A lot of questions from readers in my e-mailbag, so let's get to some of them right away!
QUESTION: "I have a question regarding an English Walnut tree. The tree is mature (several years old) has produced several yields of good walnuts. However, in the past 2 years the frost has caused the tree not to produce fruit. This year the tree had a plentiful supply of nuts, but they are turning black and shriveling up. Is this a type of blight or disease and what can be done to prevent it? Some of the nuts will be good if the squirrels don't get to them first. This is the only English Walnut tree I know of in the area I live in." - Bonnie Coy
ANSWER: I believe that what your problem might be is that if you have had a dry summer the nuts that came out this spring have not had enough moisture to fully develop. It does not sound like any type of blight. When a tree is trying to protect itself it is using the energy to live first, produce fruit second. I think you should be fine in the coming years if there is normal rainfall.
QUESTION: "I have a few questions for you. We have spent most of this summer making gardens in our back yard, fixing our sprinkler system, and getting out lawn ready for fall planting. Is there really much difference between lawn seed? Is there a special seed just for a very shady area under large trees? We are also planning to plant several new trees in our yard. Our front yard faces north, and the yews on either side of our front door have gotten too big. We are considering a laceleaf Japanese Maple or perhaps a Magnolia. Do you know of any problems with either of these?---our soil is mulch for the first few inches, then clay. I would like to see something more vertical than the yews that are there now. Do you have any other ideas?--I want something showy." - Kathleen Volmar
ANSWER: The answer to your first question is yes, there really are differences between varieties of lawn seeds. I would recommend that you talk to a lawn pro at one of your local garden centers. They should have the knowledge to recommend a good grass seed for your purpose. As for your second question, a laceleaf Maple is very striking in appearance and becomes more valuable with each passing year's growth. As for Magnolia just be careful to get the right one for your planting zone. There should be several good ones that you will be able to choose from. For another idea, you might want to consider an Appalachian Spring White Flowering Dogwood. As I mentioned in a recent column, it is the only flowering dogwood tree in existence that is anthracnose resistant.
QUESTION: "I have a Red Maple with a problem. It fills in lush and green each spring, but by this time of year half of the leaves turn dry and die around their edges. The trunk splits into two main branches about 6 feet from the ground. All of the leaves which turn brown are from just one of these trunks. By the first of September half of the leaves on the tree will be dead and falling off. By the end of September the rest of the tree will be turning brown and the leaves will be in terrible shape before they have a chance to turn red in the fall. This has occurred each of the three years we have had our home. Furthermore the limbs are brittle and many will break off just 2 or 3 feet from their ends during the course of the summer. We estimate that the tree is close to 30 years old. It has no other trees near it and grows in clay soil. What can we do?" - Steve Criffield
ANSWER: It sounds as if you may have a problem in the ground somewhere on that affected side of the tree. Look for an underground spring, pipes, or wires. Sometimes it can be as simple as another tree competing for the same nutrients and one is winning over the other one. Another thing that comes to mind is to do a good trimming on the tree and put in some fertilize stakes around the drip line of the tree this fall with a low nitrogen but high potassium and phosphate application to help the root system. Come back in the spring with tree stakes again but this time with a higher nitrogen application for top growth.
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 often.
