Three year old tree in front yard, trunk about 4-5 inches thick, 15 feet high. Was doing great, and ... A: To check and see if the tree is dead start at the end of a upper branch and scrape a small bit of ... | |
| insect pods on arborvitae | 7/3/2007 |
| Q: help please, I have a problem with a few of my emerald green arborvitae, it looks like they are ... A: These are bagworms. Bagworms are caterpillars that make distinctive spindle-shaped bags on a variety ... | |
| Locust tree new growth wilt | 7/3/2007 |
| Q: I believe we have a locust tree, although we do not have thorns on it. The new growth out on the ... A: Sounds like locust leaf miner. The locust leafminer is primarily a pest of black locust. Adults ... | |
| Maple tree | 6/29/2007 |
| Q: I and my neihbor accross the steet have large maple trees. They both are droping some white ... A: Sounds like wooly aphids. The aphid is an insect that sucks the plant juices from the leaves and ... | |
| California Live Oak | 6/29/2007 |
| Q: We live in the San Diego area and recently had to have a Live Oak removed leaving a stump. How do we ... A: Let the growth grow about six inches tall and then spray the foliage with Roundup. Roundup is a ... | |
| Maple Bladder Gall Disease | 6/28/2007 |
| Q: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Plant-Diseases-715/maple-tree-disease.htm I noticed that the answer ... A: Onece the galls are formed by the gall midge or mite there is no real way to get the insecicide to ... | |
| White spots on honeysuckle | 6/28/2007 |
| Q: We recently added two climbing honeysuckle to our landscape. The one gets light almost all day and ... A: I assume you have tried to wash off the "spots' if it is some kind of deposit it will wash off. If ... | |
| Sudden death of Sunset maple | 6/27/2007 |
| Q: ..we are upset....we planted 3 large sunset maples three years ago. They've been doing great. They ... A: For spider mites I would treat only where they are causing a problem on the foliage of the trees. ... | |
| Maple tree black ooze | 6/27/2007 |
| Q: I live in lower Alabama. My maple tree is bleeding a black ooze. It is very bitter to the taste. ... A: I would think this is a condition called slim flux. Slime flux is the name given to the oozing or ... | |
| crape myrtle | 6/25/2007 |
| Q: Jim, Approx. half of one of our Crape Myrtles (Nanchez)has completely browned and dried up. It has ... A: The weed and feed is what is causing the problem with your crept myrtle. It is much better to use a ... | |
| Sudden death of Sunset maple | 6/25/2007 |
| Q: ..we are upset....we planted 3 large sunset maples three years ago. They've been doing great. They ... A: Sounds like it maybe something environmental. Have you used a weed and feed product on the lawn? ... | |
| Japanese red maple | 6/25/2007 |
| Q: Our japanese red maple is losing the bark where the ground meets the tree its about 6 inches up and ... A: There are many varieties of Japanese maples some do shed their bark starting near the ground. If the ... | |
| Maple tree | 5/26/2007 |
| Q: My silver maple tree has red oval seed like clusters attached to the leaves. Do you know what these ... A: These are leaf galls caused by a small insect that lay its eggs on the leaf and secretes a chemical ... | |
| crepe myrtles | 5/25/2007 |
| Q: ! Thanks for being there. I have two huge crepe myrtles (over roof high) that I never cut back and ... A: Bark peeling on mature crept myrtles is normal. The bark peels leaving smooth bark underneath. These ... | |
| mildew rose | 5/22/2007 |
| Q: There is a powdery substance on the leaves of my rose bush. what can I do to take care of it. A: This is powdery mildew. Powdery mildew fungi belong to the group of plant pathogens called obligate ... | |
| Fruitless Mulberry Tree | 5/22/2007 |
| Q: My tree has brown spots on the leaves which turns the leaves yellow and fall off. What can I do to ... A: These are leaf spot fungi. I would treat the tree with a fungicide. First rake up any fallen leaves ... | |
| Treatment for slim flux mold on white oak tree | 5/22/2007 |
| Q: Hyland: Last week, an arborist inspected a fungus growing on our white oak tree and identified it ... A: Wetwood and slime flux are poorly understood tree disease problems. Wetwood is an internal bacterial ... | |
| Giant poison ivy | 5/21/2007 |
| Q: How would i kill very thick poison ivy vine(that will not pull off) that are on and enbeded in the ... A: Spray the foliage of the poison ivy with a herbicide called Roundup. In about 10-14 days you should ... | |
| holly bush | 5/20/2007 |
| Q: I live in southeast Mass. It has been raining for several days. I just noticed that my 3 Holly ... A: Sounds like tar spot fungus. Tar spot - Tar, or black, spot causes considerable damage to American ... | |
| sick ivy | 5/19/2007 |
| Q: I love my Ivy that coveres a big part of my house. It is on the north side. I trimm it and talk to ... A: Sounds like aphids. They suck the juice for the plant and produce the sticky honeydew. Yes the Rose ... | |
| small green bumps on sugar maple leaves | 5/18/2007 |
| Q: I've noticed clusters of small green bumps on our maple tree's leaves this spring. What could it be? A: These are galls caused by an insect. Galls are abnormal growths of plant tissue induced by insects ... | |
| MAPLE TREE | 5/16/2007 |
| Q: we have had a maple tree in the front of our house for about 20 years....every year it has had ... A: It may just be late leafing out this year. Check the outer branches for life--scrape a small bit of ... | |
| mulberry tree | 5/12/2007 |
| Q: I have a two year old mulberry about eight feet tall. The lower trunk has white powdery protrusions ... A: These are insect called borers. They bore into the wood and the "pencil lead" is the frass from the ... | |
| Yellow leaves on holly | 5/11/2007 |
| Q: from Morgantown, WV: A mature holly has taken to having random yellow leaves with brown spots since ... A: Cylindrocladium leaf spot, commonly on 'Burford', Japanese, American, and yaupon holly, is seen ... | |
| Holly fungus | 5/9/2007 |
| Q: I have several holly bushes around the front of my house and there is a white powdery fungus that ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew. Powdery mildews, as the name implies, often appear as a superficial ... | |
| dogwood disease? | 5/8/2007 |
| Q: Our 40+ year old pink dogwood has only two petals rather than four. I noticed that last year two of ... A: Sounds like it needs a little fertilizer. use a fertilizer like Camellia-Rhododendron food, acid ... | |
| Problem with fruitless mulberry | 5/7/2007 |
| Q: I live in the High Desert of Southern CA and have a 7 year old fruitless mulberry. This spring when ... A: There are several factors which could be causing reduced leaf production in your tree. The most ... | |
| Mulberry Tree | 5/3/2007 |
| Q: Our Mulberry Tree has "wounded" spots at the beginning where the trunk splits out into branches. It ... A: It sounds like one of the wood borers. These insects bore into the wood and usually fungi gets into ... | |
| Gardinia Bushes | 5/2/2007 |
| Q: Leaves on Gardenia Bushes have a dry, black powdery coating on them. It will come off by rubbing. ... A: The black is sooty mold that is growing on the excrement of one of the sucking insects more than ... | |
| Caribbean Copper Plant | 4/29/2007 |
| Q: I have a few Caribbean Copper Plants in Los Angeles, and we had a particularly cold (freezing) ... A: You can determine if the tree is dead by starting at the end of a branch and scraping a small bit of ... | |
| Green Scale | 4/28/2007 |
| Q: My flowering crab tree has almost always had been 1/2 covered with this green scale growth on the ... A: These are lichens. A lichen is an unusual organism composed of a fungus and an alga living together ... | |
| Declining Norway maple | 4/26/2007 |
| Q: We have a mature Norway maple (~80 years)in our back yard in Eastern Pa.. It's a wonderful tree ... A: No paint material will actually slow down any wound healing. The tree will try to grow the cells ... | |
| holly bush | 4/24/2007 |
| Q: my holly bush in central arkansas,has many black leaves,can you tell me why? A: Sounds like tar spot fungus. Tar spot - Tar, or black, spot causes considerable damage to American ... | |
| Declining Norway maple | 4/24/2007 |
| Q: We have a mature Norway maple (~80 years)in our back yard in Eastern Pa.. It's a wonderful tree ... A: Trees as people do get old and the age allows them to start showing signs of the old age. The tree ... | |
| holly tree disease | 4/23/2007 |
| Q: I have several holly trees- I don't know which species. They have black crispy looking tips on the ... A: Sounds like tar spot fungus. Tar spot - Tar, or black, spot causes considerable damage to American ... | |
| Willow Tree | 4/20/2007 |
