Vine Ants and Pomegranate Rot: Bait Ants, Spray Copper Fungicide

Northern Pakistan: 1) Black soil ants climb vine, eat stem/fruit; 2) Pomegranate flowers drop, fruit rots and falls. Ant Control: Cream of Wheat Bait Sprinkle Cream of Wheat (plus borax if available) around plants. Ants

Curly Willow Leaf Drop: Drought Stress, Not Disease

10-year-old, 30-ft curly willow leafed normally, then lower half leaves died 2 weeks later. No bugs. Some branches re-budding. Cause: Water Deficit Willows are water-hungry, fast-growing. Sudden leaf shed = drought respo

Vine Ants and Pomegranate Fruit Borer: Two Distinct Problems

Northern Pakistan: 1) Large black ants on vine with white substance; 2) Pomegranate fruit gets tiny hole, rots inside, falls. Vine: Ants Farming Honeydew Producers White substance = honeydew from aphids, scales, or mealy

Meyer Lemon Trunk Issue: Photo Needed for Diagnosis

8-year-old potted Meyer lemon has “staley” outer trunk/branch problem on old wood only; pruned spots have grass-like growth. Bore 80+ lemons last year. Need Visuals Without a photo, diagnosis is speculative. Could be sca

Banana Plant Overwatering: Drainage, Pot Size, and Water Management

Potted banana in Alabama, indoors under grow light, produced monthly leaves then browned, wilted, no growth for 1.5 months. Moved outside; white film on soil, soggy mix, added drain holes. Cause: Waterlogged Roots Banana

Shimpaku Juniper Bonsai: Bark Lifting Likely Springtails, Not Primary Pests

Bark lifting on Shimpaku juniper bonsai reveals tiny (<1 mm) white stationary “worms” and 3 holes with purplish wood. Tiny crawlers at base treated and gone. Likely Springtails Description matches springtails—tiny hexapo

Lacebark Elm Sap Bleeding After Pruning: Normal, Temporary

Heavy sap flow from pruning cut on lacebark elm despite wound paint and smooth cut. Spring Sap Flow Is Normal Trees bleed heavily from spring pruning cuts as sap rises. Wound paints don’t stop flow and can slow healing.

Maple Leaf Galls: Cynipid Wasp, Cosmetic Only

Pinkish, waxy 1-cm balls on maple leaves (likely oak). Dark spot inside. No matching ID found online. Identification: Insect Gall Galls are abnormal plant growths induced by insects (here, a tiny cynipid gall wasp) layin

Golden Euonymus Stunted by Crown Gall: Replace, Don't Replant

Three-year-old golden euonymus hedge in Maryland hasn’t grown; some plants partially dead. Leaves healthy, no deer damage, full sun. Internal stem browning on a few branches. Diagnosis: Crown Gall Slow growth, pale leave

Maple Trunk Growths Are Lichens, Not Disease

Fuzzy mustard-colored and gray-green patches on maple trunks in northern Ohio. Fungicide didn’t help. Identification: Lichens These are lichens—symbiotic organisms (fungus + alga), not pathogens. Common on older, declini

Sago Palm Crown Rot or Lethal Yellowing: Epsom Salts Won't Help

King sago’s new growth is yellow/brown and wilted. Epsom salt applied twice with no improvement. Owner suspects magnesium deficiency. Likely Causes Crown rot: Check if crown is soft/yielding. Cut out rot, drench with st

Gardenia Sooty Mold: Control Aphids, Wash Off Mold

Gardenia had scale and tiny white bugs (aphids). Leaves covered in black sooty mold. Sprayed with Ortho Volk Oil; mold now dry, flaky, wipes off. Asks if hose can remove it. Cause and Cure Black mold grows on honeydew fr

Pittosporum 'Cream de Mint' Decline: Misting Heads Cause Wet Leaves, Dry Roots

Pittosporums in Southern CA show brown leaves. Watered every 2–3 days for 15–20 min with fine mist heads. South-facing planter. Front shrubs healthier than back. Planted March. Problem: Wrong Irrigation Method Mist heads

Peach Tree Yellow Leaves: Water Stress, Not Spray Issue

Two 3-year-old peach trees in East TN with 30+ fruit each (1-inch diameter) show sudden yellowing and leaf drop. Owner wants to spray but fears harming fruit. Cause: Underwatering Yellow leaves (and black tips = overwate

Tomato Leaf Edema: Physiological, Not Pathogenic

Sugar Baby tomatoes in a raised bed with liner show spotting on leaves, worst at bottom, spreading upward. Soil is well-drained; fed with Miracle-Gro every 10 days. NY location. Diagnosis: Edema (Oedema) Spots are corky,

Magnolia Scale? Get Accurate ID Before Treating

Scale-like insects appear on many trees, shrubs, and grapevines. Bleach spray helped on crape myrtles. Owner asks if it’s magnolia scale, if it spreads to everything, and how to treat grapevines. Critical Step: Positive

China Girl Holly: Cottony Camellia Scale and Sooty Mold

China Girl hollies have white, rice-grain-like insects on leaf undersides; some leaves turned black. Not leaf miners (no trails). Pest Identification The insects are cottony camellia scale. They suck sap and excrete hone

Viburnum (Snowball Bush) Dieback: Botryosphaeria Canker

Five 5-year-old snowball viburnums in Wisconsin wilted suddenly after beautiful flowering. Leaves stayed green and plump but branches bent. Pruning revealed brown internal discoloration in some stems. No insects found. D

Fertilizing Chili Peppers: Low Nitrogen, High Phosphorus-Potassium Ratio

Second-year chili plants (20 cm tall) need appropriate fertilizer. Last year plants weakened and dropped leaves in July. Two fertilizers on hand: geranium feed (8-6-6) and fruit/vegetable feed (16-9-20). Ideal Ratio for

Basil Leaf Miner Trails: Systemic Insecticide or Leaf Removal

Basil shows yellow trails with black centers and white edges, spreading to mint relatives; stems turn black and woody. The trails are characteristic of leaf miners—larvae feeding between leaf surfaces. Control Options H