Q. We have a ‘Majestic’ ash tree that was planted a few years ago.  It was doing extremely well until a year ago. All the new growth is just tiny bits of mostly dried green on the ends of the branches. A few leaves have appeared, but mostly it’s just the little spikey tips. The older leaves are just fine. It just won’t sprout new growth.  Any help? A. I don’t know this variety of ash but sometimes we collectively call this group of ash Shamel or Evergreen ash. It is evergreen, keeping its leaves all winter long, but that’s only in warmer climates.             When the temperatures drop into the 20s it drops its leaves and becomes deciduous. When the temperatures approach 20° F it is possible they can have winter dieback or cold damage, particularly if it was fertilized late in the summer.. This may be what you are seeing in your tree.             As the tree gets older it should be more tolerant of freezing temperatures. The only other possibility is chemical damage from weed killers applied to close to the tree or during a time of heat and wind. If this has been winter damage and the tree has not been damaged too badly, it will come back very strong this growing season. Right now it’s early in the season so give it a chance.

Q. I have several Carolina Cherry Trees in my yard.  Last year the leaves started to turn brown and flake off.  I have attached some photos.  Can you tell me why they are doing this and how I can correct the problem. A. I had to study your picture carefully and so some investigating on what might be going on. Let’s get one point out of the way before we begin. This plant is native to the southeastern United States It is not native to the arid and desert southwestern United States. When it is grown in our climate and soils it will struggle compared to growing in the soils and climate of the Southeast. This means it requires extra care on your part when planting and growing it compared to growing it in the southeast. Add amendments at the time of planting Carolina Cherry Laurel here it is very important to add 50% compost to the planting mix and dig the hole at least three times the width of the container. Five times is better. Never cover the soil above the plant roots with rock. Always use organic mulches or groundcovers on top of the soil a distance equal to at least the diameter of the plant canopy. This would chip mulch, not bark mulch, should be at least 4 inches deep and renewed every 2 to 3 years as it “dissolves” into the soil as it decomposes and adds nutrients and organics back to the soil. This is very important for this plant. I believe that this is the reason why you are having problems with this plant in your location. Many of the same problems as plums and peaches The major problems with this plant, because it is so closely related to plums and peaches, are many of the same problems as fruit trees. When I look closely at the pictures you sent, which are very good and thank you very much, I see root weevil damage on the leaf edges. These are the notches that you see on the margins. These insects feed at night and are in the soil beneath the plant. There is not much you can do about them except perhaps apply a systemic insecticide around the roots after the plant has finished blooming. Use the Bayer insecticide if you go down this route. Water/fertilizer/pruning problem The second problem is probably the reason you are most concerned. This is the discoloration and death along the margins of the leaves. I believe this is primarily a water/fertilizer/pruning problem. Let me explain why. I believe if these plants were in good health you would see little to none of this type of damage. I believe the plants would be very full and the leaves would appear healthy. Make sure you apply either wood chip mulch around the trees as I suggested earlier and combine that with a yearly application of a tree/shrub fertilizer in late January or early February. Only use mineral fertilizers if you have wood chip mulch surrounding the trees. Again, I repeat. This should not be bark mulch if you want to improve plant health. Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with bark mulch. It can be very beautiful but it adds nothing to the health of the plants. It is purely decorative. Wood chip mulch, trees and shrubs that are shredded in their entirety and applied to the soil surface, improve plant health when they begin to break down/decompose a.k.a. “melt” or “dissolve” back into the soil. Irrigation should never be daily.  Give these plants at least one day without irrigation so that water can drain from the soil. The roots of these plants are very susceptible to suffocation a.k.a. root rot when soils remain wet and cannot drain adequately. Another problem with this plant is a plant disease called shot hole fungus. We see this leaf disease on peaches and plums when our humidity is too high. In climates with higher humidity, like some of those in California, this disease can be a severe problem. In fact, varieties of peaches and plums are grown in certain areas with high humidity strictly because of this disease problem. This disease causes spotting on the leaves and sometimes the leaf margins. As this disease worsens, sections inside of the spots die and drop from the leaf leaving “shot holes”. Some varieties of plants are much higher susceptible than others. If the health of the plant is improved, I am guessing this disease will disappear or minimized. Bottom line Improve the soil and drainage. You can do this by drilling holes in the soil with an auger as deep as possible. Fill these holes as best you can with compost. This will improve the soil and improve drainage. Cover the soil with wood chip mulch at least 3 to 4 inches deep. Fertilize with compost this year and next year you can use a mineral fertilizer if you wish provided wood chip mulch has been on the surface of the soil for 12 months. Avoid daily irrigations.

