Q. The last 10 years or so have been hard on our Red Oaks, some of which are surely over 100 years old. The problem is that some are perfectly normal one year and dying the next. They green up normally, drop their leaves prematurely and never come back. Is there anything that can be done? Some are extremely large and others smaller. I’m worried that in a few years, there will be no more trees left.
A. There are a number of diseases, insect pests and environmental stresses, or perhaps a combination of factors, that could be the culprit. Once a tree is under stress, other opportunistic organisms can move in. Oak wilt, oak decline and borers are just a few possibilities. And there are quite a number of disorders — sometimes referred to as “people pressure” — that can cause trees to decline: planting too deep or too shallow and girdling of the trunk by roots, twine or wire, etc. If you have a tree that is currently presenting symptoms, you might consider submitting a sample to your local extension office diagnostic lab.
Q. My husband and I read with great interest your reply to the question regarding the white pine and the fact that they are not very adapted to our climate. We started with 12 in the year of 2000. They have been replaced several times and now, based on their height, only five of the original group are left. We just lost two more that now need to be replaced. Please suggest another tree that would blend with the 10 still living.
A. While no species is 100 percent trouble-free, some of the spruce and fir species are less problematic than most pines. You’ll need to assess your planting site and match as best you can a species that will adapt. If the site is plagued by poor soil drainage, it is unlikely that any evergreen species will do well, except perhaps bald cypress (Taxodium distichum); however, it drops all of its needles each winter, so would not be evergreen. But if it is an average site, some of the following species might be considered.
White Spruce (Picea glauca)
Norway Spruce (Picea abies)
Colorado Spruce (Picea pungens)
Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Fir, White (Abies concolor)
Hemlock, Canada (Tsuga Canadensis)
Q. I had a yellow delicious apple tree die this spring. It had a bulge in the trunk. What is this? Is there anything I can do to stop it or prevent it in my other trees? I am concerned that I will lose all my trees.
A. Unfortunately, I can’t be certain as to what killed the tree from just the appearance of the trunk. But it does look like a large graft union where several scions were grafted to a common trunk, sometimes sold as three-in-one or five-in-one trees. Because many fruit trees require more than one cultivar to provide pollination for fruit production, one strategy was to graft two or more cultivars onto a rootstock. Unfortunately, the graft union of those multi-cultivar trees is often weak-wooded and prone to dieback. If that’s the case, there’s no need to worry about the problem “spreading” to other trees. But most fruit trees are prone to quite a number of disease and insect problems, so it is still wise to keep the trees under close observation, if you notice any symptoms, contact your local County Extension for diagnostic assistance .
Things to do in November:
As houseplant growth slows, apply less fertilizer and water. If pants are dropping many leaves, move them closer to sunny exposures, such as west- and south-facing windows. Artificial lights may be needed to supplement particularly dark rooms.
Pot spring-flowering bulbs with tips exposed to force into bloom indoors. Moisten soil and refrigerate 10 to 13 weeks. Transfer to a cool, sunny location, and allow an additional three to four weeks for blooming.
Continue dark treatment for poinsettias by keeping them in complete darkness from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily until early December or until red bracts begin to show.
Water landscape plants if rainfall continues to be scarce. Apply approximately 1 inch of water every 7-10 days where possible. Mulch to conserve moisture.
Prevent rabbit and rodent feeding damage by erecting physical barriers, such as metal mesh (one-quarter-inch) hardware cloth. Pull mulch a few inches away from the trunk, as the mulch provides a warm winter home for rodents. Chemical repellents also are available, but their effectiveness is temporary and not foolproof.
Prevent frost cracking (or sunscald) by wrapping trunks with commercial tree wrap or painting the south- and southwest-facing sides of the trunk with white latex outdoor paint. Young, thin-barked trees, such as maples and many fruit trees, are especially susceptible. Be sure to remove the tree wrap by early spring to prevent overheating of the bark.
Remove dead, diseased or damaged branches.
Protect the graft union on rose bushes by mounding soil around the plants and adding mulch on top. Wait until several killing frosts have occurred so plants will be dormant when covered. Plants covered too early may be smothered.
If you are planning to order a “live” Christmas tree, prepare its planting hole before the soil freezes. Mulch the area heavily to prevent freezing, or dig the hole and put fill in a protected, nonfreezing area, such as a garage or basement.
Clean up and discard fallen leaves and fruits around fruit plants to reduce disease carryover.
Continue mowing lawn as needed. As tree leaves fall, run them through your mower (remove bagger), allowing the shredded leaves to remain on the lawn. Be sure to mow only when grass and leaves are dry.
An early November application of fertilizer can help boost early spring recovery. If rainfall returns, or if irrigation is available, apply one-half to 1 pound actual nitrogen, in either water-soluble or slow-release form, per 1,000 square feet of lawn. Use only slow-release formulations on dry, non-irrigated lawns.
If frost hasn’t taken your garden yet, continue harvesting.
Harvest mature, green tomatoes before frost and ripen indoors in the dark. Store at 55-70 F; the warmer the temperatures, the faster they ripen.
Harvest root crops and store in a cold (32 F), humid location. Use perforated plastic bags as an easy way to increase humidity.
Remove plant debris, both crop and weed, from the garden and discard or compost. This will help reduce the carryover of diseases, insects and weeds to next year’s garden.
Fall tilling, except in erosion-prone areas, helps improve soil structure and usually leads to soils warming and drying faster in the spring, thus allowing crops to be planted earlier.
Apply mulch to strawberries to prevent winter injury or death to their crowns. Wait until temperatures have hit 20 F to be sure plants are dormant. If mulch is applied too soon, the plant’s crown can rot.
Dig and store tender flowering bulbs and keep in a protected location.
Complete planting of spring-flowering bulbs.
- Submitted by Janice Kirchenbauer
