For:
By: Daniel E. Mullins
Extension Horticulture Agent
The Year’s Top Three Gardening Questions
Gardeners contacted the Santa Rosa Extension office over eight thousand times during 2003. These phone calls and visits included a wide variety of gardening questions, but most people wanted help in solving plant problems. Following are the three most frequently asked questions.
Question: Why is my tree dying?
Answer: There is no single answer because trees, as living things, are subject to insects, disease, lightening strikes and other natural causes. However, we are often our trees’ worst enemy. Most sizeable ailing trees that I have examined in urban and suburban areas suffer from root damage.
Any soil disturbance near a tree can have long term effects. Grading, filling and ditching usually results in root loss or the inability of roots to function as before. Heavy equipment traveling over the root zone can also compact the soil and have similar effects.
Saving big trees on small lots is especially challenging because the average root spread is three times the canopy spread and most roots are within the top twelve inches of soil. There are often not enough roots left once development is complete. Even more frustrating is the fact that the tree might live and decline slowly over a one to five year period before finally succumbing to this drastic change to the root system.
Trees in rural settings live about ten times longer than their urban and suburban cousins, so obviously changes during property development have their effects. All possible precautions should be used when property is being developed.
Question: I have these dead spots in my lawn. What is causing this?
Answer: There are so many possible causes of dead areas in a lawn that each must be diagnosed individually. We find seasonal problems such as insects, disease, drought and flood, but most are brought on by stressing the lawn through improper maintenance practices.
In general, home owners who encounter lawn problems have overlooked some basic requirement of that particular kind of grass. Most common mistakes include mowing too low, watering too often once the grass is established, extremely heavy fertilizer applications and attempting to grow grass in the shade.
Question: I am new to the area and am unfamiliar with gardening here. What flowers, shrubs and trees can I grow?
Answer: We can grow a wide range of landscape
plants, but choose those that are adapted and learn to deal with our sandy,
coastal soils. There are many sources of
information including your local Extension office, nursery, garden center or
landscape professional. Also, go to the
Question of the Week: I have a containerized weeping fig on my patio. Should it be moved in for the winter?
Answer: Yes, and as soon as
possible! The weeping fig is very
sensitive to frosts or freezes. It is
also sensitive to being moved to a new location. Place it indoors in an area that receives
bright filtered light. Even with proper
watering and other maintenance expect some leaves to drop from the plant until
it becomes acclimated.