Q. I have never seen this on a plant before and I have never had a problem with pests on this plant.  What am I dealing with here?  A. Great pictures, that helps a lot. I am going to take an educated guess that this is water being released from small openings on the leaf edges called hydathodes. The release of excess water from inside the plant is called guttation. You can read more about hydathodes here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydathode http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/mauseth/weblab/webchap9secretory/9.3-10.htm Pictures of guttational water What is gutational water? These can be very complicated explanations and I don’t know about your background and whether they will confuse you or if you understand them. Basically, small plants can push a lot of water inside of them through a mechanism called root pressure. Root pressure takes water from the surrounding soil, if there’s plenty of it, and push it inside the plant. Sometimes the root pressure can be so great that the plant needs to release some of this excess water. Many plants have specialized openings on the leaf edges called hydathodes that allow it to do this. Technically, the process of taking excess water inside the plant and releasing it through hydathoes is called guttation. Back in the day…. Golf course superintendents are very familiar with this but may not know the correct scientific terms. Years ago golf course superintendents would go to the putting greens early in the morning and “whip the greens” with a long bamboo pole. It was found when plants are growing very close together in places like golf course greens that this excess water, guttational water, could encourage diseases if it was not removed from the leaf blades. They used to call it dew but the main problem was from guttational water full of plant sugars and a good “food” for plant diseases.Whipping the greens with a bamboo pole knocked the water off of the blades of grass and reduced the possibility of disease. Very few whip the greens anymore but instead they use a short irrigation cycle to wash off the leaves of guttational water (which is high in plant sugars and disease prone) and replaces it with irrigation water which has no sugars in it. So what does this have to do with you?  If this is guttational water it simply tells you that the soil is full of water. Little leaf Cordia is a desert adapted species and does not have to be irrigated frequently. It tells you that the soil around these plant roots is full of water and you may or may not be watering too much if you see this water present frequently. Make sure that you give the plants a “rest period” without water before the next irrigation. Other than that, nothing to worry about.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/03/21/2017-05480/national-organic-program-usda-organic-regulations § 205.603 Synthetic substances allowed for use in organic livestock production. In accordance with restrictions specified in this section the following synthetic substances may be used in organic livestock production: (a) As disinfectants, sanitizer, and medical treatments as applicable. (1) Alcohols. (i) Ethanol-disinfectant and sanitizer only, prohibited as a feed additive. (ii) Isopropanol-disinfectant only. (2) Aspirin-approved for health care use to reduce inflammation. (3) Atropine (CAS #—51-55-8)—federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the lawful written or oral order of a licensed veterinarian, in full compliance with the AMDUCA and 21 CFR part 530 of the Food and Drug Administration regulations. Also, for use under 7 CFR part 205, the NOP requires: (i) Use by or on the lawful written order of a licensed veterinarian; and (ii) A meat withdrawal period of at least 56 days after administering to livestock intended for slaughter; and a milk discard period of at least 12 days after administering to dairy animals. (4) Biologics—Vaccines. (5) Butorphanol (CAS #—42408-82-2)—federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the lawful written or oral order of a licensed veterinarian, in full compliance with the AMDUCA and 21 CFR part 530 of the Food and Drug Administration regulations. Also, for use under 7 CFR part 205, the NOP requires: (i) Use by or on the lawful written order of a licensed veterinarian; and (ii) A meat withdrawal period of at least 42 days after administering to livestock intended for slaughter; and a milk discard period of at least 8 days after administering to dairy animals. (6) Chlorhexidine—Allowed for surgical procedures conducted by a veterinarian. Allowed for use as a teat dip when alternative germicidal agents and/or physical barriers have lost their effectiveness. (7) Chlorine materials—disinfecting and sanitizing facilities and equipment. Residual chlorine levels in the water shall not exceed the maximum residual disinfectant limit under the Safe Drinking Water Act. (i) Calcium hypochlorite. (ii) Chlorine dioxide. (iii) Sodium hypochlorite. (8) Electrolytes—without antibiotics. (9) Flunixin (CAS #—38677-85-9)—in accordance with approved labeling; except that for use under 7 CFR part 205, the NOP requires a withdrawal period of at least two-times that required by the FDA. (11) Glucose. (12) Glycerin—Allowed as a livestock teat dip, must be produced through the hydrolysis of fats or oils. (13) Hydrogen peroxide. (14) Iodine. (15) Magnesium hydroxide (CAS #—1309-42-8)—federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the lawful written or oral order of a licensed veterinarian, in full compliance with the AMDUCA and 21 CFR part 530 of the Food and Drug Administration regulations. Also, for use under 7 CFR part 205, the NOP requires use by or on the lawful written order of a licensed veterinarian. (16) Magnesium sulfate. (17) Oxytocin—use in postparturition therapeutic applications. (18) Parasiticides—Prohibited in slaughter stock, allowed in emergency treatment for dairy and breeder stock when organic system plan-approved preventive management does not prevent infestation. Milk or milk products from a treated animal cannot be labeled as provided for in subpart D of this part for 90 days following treatment. In breeder stock, treatment cannot occur during the last third of gestation if the progeny will be sold as organic and must not be used during the lactation period for breeding stock. (i) Fenbendazole (CAS #—43210-67-9)—only for use by or on the lawful written order of a licensed veterinarian. (ii) Ivermectin (CAS #—70288-86-7). (iii) Moxidectin (CAS #—113507-06-5)—for control of internal parasites only. (19) Peroxyacetic/Peracetic acid (CAS #—79-21-0)—for sanitizing facility and processing equipment. (20) Phosphoric acid—allowed as an equipment cleaner, Provided, That, no direct contact with organically managed livestock or land occurs. (21) Poloxalene (CAS #—9003-11-6)—for use under 7 CFR part 205, the NOP requires that poloxalene only be used for the emergency treatment of bloat. (22) Tolazoline (CAS #—59-98-3)—federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the lawful written or oral order of a licensed veterinarian, in full compliance with the AMDUCA and 21 CFR part 530 of the Food and Drug Administration regulations. Also, for use under 7 CFR part 205, the NOP requires: (i) Use by or on the lawful written order of a licensed veterinarian; (ii) Use only to reverse the effects of sedation and analgesia caused by Xylazine; and (iii) A meat withdrawal period of at least 8 days after administering to livestock intended for slaughter; and a milk discard period of at least 4 days after administering to dairy animals. (23) Xylazine (CAS #—7361-61-7)—federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the lawful written or oral order of a licensed veterinarian, in full compliance with the AMDUCA and 21 CFR part 530 of the Food and Drug Administration regulations. Also, for use under 7 CFR part 205, the NOP requires: (i) Use by or on the lawful written order of a