Q: I have a 12-year-old Japanese maple, which has branches that umbrella into a 5-foot diameter canopy. There is new growth on only 25 percent of the branches. What would you recommend now for this beautiful tree?

Janet Barnett, Cumming

A: Wait until early May to see what sprouts. Branches that have no leaves can be pruned back at this time to good wood. Since stressed Japanese maples are susceptible to sun-scald on the trunk, pruning expert Norm Mittleider suggests making a frame of wooden stakes to support an old bed sheet or shade cloth over the tree while it regrows its protective leaf canopy. This will take time, perhaps as long as three years. You may have to decide whether it's best to keep it or replace it.

Q: I am putting in a small backyard vegetable garden. I want to add earthworms to let them do their stuff beforehand. Where can I buy earthworms?

Richard Adams, Decatur

A: You don't need to buy earthworms. If you add soil conditioner and prepare your soil correctly, the worms will appear naturally. Visit my friends at the Oakhurst Community Garden near Agnes Scott College to see how they manage their raised vegetable beds. If you ask nicely, I bet they will give you earthworms from their big compost pile.

Q: I accidentally seeded my lawn with fescue. I had a beautiful bermuda lawn and now the fescue is taking over. How can I get rid of it?

K. Goode, Fulton County

A: The easiest thing would be to apply imazaquin (Image for Nutgrass) in late May and mow regularly at 1.5 inches. The combination of the two should kill fescue pretty handily.

Q: Can you please tell me how to propagate an aloe plant and a mother-in-law's tongue?

Julie Farley, Gwinnett County

A: Make a 1:1 mix of potting soil and perlite. Mix with enough water so that when you squeeze a handful, no water comes out. Spread a layer of the mix 2 inches thick in the bottom of a plastic tub. Make 2-inch to 3-inch cuttings of your plant leaves. Bury the bottom ends 1 inch into the soil. Stretch clear kitchen film over the top of the box and place in a sunny window. After two weeks, remove the film. You should have well-rooted cuttings in two months.

Q: As an avid gardener and a victim of skin cancer, I am looking for the optimal sun protection hat. What hat does Dr. Allen Armitage wear on your TV show?

Gary A. Buie, e-mail

A: Nationally known University of Georgia horticulturist Allen Armitage is a smart guy. He knows how much damage sunlight can do to unprotected skin. He constantly wears a Tilley hat, model T2. Details at www.tilley.com.

Q: Deer have eaten all of the new growth on my fatsia bushes. They even chewed on the stalk of the plant. Should I cut them back or just leave them alone and hope they have new growth?

Susan Vlass, Alpharetta

A: Clip any ragged branch ends, but leave them alone until mid-May. The sprouts that occur then will guide you on what needs to be removed and what can remain to build the framework for a new shrub. Deer like the new spring growth on landscape plants. My friend Daryl Pulis reports deer unexpectedly ate the blooms of her Lenten rose.

Listen to Walter Reeves Saturday mornings on NewsTalk 750 WSB-AM from 6 to 10. Call 404-872-0750 to ask questions. His Web site, www.walterreeves.com, contains thousands of answers to lawn and landscape questions. You can buy his autographed gardening books at www.walterreeves.com/books.