Should you plant in the Fall? It depends what region you live in, what month in fall, and what species you’re planting. If you live in the mid-Atlantic, coastal New England, or Southeastern U.S., fall is an excellent time to set most hardy plants. Most (not all) trees, shrubs, perennials, […]
Archive for the ‘Dogwood (Cornus)’ Category
Pest Alert: Japanese Maple Scale Becoming A Serious Problem
Japanese maple scale is a new pest in Tennessee and surrounding states. It infests many more plant species than just Japanese maple. The insect’s small size and ability to blend in naturally with tree bark makes it challenging to detect until populations are high and it has infested large landscape and neighborhoods. Japanese maple scale […]
Preventing Powdery Mildew Disease On Summer Plants
Powdery mildews are serious fungal leaf diseases infecting many garden plants. Each one is host specific. The powdery mildew that attacks summer phlox does not infect zinnias or pumpkin vines. Powdery mildew disease on crape myrtles does not attack lilacs or roses. In recent years new powdery mildew diseases have popped up on dogwoods and […]
Beautiful Giant Dogwood Has Some Limitations
Giant dogwood (Cornus controversa) is a medium-sized deciduous tree that grows to 35 to 40 feet high (in the wild to 60 feet) in USDA hardiness zones 5 to 7. This Asian native (China and Japan) is cherished for its distinctive horizontal (tiered) branching habit. Giant dogwood prefers an acidic, organically rich, moisture, well-drained soil. […]
Winter Sap Bleeding From Trees Not Harmful
Winter can be a cruel period for trees. Day-night temperatures may wildly fluctuate and drying winds tend to injure tender buds. Maples (Acer spp.), flowering dogwoods (Cornus florida), birches (Betula spp.), yellowwoods (Cladrastis kentukea), walnuts (Juglans spp.) and elms (Ulmus spp.) are “bleeders”. The sap pressure inside branches is highest during the winter months. If any […]
“Death By Mower” Disease
“Mower disease” is a totally preventable human malady caused by permitting lawn grasses and weeds from growing near the crown of trees and shrubs. The problem is commonly seen on large properties such as church grounds, cemeteries and public parks. Large gang mowing machines (with many reels) cut 95-98% of the turf area. Workers follow […]
Nativars – New Cultivars Of Native Plants
Nativar is a new term coined by Dr. Allan Armitage, Professor Emeritus from the University of Georgia. It combines the words “native” and “cultivar”. Nativar refers to a cultivar of a native plant. It attempts to excite the horticultural marketplace about new cultivars of native perennial plants, such as blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.), purple coneflower […]
Landscape Shrubs Rarely Damaged By Deer
Deer will eat or nibble on any landscape plant, particularly when they’re starving. Abnormally high deer populations, starved by a shortage of their favorite foods (mast), will feed or browse on almost any plant. This is a survival reaction. To truly protect plants when deer numbers are unusually high, a tall fence or reinforced netting […]

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