Q: I was dismayed to discover this morning that three of my rose buses have Rose Rosette disease. The symptoms couldn’t be any clearer: The rose bushes have the telltale excessive thorns, the witch’s broom leaves, and buds that never bloom, but die in place. Will this disease spread to other plants?Adèle Coburn, email
A: Rose rosette is devastating to roses of all varieties but not other plants. The only cure is to remove the entire plant. The untreatable virus can even persist in root fragments left behind when you dig out a rose. If you're careful about getting every one of the root pieces, you could leave the planting spot bare until October, scouting weekly for errant sprouts to appear. If none arise you can plant more roses in the same spot.
Q: My tree company misunderstood my instructions and topped my cryptomeria. Now it looks silly. Will it eventually get its shape back?Janet Harrison, email
A: Can you somehow reach the top of the tree? If there is a clean cut above a healthy branch you can use a piece of bamboo or a broomstick to make a splint. Use strips of cloth to tie the bottom half of the splint to the existing tree trunk. Gently bend one of the nearby horizontal limbs into a vertical orientation and softly tie it to the top half of the splint. It doesn't have to be exactly vertical, just close enough to stimulate the limb to head for the sky. It might look odd for a while but after a few years I don't think you'll notice the repair.
Q: I bought a Japanese maple and I'd like to put it in a planter since I might sell my home in a few years. How big should it be?Sheila Jobe, email
A: I think a planter comparable to the size of a half whiskey barrel would be okay for a small Japanese maple. I'm assuming you bought a dwarf type, not one of the tall varieties. In this part of the country there is no need to protect the maple in the container during winter. If you decide not to take it on your next move, you could always transplant it out of the container into the landscape for the new homeowner.
Q: Will Waterfall Japanese maple do well in Zone 7b?Barry Mosteller, email
A: It should grow perfectly fine, although 7b is the warmer edge of this tree's range. I would plant it in a spot that gets sunshine until early afternoon and then shade after that.
Q: We have a silver maple tree with roots two inches above ground. Would it hurt the tree to cut them to ground level using a draw knife and then cover with soil and grass?Penny Warner, email
A: Slicing into the roots would be a major injury to the tree. It's very likely the roots will begin to rot and die. This will remove anchoring on that side of the tree, possibly causing the tree to fall. You would be better off to cover the roots with two inches of sandy top soil and plant groundcover. Or you could just cover the roots with mulch.
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