If a Special Land Use petitioner meets all the review standards with the Planning Commission is a vote necessary to grant the SLU or is automatic? In other words can an applicant meet all review standards and still be turned down? Thanks

Hello again - I have had a cold compost pile for years. Nothing fancy, just a pile on the ground inside some chicken wire. Every year I notice that the pile barely gets taller but seems to almost disappear into the ground. I dig a little deeper and usually get a decent amount of compost. In the last couple of months I have seen the chicken wire on the ground away from this small pile and the compost now seems quite a bit lower than usual: almost level with the ground. There is no trail of compost. Do you have any ideas about this observation?

Hello. We just had a bloomerang purple lilac tree planted a month ago. The leaves look discolored. Is this something we should be worried about? Thanks.

I ordered the below items (catalogue names) from Gurney's with a late fall/early winter shipping estimate. I assumed I would receive dormant roots for overwintering, but I received three live plants in soil. My plan had been to stick them in insulated raised beds for the winter but I'm concerned doing that would kill the plants. -Semi-Dwarf Northland Half-High Blueberry Plant -Heritage Raspberry Plant -Black Magic™ Blackberry Plant Given that it's already getting pretty cold, especially at night, I thought I could plant them in small containers and keep them indoors, but in a well-lit area, and lightly watered over the winter and then get them in outdoor containers once spring comes. I'm not sure if you all give advice, but would love to know if this seems like a good plan or if there's a better route.

I believe our apple tree has black rot. What is the recommendation for curing this problem in south east Michigan?

Hello and Happy Friday - we were recently told that our crepe myrtles have a bark disease. Is it likely to be the scale I've seen described on other websites? And...what treatment is permitted in Maryland? Thanks much.

I have an area next to the road planted with astilbes about 20 feet by 2 feet. It is too hot for them and I would like to replace with short shrubs. Deer browse frequently. I have autumn ferns nearby, which are so/ so and better in the shade. Suggestions?

I own a large Silver Maple in downtown Wolfeboro. The tree has a tag (181) on it. What is the tag’s purpose? Who tagged it? Do you know how to get any additional information?

Hello, we have 6 large white pines on our property that appeared to have died. All of the needles have turned brown. We noticed this a couple of months ago, but I'm not sure when it happened. We've had tree removal services take a look. They've not been able to give us a cause, but confirmed that they are dead, so we're planning to have them removed. I'm looking for help in trying to determine the cause - in particular if other pines are at risk for the same fate and if so, what, if anything, could be done about it. I have attached a few pictures. The trees are in the middle of larger stand of trees. The other pines nearby seem ok. Any help or guidance would be appreciated. Thank you!

Hello! I have noticed a very small spider in my apartment. I am just curious what sort of spider he is! I will attach a picture. He is approximately the size of a grain of sand. thank you!