Ash Tree Basal Decay: Irreversible Heartwood Rot on West Side

Ash tree shows orange-brown stain creeping up west side; bark now peeling, revealing soft dead wood. Other ash unaffected. Diagnosis Bark loss + soft wood = internal decay fungus (likely Perenniporia or Ganoderma). One-s

Kumquat Green Leaf Drop: Overwatering Indoors After Outdoor Season

Ontario, Canada kumquat (bought June, outdoors summer, indoors Sept) suddenly drops green leaves, stems turn brown from middle outward. Cutting back to green reveals more browning. Owner watered heavily when fruit swelle

Ponytail Palm White Powder: Atomic Grow for Systemic Health

Indoor ponytail palm (2 ft, central FL) has recurring white powder on leaves. Soapy spray and insecticide failed. Plant otherwise healthy. Likely Cause White powder = mealybugs (cottony wax) or powdery mildew. Both indic

Cherry Tree Gummosis: Peach Tree Borer Management

Four-year-old cherry trees exude sticky gum from every branch; suspect stem borer. Confirmation: Peach Tree Borer Synanthedon exitiosa attacks cherry, peach, plum. Larvae tunnel cambium; gum is trees defense. Control Cal

Loblolly Pine Yellowing: Soil pH Test Before Fertilizer

Loblolly Pine - Yellow Loblolly Pine - Yellow 500 (2011) + 250 (2012) loblolly seedlings; some 6 ft tall and green, others in one area mustard-yellow, needles firm. Same sun, above-average rain. Fertilized 2×/yr. Diagn

Florist Gloxinia Post-Bloom Rest Period: Withhold Water, Then Repot

Gloxinia leaves curling/rolling under. No insects found. Owner asks cause. Diagnosis: Mandatory Dormancy Gloxinias (Sinningia speciosa) are tuberous. After heavy bloom, they enter a rest period: foliage dies back, tuber

Apple Leaf Hairy Structures: Cedar-Apple Rust Aecial Stage

Object on Apple Leaf 10% of orchard trees show stationary, hairy structures on leaf undersides. Not moving; not clearly insect. Likely ID The structures match the aecial stage of cedar-apple rust (Gymnosporangium junipe

Fruitless Mulberry Leaf Spot: Fall Cleanup Beats Late Spraying

18–20 yr fruitless mulberry in Cottonwood, AZ shows brown spots, leaf drop. Home Depot recommended Bayer 3-in-1 (contains neem). Owner asks fall vs. spring timing. Dont Spray Falling Leaves Spraying dying leaves is usele

Chinese Pistache Fall Color Failure: Genetic Seed Source Difference

Four 6–10 yr Chinese pistaches in central CA stay green while neighbors’ trees color beautifully. Owner wants fall color. Expert Consensus Fall color intensity is genetically controlled. Seed-grown pistaches vary widely.

Tree Black Growth and Sap: Gummosis from Borers or Black Knot Disease

Tree 1 Tree 2 New homeowner sees black growth on limbs with sap drips. Tree appears to be a fruit species. Two Possibilities Gummosis (Tree 2): Soft, gummy black sap = tree’s response to bark wound. Often caused by bo

Lemon Fruit Brown Spots: Cosmetic, Washable, Cultural Fixes Needed

A large, productive lemon tree (rental property) has brown spots on fruit rinds—scratchable, not on leaves. Owner wants cause, edibility, and treatment. Likely Causes Citrus rust mite (microscopic, feeds on rind). Alter

Oak Firewood in Garage: Potential Mold/Spore Source for Respiratory Issues

Sister has severe breathing problems; ER visit inconclusive. Moldy smell in garage (stored oak firewood cut 1 year ago) permeates car and house. Could the wood be the source? Plausible Link Stored firewood—especially if

Skip Laurel Decline: Diagnostic Questions Before Prescription

Skip laurel (Prunus laurocerasus Schipkaensis) bushes developing brown, dying leaves. No photos yet. Information Needed Planting date (establishment phase?). Pattern: edge browning first (salt/drought) or whole leaf? On

Ivy Scale Infestation: Horticultural Oil Smothers Armored Pests

Dying Ivy A large English ivy moved indoors for winter develops coated stems and dying leaves. Photo shows black bumps on stems. Diagnosis: Scale Insects The bumps are adult scale covers; living insects feed underneath,

Oak Trunk White Fuzzy Growth: Likely Shelf Fungus Indicating Internal Decay

An oak in SE Louisiana has an intestine-like white fuzzy growth 30 ft up the trunk. Owner cannot match it to burls, conks, or known fungi. Probable ID The description fits a shelf/conk fungus (polypore) fruiting body. Th

Indoor Jungle Crisis: Overwatering, Fungus Gnats, and Cultural Reset

Whats Happening? Passion Flower Leaves Off Used to Be Bushy Rochester, MN grower with ~200 plants (cacti, orchids, tropicals, bonsai, succulents, palms, begonias, ferns) reports sudden yellowing, leaf drop, black fli

Crown of Thorns Salt Burn: Pot Rim Crust Damages Roots

Sick Crown of Thorns A 20-year-old crown of thorns (Euphorbia milii) and its propagated babies show spotting. Photo reveals a white gritty crust on the inner pot rim. Cause: Soluble Salt Accumulation The crust is fertil

Parrot Plant Stem Crystals: Benign Exudate, Not Pests

A mail-order parrot plant (likely Impatiens niamniamensis) dropped flowers, then developed sugar-/salt-like crystals on stems that crumble when rolled. Plant looks healthy otherwise. Identification The crystals are plant

Foothill Pine Decline: Bark Beetle Resin Flow and Terminal Diagnosis

Pine Tree A 50-ft foothill pine in SF Bay Area shows progressive yellow→brown needles (over half the crown) and white-yellow pitch exuding from trunk base, drying to rocky bumps. Diagnosis The pitch is resin—the tree’s

Bicolored Royal Gala Apples: A Rare Natural Mutation

What You’re Seeing The apple in the photo shows a striking two-tone coloration—half red, half yellow—on a Royal Gala. This is a somatic mutation (bud sport), not a disease or pest issue. How Common Is It? Such mutations