Why Pomegranate Fruits Become Hollow and Drop Prematurely

A gardener from Pakistan describes a puzzling issue: pomegranate fruits initially appear healthy but later become hollow, the seeds fail to develop, and the fruit drops prematurely. The cause isnt immediately clear—it co

Male Mulberry Vertical Cracks: Prune Deadwood, Time Cuts to Sap Slowdown

Male Mulberry Male mulberry in Southern AZ has vertical trunk cracks. Arborist suggests thinning + deadwood removal. Owner asks: prune now or water first for crack healing? Best timing? Recommendation Prune deadwood no

Plum Stump Rot and Geranium Black Rot: No Soil Contamination Risk

Old plum cut down; stump used for birdbath. Geraniums nearby got black rot (destroyed). Stump now crumbling. Owner asks if soil is contaminated for replanting. Answer: Safe to Replant Wood-decay fungi (on stump) and gera

Schefflera Leaf Tip Burn and Drop: Water and Temperature Balance

Umbrella and dwarf schefflera show blackened leaf tips then drop. Indirect light, watered 2×/week. Common Causes Watering: Too much or too little. Check soil—water only when top 1–2 dry. Water thoroughly, discard runoff

Tricolor Beech Sticky White Flakes: Woolly Beech Aphid Infestation

Alpine, UT (zone 6B) tricolor beech shows sticky white flakes on leaf undersides (51 °F, no frost elsewhere). Owner asks if disease. ID: Woolly Beech Aphid Phyllaphis fagi—pale yellow aphids covered in white wax filament

Evergreen Needle Browning: Normal Fall Shed or Needle Cast Disease

EVERGREEN Entire evergreen turning brown from inner needles outward. Owner fears death. Likely Normal: Seasonal Needle Drop Most conifers shed 2–4 year old needles (inner canopy) each fall. New growth at tips stays gree

Split Mulberry Sapling: Tape or Prune for Recovery

Illinois Everbearing mulberry (1 yr, fruited) split down middle by wind. Owner asks: save or replace? Considered sawing half off. Two Options Remove one side: Cut cleanly at split; tree heals over. Bridge & tape: Pull h

Raspberry Decline Unrelated to Maple Leaf Mold; More Details Needed

4-yr raspberry patch (thumb-sized fruit, maple leaf mulch) dying; maple leaves show mold. Owner suspects mold killing raspberries. Mold Is Innocent Maple leaf mold = saprophyte decomposing dead leaves. Host-specific—cann

Maple Tree Cauliflower Fungus: Conk Indicates Internal Decay

Maple Tree Maple Tree Maple has cauliflower-like growth; owner asks ID. ID: Fungal Conk (Sporophore) The structure is a fruiting body of a wood-decay fungus (likely Ganoderma, Fomes, or Laetiporus). It signals heartwoo

Bamboo Palm Chronic Mealybugs: Atomic Grow Soil Drench + Maintenance

8-ft indoor bamboo palm, years of mealybugs. Tea water, dish soap, baking soda (Jerry Baker recipe) helped temporarily but reinfestation persists. Owner considers hard cutback + repot. Better Strategy Atomic Grow soil d

Holly White Round Spots: Scale Insects with Bloody Centers

Holly has white round spots at branch bases; picked off, revealing tiny bloody centers. One branch snapped like dry wood. Owner asks ID and human risk. ID: Scale Insects White bumps = scale covers; bloody center = crushe

Carrotwood (Cupaniopsis) Eradication: Florida Noxious Weed Protocol

Large carrotwood cut to 1 ft; 5 trunks 4–5 diameter resprouting. Owner wants permanent kill. Legal Status Carrotwood is a Florida Noxious Weed (FAC 5b-57.007) and Category I invasive. Possession/movement requires permit.

Yucca Borer Grubs: Photo ID Needed for Species-Specific Control

Multiple established yuccas dying; gardener found wet roots and bored trunks with yellowish grubs (brown heads, pincers). Not ivory like grub worms. Owner seeks ID and control. Next Steps Close-up photo of grub (clear,

Ligustrum Oblong Leaf Spots: Insect Feeding, Not Disease

Overall View Close Up Damage Five 5-yr ligustrums show oblong spots starting on leaf undersides; leaves become brittle, yellow, drop. 60–75% affected. Fungicides, systemic fungicides, insecticides failed. Diagnosis: In

Ivy Leaf Curl and Drop: Aphids, Mites, or Water Stress

Black ivy (large-leaf climbing type) repotted; leaves grow, then curl under, dry, fall. Antibacterial soap spray failed. Pest Check Aphids: visible on leaf undersides → curl new growth. Spider mites: tap leaf over white

Indian Bean Tree (Catalpa) Black Fall Leaves: Sooty Mold from Insects

My Tree Catalpa leaves turn black in fall instead of yellow. Owner wonders if disease or soil issue. Test: Sooty Mold Wipe a black leaf with wet paper towel. Black rubs off = sooty mold (fungus growing on insect honeyde

Datura (Angel's Trumpet) White Leaves: Bug Magnet, Atomic Grow Solution

Two new Daturas (flowers upright) show half leaves pure white, others curled, speckled, stunted. One shoot has tiny white leaves directly on main stem. Established Daturas nearby are fine. Camellias thriving. One in full

Tibouchina Trunk Green Patches: Harmless Lichens

Tree Trunk of Tibouchina Tibouchinas Tibouchina shows green patches with black backs on trunk. Owner suspects mold/disease. ID: Lichens Greenish, crusty patches = lichens (algae + fungus symbionts). Not pathogens; they

Epiphyllum oxypetalum "Disease": Physical Scars, Not Pathogens

Epiphyllum oxypetalum Two-year-old indoor Epiphyllum shows nicks, dots, stains on flattened stems. Organic pest spray failed. Owner fears spread to neighbor plant. Revelation: Its Not Disease The leaves are actually fla

Twisted Willow Dark Branches: Scratch Test for Winter Dormancy vs. Death

Two 7-ft twisted willows in wooden planters (8 months old) show dark/black branches from 5 ft up. Owner fears death. Quick Field Test Bend a dark twig: flexible = alive; snaps = dead. Scratch bark with fingernail: green