Callers:

• Laura – She planted grape vines for shade.  Does she need to trim them during the dormant season or let them grow?

Recommendation – If the vines are just used for shade, she can just let them grow since they are already established.  Peter walks through the pruning if she wants to produce fruit. If she doesn’t want grapes, just let it go!

• Craig – He has about 12 feet of space between his neighbor and his front yard…he wants a recommendation for a shade tree to protect his car. He really likes the pecan tree down the street.

Recommendation – Aphid’s love pecan tree and could leave a mess on his car.  Peter loves the tipu tree….John suggests coordinating with his neighbor, visit the AMWUA website and use their searchable database.

Peter Condon shares more about our “tree of the week,” the Tabebuia tree.

Callers:

• Louis – He has Chinese elm trees and all of the sudden the leaves are falling off. They noticed the root is very slimy and comes right off the bark. What would cause this?

Recommendation – It sounds like a fungus, “Texas root rot” that’s common in our area. Some trees are more susceptible and John recommends planting a tree that won’t be affected. Verify that their is not an irrigation leak too!

• Dennis – He recently had his palo brea tree trimmed and it’s leaking sap on his driveway and he wants to make sure it wasn’t damaged.

Recommendation – It doesn’t sound like it should’ve been damaged by the size of the cuts, but he might have an infection that is causing the over-leaking. Call an arborist….LIKE John at Integrity Tree Service!

• Peter talks about the programs offered at MCC for the plant lover in the family!
• Make yourself more marketable if you want to work in the landscaping industry and take a few classes.

Callers:

• Jim – About 2 years ago, he planted two trees side by side. Now one of them looks great and is growing, the other one hasn’t grown a bit.

Recommendation – It sounds like the roots were damaged during the planting process, so it might take a lot longer to get established.

• Robert – Does an evergreen tree require water during the winter season too?

Recommendation – Yes! You can hold off if it’s rained, but it does require water through the cold season.

Thanks to Peter Condon with Mesa Community College for joining us along with John with Integrity Tree Service!