One of the first things I do each morning when I arrive at the nursery is to check my e-mail. And every day I find questions from readers of this column. Sometimes readers have a problem they hope I can help them solve, and sometimes they need planting and landscaping suggestions. Some of the best e-mail messages I receive are from people all over America who have additional ideas or information to add to comments or answers I've given in earlier columns.
So today, I'll answer some recent questions, and if you have some suggestions I can pass on to any of these folks, please send your comments in an e-mail to steve@landsteward.org
QUESTION: "I have a MAJOR question! We have brown spots on our Bradford pear tree. What are they?" - Teresa.
ANSWER: If the spots are on the body of the tree it is possibly frost or freeze damage. Not common after the tree gets some size. If it is on the leaves then you may have an insect or fungus problem. You may want to check with a local garden center in your area also.
QUESTION: "My situation is a new neighborhood with few trees and plants for sound and privacy barriers. I live in the St. Louis area, about 45 minutes west, in Lincoln County, MO. I'm looking for sound and privacy along each side of my home. I'll probably be looking at a 6' dog eared cedar fence on each side. Twenty foot of fence line in between houses and about Eighty foot runs in back of houses. What would you recommend for privacy between houses in the 20 ft. on each side? (I was thinking arborvitae) Then, what would you suggest for the remaining 80ft. running along in back of home? I'm working within a $200-$400 budget. I'll appreciate any information you can relay." - Rick Dvorak.
ANSWER: The arborvitae would be a good way to go for something not that expensive planted about four foot apart in the row. They grow fast and will provide the privacy you need. For the other eighty feet if you want to change to another type of plant you could use something deciduous like a fast growing hybrid poplar or hybrid willow. If you need cover year around I would stick with the arborvitae.
QUESTION: "I recently planted a Kwanzan Flowering Cherry Tree and up until last week everything was fine. Now I notice that the green leaves that once were are steadily becoming yellow and falling off. I'm wondering what happened? Is it spider mites or something else? The tree isn't even 2 months old yet. What gives?" - Jim D.
ANSWER: The weather conditions in your area will determine part of the health of your tree. The Kwansan Cherry is one of the most beautiful flowering cherries available. Under stress conditions, like a drought, the tree may be weakened enough to succumb to a variety of diseases. However, the most common problem with the cherry is a susceptibility towards borers. The way we have been able to get rid of borers is with Duraspan. However you may want to check with a reputable garden center in your area for more information on this and other products.
QUESTION: "I have a 3yr old Japanese Maple tree. Last year it was beautiful. This year only one of the bottom branches has leafed out. The rest of the branches seem to be dead as they break off easily and have no buds or leaves on them. I've called every landscaping place in town and no one seems to know what to do. All I want to know is should I cut all the dead branches off and only have a 2ft tree with 1 branch, and If I do will it grow new branches on top? Any help you give me will be greatly appreciated. I have no clue what to do with it or what caused it to do that. It was about 4ft tall, but when I cut it off it will only be about 2ft tall." - Monica Haggard
ANSWER: Depending on which part of the country you live in, it sounds as if you might have experienced some die back due to a late or severe freeze. You should go ahead and trim out the dead wood. You will not hurt the tree just by helping it. New growth should appear, and you should also go on and fertilize to push out the new growth. Anytime that you experience this with your other plants you can follow the same procedure.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org or mail to: Steve Jones, "The Plant Man", P.O. Box 686, McMinnville, TN 37111. For resources and additional information, including archived columns, visit www.landsteward.org