| Q: I have a Weeping Willow tree in my front yard. It has been in the ground for app 3 years. It is well ... A: Scotts weed and feed is a product that contains a fertilizer and a herbicide. A herbicide is a ... | |
| So my Friend and I were Talking... | 4/20/2007 |
| Q: And all of a sudden, we were wondering whether or not plants (Any plant, trees, bushes, etc.) can ... A: No not the same type as animals. But they get similar diseases. Cancer Agrobacterium tumefaciens is ... | |
| Holly branches dieing at random | 4/20/2007 |
| Q: I have at least 3 varieties of holly. China girl, Foster, and I don't know the other one. all ... A: Could be one of a couple of things. Anthracnose The common holly hosts of anthracnose include ... | |
| Plum tree problems | 4/17/2007 |
| Q: My husband and I have a plum tree in our back yard. It is planted close enough to a Sweet Gum tree ... A: This is called black knot. Black knot of plums and cherries is a widespread and serious disease ... | |
| Maple (and other) tree dying | 4/17/2007 |
| Q: We have 2 trees in our new yard , one is some type of maple , the other is something else thats ... A: One is a maple the other looks like maybe a elm or hackberry (without the leaves it is hard using a ... | |
| Willow Trees | 4/16/2007 |
| Q: I have a weeping and a globe willow in my Yard. (SOUTH TEXAS) They are both infested with bugs.They ... A: These insects are called bagworms . The common bagworm, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis (Haworth), is ... | |
| TAR FUNGUS | 4/11/2007 |
| Q: I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I HAVE TAR FUNGUS ON MY LARGE AZALEAS. WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO RID THEM OF ... A: For tar spot The fungus survives the winter in fallen leaves. Rake up and discard the leaves in ... | |
| 3 questions about plants | 4/9/2007 |
| Q: What can I do to rid my camillia bushes of black spots? What can I do to keep Ivy from growing ... A: Egg shells and coffee grounds. Crushed eggshells are very useful in the garden. They can be ... | |
| Old Maple Tree | 3/30/2007 |
| Q: I have three maple trees that are atleast 60+ years old in my yard. One of the trees is not looking ... A: Mushrooms growing on the ground around the tree are not a problem- even if they are growing from the ... | |
| question | 3/28/2007 |
| Q: I have a question about a tree problem I am having. I have a tree in my backyard that I believe is ... A: Sounds like a disease called Scab. Scab is one of the most common and serious disease of flowering ... | |
| Bradford Pear | 3/22/2007 |
| Q: My father in law has 2 bradford pear. The bark on each tree appears to have a fungus in my opinion ... A: Sounds like lichens. These cause no problem with the health of the tree. The foliage blooms and ... | |
| mossy fungus on crepe myrtles | 3/16/2007 |
| Q: I have several crepe myrtle trees that are about 12 yrs old and they have a mossy like fungus ... A: These are lichens and not a problem. Fertilize the tree and keep it healthy. Lichens are organisms ... | |
| Frozen trees | 3/8/2007 |
| Q: We live in the Phoenix outlying areas where an unusual cold snap came through this winter. It got ... A: I would wait and see what develops. The trees may have the tops killed back but the root system is ... | |
| elm tree | 3/5/2007 |
| Q: Have an elm tree that lost branches during storm. I noticed the branches are very dark in the center ... A: The only living part of a tree (branch or trunk) is the outer layer of cells called the cambium. The ... | |
| dwarf nectarine gummosis | 3/4/2007 |
| Q: If I do "tree surgery" as suggested in that site, how much "healthy bark should I leave? I ask ... A: With a 1 inch diameter there is not much that you can do in removing a canker for the main trunk. I ... | |
| Apparant Growth Buds On Live Oak | 3/4/2007 |
| Q: What food do you recommend and how often should I feed/water the tree during the spring/summer?I ... A: I would not fertilize it the first year. Water is the single most important need of newly planted ... | |
| dwarf nectarine gummosis | 3/4/2007 |
| Q: Last summer I noticed the amber sap lesions on this 2 year tree. I didn't think much of it. I was ... A: Here is a web site that describes what I think is the problem and some control measures. I would ... | |
| Apparant Growth Buds On Live Oak | 3/3/2007 |
| Q: I have a live oak tree that was planted less than a year ago at my new home. While looking over the ... A: There are gall insects that will make galls on the limbs of oak but these are fairly large and can ... | |
| japanese maple tree | 2/19/2007 |
| Q: We live in South Carolina and have 3 japanese maples. We just noticed on one tree a "black goo" ... A: Sounds like it could be slim flux or borer damage. With out a picture I would not be able to ID ... | |
| lemon tree under attack | 1/21/2007 |
| Q: I have two lemon trees that keep losing their leaves. Have searched for pests but apparently they ... A: Water the plant thoroughly and place it in bright, direct light. A western or southern exposure is ... | |
| Japanese Red Maple Tree | 1/15/2007 |
| Q: My tree has white dome shape spots on the branches. I have been very careful to scrape some of them ... A: These are called scale insect. They live in these "domes" and suck the plant juices from the plant. ... | |
| black clumps of stuff on my plum tree branches | 1/2/2007 |
| Q: I have a plum tree that has numerous clumps of black stuff on the branches, I live in the lake ... A: Black knot of plums and cherries is a widespread and serious disease throughout the United States. ... | |
| Black Spot on Water Oak Tree | 12/31/2006 |
| Q: my mother has three 40 foot Water Oaks in her back yard. She lives in Lake Charles, Louisiana. ... A: These are HYPOXYLON CANKERS. Hypoxylon canker causes a dark brown discoloration of the sapwood. With ... | |
| hollow tree disease? | 12/30/2006 |
| Q: I am a court reporter and took a deposition of a tree removal man and he said the word (phonetic) ... A: Let me tell you up front I am Not a fan of "tree removal men" who are not foresters telling ... | |
| Black spots on camillia | 12/26/2006 |
| Q: Recently I have noticed black spots on one of my camellia bushes in front of my house. Comparing it ... A: Sounds like tea scale. These can be controlled in the spring using an insecticide. The most common ... | |
| Iive oak diseases and parasites | 11/29/2006 |
| Q: I recently took over maintenance of an RV park in the Coastal Bend area of Texas. There are ... A: I would recommend cutting the grape vines, cow itch vines and the yaupons. Then thinning the dead ... | |
| tree dead? | 11/15/2006 |
| Q: Why is just being hollow not a sign that a tree is ready to fall? Isn't it dead already? A: No a hollow tree is not necessary a dead tree. The only living part of the tree is the layer under ... | |
| powdery mildew?mold? fungas? | 11/13/2006 |
| Q: On the underside only of all my holly bush leaves- I tried different sprays,all to no avail. I have ... A: Might check with the N.C. Forest Service and ask their Forest Health staff for assistance. The ... | |
| Corkscrew Weeping Willow Tree | 11/13/2006 |
| Q: I found these tiny worms on some of the leaves of our tree. There were probably 10 on one small ... A: Without a description it would be hard to ID which caterpillar insect this maybe. But all can be ... | |
| Peach tree | 11/11/2006 |
| Q: I have a problem with the fruit rotting on the tree before they are ripe. It starts out like a ... A: BROWN ROT Brown rot is one of the most common and serious diseases affecting peach fruits. It is ... | |
| willow tree diseases | 11/9/2006 |
| Q: I have a 3 yr old willow tree which is developing brown spots on its leaves this fall. Is this ... A: These are leaf spots caused by a fungus disease. I would not be concerned with these. Most leaf ... | |
| Remove dead tree | 11/7/2006 |
| Q: My Japanese Zelkova is dead, I'm going to cut. How can I remove root? Can I plant same tree at same ... A: To completely remove the root system you will have to dig up the roots from the dead tree. Go out ... | |
| Lilac not flowering | 11/1/2006 |
| Q: I bought two small lilac buxhes two1/2 years ago and niether have flowered at all. Any suggestions? ... A: The lilac may not be blooming because it is getting too much shade or nitrogen-rich fertilizer. You ... | |
| Maple Tree Disease | 10/27/2006 |
| Q: I live in a suburb of Chicago and I have been raking my leaves and see that many of my leaves have ... A: Sounds to me like a leaf fungus. Many of these leaf spots infect late in the year just before leaf ... | |
| Willow Tree | 10/27/2006 |
| Q: I have a willow tree in front yard at the beginning of summer the branches started to dye and hardy ... A: If there is saw dust then the tree has been attacked by an insect called a borer. These insects can ... | |
| leaf disease | 10/25/2006 |
