Question
QUESTION: We are in Iowa, we have had seven mature cedar trees die every other year since we've moved in. They all had holes in the trunks similar to a bb hole, they started about five feet up from the ground, some holes were even in line. I can't say I've seen any bugs or beetles on these trees other than regular ants.  We will be cutting the last one down this spring and would like to replace right away with a Norway Spruce or a faster growing pine tree.  The last two were a perfect privacy fence and we want to replaced soon. There are three yew trees close to were these trees were and they don't seem to be bothered. We also have another mature cedar tree in our side yard which hasn't been damaged.

My questions are...Will the new trees be infested if we replace this year or should we wait? Is there anything we should do to the area before planting?  Thank you,  Jackie

ANSWER: Unless you plant cedar back the new tree species should be ok. I would lean toward a spruce or pine and stay away from a thuja or cedar species. Make sure the old cut down material is removed from the site--it may still contain some beetles and these will emerge and infest the other green cedars. I would guess you may have a root fungi that infects cedar trees- Annosus Root Rot. Again this should not be a problem with new planted trees. Annosus enter the roots by a damaged root or by root grafts from adjacent infected trees--you usually see several cedars in a row killed from the fungi traveling through the root grafts from infected trees to green nearby trees. You should not have a problem with this for newly planted trees.

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QUESTION: The area that the trees were in is all mulch; would it be wise to spray any pesticide in the area? Also; would we be able to transplant the yew trees?  The tallest is over 7', they're not in "the perfect spot" and I'd like to move them and not have to cut them down for aesthetics.

Thank you

Answer
No need to spray the mulch--not a problem with pests.

Evergreen trees and shrubs may be planted either in the spring or the fall. Deciduous plants may be moved in the spring as soon as the frost is out of the ground, up until the time when new foliage is partly unfurled. In the fall, they may be planted once the leaves start to turn color up until the ground freezes.

Evergreens should be moved earlier in the fall than deciduous plants so they have time to form new roots. They need at least 6 weeks before the ground freezes. In the spring, Evergreens can be planted up to 4 weeks after deciduous trees have opened their leaves, providing that the newly planted trees receive adequate water.

When you want to dig up a tree or shrub for transplanting, retain as much of the root system as possible. Deciduous trees that are only 3-4 years old may be moved with their roots bare.

All ages of evergreens, can be successfully moved only if a ball of soil is left around the roots. The exposed roots should be protected with moist burlap or newspaper or with polyethylene sheeting. Every effort should be made to reduce root exposure to wind and sun, keeping the ball as moist as possible. It's best to prepare the hole before digging up the tree you wish to move.

Size of the root ball and size of the hole:

For deciduous trees and shrubs the soil ball should be:

Width = 9-12 in. in diameter/every 1 in. of tree diameter
Depth = 6 in./every 1 in. of tree diameter

For example: A tree trunk 2 inches wide would need a soil ball of 18-24 inches wide and 12 inches deep. This maybe to large a job with a 7 foot tree to do by hand. There are machines that can be used to move trees--called tree spades. Your local nursery should know of a contractor who would have a tree spade.

Dig the new hole twice the size of the rootball and as deep. Fill with good top soil or potting soil and mulch around the tree with not more than 3 inches deep of organic mulch not piled up on the trunk.