licensed veterinarian; (ii) The existence of an emergency; and (iii) A meat withdrawal period of at least 8 days after administering to livestock intended for slaughter; and a milk discard period of at least 4 days after administering to dairy animals. (b) As topical treatment, external parasiticide or local anesthetic as applicable. (1) Copper sulfate. (2) Formic acid (CAS #—64-18-6)—for use as a pesticide solely within honeybee hives. (3) Iodine. (4) Lidocaine—as a local anesthetic. Use requires a withdrawal period of 90 days after administering to livestock intended for slaughter and 7 days after administering to dairy animals. (5) Lime, hydrated—as an external pest control, not permitted to cauterize physical alterations or deodorize animal wastes. (6) Mineral oil—for topical use and as a lubricant. (7) Procaine—as a local anesthetic, use requires a withdrawal period of 90 days after administering to livestock intended for slaughter and 7 days after administering to dairy animals. (8) Sucrose octanoate esters (CAS #s—42922-74-7; 58064-47-4)—in accordance with approved labeling. (d) As feed additives. (1) DL-Methionine, DL-Methionine-hydroxy analog, and DL-Methionine-hydroxy analog calcium (CAS #’s 59-51-8, 583-91-5, 4857-44-7, and 922-50-9)—for use only in organic poultry production at the following maximum levels of synthetic methionine per ton of feed: Laying and broiler

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/03/21/2017-05480/national-organic-program-usda-organic-regulations § 205.602 Nonsynthetic substances prohibited for use in organic crop production. (a) Ash from manure burning. (b) Arsenic. (d) Lead salts. (e) Potassium chloride—unless derived from a mined source and applied in a manner that minimizes chloride accumulation in the soil. (f) Sodium fluoaluminate (mined). (h) Strychnine. (i) Tobacco dust (nicotine sulfate).

National list section This National List identifies the synthetic substances that may be used in organic crop production. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/03/21/2017-05480/national-organic-program-usda-organic-regulations                                                Substance listing § 205.601 Synthetic substances allowed for use in organic crop production. (a) As algicide, disinfectants, and sanitizer, including irrigation cleaning systems. (1) Alcohols. (i) Ethanol. (ii) Isopropanol. (2) Chlorine materials—For pre-harvest use, residual chlorine levels in the water in direct crop contact or as water from cleaning irrigation systems applied to soil must not exceed the maximum residual disinfectant limit under the Safe Drinking Water Act, except that chlorine products may be used in edible sprout production according to EPA label directions. (i) Calcium hypochlorite. (ii) Chlorine dioxide. (iii) Sodium hypochlorite. (4) Hydrogen peroxide. (7) Soap-based algicide/demossers. (b) As herbicides, weed barriers, as applicable. (1) Herbicides, soap-based—for use in farmstead maintenance (roadways, ditches, right of ways, building perimeters) and ornamental crops. (2) Mulches. (i) Newspaper or other recycled paper, without glossy or colored inks. (ii) Plastic mulch or covers (petroleum-based other than polyvinyl chloride (PVC)). (c) As compost feedstocks—Newspapers or other recycled paper, without glossy or colored inks. (d) As animal repellents—Soaps, ammonium—for use as a large animal repellant only, no contact with soil or edible portion of crop. (e) As insecticides (including acaricides or mite control). (1) Ammonium carbonate—for use as bait in insect traps only, no direct contact with crop or soil. (3) Boric acid—structural pest control, no direct contact with organic food or crops. (5) Elemental sulfur. (6) Lime sulfur—including calcium polysulfide. (7) Oils, horticultural—narrow range oils as dormant, suffocating, and summer oils. (8) Soaps, insecticidal. (9) Sticky traps/barriers. (10) Sucrose octanoate esters (CAS #s—42922-74-7; 58064-47-4)—in accordance with approved labeling. (f) As insect management. Pheromones. (g)  As rodenticides. Vitamin D3.              