| Q: I planted a couple of small montmorency sour cherry trees in pots to get them to a good size before ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew, a fungus that infect many plants. It can be controlled with the use of a ... | |
| white spots on leaves of king crimson maple tree | 10/25/2006 |
| Q: IL right outside of Chicago; our beautiful King Crimson maple tree has had white powdery-looking ... A: These are a leaf spot fungus and are not a real concern to the overall health of the tree. When the ... | |
| Black Disease on Waterfall Maple | 10/17/2006 |
| Q: There is nothing sticky on the leaves or branches. Tempatures have been dropping into the low 30s ... A: Then it is probabally a leaf spot fungus. Fungi : Leaf Spots Leaf spots are caused by fungi or ... | |
| Black Disease on Waterfall Maple | 10/17/2006 |
| Q: I need your help!!! I just recently noticed a black coloring on my Waterfall Maple. I think this ... A: Check and see if the leaves are stick if so the problem is aphids. These small soft bodied insect ... | |
| Ponytail plant-base rotting or disease? Time to repot? | 10/3/2006 |
| Q: I have had a ponytail plant for 15 years. I live in southeastern PA just a few miles from the ... A: Ponytail's are native to the dry Mexican climate, this habitat allows it to survive interior winter ... | |
| Willow tree | 10/1/2006 |
| Q: w/o reading you response to a previous question posted regarding a "haircut" for the weeping willow, ... A: If the wire went all the way around the trunk and you pulled it free it may have girdled the trunk ... | |
| weeping willow spots | 10/1/2006 |
| Q: we have a weeping willow about 4 yrs old, i have noticed some black spots on the leaves, some of the ... A: It does sound like leaf spots but this late in the year I would do nothing except rake the leaves ... | |
| bag worms | 9/28/2006 |
| Q: I have some pecan trees, they are covered with bag worms. what can I do to kill them? A: I do not think these are bagworms but they sound like Fall Webworms. These caterpillars construct a ... | |
| black sooty mold | 9/25/2006 |
| Q: I have sprayed my plant and kill the bugs(I think), but the leaves still have the black sooty mold. ... A: If the leaves aere still sticky after a good rain then you may still have some aphids. Check and see ... | |
| fungus on jasmine | 9/24/2006 |
| Q: My jasmine has a powdery mold-like substance on it. What is it and what can I do to get rid of it? A: This disease is called powdery mildew. A commmon problem on plants. It can be controlled with a ... | |
| Crepe Myrtle Disease | 9/23/2006 |
| Q: I have a Crepe Myrtle that is about 7 yrs old. It has done well except this year, which was hot and ... A: This disease is called powdery mildew. A commmon problem with crepe myrtle. It can be controlled ... | |
| maple tree disease | 9/23/2006 |
| Q: I live in Pittsburgh, Pa. and have a maple tree that has obvious disease. It has a blue green ... A: The blue green sounds like lichens and are not a problem. The spots are a leaf spot fungus which ... | |
| THE MAPLE TREE | 9/22/2006 |
| Q: please tell me what to do? My huge maple has a black round spots on the leaves, and tree ... A: The spots are a leaf spot fungus which infects the leaves. This fungus normally does not effect the ... | |
| Willow tree | 9/21/2006 |
| Q: Two years ago I planted a Weeping Willow in my yard about 10 feet from the house. It is now about 20 ... A: Weeping willows can be a problem with foudations if they are planted too close. A tree's root system ... | |
| Crape Myrtle | 9/20/2006 |
| Q: I have a crape myrtle that I'm sure has sooty mold. The leaves are black and wipes off with my ... A: The problem is aphids. These are soft bodied insects that suck the plant juices and secrete a ... | |
| Dead Hedge - due to weed killer | 9/16/2006 |
| Q: There is a hedge(approx. 30-40 years old) between our house and a neighbor who just moved in last ... A: More then likely the herbicide was one that kills on contact and not a soil active herbicide. If so ... | |
| Ponytail Palm Disease | 9/13/2006 |
| Q: My palm has white, cottonie substance on leaves. Do you what it is and how to treat? I can send ... A: Send the pictures to jimhyland@yahoo.com and I will see if I can ID the problem . Got the pictures ... | |
| Pecan do not develope to maturity | 9/12/2006 |
| Q: I live in southern middle Tennessee. I have two pecan trees that are 20 years old. They seem to ... A: From the discription I am not really sure. I would suggest you call your local Extension Service ... | |
| army worms | 9/12/2006 |
| Q: Is there a safe, natural way to eliminate army worms in newly laid sod? We have a small dog and are ... A: There are several safe insecticide that will control armyworms but I am not sure what you might mean ... | |
| Maple Tree Decease | 9/11/2006 |
| Q: My Maple tree has developed large dark Brown spots on it's leaves. These spots are hard to the ... A: These are leaf spots caused by a fungus. These normally infect the leaves late in the growing season ... | |
| Maple Tree Disease? | 9/10/2006 |
| Q: I live in Southestern Michigan and we have a large maple tree in our front yard. The majority of ... A: These are leaf spot caused by a fungus. I am going to guess it is Phyllostict leaf spot. A leaf spot ... | |
| diseases of crepe myrtle trees | 9/7/2006 |
| Q: ..I live in central louisiana (a town called Mansura) I have very clay soil.(hard stuff) All my ... A: The black powder sounds like sooty mold. This fungus grows on honeydew from aphids. Aphids are small ... | |
| Fruit Trees/Maple/Walnut | 9/6/2006 |
| Q: I always read about spraying trees with insecticide, but they don't name what to use. What kind ... A: You do not spray incesticides on tree BUT spray on insects that are on the trees. Each insect is a ... | |
| sticky substance from pecan tree | 9/4/2006 |
| Q: We are Americans living in Southern Greece. About 12 years ago we brought a pecan in the shell ... A: Pecans are easily attacked by an insect called aphids. These soft bodied insects suck the plant ... | |
| Pecan Tree disease | 8/31/2006 |
| Q: Located in northern Alabama. We have 2 pecan trees with dark/wet spots (sores) - oozing a "jelly" ... A: I am not sure it sounds like slime flux a disease that oozes out of the bark due to pressure. I ... | |
| Weeping Willow | 8/31/2006 |
| Q: I have a mature, gorgeous weeping willow along a lakeshore home in SE Wisconsin. I noticed recently ... A: It sounds like beaver damage or another water type animal (otter). The "white material" sounds like ... | |
| Pecan Tree Disease | 8/30/2006 |
| Q: I live on the Gulf Coast below Houston and it is the end of August and my pecan tree looks like it ... A: There are numerous causes of premature pecan drop. Some varieties such as 'Desirable' shed ... | |
| lilac bush disease | 8/29/2006 |
| Q: I live close to Calgary, Alberta. I have a few lilac bushes in my yard and they all started this ... A: I think this maybe your problem: Bacterial blight of lilac is caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas ... | |
| Quaken Aspen trees | 8/28/2006 |
| Q: I have two quaken aspens in my yard. I have mushrooms growing all around one of them. The other ... A: Sounds like what we call fairy rings. Old folk lore that fairies danced there during the night. ... | |
| tree infestation | 8/27/2006 |
| Q: I live in North Georgia. Several branches on a tree in my yard are covered with what looks like ... A: This is an insect called Fall Webworm. These caterpillars rarely cause health problems to a tree but ... | |
| plant disease | 8/26/2006 |
| Q: I have a recently planted miniture weeping willow tree, I have noticed it now has a coverage of a ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew. This disease will infect many different plants but can be controlled by ... | |
| Boring Insects | 8/25/2006 |
| Q: Jim, I have three weeping willows in my backyard (Cincinnati, Ohio). One of the trees has some ... A: There are several borer insects that will attack willow. I would suggest that you spray the area of ... | |
| Mulberry Tree Problem | 8/23/2006 |
| Q: I have a problem with my fruit bearing mulberry tree. It have been in my grandfathers backyard for ... A: The oozing of sap from old wounds or the crouch of branches is more then likely wetwood or slime ... | |
| Lacebark Elm | 8/22/2006 |
| Q: We purchased a Lacebark Elm about four yrs ago with a trunk diameter about 3 inches. The tree has ... A: I am not sure what caused the problem but if there is still some green under the bark when you ... | |
| one very sick little tree | 8/22/2006 |
| Q: I live in Maryland and I have an apple tree that looks very sick. There are lots of yellow brown ... A: Sounds like cedar apple rust. This disease takes two hosts to complete a life cycle--apple and ... | |
| worms in cocoons - pine tree | 8/22/2006 |
