Fungicide

Maple leaves have black spots

Q. I noticed that the maples in my neighborhood have black spots on them. Are the trees sick?

Preventing Powdery Mildew on Phlox

 

Q. What can I do to prevent powdery mildew from attacking my phlox and zinnias?

Apple trees dropping fruit

Q. Why do apple trees drop their fruit early? We have an old apple tree on our property that produces pocked, rotten apples. Is there way we can help the tree produce edible fruit?

A. Some fruit trees will naturally thin themselves by dropping excess fruit prematurely. Often, a period of stress (a long, hot summer with very little rain) will cause a tree to abort its fruit in order to conserve energy. Apple trees require deep watering during drought. Lack of pollination can result in pea-size fruit that falls off prematurely.