h is missing (i) As plant disease control. (2) Coppers, fixed—copper hydroxide, copper oxide, copper oxychloride, includes products exempted from EPA tolerance, Provided, That, copper-based materials must be used in a manner that minimizes accumulation in the soil and shall not be used as herbicides. (3) Copper sulfate—Substance must be used in a manner that minimizes accumulation of copper in the soil. (4) Hydrated lime. (5) Hydrogen peroxide. (6) Lime sulfur. (7) Oils, horticultural, narrow range oils as dormant, suffocating, and summer oils. (9) Potassium bicarbonate. (10) Elemental sulfur. (j) As plant or soil amendments. (1) Aquatic plant extracts (other than hydrolyzed)—Extraction process is limited to the use of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide; solvent amount used is limited to that amount necessary for extraction. (2) Elemental sulfur. (3) Humic acids—naturally occurring deposits, water and alkali extracts only. (4) Lignin sulfonate—chelating agent, dust suppressant. (5) Magnesium sulfate—allowed with a documented soil deficiency. (6) Micronutrients—not to be used as a defoliant, herbicide, or desiccant. Those made from nitrates or chlorides are not allowed. Soil deficiency must be documented by testing. (i) Soluble boron products.        j is missing (ii) Sulfates, carbonates, oxides, or silicates of zinc, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and cobalt. (7) Liquid fish products—can be pH adjusted with sulfuric, citric or phosphoric acid. The amount of acid used shall not exceed the minimum needed to lower the pH to 3.5. (8) Vitamins B1, C, and E. (k) As plant growth regulators. Ethylene gas—for regulation of pineapple flowering. (l) As floating agents in post-harvest handling. (2) Sodium silicate—for tree fruit and fiber processing. (m) As synthetic inert ingredients as classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for use with nonsynthetic substances or synthetic substances listed in this section and used as an active pesticide ingredient in accordance with any limitations on the use of such substances. (1) EPA List 4—Inerts of Minimal Concern. (o) As production aids. Microcrystalline cheesewax (CAS #’s 64742-42-3, 8009-03-08, and 8002-74-2)—for use in log grown mushroom production. Must be made without either ethylene-propylene co-polymer or synthetic colors.

Q. I was told I need chelated iron for my roses. So, per instructions I added the granulated type today.  How often do I do this?  It’s not mentioned on the label. Yellowing and green veins the same on roses A.  Chelated iron applied to the soil only needs to be done once every year.  The time of year to do this is now, during January and February.  This applies not just to roses but all landscape plants including fruit trees.             Chelated iron applied to the leaves as a liquid spray may need three or four applications, a few days to a week apart, to be effective.  Chelated iron sprays are applied after leaves have emerged but avoided during the heat of the summer.  Iron chelate EDDHA best choice for controlling iron problems.             Once plants have begun growing in earnest, the single application of iron to the soil won’t do much.  At this point, multiple liquid applications to the leaves is the only way to correct iron deficiency, yellowing or chlorosis.             The best iron chelate applied to the soil contains EDDHA in the active ingredients.  When applying chelated iron to the leaves, use distilled water when making the spray.  Avoid using tap water.  Include 1 teaspoon of liquid detergent per quart in the liquid spray mix to help move the iron move inside the leaves.  Add this liquid detergent at the very end so you don’t get a bunch of bubbles.  This type of iron is available from Viragrow in Las Vegas for less than $20 for a 1 lb cannister. One pound goes a long way and can probably treat over 100 roses.