| Q: Balitimore, Maryland I have 4 small pine trees in front lawn. The pine on one tree began to ... A: These insects are called bagworms. They will spend most of their life in the bag eating the foliage ... | |
| Crepe Myrtle Trees | 8/10/2006 |
| Q: I live in the Piedmont region of North Carolina,[Hickory]. We have two large Crepe Mytrle trees that ... A: Soundsd like a wood borer. Thes insects bore into the tree and live in the inner wood. They will ... | |
| Tree Webbs | 8/9/2006 |
| Q: Throughout our neighborhood there are webs surrounding the end of the tree branches...like a cocoon ... A: This is an insect called Fall webworm. Since they attack in the late summer or fall and have one ... | |
| Sunset Maple Tree Problem | 8/9/2006 |
| Q: NY. The past two summers one of my Sunset Maples has experienced premature browning and withering ... A: Any time a trees roots are damaged it shows up as foliage dying. There is almost a direct ... | |
| Holly disease | 8/9/2006 |
| Q: We live outside Indianapolis, IN. We planted some small holly bushes about 2 months ago. The leaves ... A: Sounds like tar spot fungus. Tar spot - Tar, or black, spot causes considerable damage to American ... | |
| Quaking Aspen Question | 8/8/2006 |
| Q: My Mom has a small group of Quaking Aspen that she brought from Utah and planted here in Southern ... A: I am not sure which canker you might have or if what you are seeing is a result of the borer damage. ... | |
| crab apple trees | 8/8/2006 |
| Q: how do i stop the after growth from trees that hve been cut down and shoots come up?yes! that is ... A: IF a tree is cut (hardwood trees) to keep the root systems from sprouting you need to paint the ... | |
| crab apple trees | 8/8/2006 |
| Q: ------------------------- yes! that is what i asked! Followup To Question - Bradford Ontario ... A: No the crab apple tree is not killing the neighbors plants. Now some plants live better in full ... | |
| weeping willow trees | 8/7/2006 |
| Q: I have 4 weeping willow trees that are about 5 foot tall and healthy and weeping to the ground. I ... A: The best times to prune willows trees are in the late summer or early fall. This variety bleeds sap, ... | |
| maple tree in Springville, AL | 8/6/2006 |
| Q: We have several 11 to 9 year old red maples with circumferential bark damage that we are realizing ... A: It will depend on the extent of the damage-if the damage is all the way around the tree trunk the ... | |
| Pecan tree that is dropping its nuts | 8/6/2006 |
| Q: Choctaw 9 year old tree in Livingston Texas, Polk county has been dropping its green nuts ... A: There are numerous causes of premature pecan drop. Some varieties such as 'Desirable' shed ... | |
| Lilac Bush, white leaves | 8/5/2006 |
| Q: My husband planted a lilac bush in out back yard in May of this year. In the last couple of weeks ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew. This is a fungus that will infect many species of plants. The plant ... | |
| Diseased Crepe Myrtles | 8/3/2006 |
| Q: Can you answer questions about Brush Kill? This is a brand name that my husband saw on TV and I can ... A: There are several herbicides that will kill brush--here is alink to one that is called Brush Killer. ... | |
| Diseased Crepe Myrtles | 8/3/2006 |
| Q: I live in Coldwater, MS. (about 25 miles from Memphis, TN). I have two crepe myrtles that all of a ... A: Yes it does sound like aphids. No the aphids will not kill the tree at worst they make the tree ... | |
| spots on crepe myrtle leaves | 8/2/2006 |
| Q: We live in Houston and have a crepe myrtle in our backyard that has recently developed yellow and ... A: Cercospora Leaf Spot: Leaf spots may appear on crape myrtle that are caused by the fungus Cercospora ... | |
| oak tree trunk webs | 7/22/2006 |
| Q: I live in SE Houston, TX, and have a medium-sized oak tree (approx. 20 feet high, trunk about 15-in. ... A: These webs are harmless and are being caused by barklice rather than spiders. Barklice occur on the ... | |
| Crepe Myrtle Pests | 7/18/2006 |
| Q: my crepe myrtles appear to be "reining". I know I have heard abouth this being a pest as opposed to ... A: Sounds like aphids. These are soft bobied insects that suck the plant juices out of the leaves and ... | |
| Japanese Maple | 7/16/2006 |
| Q: Mr Hyland, I have a Japanese Maple tree that is over ten years old and twenty feet high and ten to ... A: Sounds like you are doing what I would recommend --pruning the dead or dying branches off. The Red ... | |
| Weeping Willow Tree :-( | 7/14/2006 |
| Q: I have a 2 year established, weeping willow tree, it has done well and doubled in size in the 2 ... A: To check of the tree is dead start at the top and scrape some of the bark off the branch and if the ... | |
| golden maple | 7/13/2006 |
| Q: Purchased just a few years ago, the leaves of my golden maple are slowly turning brown. These brown ... A: Sounds like leaf spots. There are two common ones. Phyllosticta Leaf Spot: This disease, also known ... | |
| October Glory Fungicide | 7/13/2006 |
| Q: I have a newly planted October Glory (Maple). How often should I be watering it and the leaves ... A: Normal watering means that soil should be kept evenly moist and watered regularly, as conditions ... | |
| Dutch Elm Tree Disease | 7/12/2006 |
| Q: If your tree has been diagnosed with Dutch Elm Disease and the city has notified you to cut it down, ... A: Dutch elm disease can spread through root grafts-it depends on if the dying tree was cut as soon as ... | |
| Tree killing fungus? | 7/5/2006 |
| Q: I recently moved to a 30 acre parcel in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Most of the trees are pine ... A: From what you discribe it sounds like lichens--if so these normally do not kill the tree. I would ... | |
| leaf mold | 7/4/2006 |
| Q: Jim, We have a Redbud tree that has been identified with having leaf mold.Two seperate nurseries ... A: I do not know the term "leaf mold" I would think what you have is called powdery mildew. This is a ... | |
| name of fungi | 7/4/2006 |
| Q: what causes loose smut of wheat and corn A: Like common bunt, loose smut, caused by Ustilago tritici, also is a seed-borne disease of wheat. U. ... | |
| sticky plants | 7/3/2006 |
| Q: What is the clear sticky substance that seems to be seeping out of the leaves and stems from some ... A: Sounds like the problem is aphids (a soft bodied insect that sucks the plant juices) the sticky is ... | |
| Fruitless Mulberry | 7/3/2006 |
| Q: I live in the High Desert of California. We have a very large fruitless mulberry tree that seems to ... A: The trees are jsut reacting to the pruning. You did not say when they were pruned. Trees such as ... | |
| snowball bush | 7/1/2006 |
| Q: I live in southern indiana, and I have a snowball bush I had purchased fom springhill I carefully ... A: Don't prune it anymore until it blooms. Usually, too much pruning or pruning at the inappropriate ... | |
| Tree disease | 7/1/2006 |
| Q: I have a tree, of unknown species, that has a black bark stain running down from a main divide in ... A: The foul-smelling and unsightly seepage of sap from the trunk of shade trees is commonly called ... | |
| Fruit tree disease | 6/30/2006 |
| Q: I planted a new apple tree this year in the Slave Lake, Alberta area. The tree seems to be growing, ... A: Sounds like powdery mildew. I would suggest using a fingicide spray on the effected foliage. Here is ... | |
| Oak Tree Insects | 6/30/2006 |
| Q: Our oak tree is about 5 years old and we have noticed some of the branches have lost their leaves. ... A: It sounds like one of the gall making insects. These normally do not harm the tree unless they are ... | |
| Sunset Maple Tree Bark | 6/29/2006 |
| Q: Our sunset maple is approximately 3 years old. The leaves seem to be fine, however the bark has ... A: Sunset maple has the tendancy for the bark to split due to the thin bark and fast growing nature. If ... | |
| Shrub Diseases | 6/28/2006 |
| Q: I live in Memphis Tennessee. My question concerns a shrub that I believe is a similiar to a Leland ... A: From what you discribe it is difficult to ID the problem withour seeing the tree. I would suggest ... | |
| diseased shrub and plants | 6/27/2006 |
| Q: I have very very small white insects that fly on my shrubs and going to some of my out door plants. ... A: Sounds like Whiteflies. Whiteflies are tiny, soft bodied insects. They are not true flies, but ... | |
| Thinning Locust Tree | 6/26/2006 |
| Q: Locust tree..15 years old...has lots of dead limbs..main limbs look fine..but tree is getting very ... A: Yes it sounds like the trre could use a cleaning pruning to take out the dead limbs. The best time ... | |
| Powdery Mildew on Crimson Sentry Maple | 6/25/2006 |
| Q: I get powdery mildew EVERY YEAR on the leaves of my three (3) crimson sentry maple trees. This ... A: Since I do not know what TruGreen ChemLawn is using it would be hard to comment on if the fungicide ... | |
| crepe myrtle | 6/24/2006 |
