Gardening and Landscaping Stack Exchange
Gardening and Landscaping Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [tree-care]

Tag for questions asking how to look after trees.

Tag for questions asking how to look after trees.

489 questions
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Should I dig through roots when removing a mound from around a tree?

I am a first time home owner, and didn't know that a mound around a tree was bad. A 2' deep, 10' wide mound had been put around the tree a few years before I bought the house. I want to remove the mound but now there are small roots in the mound and…
Mr. MonoChrome
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Pruning a weeping mulberry

We have a wonderful weeping mulberry (Morus alba pendula) (male, so no fruit) in our front yard. It's massive - probably 15' tall and at least that diameter. The problem is that it's growing larger and larger - every year it sends out a new layer of…
Drew
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What is this bonsai tree with serrated elliptic leaves and why has it lost all its leaves?

My son bought me a bonsai tree for Father's day in June last year. It grew new leaves and shoots for a while and has been watered regularly. It has now dropped all its leaves and there does not seem to be any new growth. I would like to know how I…
Geoffrey James
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How should I choose which trees to cull?

I harvest firewood from a small woodlot behind my house. I almost exclusively cut "culls" -- dead, dying, or diseased trees that aren't going to yield much additional wood in the future anyway. My current strategy for figuring out which trees to…
bstpierre
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How do I prune a cork-screw willow?

I would like to have a small "cork-screw' willow in my front yard. I don't want it as a bush, but with a strong middle trunk. It currently is about 1.5 feet tall. It has three fairly equally tall trunks. One is very bent. The other two are fairly…
Joseph Barisonzi
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What is a sucker and how does it differ from a water sprout or branch?

In a post about renovating mature pear trees there is a diagram (below) showing tree nomenclature as it pertains to pruning. In it, the letter "A" indicates suckers, and "E" marks shaded interior branches. What's the difference? Another diagram I…
That Idiot
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Why is my new Acer tree dying?

I recently bought a small red Acer and moved it into a more permanent pot. It's about 2 1/2 feet tall and since I've moved it, the leaves have started to brown and shrivel like a dead leaf would in autumn. The pot is about 1 foot in diameter and 2…
Greg B
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Are tar based products really useful in treating tree wounds?

There are a lot of articles on the web ranked highly in searches that advocate the use of tar/tar based products to seal tree wounds such as pruning cuts. For example — "Homemade tree wounds". However, this is really an outdated practice and the use…
Lorem Ipsum
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How can I determine which trees are unsafe in strong winds?

We had some fairly extreme weather in the UK, enough wind to blow over a tree. Luckily nobody was hurt as the trunk rested larger branches, narrowly missing the neighbours fence. The trunk and branches have been cut in several places as it can be…
Ambo100
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Should my spruce tree roots be covered?

This Norway spruce's roots have always been on top of the ground. The soil it is growing on is very hard white dry soil with a layer of decayed needles on top. It has been growing fine so far, but would it be healthier if I covered all the exposed…
J. Musser
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How should I care for a young cherry tree?

We recently had a cherry tree planted in our garden. I don't know the age of the plant nor the exact species but it's currently below 2m (6 ft) tall, including the branches, with a thin trunk. There are 6 branches with plenty of buds. These just…
algiogia
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How should I care for my multi-variety apple and pear trees?

I am a novice gardener living in the San Francisco Bay Area. When I created my vegetable/fruit garden, the landscaper recommended grafted fruit trees (ones which produce 6 different varieties of fruits). As a result I have one pear tree which…
JStorage
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Why are my honey-locust tree leaves turning yellow in mid-summer?

As hot as it's been I've been worried that the tree was not getting enough water, and it seems with increasing the water amount the leaves have turned even more yellow. How can I tell if I am over- or under-watering the tree and what else can cause…
JYelton
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Is it okay to top a redwood tree?

Our redwood is about 30 years old and about 4 stories high. I would like to shape and top it to keep under control. Would it be fine to top off about 10 or 15 feet and also shape it? A tree trimmer told me it would be a good idea but years ago…
elaine
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What is happening to the leaves of my avocado?

I have an avocado plant in my outdoors balcony. It's been growing nicely, but there are small brown dots/holes in the leaves for some time now. I don't see anything in the underside of the leaves, and up until now new, healthy looking leaves have…
Eyal
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