Reviving a Struggling Weeping Cherry: Fertilize and Monitor

Weeping Cherry Not Leafing Out? Try Fertilization First If your weeping cherry bloomed but isnt producing leaves, yet shows green under the bark, its alive but stressed. The best first step: Fertilize for Root and Shoot

Identifying and Aging a Cottonwood Stump

How to Identify a Cottonwood Stump and Estimate Its Age Without leaves, use bark and wood characteristics to confirm cottonwood: Cottonwood Stump ID Deeply furrowed, gray-brown bark on older trunks. Wood: Light, soft,

Do Stump Killers Kill the Entire Root System?

What Happens to Roots After Stump Treatment? Most stump-killer herbicides (triclopyr, glyphosate, picloram) translocate down into the root system, killing the majority of roots. However: Large, distant roots may surviv

Pin Oak Recovery After Improper Mulching and Soil Buildup

Fixing a Pin Oak Damaged by a Raised Bed Adding bricks and soil around a pin oak created a raised bed that buried the root flare, leading to root suffocation, girdling roots, and stress—evidenced by pale green leaves and

Why Swedish Aspen Is a Poor Choice Near a House Foundation

Swedish Aspen: Beautiful but Problematic in Tight Spaces Planting a Swedish aspen (Populus tremula Erecta) in a 5-foot gap between a house and fence is not recommended for several reasons: Space Conflicts Mature width:

Chestnut Blight: Recognizing a Fatal Disease

Is Your Tree Dying from Chestnut Blight? A tree with long trunk splits, no spring leaf-out, and only late-season basal sprouts is showing classic signs of chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica)—a fatal fungal disease

Managing Aspen Suckers: Keep the Best, Remove the Rest

Turning Aspen Suckers into a Tree Clump When a hybrid aspen dies but sends up suckers from the base, you can grow a new multi-trunk clump—if thats your goal. Decision Time: This Fall or Next Spring If you want a single

Killing Weeds Near Trees: Safe Methods That Protect Roots

Weed Control Around Trees Without Harming Them Boiling water poured on tree roots is not reliable for killing a tree—and its dangerous to handle. For weed control near trees, use these safer, targeted methods: Vinegar (

Spruce Tree Roots and Foundations: No Need to Worry

Will Spruce Roots Damage Your House Foundation? No. Spruce roots do not cause mechanical damage to intact foundations. Heres the science: Root Behavior Spruces have a deep taproot and shallow, spreading feeder roots in

Controlling Live Oak Root Sprouts Without Harming the Parent Tree

Managing Scrub Oak Sprouts from Live Oak Roots The dozens of sprouts around your mature live oaks are root suckers—clones arising from the parent trees root system. They cannot be treated with herbicides without risking

Assessing Oak Trunk Decay: When to Worry About Heart Rot

Heart Rot in Oaks: Hazard or Harmless? An oak with visible decay in the trunk—especially on the side facing a house—understandably causes concern. But heart rot alone does not make a tree hazardous. Heres how to evaluate

Saving a Declining Cottonwood: Root Issues, Fertilization, and Stability

Cottonwood in Decline: Whats Happening? A cottonwood that leafed sparsely, lost leaves mid-summer, and now shows dead lower limbs with a loose, movable trunk likely has root system failure—often due to poor planting in c

Raywood Ash Slow Growth: Addressing Root Girdling and Fertility

Why Your Raywood Ash Trees Arent Growing If your Raywood ash trees have shown little growth since 2011 planting, two common issues may be at play: root girdling and nutrient deficiency. Root Girdling: A Hidden Killer Co

Diagnosing Hemlock Decline Without Photos: Key Questions to Ask

When You Cant Share a Photo: What to Look For If your hemlock is turning brown and you cant provide a photo, you can still gather critical diagnostic clues by observing the pattern of damage. Heres what to check: Critic

Controlling Invasive Muscadine Vines on Trees

Identifying and Eradicating Muscadine Grapevines The vine strangling your trees is muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia), a native grapevine that can become aggressively invasive in landscapes. It climbs trees, smothers canopie

Why Is One Oak Dropping Leaves Early? Genetic Variation Explained

Early Leaf Drop in a Single Oak Tree When one of several similar oaks in the same yard drops leaves early while others remain green, the cause is often genetic variation rather than disease, insects, or water stress—espe

Fat Albert Blue Spruce Decline: Spider Mites and Proper Fertilization

Diagnosing Browning in Fat Albert Spruces When two of four Fat Albert blue spruces show recurring browning—especially on lower and interior needles while tops remain green—spruce spider mites are the prime suspect. Heres

Diagnosing and Treating Hackberry Tree Decline: Sooty Mold, Insects, and Squirrels

Whats Wrong with Your Hackberry? A large hackberry showing blackened leaves, thinning canopy, and sticky residue is likely suffering from an insect infestation—specifically aphids or scale insects. These pests suck plant

Managing Aphids on Aspen Trees: A Systemic Approach

Aphids on Aspens: Winter Survival and Spring Treatment If youre seeing aphids on your 20-foot aspen, dont count on winter cold to eliminate them. Aphids overwinter as eggs in bark crevices and survive freezing temperatur

Overwintering Oak Seedlings: Plant Now, Protect Later

Dont Keep Oak Seedlings in Pots Over Winter If youve started oak seedlings from acorns and theyre now 10 inches tall in pots, the most important thing you can do is plant them in the ground before winter. Heres why and h