| Q: I have two crepe myrtle bushes (25years+) that have icky sticky leaves. Always cut them down at ... A: This is caused by aphid feeding. Aphids are small soft bodied insects that suck the plant juices ... | |
| Maple Tree - Oozing Sour Smell, Bare Branches | 6/19/2006 |
| Q: We live in Maryland and have a large maple tree in our backyard that we think is about 20 years old. ... A: Thsi is a disease called slime flux or wetwood. It is caused by a bacteria that enters a wound and ... | |
| Quaking Aspen Trees - Diseases | 6/19/2006 |
| Q: I live in Northern Utah and have a couple Quaking Aspen trees that are planted separately (not ... A: Sounds like leaf spot. Leaf spots are caused by fungi or bacteria. Brown or black spots and patches ... | |
| Oak Tree Disease | 6/18/2006 |
| Q: My very large (50ft) tall tree has developed alot of dead leaves. When I checked the tree trunk, on ... A: I can not ID the problem from what you discribed I would suggest you contact the Dallas Urban ... | |
| Infestation | 6/17/2006 |
| Q: I live on the North Eastern side of PA, and I have an indoor mini rose plant. It has been growing ... A: Sounds like spider mites. These can easily be controlled with an insecticide. Check with your local ... | |
| Honeysuckle pests and disease | 6/13/2006 |
| Q: My honeysuckle is about 5 yrs old and this is the first year I have noticed tiny black insects on ... A: Sounds like powdery Mildew. This is a disease that if not controlled may cause serious damage. I ... | |
| Dogwood | 6/12/2006 |
| Q: I planted a dogwood tree about 4 weeks ago. I live in middle NC. I notice about a week ago a few of ... A: It sounds like the trre is shocked from the planting. Dogwoods like partial shade and do not do well ... | |
| crape myrtle disease | 6/11/2006 |
| Q: I LIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA. I HAVE A CRAPE MYRTLE IN A HOUSE NEW TO US THAT HAS LOST ... A: Sounds like a borer (an insect), I would check with your local garden/nyrsery type store and ask for ... | |
| locust tree | 6/11/2006 |
| Q: The honey locust tree in my yard has little green bugs eating the leaves,what to do? A: Honeylocust plant bugs commonly infest honeylocust in late spring. This common damaging species of ... | |
| problem with snowball bush | 5/31/2006 |
| Q: I have a snowball bush that's over 20 years old. Last year, the leaves developed a problem. They ... A: Yes switch to Diazinon the "soap" is only making the insects "clean". Dishwashing liquid is added to ... | |
| crabapple tree disease | 5/30/2006 |
| Q: Would the insecticide hurt the ladybugs?Hi, Our crabapple tree is having a bad season. The leaves ... A: Yes the insecticide will kill the lady bugs. An alternative is to just let the lady bugs do their ... | |
| crabapple tree disease | 5/30/2006 |
| Q: Our crabapple tree is having a bad season. The leaves are turning yellow and falling off and it ... A: Sounds like wooly apple aphids. These are small soft bodied insects that suck the juice from the ... | |
| sick holly bush - maryland | 5/29/2006 |
| Q: Any idea why the aphids have not yet harmed the other plants I have nearby?I have 2 holly bushes and ... A: In general--Specific Insects feed on specific plants. Exp.: tomato horn worm feeds on tomatoes--elm ... | |
| Holly Bushes | 5/29/2006 |
| Q: We live in CT and have two holly bushes by our back porch. They looked great when we moved here last ... A: Sounds like Cylindrocladium Leaf Spot. Thsi fungi can be contolled by the use of a fungicide. ... | |
| problem with snowball bush | 5/28/2006 |
| Q: I have a snowball bush that's over 20 years old. Last year, the leaves developed a problem. They ... A: Sounds like an insect called viburnum leaf beetle. This an insect feeds on the laef giving it a lacy ... | |
| sick holly bush - maryland | 5/27/2006 |
| Q: I have 2 holly bushes and they both are suffering from insects or fungus of some sort. Some of the ... A: Sounds like aphids--I would check with your local garden/nursery type store and buy an insecticide ... | |
| name of fungus | 5/27/2006 |
| Q: what causes loose smut of wheat, oat, barley? A: Each has a different species of a fungus that "causes" loose smut: Wheat--loose smut - Ustilago ... | |
| Silver Maple is dying -- mushrooms | 5/26/2006 |
| Q: We have five mature silver maples in our yard, one of which has several dead branches. I didn't ... A: The trees problem could be almost anything from a disease, insect to root danage to just old age. It ... | |
| GREEN FUNGUS ON BRANCHES | 5/26/2006 |
| Q: I live in Northeastern Ohio and have a few black walnut trees in my yard. One of them has a greenish ... A: Sounds like lichens. These are common and are not a problem to the health of the tree. Lichens are ... | |
| Tree Diseases | 5/25/2006 |
| Q: I have something white and seemingly moving in my oak tree (not sure what kind of oak it is). It ... A: The oozing is called "slime flux" and is caused by a bacterial infection inside the trunk. There are ... | |
| Japanese Maple Trees | 5/25/2006 |
| Q: Yes, I have a Japanese Maple Tree that I planted last year. It done real good last year. This year ... A: Phyllosticta Leaf Spot of Maple. Pathogen: Phyllosticta minima Like many fungal leaf spots, this ... | |
| Holly Tree | 5/24/2006 |
| Q: I live in Eastern part of CT. My holly tree has developed black leaves and the whole tree is ... A: What you have is an insect cslled aphids--these small insects suck the juices from the plant and ... | |
| Japanese Red Maple damage | 5/24/2006 |
| Q: My Maple's bark was damaged by my gardner's weed wacker. Here's a photo: ... A: Yes the cambium is damaged. And it looks like severe. If the damage goes all the way around the tree ... | |
| My tree has Maple spindlegall mites! | 5/23/2006 |
| Q: I love my tree! I would cry if it ever died! Literally.. I am worried because it has Maple ... A: You can spray an insecticide on the newly opening leave buds. this will reduce the population of the ... | |
| Willow Tree Problems | 5/23/2006 |
| Q: I live in Fort Worth, TX and have a beautiful Willow Tree in our backyard that overhangs our ... A: Hard to tell from your discriptions. I would suggest you contact the Fort Worth Urban Forestry ... | |
| Arborvitae Emerald Green Trees - Disease | 5/22/2006 |
| Q: I have black patches/spots appearing on the bottom of my newly planted Arborvitae Emerald Green ... A: Sounds like just the shock of the planting. If the tree has healthy looking foliage on the rest of ... | |
| Blackened leaves on maple | 5/21/2006 |
| Q: My large maple tree has about half of it s leaves turning black, and wilting. Some have fallen off. ... A: Sounds like Maple anthracnose a disease that effects the leaves and is intensified in wet spring ... | |
| Roses not opening | 5/21/2006 |
| Q: Jim, I live in South Louisiana.I have a hybrid rose and it's growing really well with lots of ... A: Your roses have thrips- Thrip. Buds turn brown and do not open, or are distorted. Thrip are feeding ... | |
| Pine tree - infested with insects? | 5/19/2006 |
| Q: We live in a townhouse in Connecticut and have a very large white pine (about 100 ft tall) behind ... A: Sounds like borers are attracted to the old pruned limb sites and are entering the tree. The tree ... | |
| White pine disease | 5/18/2006 |
| Q: I have a white pine, that leak white fluid from the connection of branch and trunk. It only happens ... A: I would first think it was a insect called white pine weevil--these bore into the tree and the tree ... | |
| weeping willow leaves turning brown | 5/16/2006 |
| Q: I have two two year old weeping willows in my yard. They have been beautiful until this week. I ... A: My guess is some type of environmantal damgae. Check the Turfbuilder bag and make sure it did not ... | |
| maple tree disease | 5/16/2006 |
| Q: I have a few young maple trees that have developed small red,hard, bumps on the leaves. The tree ... A: These are called gall mites and normally will not harm the tree. Normally control is not needed ... | |
| holly black leaves | 5/16/2006 |
| Q: I have the same problem as the question asked on 5/3/2006/. I also live in the same area(delaware). ... A: It sounds like either aphids or scale insects-both suck the plant juices and excrete honeydew and a ... | |
| bugs infesting my Quaken Aspen | 5/15/2006 |
| Q: I live in Northwestern Wyoming. I have a grove of quakies that have bulges on the branches. I cut ... A: These are called gall insects and will not kill the tree. Normally they will be controlled naturally ... | |
| Evergreen with jelly like substance | 5/13/2006 |
| Q: I live in CT and I have an evergreen bush (I don't know what kind) that has orange, jelly like balls ... A: What you discribe is cedar apple rust. Normally it is a small green or brown ball on the cedar limbs ... | |
| Tree branch black mold | 5/12/2006 |
