Thickening Ficus Hedge in Rocky Soil: Amend and Fertilize

Root Zone Improvement Is Key 100 ficus trees (6 ft) planted 2 yrs ago in S. California rocky soil. Grew 2 ft taller but thin, no privacy. Two thickened. Some yellow. Two-Part Solution Soil Amendment: Add compost + tops

Pruning Guide for Hydrangea, Rose of Sharon, Butterfly Bush, and Rhododendron Replacement

Pruning Timing and Methods Endless Summer Hydrangea: Prune after flowering. Remove ground-hugging branches. Butterfly Bush: Cut to ground after flowering finishes. Rose of Sharon: Thin using 1-in-3 rule (remove oldest w

Identifying the Orange-Flowered 'Witch's Broom' Shrub

Likely Match: Hookstone Scotch Broom NJ gardener lost an orange-flowered shrub called witchs broom during transplant. Upside-down broom form, tall straight branches, bright orange flowers all summer from early spring. P

Scale and Sooty Mold on Transplanted Holly: Oil Spray Solution

From Flies to Black Powder Three hollies transplanted last summer near porch. Black flies swarmed. Now (spring) coated in black powder. Chunk bark mulch used. Diagnosis Black Flies: Adult scale insects mating/laying eg

Sapsucker Damage or Canker on Holly in Poorly Drained Acid Soil

Two Diagnoses for Grid-Like Bark Damage Holly in S. Illinois (acid, poorly drained): sudden branch death, yellow→brown leaves. Distinct grid of bare bark spots up trunk from 4 ft, bark peeling on branches. Possibility 1

Saving a Newly Planted Camellia from Transplant Shock in Clay Soil

Symptoms: Bud Blast and Wilting Mrs. K. Sawada camellia planted 1 month ago in Tallahassee, FL. Small hole in clay, buds brown/unopened, leaves wilting. Dappled sun, not planted deep. Dual Shock Risks Underwatering: Fa

Why Forsythias Stop Blooming: Pruning Timing or Late Freeze?

Progressive Bloom Loss Over Years 5 forsythias in central IN: 50-yr-old + 4 planted 8 yrs ago. One by one stopped blooming. Leaves grow vigorously. No fertilization. Full AM sun, part PM sun. Two Main Causes Fall Pruni

Holly Leafminer and Sooty Mold: Systemic Insecticide and Cultural Fixes

Diagnosis: Leafminer, Not Leaf Spot Holly lost last year to brown spots/shiveling. Insecticide helped temporarily. Now spreading to other hollies and nearby plants. Black flies seen last summer. Now black powdery coating

Pruning Hollandia Broom After Flowering for Shape and Vigor

Timing and Technique for Cytisus Hollandia broom (Cytisus) leaning over lawn after 1 year. Owner wants to cut overhanging branches and thin. Rules When: After flowering (blooms on old wood). How: Cut select stems to gr

Pruning Leyland Cypress for Narrow Hedge: Selective Cuts Over Shearing

Controlling Width at 6 Feet Leyland cypress planted Dec 2005 (5–6 ft) in Alpharetta, GA. Owner wants to keep width ≤6 ft. Better Than Shearing Shearing leads to dense shell, dead interior, long-term decline. Selective

Saving Overwatered, Pot-Bound Meyer Lemons with Scale History

Multiple Stressors on Container Citrus Two 2-ft Meyer lemons in CT: repotted Oct 2005, weekly water, then leaf yellow/drop. Scale treated with oil. Now green leaves fall. Root-bound, no new roots. Indoors, 1 hr AM sun.

Pruning Overgrown Spruce and Juniper: Don't Cut Past Green

Hard Limits on Evergreen Pruning Overgrown spruce trees and juniper shrubs in Colorado. Recent trimming left bare brown branches. Owner asks how far to cut. Golden Rule Never cut past the last green needles on a branch.

Renovating an Overgrown, Neglected Cedar Hedge

Gradual Restoration of 50m Hedge Old cedar hedge (4–5m high, 50m long) in disrepair: thin spots, bending over. Owner wants to save it, not replace. Multi-Year Plan Reduce height by ≤1m (3 ft) first. Slowly thin sides—n

Identifying Fir vs. Spruce and Normal Inner Needle Drop

Field ID: Needle Shape Unknown evergreens turning brown from bottom up and outward. Owner wants ID literature. Quick Distinction Spruce: Square needles (roll between fingers). Fir: Flat needles (dont roll). Normal Ag

Transplanting Mature Burning Bushes: 2-Day Hold Is Fine

Short-Term Storage Protocol 10-year-old burning bushes (Euonymus alatus) dug by daughter, held 2 days before planting in fathers yard in NE Missouri. Keys to Survival Keep roots moist—cover with wet mulch or burlap. Sh

Pruning Dead Top of Fir Tree: Cut Below Damage

Safe Removal of Dead Leader 6-ft evergreen fir: top and upper branches dead. Owner asks if cutting off damages the rest. Correct Technique Cut leader at least 3 inches below lowest dead tissue. Removes any borers that

Getting More Blooms from Oleander in Northeast Texas

Sunlight Is the Key Limiter 2–3 yr oleanders in part sun, NE Texas. Winter leaf drop, spring regrowth, but few flowers. Dark pink variety. Three Cultural Fixes Full Sun: Oleanders need it for best bloom. Part sun = few

Neighbor's Salt/Chemical Runoff Killing Blue Spruce: Legal and Environmental Action

Federal Violation, Not Just Neighbor Dispute 30-ft blue spruce, trumpet vine, maples dying from neighbors salt/chemical storage 25 ft away. Runoff ponds at trees. Spruce turning pink. Immediate Steps Call state DEP/DEC

Fertilizing and Winter Protecting Neglected Arborvitae in Yakima

Recovery Plan for Sickly Arborvitae 9 arborvitae (4–9 ft) in Yakima, WA. Previous owner neglected. Tied branches one year, then nothing. Now thin, little growth. Two-Step Fix Fertilize Spring and Fall: Balanced fertili

Diagnosing "Rusted" Pine: Gall Rust vs. Death

Two Meanings of Rusted Pine tree rusted after a year. Could be: Pine Gall Rust: Disease on hard pines (Austrian, black). Treat with fungicide + pruning. Whole Tree Rust Brown: Tree is dead. Replace. Need More Details