Old Walnut Stump Fungus: Nature's Recycling

2-ft diameter walnut stump covered in mold, smelling like rotting carcass after rain. Kids nearby. Reality Wood-rotting fungus—natures way of decomposing the stump. Smell unavoidable. Scraping only brings it back. No har

Meyer Lemon Beaded Stems: Scale Insects

Beaded styrofoam-like growth on Meyer lemon stems and leaf undersides. Treatment Options Fruit present: Safers Insecticidal Soap, multiple applications. No fruit: Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Insecticide (imidacloprid so

Bradford Pear Trunk Fungus After Heavy Rain: Likely Saprophytic

After 13 inches of rain, whitish-gray fungus appeared on roots and lower trunk of large Bradford pear. Owner asks identity and action. Assessment If mulch present, likely saprophytic (harmless) fungus. Not wood-rot or oa

Flowering Crabapple Apple Scab: Classic Symptoms and Control

Tree blooms beautifully but loses leaves after petal fall; by August ¾ gone. Classic apple scab (Venturia inaequalis). Symptoms Leaves: velvety olive-green spots → thick scabby lesions → yellow/drop. Fruit: olive-brown

Wisteria Sudden Defoliation: Wait and See

10-year-old healthy wisteria flowered then lost all leaves in 2 weeks; no fungus visible; cut stems show milky not green tissue. Nearby pyracantha has mildew. Other wisteria fine. Advice Plant likely alive. No clear caus

Nuttall/Shumard Oak Lichen: Not Harmful but Indicates Stress

6-year-old oaks have greenish-gray lichen on trunks/branches; branches losing leaves and breaking where lichen is heavy. Live oaks unaffected. Lichen Facts Symbiotic algae+fungus; not parasitic—use bark as substrate. In

Bradford vs. Bartlett Pear: Fruit Rot Differences

Owner thought Bradford pear fruit rotted; corrected to Bartlett. Bradford fruit is inedible and drops normally. Bartlett rot has many causes (insects, diseases). Bartlett Management Pick fruit now, ripen indoors. Next y

Banana Plant Collapse: Corn Borers in Mother, Save the Pups

10-year-old banana plant (from 4-leaf greenhouse start) survived mom’s overwatering, moved to country, sprouted two pups. Main plant bent at base, broke, revealed beige gummy strings. Expert: corn borers in mother. Separ

Peach Tree Brown Pit and Worms: Normal Pit, Spray for Worms, Sour Fruit Mystery

Peach trees sprayed dormant/bud/bloom but ripe fruit has brown around pit, some worms, unaffected fruit sour. Expert: brown around pit is normal. Worms need season-long insecticide from fruit set to harvest. Garden cente

Bradford Pear Leaf Spot: Fungal, Not Insect—Use Fungicide

Two 18-year-old Bradford pears near concrete driveways: 5 years of July black spots, yellowing, leaf drop. Soaker hoses didn’t help. Trunk has “stretch marks.” Sprayed with “Menace” (insecticide)—worse. Expert: fungal le

Sumac Wetwood (Slime Flux): Bacterial Ooze in Crowded, Wet Garden

10–15 year old sumac in small, crowded city garden has cream-colored weeping sticky patches on trunk that bleed when poked. Very wet summers. Expert: classic wetwood (slime flux)—bacterial fermentation of sap, gas pressu

Aloe Vera Yellow Gel: Variety Trait or Immaturity?

New Aloe Vera plant has yellow, smelly gel, not clear. Expert: sap should be clearer. May be variety difference or young plant. If gel works for burns, don’t worry. Plant may change with age. No solution needed. Bottom

Thuja (Arborvitae) Scale Infestation: Systemic Insecticide Solution

Potted Thuja (2m) got white gooey balls at tips (scale/lice). Garden center poison worked temporarily; after vacation, tree covered, top brown. Expert: likely scale insects—hard to kill with contact sprays. Use Bayer Adv

Yew Hedge Branch Dieback: Drought or Fungal Blight

Long yew hedge (5+ years) has brown tips and whole branches dying, but new growth elsewhere. Expert: past drought could cause it. Also fungal twig/branch blight. Prune dead branches. Watch for spread. If more death, trea

Japanese Maple Early Color Change: Drought Stress or Root Suffocation?

Japanese maple leaves turning dark red early, spreading. Owner had drought/heat; expert says tree thinks it’s fall. Brown leaf margins confirm. Water adequately, fertilize next spring. Follow-up: heavy rain recently, som

Meyer Lemon in NJ: Indoor Pests, Pot Size, and Neem Oil Rescue

Two-year-old potted Meyer lemon in NJ: winter leaves had clear residue, flowers dropped. Summer: no flowers, small curling leaves, black dots (not bugs). Expert: spray pure neem oil (covers insects, fungus in blooms, set

Indoor Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia) White Fungus: Neem Oil Treatment

9-ft banana leaf plant (actually Strelitzia reginae) indoors has powdery white fungus on leaf stalks, especially where they meet. Expert confirms ID from photo: Strelitzia reginae. Needs high humidity—pot on pebble tray.

Multiple Plant Leaf Curl After New Plantings: Crab Apple Scab and Aphids

Crab apple and fuchsia thrived until lilacs and roses planted nearby. Now all have leaf curl; crab apple has black spots on fruit, looks dead. Expert: multiple species = multiple problems. Crab apple: apple scab (fungal)

Sago Palm Stops Producing Leaves: New Disease in Florida

Florida sago palm (two heads) hasn’t produced leaves in 2 years; one head cut off, no change. Other sago nearby thrives. Expert: if zero leaves for 2 years, it’s dead. Florida sagas dying from new disease; spray insectic

Aloe Vera Stem Rot: Stop Watering, Propagate Healthy Stems

12-year-old aloe: two main stems fell out, bases mushy. Owner placed them in soil. Expert: stop watering—you’re drowning it. Aloes survive near-zero water. Water every 2 weeks max. For fallen stems: let them callus (hard