| Q: I have 2 flowering _____ trees in a house I just bought in January. Only the top had white flowers ... A: It sounds to me like Black Knot--a disease that effects plums and cherries. It is common on these ... | |
| camealias | 5/12/2006 |
| Q: i have a large double flower deep pink camealia, i have noticed on the leaves, a black tar like ... A: The problem sounds like an aphid infestation rather then disease. Aphids are small insects that suck ... | |
| Disease on camelia leaves | 5/12/2006 |
| Q: I live in Belgium with a heavy soil garden. My camelia bush is about 5 years old but has never ... A: The problem sounds like an aphid infestation rather then disease. Aphids are small insects that suck ... | |
| Camillia | 5/8/2006 |
| Q: I live in the county of Kent, and have a large Camillia at the bottom of my garden (approx 5 ft high ... A: It os more than likely aphids or scale insects, these insects suck the plant juices. The black is a ... | |
| Powdery mildew on my sage plants | 5/7/2006 |
| Q: .... I live in the Pacific Northwest, Port Townsend, Washington to be exact, and I am a novice ... A: Baking Soda Spray: for anthracnose, early tomato blight, leaf blight and spots, powdery mildew, and ... | |
| tree fungus | 5/7/2006 |
| Q: Can you identify this? Pearly white sack-like attachment to a Dead Western Red Alder tree: six ... A: I can not ID this from your disription but I would lean toward one of the Heart rots (if this fungus ... | |
| Black on holly leaves | 5/3/2006 |
| Q: I have a row of older holly, that have been trimmed into a large hedge, 4 feet wide, 6 feet high ... A: What you are seeing is powdery mildew. This fungus grows on the sugar extract producd by aphids. ... | |
| Holly Bush | 4/28/2006 |
| Q: Wilmington,NC. Under leaf only- killing the bush, a powder like substance, whitish, non sticky, in ... A: This sounds like Powdery Mildew. It is a fungus that will grow on the leaves of a wide varity of ... | |
| Italian Cypress | 4/25/2006 |
| Q: We'd like to dig up our italian cypress. Are the roots deep or shallow. Because we're seniors we ... A: Italian cypress has a deep tap root and a pretty good dense laterial root system. So it depends on ... | |
| fungus on impatients | 4/24/2006 |
| Q: I live in Franklin, TN and have been having trouble the last several years with a type of fungus ... A: This sounds like Rhizoctonia crown rot. Rhizoctonia solani. Infection first appears as a general ... | |
| white flowering dogwood | 4/24/2006 |
| Q: I live in eastern North Carolina. I have two white dogwood trees that bloomed beautifully this ... A: It may have a disease called Dogwood Anthracnose, I would call the local office of the NC Forestry ... | |
| Holly Bushes | 4/17/2006 |
| Q: I have several holly bushes planted in a bed at the front of my house in Murfreesboro, TN. All of ... A: Sounds like aphids--the black is a sooty mold that grows on the extrement from the aphids. The ... | |
| Identifying Tree Disease | 4/8/2006 |
| Q: ...I found you through Google. We have 13 magnificant magnolias and 4 dogwoods in our yard. They ... A: What you discribe is Lichens. This is a plant that is a combination of a fungus and a algea and ... | |
| Italian cypress tree | 4/1/2006 |
| Q: We have 3 italian cypress trees and part of each look like it is dying. The dying part is in the ... A: If you are talking about the "middle" being the inner leaves (needles) this is not a problem. If the ... | |
| bush problem | 3/18/2006 |
| Q: we are in middle Georgia, inherited a large hedge around house. Not sure what it is but probably ... A: Without knowing the kind of "bush" you have it is hard to make a recommendation. I would sugest you ... | |
| Norway Spruce dropping needles | 3/18/2006 |
| Q: Canada. I will also email Mr. Marshall with my question, but I thought it was interesting that the ... A: Needle drop can be normal. In conifers the old needles are shed each year and replaced by new ones. ... | |
| sago pine care | 2/25/2006 |
| Q: Today I notices that the leaves on one side of my 7 year old sago pine are turning yellow. What is ... A: I have not heard of a "sago pine" but I think you may be referring to a sago palm. Here is a link to ... | |
| Fruitless Mulberry Infected | 2/15/2006 |
| Q: I live in California in the desert region. We have an old fruitless mulberry that seems to have ... A: I am not real sure what this could be but I lean toward a disease called Black Knot. The best ... | |
| spanish moss | 2/8/2006 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if spanish moss that is found all through the Sountern US is harmful to Oak ... A: Yes it does grow through out most of the Southern states. It is not harmful to the oak it grows on ... | |
| Fraxinus excelsior | 2/7/2006 |
| Q: Have a common Ash which is for all intense and perposes pretty much alive, but it's trunk is very ... A: The orginal wound could have been caused by any number of things--I would guess mechanical damage. ... | |
| Lilac bush | 1/15/2006 |
| Q: I need help with my lilac bush. We just bought a house last summer in the Pacific Northwest with a ... A: I think January is early to see new growth--this usually occurs in the spring so just relax and ... | |
| Diseased cherry tree | 12/18/2005 |
| Q: and thanks for your assistance. I live in Cupertino, Ca. I have two cherry trees, one red variety ... A: Sounds like it maybe black knot. Here is a web link that discribes diseases of cherry and the ... | |
| Plant disease | 10/28/2005 |
| Q: I think I'm looking at a fungus on a 25 year old Sago growing in Rialto, CA., but I'm not sure. A ... A: I am not real sure what this is but if it is effecting only one frond that is declining-- there may ... | |
| spraying plants | 8/28/2005 |
| Q: someone sprayed my plants with a cleaning spray, some are ok (just) and some have died. What can i ... A: If you had washed the leaves off (use plenty of water) right away then there should have been little ... | |
| Crepe Myrtle Problems | 8/22/2005 |
| Q: My Crepe Myrles get a black moldy stuff on their leaves and the trunk & limbs have a curly type bark ... A: The "black moldy stuff" is a fungus called black sooty mold. The fungus is growing on the Honeydew ... | |
| Maple tree disease | 7/22/2005 |
| Q: I live in central Michigan, I am trying to find out what kind of disease my maple tree has. The ... A: These are maple spindle gall mites. They will not kill the tree but may if enough of them make the ... | |
| Pecan trees | 6/28/2005 |
| Q: I have a very large pecan tree in my front yard. I have lived here for one year and last year was a ... A: I think you may have an insect called Pecan Phylloxera. Here is a web link to a discription of the ... | |
| ants on trees | 6/23/2005 |
| Q: Do you have any idea why ants go up and down orange trees at this time of the year.I live in Malta ... A: Ants normally are harvesters. In this case they are more then likely harvesting the sugar that is ... | |
| White Flowering Dogwood | 6/19/2005 |
| Q: We live in a suburb of Chicago.The White Flowering Dogwood in our front yard seems to be in ... A: Sounds like a leaf type fungus I am guessing Dogwood Anthracnose or it could be a common leaf spot ... | |
| weed killer | 6/4/2005 |
| Q: my room mate used weed killer- Round Up on the weeds in the grass and now the lilac bushes that are ... A: Yes Roundup will kill almost any green plant. What has happened is the spray "drift" got on the ... | |
| fungus/growth on a crape myrtle | 5/15/2005 |
| Q: Last fall we trimed our crape myrtle right back. I have noticed this spring that the new growth is ... A: The tree has a fungus called powery mildew. It can be controlled with the use of a fungicide. Here ... | |
| blackspot on roses | 5/9/2005 |
| Q: What is the cause of black spot, I have a climbing rose that suffers badley from blackspot every ... A: Black spot can not always be completely prevented, but with proper care it can be kept to a ... | |
| Can Black Knot affect maples and birch, | 5/5/2005 |
| Q: Answer - No black knot dose not effect Maples or Birch but the prunus species. There are several ... A: If you could send me the digital photos and I will see what I can do with them. Also if you could ... | |
| Can Black Knot affect maples and birch, | 4/26/2005 |
| Q: My inlaws live in southern Nova Scotia and they have quite a few trees which seem to be infected ... A: No black knot dose not effect Maples or Birch but the prunus species. There are several canker ... | |
| Italian cypress & Euonymus question | 4/26/2005 |
| Q: I live in Dallas. I have an Italian cypress that had spider mites. They are gone but the bottom 1/3 ... A: The spider mite can be controlled by the use of Insecticidal soap or insecticides. I prefer using ... | |
| Bradford Pear Trees | 4/23/2005 |
| Q: I live in Bossier City, Louisiana,adjacent to Shreveport. My 7 year old Bradford Pear tree's leaves ... A: It is diffucult to ID this problem without seeing it. I would suggest that you contact the La ... | |
