Q: I had a paulownia tree in my front yard. I cut the tree down but the trunk remains. Now I am getting hundreds of sprouts throughout my lawn. Some are 30 feet from the trunk! How can I kill them? Bobby Putz, email
A: I'm thinking about bringing to market a sand-filled box called "Garden Patience." Folks could sprinkle the contents on their problem areas and wait a while to see what happens. For you, I'd prescribe a half-cup of Patience plus your continued mowing of the paulownia sprouts. Removing them consistently will starve the roots and they will die. Alternatively, you could spray the sprouts with any broadleaf weed killer labeled for lawn use. In both cases, the process will be slow but the results will be the same: no more troublesome sprouts.
Q: Do you know where there is an elderberry tree for sale? JoAnn Barre, email
A: Like mimosa, elderberry is an attractive tree that has a bad reputation. It tends to colonize rapidly, displacing other plants. I've never seen them for sale at a nursery. Your best bet is to drive around near rivers, ponds and swamps and transplant one to your garden, with permission, of course.
Q: I transplanted a six-foot pink dogwood in early November. I knew it was a little on the large side to be transplanted. Now it has not leafed out. I have scraped a branch and noticed greenish color. Is it better to get a new tree this fall? Steve Whitley, Kennesaw
A: I hate to deliver bad news, but if the tree has no leaves now it can't store energy for next year or direct the growth of new roots. You did the job at the right time but too many roots were lost in the process of transplanting. Local nurseries will be glad to assist you this fall!
Q: I have a small patch of paperwhite narcissus. They have been in the ground three years. When I cleared the dead foliage recently I saw that the bulbs had migrated to the surface of the soil. Should I dig them now or should I wait until October to do it? Stephen Preston, Decatur
A: The bulbs need to be shaded by something in summer, whether soil or mulch. Otherwise they can be damaged by heat and sunshine. I think your best bet would be to dig them and store until October. Paperwhite narcissus don't often come back; you're doing something right!
Q: I have a mature apple tree and most of the fruit recently dropped to the ground overnight. What caused this? Jesse Jones, Decatur
A: Early fruit drop in general is most often caused by poor pollination. When pollen doesn't get to developing seeds they don't release hormones that control the developing fruit. Without the seed hormones, the fruit naturally drops. If you cut a dropped apple in half and see no seeds, pollination is the problem. Many things can affect pollination. Wet, rainy, cool weather during bloom inhibits bee activity; windy, breezy conditions with temperatures above 95 also will affect honeybee activity. Frost can also damage the flower. Even ideal conditions can cause partial fruit drop, as the tree aborts excess fruit that its leaves cannot support.
Q:Will wisteria damage my 40-year-old oak tree? I planted the vine two years ago and it is really growing, but a friend said I should cut it down. Annie Carder, email
A: Eventually you will regret letting wisteria (or ivy) grow up your tree. The added weight on limbs is not good for the tree nor is the shade the vines provide over lower limbs. Move the wisteria to an arbor this fall.
