Pod-Like Galls on Wild Rose: Likely Gall Wasps — Treat Systemically

Tiny Gourds with Worms Inside? Its Insect Galls Those ½–1½ cm pod-like structures on wild rose leaf undersides, each containing a tiny white worm, are galls — abnormal plant growths induced by gall wasps (cynipids) layin

Bradford Pear Borers: Sawdust, Dying Leaves, and How to Save the Tree

Sawdust at the Base + Dying Canopy = Borer Infestation Your 9-year-old Bradford pear shows classic borer signs: sawdust (frass) at the base and up the trunk, leaf dieback, and canopy thinning. Neem oil wont touch borers

Camellia Leaves Half Brown? Check for Root Rot Before It's Too Late

Morning Sun, Afternoon Shade — But Leaves Drying from the Tips Your Memphis camellia gets ideal light (morning sun, afternoon shade), yet leaves are half brown and crispy. The pattern suggests root zone issues, not sun s

Hollyhock Rust: Prevent Next Year's Outbreak with Fungicide

Orange-Red Spots on Hollyhock Leaves? Its Rust — A Fungal Disease If your hollyhock leaves show large orangish-red spots, youre dealing with hollyhock rust (Puccinia malvacearum). This fungus overwinters on plant debris

Cucumber Plant Collapse: Bugs, Disease, or Both? Send Photos for Diagnosis

Sudden Cucumber Decline in Boise: Whats Eating Your Plant? One of two lemon cucumber plants is rapidly wilting with lacey, dry, crumbly leaves, some crushed-looking foliage, and secretion on leaf undersides — despite org

Burning Bush Trouble? Check for Insects, Not Fertilizer pH

Why Acid-Loving Fertilizer Isnt the Problem Burning bushes (Euonymus alatus) tolerate a wide soil pH range, so a water-soluble fertilizer for acid-loving plants wont hurt them. The real issue? That sticky residue you men

Are Your Potted Spiral Evergreens Dead or Just Drought-Stressed?

The Scratch Test: How to Tell If Brown Evergreens Are Alive Two-year-old potted spiral evergreens turning completely brown in a Georgia drought is alarming — but not necessarily fatal. The key is checking the cambium lay

Sooty Mold on Muskogee Crape Myrtle: The Real Culprit Is Aphids

Yellow Leaves, Black Spots, and Wasps? Its Sooty Mold from Aphids Your Muskogee crape myrtles yellowing, black-spotted leaves, premature leaf drop, blackened branches, and swarms of large black wasps all point to one thi

Bark Lice Webbing on Oak Trees: Harmless but Startling

What Is That Ghostly Webbing on Your Oaks Trunk? If your mature live oak is draped in fine, silky webbing covering the bark — but not the leaves — youre likely hosting a population of bark lice (also called psocids). Whi

Diagnosing and Treating Leaf Scorch on Variegated Pittosporum in Extreme Heat

Why Your Pittosporum Leaves Are Turning Brown and Crumbly If you live in North Central Texas and have watched your newly planted variegated pittosporum develop light brown, crumbling patches on leaf centers during a stre

Rose Bushes Summer Yellowing: Black Spot on Grafted Roses

Philadelphia roses: leaves yellow and drop late July-August, return by September. Annual cycle. Cause Black spot on grafted hybrid roses. Old/antique roses on own roots shed infected leaves and regrow clean—less care. Ne

Mulberry Sap Leak and Leaf Curl: Borer Damage

Salt Lake City male mulberry: leaves curled, dark red sap spots (4-6 in) on trunk, no holes. Recent nearby root exposure. Past mealybugs, woodpeckers. Diagnosis Borer damage. Spray trunk with Merit (imidacloprid). Fertil

Snowball Bush Division and Mock Orange Blooming

Snowball bush: can I shovel-divide a piece to transplant? Mock orange: first flowers in 3 years—how to get more? Timing & Fertilizer Divide/transplant only in winter dormancy (Dec-Feb). Summer attempt fails. Mock orange

Peach Internal Browning: Normal Ripening Characteristic

Elberta peaches in central NC: beautiful outside, but brown around pit when cut. Owner asks disease, cause, prevention. Verdict Reddish-brown around pit is normal for ripe peaches. Only worry if foul smell, excessive sof

Mulberry Borer Damage: Merit Insecticide and Fertilization

Medium mulberry with dead limbs, carpenter beetles in holes, bark loss on one side leaving smooth cracked surface. Diagnosis Borer damage. Spray trunk with Merit (imidacloprid) to kill borers under bark. Borers attack st

Maple Trunk Bumps and Hydrangea Leaf Spots: Two Issues

Large maple has new large nodules on trunk and one limb. Oakleaf hydrangeas have rusty-looking spots. Hydrangea First Brown spots with purple border = fungal leaf spot. Remove affected leaves, spray Daconil fungicide (ga

Asian Pear Sticky Leaves: Scale Insects

Asian pear leaves dying, sticky, some brown spots; fruit small. Owner hasnt thinned fruit. Diagnosis Asian pears naturally slightly sticky. Look for small oval brown scales on leaf undersides/branches (scrape with nail).

Crape Myrtle Brown Leaves: Heat and Drought Stress

Crape myrtle leaves turning brown and drying up. Cause & Fix If hot/dry and post-bloom, water stress—plant sacrifices leaves for flowers. Increase watering; problem should stop.

Banana Leaf Spot Complex: Variety and Water Quality

Gulf Coast banana plants (old) develop black spots → rusty → consume leaf. Possible Causes Chlorine in water—let stand 24 hrs before use. Eumusae leaf spot (Mycosphaerella eumusae), related to black/yellow Sigatoka. Hig

Birch Single Limb Dieback: Aphids and Ants

One limb on birch has leaf spots and appears dying; other birch fine. Many ants this year. Ant-Aphid Farming Ants farm aphids for honeydew. Signs: sticky sap rain. Aphids may cause earlier leaf drop but dont kill tree. S