Q. We have seven large olive trees on our property.  In the past, we used two different local tree services to spray our trees to minimize the amount of olives.  One company told us we needed two applications in early Spring, and the other said we only needed 1.  Both came at a very high cost and results left much to be desired.  Every day we had to sweep up hundreds of olives. Do you have any suggestions as to what might work, and the timing of when the trees should be sprayed? Olive flowers A.  The chemicals used for preventing olive fruit from forming work if the timing is right. The timing depends on when the flowers open.  If the right chemical is used, it is applied at the right concentration and applied correctly, you should prevent 98% of the fruits from forming.  Two sprays are more effective than one spray. Olive flowers hanging from the tree             Nearly all the chemicals now being used need to be applied when flowers are open to get satisfactory results.  If flowers are open, pollen is released so applying these chemicals has little to do with preventing allergy problems.  Its purpose is to prevent fruit from forming.             Here are why two applications work better than one.  First, flowers must be open when the spraying is done.  This is because the spray must enter flowers to be effective.  It is not effective if it lands on the outside of the flower; when the flower is closed.             Secondly, flowers do not open all at the same time.  Flowers exposed to full sun open first.  These are primarily on the south and west sides of the tree.  Flowers on the north and east sides open later.  Flowers that are not in full sun, scattered throughout the inside of the tree, also open later.              For all the flowers to open may take up to 10 days.  The length of time needed for all the flowers to open depends on the weather.  If it is cold, all the flowers take longer to open.  If it is hot, all the flowers finish opening much sooner.              For best control of the fruit, two sprays should be applied; the first when 20% of the flowers have opened and the second when 80% of the flowers have opened.  One spray prevents fruit from forming but two sprays prevent MORE of the fruit from forming.  Never expect 100% control.             Applicators have a very limited amount of time to get all their customers trees sprayed.  If this spray “window” is missed it results in very poor control of the fruit.              I should mention there is one chemical which can be applied which prevents flowers AND fruit from forming.  This chemical is normally applied from February until March, before flowering.  It is hard to get but there may be a few applicators still using it.

Q. Can you tell me the care and fertilizing of Tecoma stans, Yellow Bells?  Mine are looking rather shabby, leaves dropping and lots of what looks like seed pods dangling from branches. What action should I take at this time to invigorate the plant? Any certain fertilizer that I should be using? Yellow bells A. I am a proponent of organic type fertilizers, such as quality compost, but you can use a mineral fertilizer like 16-16-16 or 10-5-5 if you like. These mineral fertilizers have a large quantity of some major nutrients but are missing many of the others. If your landscape or garden soil is relatively new, mineral fertilizers usually work okay. But in older soils these mineral fertilizers might not provide all the nutrients plants need. Yellow bells flowers If using compost, apply 1/2 cubic foot of compost per plant if they are 1-2 years old. Use 1 cubic foot if 3-5 years old. Use two cubic feet if they are older and bigger. When using mineral fertilizers, the amount to apply depends on the type of fertilizer but it should say how much on the bag. Yellow Bells can grow to more than 15 feet tall but you can keep them 6 to 10 feet by correct pruning with no problems. Remember, prune from the bottom to control height, not the top of the plant. And don’t use a hedge shears. If you prune it incorrectly, this may remove all the spring flowers. If not sure, prune after they finish blooming this spring. They should flower again in the fall. Remove seed pods as soon as they appear. This won’t hurt the plant at all. Fertilize them now with mineral fertilizer and again just before they bloom in the fall. Apply compost once a year. Do it now. If you have large rock, apply compost on top of the rock and water it in with a hose. In my opinion, compost gives better results.

Q. The recent article about Tecoma stans, yellow bells, advised the correct pruning for height control is from the bottom, not the top of the plant. Please clarify the difference between top and bottom pruning. A. Pruning at the bottom of the plant for height control means making the pruning cuts at the bottom of the plant, removing the tallest stems a few inches above the soil. Pruning at the top of the plant means making the pruning cuts near the top of the plant near some desirable height. Go here to learn more about it             Results from doing these two different methods of pruning results in a very different plant years later. Making cuts continuously near the top results in larger and larger stems with fewer and fewer leaves near the top. Pruning at the bottom keeps the plant eternally young.             Pruning at the top of the plant is like giving the plant a butch haircut and requires no knowledge of how plants grow. Cutting at the bottom of the plant removes the largest and oldest stems, removing about ¼ of the entire plant in a few single cuts.             Cutting at the bottom renews the plant with new growth from the base. Cutting at the top causes no renewal from the base but instead results in all the new growth growing from just below the cuts at the top.