Tree trunk decaying, but concrete not the answer
Q: Should I evict the squirrel who lives in the hole in my golden rain tree’s trunk? There is some rotting on the cut stump. Should it be filled with concrete, or is there a better way to repair it?
A:
You’re going to have to hope that the tree can heal across the decaying area.
It looks like the cut may have been made too close to the trunk, meaning into the branch collar. That opened up a larger wound than necessary and took away much of the tree’s ability to form a symmetrical roll of new bark around the wound. You can see the roll from about the 1 o’clock position of the wound around to about 7 o’clock, but even then, it’s not continuous. I fear there is substantial decay within the trunk itself.
Relative to the concrete: Everyone wants to fill holes like this, but the truth is that the concrete adds no strength to the void. It merely seals off access to air so that any moisture and decay can continue to accumulate around it. Trained and certified arborists almost always recommend leaving the tree alone to heal on its own. If it is unable to do so, adding concrete wouldn’t have helped it.
Q: I have battled gummosis on my peaches for years. In fact, it’s been four years since I had a good peach. My grandfather painted over these cracks. Relative to the last photo with the most damage: Should I remove the limb?
A:
Unfortunately, your photos failed to attach. For those less familiar, “gummosis”
refers to a heavy oozing of sap from limbs and the trunk of peaches, plums and other stone fruit trees. It can be caused by insect damage, infection of a fungus, herbicide injury, mechanical damage or other challenges to the tree. It usually attacks weakened trees and often causes loss of branches or entire trees.
You can often identify whether the original cause was insectrelated by looking beneath the sap. If you see small fragments of wood that have been chewed by insects, that would be your clue. If the sap is clear of those chips, the cause is probably fungal.
Unfortunately, once you have the gummy ooze, it’s almost impossible to turn things around. That’s about the best I can do without photos. Hope it helps.
Q: We have tried so many things with this tiny yellow clover in our St. Augustine. We have even tried to dig it out by hand. The nursery sold us something to kill it, but it had no effect. What do you suggest?
A:
As with the prior question, no photo came with your email even though you refer to “this” tiny yellow clover. Almost always that wording would be referring to bur clover. It’s thriving across Texas currently. I’ll post a photo for comparison.
I grew up with this weed in our yard in College Station, and many of the lawns I mowed as a teenager were plagued by it. At that time, decades ago, my dad was the weed-control research scientist with Texas A&M, and I helped him do some of the early work with 2,4-D, even trying it on our own St. Augustine.
Used according to label directions, including while temperatures are still comparatively cool, products containing that active ingredient did a great job of controlling bur clover and most other broadleafed (“nongrassy”)
weeds. And the good news is, there are still many brands of herbicides containing 2,4-D on the market today.
Q: Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m assuming the lush green lawns around town are rescue grass. If so, how does it perpetuate itself from one year to the next? I’ve never seen it produce seed heads, yet it does die out as summer arrives.
A:
It could be rescue grass, but its seed heads are very obvious unless the grass is being mowed every three or four days. I seriously doubt you would be seeing entire lawns of rescue grass. It’s too coarse. Most people would be applying a pre-emergent herbicide between Aug. 25 and Sept. 5 to prevent its germination.
Of course, it could also be annual bluegrass (Poa annua). I wouldn’t describe it as “lush,” and it’s usually not dark green. It certainly does produce quantities of small, fine-textured seed heads in April.
Are you certain you’re not seeing ryegrass? It fits your
descriptions perfectly, and it rarely produces seed heads when maintained in a home lawn. I’ll bet that’s what you’re seeing, because commercial landscapers use it abundantly for the great looks it brings to dormant winter turf.
Q: I have really enjoyed my oakleaf hydrangea for several years. However, the cold this year has done severe damage to it. Several of the large stems appear to be dead. Should I cut it to the ground and let it resprout from its base?
A:
Oh, no! Oakleaf hydrangeas are completely winterhardy to any cold in your part of Texas. Granted, they lose all their leaves, but cold should never cause it to die back. I have about 20 of them, and I usually trim mine back by 12 to 18 inches each winter. Pruning encourages a burst of new growth in spring for better bloom soon after.