Pomegranate Fruit Splitting: Fungal Disease Management

The Problem Pomegranates cracking open while still small is a classic sign of fungal disease, often Alternaria or Aspergillus fruit rot. The fungus affects both leaves and fruit, causing premature leaf drop and fruit spl

Avocado Leaf Tip Burn: Causes and Solutions

Symptoms Leaves turn grey at the tips, then brown, progressing inward. The process starts at the leaf apex, as shown in the photo. This pattern often leads to plant death if unaddressed. Likely Causes Root or soil issu

Using Kaolin Clay for Fruit Tree Pest Control: What You Need to Know

Why Kaolin Clay? Kaolin clay is the only clay type tested and proven safe and effective for fruit tree pest management. Commercial products like Serenade (95% kaolin clay) include additives such as soap to improve adhesi

Diagnosing and Treating Browning Fraser Firs and Cedar Trees

Identifying the Problem Fraser firs and cedars (often arborvitae) that turn brown from the bottom up may be suffering from fungal disease, aphid infestation, or drought stress. If browning is only in the interior, it’s l

Grafting Pears on Quince BA 29 Rootstock: Interstem Techniques and Compatibility

Understanding Quince BA 29 Rootstock Quince BA 29 is a popular dwarfing rootstock for pears, typically producing trees 10 to 15 feet tall—about half to two-thirds the size of standard pear trees. Despite the smaller stat

Olive Tree Regrowth from Roots: Managing Persistent Sprouts

A massive olive tree was cut down, stump ground, roots removed months ago. Now sprouts emerge 1–2 ft deep from remaining roots. Owner worries about root spread damaging infrastructure. Root Physiology Old roots without p

Hemlock Decline from Ground Up: Woolly Adelgid Likely; Topping Delays Inevitable

Thirty 12-ft hemlocks dying from the base upward; at 6 ft they’re bare but hold dead needles. Owner asks if topping in spring will force sprouts on bare trunks. Grim Prognosis Bottom-up death signals root/vascular failur

Peach Tree White Fuzzy Trunk Fungus: Need Local Lab Diagnosis

Twelve peach trees in Bulloch County, GA; three show thin white fuzzy growth starting a few inches below scaffold branches, spreading heavily on undersides of scaffolds and up limbs. Copper, streptomycin, captan sprays s

Oak Trunk Green/White Growth: Lichens, Not Disease

Bark on Tree A new Miami homeowner sees bright green/white patches on an old oak’s bark and worries about disease. Identification The patches are lichens—grayish-green, leafy crusts on bark. They are not pathogens; they

Monkey-Plagued, Droughty Lowland: Aloe Vera or Prickly Pear for Profit

A remote 2,000–3,000 m² lowland (far from home, unattended) suffers summer drought and monkey raids at harvest. Apple trees died. Owner seeks a profitable, low-maintenance crop. Constraints No irrigation, no caretaker.

Deodara Cedar Fire Damage: Survival Assessment and Spring Watch

Three 8-ft deodara cedars (planted 2 years ago) scorched by a neighbor’s lawn fire. Trunks unburned; branches yellowed from heat. Owner asks survival odds and how to check. Survival Rule Evergreens survive if <50% of the

Honeybell Orange in Florida: Mulch Removal, Water, and Organic Nutrition

Lady Palm An 8-ft Honeybell in West Palm Beach has mulch under the canopy, small fruit (golf-ball size), black-spotted rinds, and leaf drop. Owner used Miracle-Gro citrus fertilizer. Critical Errors Mulch over roots: I

Two-Spotted Spider Mite Management on Mature Junipers/Cedars

Fifteen 20-year-old upright cedars/junipers in western Kansas show increasing damage despite spraying. Owner seeks better control. Mite Biology Not insects—arachnids with piercing mouthparts. Feed on sap → stippling (ti

Rhapis Palm (Lady Palm) Care Guide: Reviving a 6-Year Specimen

Lady Palm A 6-year-old Rhapis excelsa in its original pot, moved a year ago, now shows drooping fronds, elongated stems, and brown new growth. Watered biweekly in winter. Core Cultural Requirements Light: Bright indire

Flowering Cherry Decline: Scratch Test for Life and Pruning Strategy

A flowering cherry bloomed well last year but lost leaves early (brittle, brown). This spring, almost no blossoms. Trunk diameter ~9 inches. Owner asks if removal is needed. Vitality Test Scrape bark on an upper outer tw

Newly Planted Olive Trees Browning in Arizona? Water & Frost Tips

Three young Arbequina olives, planted in Arizona soil, are browning fast after a frost dip to 20°F. The gardener said weekly bucket-watering—experts say thats far too little for establishment. Heres how to save them. Th

Tree Oozing Foam? It's Slime Flux—Not a Death Sentence

Seeing foul-smelling, frothy sap seeping from your trees trunk? Dont panic—its slime flux (wetwood), a bacterial condition common in mature shade trees like oak, elm, maple, and willow. It looks alarming but rarely kills

Orange Jasmine Leaves Spotted? Light, Water & Fungus Fixes

Your orange jasmine (Murraya paniculata) develops pale green circular spots on its leaves? Thats a classic sign of two issues: insufficient light/nutrition and a fungal infection. Heres how to nurse it back to health. D

Why Your Ponytail Palm's Crown Is Turning Brown

If the top of your ponytail palm where the fronds emerge is browning, youre not alone. This common issue usually stems from cold damage—ponytail palms (Beaucarnea recurvata) are sensitive to chilly temperatures, even abo

Peach Leaf Curl Spray Timing: Post-Budbreak Application Effects

Question: What happens if dormant copper/spray is applied after buds open? Does it harm fruit or pollinators? Answer The peach leaf curl pathogen (Taphrina deformans) overwinters on bud scales. Infection occurs as buds s