| growing plants | 4/6/2005 |
| Q: My name is Jessica Goines. I am in the 8th grade and I am doing a science fair project on growing ... A: Here is the answer from the MadSciNet----http://www.madsci.org/ The proteins, fats, and sugars in ... | |
| Are plants alive? | 3/27/2005 |
| Q: I don't know if your the person to ask... but here goes, I made the mistake of buying grape vines, a ... A: The green you speak of is just under the bark. Take your finger nail or a small knife and starting ... | |
| Pine tree fungus | 3/25/2005 |
| Q: Jim- I have a long-needle pine tree stump (about 2-1/2 feet high) in my front yard. The tree was ... A: There are a number of fungi that are called decay fungi. Their purpose is to speed the break down ... | |
| what can diseases that can kill my plant | 3/24/2005 |
| Q: I am Amy Aupperle. I am 12 years old. and I LOVE SCIENCE!!!! i wanted some imformation on the plant ... A: Sweet peas require regular watering, especially as the temperature increases. They prefer a somewhat ... | |
| sunflower diseases | 3/24/2005 |
| Q: My name is Lindsey Fletcher and I am a seventh grade student doing an experiment to see if frosting ... A: There are 30 or more known sunflower diseases but nine diseases are the most commonly seen. Six of ... | |
| bagworms/webworms | 3/24/2005 |
| Q: Thus far, I have been unable to eradicate bagworms and fall webworms in my pecan trees. What ... A: Here is a link to the Control recommendations from the Texas Extension Service: ... | |
| Crepe Myrtle trees? | 3/20/2005 |
| Q: I have always had to spray my crepe myrtle trees in the summer because the beetles love them.This ... A: The black is sooty mold that grows on Honeydew that is produced by aphids, an insect. Aphids are ... | |
| Dead trees and shrubs | 3/2/2005 |
| Q: This is a strange one for you--There was a car fire in the street in front of my home in San Diego, ... A: I suspect the heat from the fire scorched the plants. To see if the plant is dead--start at the ... | |
| Mealybugs - Indoor Plants | 2/8/2005 |
| Q: I have a problem with mealybugs & wish some specific advice. I have an extensive indoor plant ... A: Here is some information on mealybugs and nicotine-- I think it will work but remember to wear ... | |
| norway spruce | 2/5/2005 |
| Q: I live in Carmel, Indiana (near Indianapolis) and I have a couple of mature norway spruce trees ... A: It is hard to say what the problem is with out seeing the tree. I suggest you contact Phil ... | |
| Preventing ginkgo blooms | 1/17/2005 |
| Q: Do you know if it is possible to treat a female ginkgo tree to prevent flowering and avoid the ... A: No not really. Most experts say that the smell from the fruit can be avoided IF the fruit is ... | |
| very tiny bugs on indoor plant | 1/16/2005 |
| Q: My schefflera has very, very tiny black bugs or a fungus all over it. Would a mix of dawn and ... A: Yes sometimes it only takes a good washing to rid plants of pest problems. Here is a web link that ... | |
| Conifer diseases | 1/7/2005 |
| Q: I have a loblolly pine that has a black sooty discoloration on its needles. Can you tell me what is ... A: The mold you are seeing is called sooty mold. It grows on the excrement (honey dew) from aphids. ... | |
| Sago Palms | 1/4/2005 |
| Q: I'm trying to clean lichen off of fruit trees with copper sulfate in very close proximity with sago ... A: Copper sulfate may be used at the rate of 4 teaspoonfuls per gallon of water to remove unwanted ... | |
| Disease in pine trees | 1/4/2005 |
| Q: There is a disease killing the pine trees in my neighborhood. I have the largest pine, well over 50 ... A: From what you discribe it will be hard to determine IF you have a problem and what the problem might ... | |
| Deer | 1/3/2005 |
| Q: Why are some many foresters, such as yourself, intent on reducing deer numbers to such low levels? ... A: You have somewhere in your past been mis-led as to what is good deer habitat and how foret ... | |
| name of a plant species | 12/11/2004 |
| Q: I would like to aske why there is sometimes (L.) after a plant species name? What is it for? Does it ... A: The "L" comes from a Botantist called Carolus (Carl) Linnaeus. He developed the system for naming ... | |
| Sick Boston Ivy | 12/7/2004 |
| Q: The Boston Ivy on an entire two-story brick wall of our home, looks and acts awful. It's been there ... A: Several things you may need to know about Boston Ivy-- It has the potential to damage masonry walls ... | |
| septoria leaf spot and powdery mildew | 11/16/2004 |
| Q: I live in southwest kansas. We have had an atypical wet spring summer and fall. My garden was ... A: Septoria leaf spot is best controlled using preventative measures. Destroy infested plants by ... | |
| Shrub Disease | 10/11/2004 |
| Q: I have a problem with a disease on my shrubs. It looks like a white powder substance, is going from ... A: It sounds like you have an infestation of aphids. These insects have a cottony appearance and ... | |
| Camellias | 10/10/2004 |
| Q: I have a large camellia bush that produces pink blossoms. Recently I have noticed white residue on ... A: You have an insect called tea scale. It is common on camelias. Here is a link to a couple of sites ... | |
| sycamore tree | 10/5/2004 |
| Q: I germinated seeds from a 300 year old Sycamore tree. I have one sapling about three feet high, it ... A: From your discription it is hard to ID the source of the problem. IF you are in the US I would ... | |
| Strange plant disease | 9/16/2004 |
| Q: I have had a Schefflera for about 1 1/2 years. It stays indoors during the winter months and ... A: Schefflera form a stalk like growth that is the flower of the plant called an inflorescence. I think ... | |
| Pomegranet | 9/12/2004 |
| Q: We have a pomegranet tree in our garden.every year when the pomegranets grow , they crack and their ... A: Generally pomergranates tend to crack open when they are over ripe. Splitting and cracking are ... | |
| sooty leaves | 9/8/2004 |
| Q: i have a crepe myrtle in my front yard and two gardenia bushes in my back yard. all three have what ... A: I would suspect you have aphids on the leaves. These are small isects that suck the juice out of the ... | |
| Boston Fern | 9/6/2004 |
| Q: We have a very healthy Boston Fern 4 to 5 feet in size. We have just discovered small brown lumps ... A: The "lumps" are Sori or the "fruit" of the fern. Ferns produce by spores, not fruit. These spores ... | |
| fruit tree diseases | 9/4/2004 |
| Q: Have two cherry, two apple, one pear fruit trees. My problem-Have black spots on the apple tree, ... A: Sounds like you ahve a leaf spot type fungus on your trees--they can affect both the leaves and the ... | |
| Honeysuckle disease | 8/30/2004 |
| Q: My honeysuckle has lost all its leaves. It looks as if winter has arrived early.No sign of pests on ... A: It sounds like one of twp diseases. Leaf Blight, Herpobasidium. Leaves are deformed, thickened, and ... | |
| career in biology | 8/29/2004 |
| Q: hyland, my name is chet murthy, and for a career exploration project in biology, and i would like ... A: 1. The education requirement for a Pathologist or Entomologist is generally at least a BS in Plant ... | |
| damage to large oak tree root | 8/28/2004 |
| Q: While securing a 6" x 6" piece of treated lumber for a landscape border I think I nailed a 12" spike ... A: Let it be. You would do much more damage to the root system by tring to "medicate" it then the spike ... | |
| Plant Disease | 8/18/2004 |
| Q: Nematode - Plant Fungus that is killing my tomatoe Plants. Is there as chemical that will kill this ... A: There is not a chemical that is effective in controlling nematodes, the most effective method is ... | |
| Dead Trees | 8/16/2004 |
| Q: We just traveled from Washington State through Idaho and Montana. Between Northern Idaho and Montana ... A: During the past several years, the West has been under a drought situation and the conifers have ... | |
| SAFE WEED CONTOL & Dogs?? | 7/10/2004 |
| Q: I live on the East Coast. Can you suggest to me what option(s) I have when it comes to a Safe (store ... A: The use of herbicides around dogs is not a problem. The only slight thing could be IF they were ... | |
| spots on Japanese Red Maple leaves | 7/8/2004 |
| Q: I received a Japanese Red Maple tree last year. It's small but doing well. It has a lot of leaves ... A: I think you have a disease called leaf spots. Purple eye" leaf spot is a common disease and ... | |
| Carrotwood tree problem | 7/3/2004 |
| Q: I planted a Carrotwood tree about a year ago. It seemed to have been doing ok in the full sun with ... A: Check the pictures on the web site I sent and see if it is the same tree. ... | |
| Carrotwood tree problem | 7/2/2004 |
