Large Wasps on Lilac: Hornets, Moths, or Cicada Killers?

South Jersey lilac attracts 1.5″ wasps post-bloom. What are they? Harming plant? How to remove? Three Likely IDs Giant Hornet (European hornet) Hummingbird Moth (day-flying, hovers) Cicada Killer (large, digs burrows)

Webs on Bushes: Spiders or Webworms?

Atlanta yard: cobweb-like webs on bushes/trees Aug/Sept. Neighbors dont have them. Roller removal returns in 1–2 days. Two Possibilities Spiders: Beneficial, webs everywhere Fall webworms: Webs at branch tips, caterpil

Sooty Mold on Large Trees: Systemic Imidacloprid for Aphid Control

Two large trees covered in black leaf fungus. Too tall to spray. Systemic chemical? Sticky leaf drop is messy. Its Sooty Mold from Aphids Black coating = sooty mold on aphid honeydew. Systemic soil drench: Bayer Advance

Fruitless Mulberry Trunk Splits: Structural Damage, No Cure

Planted mulberry last year. Leaves deformed then normal. Trunk splitting at bottom and middle. Not growing much. Utah. Trunk Splits = Serious Deep cracks/cavities → structural weakness, decay entry, wind throw risk. No

Sticky Fan Palm: Honeydew from Scale or Aphids

Potted fan palm has sticky goo on leaves/trunk. How to remove? Cause: Insect Honeydew Sticky substance = honeydew from scale or aphids. Black mold may follow. Fix: Systemic Imidacloprid soil drench (Bayer Advanced, at

Tulip Tree Yellowing with Black Spots: Soil and Tissue Testing Needed

20-year-old tulip tree never blooms. Late June: leaves yellow, black spots, fall off. Fertilizing helped marginally. Watering no effect. No parasites seen. Soil deficiency? Action: Test Soil AND Leaves Send soil sample

Sweetgum Branch Dieback: Botryosphaeria Canker or Bacterial Leaf Scorch

Healthy sweetgum has branches with all leaves dead but branches alive. Disease? Two Possibilities 1. Botryosphaeria Canker Sunken dark cankers, blackened wood Leaves wilt on affected branches Management: Prune dormant

Hibiscus White Cottony Strands: Scale Insects Need Systemic Control

3 hibiscus have white cotton-like strands under leaves with small bugs. What are they and what to do? Diagnosis: Scale Insects Cottony strands = scale egg sacs/coverings. Bugs = crawlers/nymphs. Treatment: Systemic Imi

Weeping Cherry Borer Damage: Merit Insecticide and Fertilizer

Sick Weeping Cherry New weeping cherry oozing sap, sprouting at base, trunk looks snake-bitten with swollen bark and sap leaks. Diagnosis: Borer Infestation Insects bore into trunk → swelling, sap Extensive for small t

Pecan Tree Nut Problems: Weevils, Scab, and Spray Schedule

Pecan tree (8″ DBH, 2 years post-vine removal) had hollow nuts last year. This year: abundant nuts but dropping, light purple powder on husks, water inside kernels. Variety unknown (pig pecan?). Three Issues Water in k

Lilac Iron Chlorosis: Yellow Leaves with Green Veins in Alkaline Soil

Old lilac has yellow leaves with green centers/veins. Others nearby (new) unaffected. Disease or malnutrition? Diagnosis: Iron Chlorosis High soil pH (alkaline) locks up iron. Symptoms: interveinal yellowing, progressin

White Oval Specks on Bushes: Scale Insects, Not Fungus

Toronto bush has white 1–2mm oval insects on leaves/stems, spreading to fir needles. Record rain summer. What and how to treat? Diagnosis: Scale Insects White rice-grain bumps = scale. Kill plants if untreated. Treatme

King Sago White Spots: Scale or Aphids—Check Asian Cycad Scale

New to king sagos. Plant covered in white spots under foliage, looks painted. Scale or bugs? Treat? Otherwise healthy. Likely Scale or Aphids Check Asian Cycad Scale guide—invasive, devastating. White, cottony on veins/

Oleander Yellow Leaves: Water Deficit, Not Fertilizer Fix

Tampa Bay oleander has yellow leaves, dropping. Fertilized and sprayed—no help. Diagnosis: Underwatering Yellow leaves = not enough water. Oleanders need 3+ inches/week in heat. Other Factors Planted too deep? Root fl

Mature Maple Top-Down Dieback: Drought, Verticillium, or Old Age?

3-story maple looks horrible—top leaves brown, bottom green. Watered at drip line after scorch started. Dying from top down or summer shutdown? Three Possibilities Cumulative drought stress (this year + previous) Verti

Autumn Blaze Maple Early Leaf Drop: Red Maple Trait, Not Disease

12-year-old Autumn Blaze maple (Lafayette, IN) has few, small leaves, dropping in August. Similar trees nearby same. Wet year, grass green. Other maples, linden, pear fine. Thoughts? Red Maple Characteristic Red maples

Euonymus Scale on Bittersweet: Timing, Oil, and Systemic Control

Bittersweet in Shenandoah Valley has tiny white rice-grain scales on branches/leaves. Leaves yellowed June, scale found. Insecticidal soap July 1 & 2. Now Sept 11, active again. 12 new plants also infested. What to do?

Magnolia Leaf White Speckles: Cottony Scale, Not Chinch Bugs

Leaf Magnolia leaves have white speckles. Lawn treated for chinch bugs 4 and 2 weeks ago. Found 5 chinch bugs in magnolias. Could they lay eggs in trees? ID: Cottony Scale White speckles = cottony scale egg sacs. Chinch

Banana and Grapefruit Questions: Edibility and Ripening

Many banana plants in backyard—told not to eat ours. Why? Large grapefruit tree—cut fruit before Hurricane Ike. How to ripen? Any dangers? Bananas If it looks like a banana, its edible. Some are plantains (cook before e

Hibiscus Scale Infestation: Systemic Treatment for Sticky Leaves and Black Mold

hibiscus problem Potted hibiscus has sap everywhere, dark bumps on branches, black mold on leaves. Insect spray didnt help. Diagnosis: Soft Scale + Sooty Mold Bumps = scale insects (scrape off with nail) Sap = honeydew