To deter fungus problems, prepare to spray your tree very early in spring
If your tree or shrub had a serious fungus problem last season, you may be considering applying a fungicide to deter the disease this year. Now is the time to...
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When choosing plants, you’ll be looking for the right version — the cultivar
As you make plans for the gardening season, you likely will be picking out plants. That often means not just choosing a plant species, but choosing the right version of...
For tight spots, choose slim trees and check their mature size
We all love trees with graceful spreading branches, but sometimes spreading branches just won’t fit. Fortunately, there’s a solution for tight spots: slim trees. “Some tree species naturally don’t get...
Like humans, plants find a way to pair up
There’s a lot of wooing going on at this time of year — chocolates, roses, sometimes rings — all in the service of pairing up. Plants pair up too, but...
Odd-looking growth called witch’s broom is not harmful — most of the time
With the branches bare, you may notice something odd on a tree or shrub — a dense bunch of twigs growing on a branch. Its evocative name, “witch’s broom,” dates...
Should you bother to compost in winter?
With snow on the sidewalk and ice on the porch steps, a reasonable person might ask: Do I really have to take the potato peelings out to the compost bin?...
The days are growing longer, and your garden is starting to notice
If you’re a gardener — or a groundhog — you may have noticed something different about these winter days: They’re gradually growing longer. Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, roughly halfway to...
What to do with that plant you got as a holiday gift?
Your aunt or neighbor gave you a lovely plant as a holiday gift. Now what? Some common gift plants are small specimens of shrubs or even trees, and homeowners often...
The right equipment makes all the difference when pruning trees
For pruning, as for any gardening task, good equipment makes a big difference. “Using the right tools will be healthier for your trees and shrubs,” said Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge...
For mature tree, best to hire a professional to inspect and prune it
Mid-winter is far from T-shirt weather, but it’s still prime time for one kind of yard work: pruning trees. Winter pruning while trees are dormant has a number of advantages,...