| Q: I planted a Carrotwood tree about a year ago. It seemed to have been doing ok in the full sun with ... A: I would not recommend planting Carrotwood it has been classified as an invasive plant and banned in ... | |
| blight/mold | 6/19/2004 |
| Q: Three out of four of the bushes in front of my house are fine. One, however, has its leaves ... A: Without knowing what plant you have or the area you are located in I am going to guess you are ... | |
| PROBLEM EVERGREENS | 6/10/2004 |
| Q: Jim Hi, what you discribed is what I have, the spittle Bug, what do I do to destroy this and how do ... A: You can control spittlebug with an insecticide here are a few that will work: Dursban, Decathlon, ... | |
| PROBLEM EVERGREENS | 6/8/2004 |
| Q: Jim Hi, I have a large number of different types of evergreens, hemlocks, fir, etc. They all have ... A: Without a picture this could be a number of things BUT I am going to take a guess that it is Pine ... | |
| Plant Disease | 6/1/2004 |
| Q: I've recently encountered a problem with one of my plants. The plant is a Cupressus Goldcrest and ... A: Here is a Web link to information on Coryneum canker--unfortunately you maybe correct. I would first ... | |
| Holly Disease | 5/12/2004 |
| Q: We have a few American Holly trees on which the leaves turn yellow and become covered with black ... A: My best guess would be CYLINDROCLADIUM LEAF SPOT Cylindrocladium leaf spot, which is most ... | |
| Rose Pruning | 5/9/2004 |
| Q: When is the right time to prune roses & what sprays should be given after pruning A: There are several web sites for roses here is one on ... | |
| holly diseases | 4/30/2004 |
| Q: I read your advice about aphids on holly and think I have seen that on mine. The new growth on my ... A: No aphids do not cut holes in the leaves they suck the juice and make the leaves curl. Sounds like ... | |
| Plant disease | 4/26/2004 |
| Q: What is white fly? All I know is that it can take over the entire landscaping. I want to know is ... A: Whiteflies are insects that will suck the juices out of plants. They are easily killed with an ... | |
| how to save a potted evergreen tree | 4/21/2004 |
| Q: I recieved a potted evergreen tree it looks like some sort of pine tree. I do not know where it came ... A: It maybe too late but you can try- take the plant out of the pot and remove most of the wet soil ... | |
| bower attacking tree | 4/1/2004 |
| Q: I live in Indiana near Louisville Ky. Six years ago I added a tulip tree to my lawn. Last year it ... A: You are more than likely correct-root collar Borer would be my guess. I would reccommend you spray ... | |
| Camellia disease | 3/24/2004 |
| Q: I read your reply to the recent question about diseased Camellias. We have a similar question about ... A: It sounds like you are doing the right thing for the scale--the spots are result of the scale ... | |
| bugs???? | 3/7/2004 |
| Q: I was pruning in my garden today and was trimming back one of my ever green bushes (has green and ... A: Yes it sounds like an insect--more than likely cottony aphids or another sucking type insect. These ... | |
| Holly tree defoliation | 3/6/2004 |
| Q: We have two holly trees in our S. New England back yard. Each is 15-20 feet tall and are planted ... A: It sounds like you have Powdery mildew, a disease of leaves of many plants. To control this disease ... | |
| diseased garden | 3/1/2004 |
| Q: Last summer while I was away for 2 weeks, my small garden developed a major mold/disease problem ... A: As long as you remove the old plant parts (stems, leaves etc.) and turn the soil you should not have ... | |
| pre maturing of the flowers and veges | 2/19/2004 |
| Q: .. when i plant a flower ( sunflower) it plooms before having its known hight (1.5 - 2 m),it plooms ... A: If I understand your question--the sunflower plants are not growing to the height they should? The ... | |
| Insects on Gardenias | 2/12/2004 |
| Q: There is a sticky substance on my Gardenia. The buds are also affected and are turning brown and ... A: I would think your gardenia has either scale insects or aphids. Look for small bumps on the twigs or ... | |
| fungus on trees | 1/31/2004 |
| Q: We have many trees on our property and we live in Oregon where we get lots of rain. I have noticed a ... A: Normally the lower limbs on trees die and drop off due to shading. This is a normal process. The ... | |
| Lichen | 11/12/2003 |
| Q: I was doing some research on lichens on Google and all I came across was how beneficial they were. ... A: No products are labeled for lichen control, but copper fungicides labeled for ball moss, or the home ... | |
| Tree infestation | 8/24/2003 |
| Q: we are the proud owners of a very large shaggy bark hickory tree in the front yard. For some time ... A: The "yellow, green bugs" are aphids. The aphids suck the sap out of leaves and deposit a sticky ... | |
| pine trees | 8/9/2003 |
| Q: I have a row of assorted young pine trees and just recently 3 of the same kind of pine tree started ... A: I suggest that you call the local Penn Bureau of Forestry a State agency, Their web site is: ... | |
| Dry Rot | 7/30/2003 |
| Q: I have a fir free in my yard and a friend said the tree was suffering from 'dry rot' What is it, ... A: I do not think your trree has what is commonly called "dry rot". The enter part of a tree (woody ... | |
| black spot | 7/21/2003 |
| Q: What is the best way to control or eliminate black spot on my roses without using chemicals? I ... A: I would use a systemic fingicide to rid the roses of leaf spots. Yes it is a "chemical" but so is ... | |
| Mulberry Tree Disease | 7/9/2003 |
| Q: We have a fairly old Mulberry tree (trunk circumference approx. 12-14 ft) that has slime flux. Two ... A: It sounds like the leaves have a disease called leaf spot. During moist seasons the fungi will grow ... | |
| holly disease | 6/24/2003 |
| Q: My holly shrubs have turned black as though layered with a dull coat of spray paint, there is ... A: Sounds like the holly has an infestation of aphids. The black is from the aphids-they suck the sap ... | |
| termites | 6/24/2003 |
| Q: How come termites don't attack trees? A: Termites live on "dead" wood cells. In a living tree this wood is on the inide protected by the bark ... | |
| Is Tree dead? | 5/17/2003 |
| Q: We live in central AZ high desert and planted 2 chitalpa trees 2 summers ago. One never leafed out ... A: If you take you finger nail or a small knife and scrape a small bit of the bark off a branch and it ... | |
| peach tree | 5/16/2003 |
| Q: IS it to late to spray a fruit tree if the fruit has set on? If not what can I spray this tree ... A: It is not too late to spray a fruit tree after fruit is set. Any fungicide residue can and will be ... | |
| rose bush pruning | 4/28/2003 |
| Q: I pruned all of my rose bushes yesterday and noticed that some of the stems were almost black. ... A: Pick up all pruned pieces and any leaves from last year. Spray the canes with liquid sulfur. When ... | |
| Camelia leaves disease showing | 4/4/2003 |
| Q: I have a couple of Camelia trees that are very healthy, save for some spotting that has started to ... A: The spotting on the leaves could be an insect problem or a disease problem--either way it will not ... | |
| necterine tree w/disease | 2/21/2003 |
| Q: I have a necterine tree that has some kind of small pin holes,or worm holes,an a jelly like stuff ... A: The pin holes are the entry holes of a borer (insect). I would spray the area with an ... | |
| honey suckle disease | 9/10/2002 |
| Q: I would be grateful for your advice please concerning a recently purchased honey suckle plant. ... A: Sounds like you may have powdery mildew (a Fungus disease). I would check with your local ... | |
| Tree and shrub diseases | 4/26/2002 |
| Q: We have two white dogwoods that seem to have developed anthracnose this year. They put on flowers ... A: Sounds like the dogwood has dogwood anthracnose. Here is a good site that gives ID and control of ... | |
| Lightning Wound attracts Insects, Disease | 10/29/2001 |
| Q: Jim, Have a 30 inch diameter, 40 feet tall elm which took a lightning strike 4/01, destroying a ... A: As far as prognosis--I would wait until next spring and see if the tree is still alive and how ... | |
| Insects eating birch bark | 9/5/2001 |
| Q: Jim, If you're a "disease" guy, not an "insect" guy, could you pls pass our question to the ... A: From your discription it would be hard to guess what insect is your problem. I would suggest you ... | |
| charred leaf tips | 7/13/2001 |
| Q: I have an amur maple that I planted in early June,about I yard high now and growing ok.But the tips ... A: Sounds like dryness. I would water every five days if it does not rain. Do what I call deep ... | |
Plant Diseases
Jim Hyland
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
30 years experiance in the ID and management of forest diseases and ID of landscape tree diseases.
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