I am trying to determine if I need to dig this tree out or give it time. From what I can find, I think it has verticillium wilt. The tree is a Basswood/Linden planted 3 years ago by the builder. Trunk looks normal and I do not see any bugs. Leaves did not have anything on them that I could see just turned yellow, brown and fell off. Started on one side and mostly gone in a week. The first picture was a week ago. Tree was full of green leaves. A couple days later is the picture with yellow leaves and a few days later the first picture. The twigs do not seem brittle or snap off so it is still alive. The bottom had a large circle of dirt with some mulch with an open area around the trunk. I have removed all the mulch now. I have irrigation that waters every other day. Please let me know your thoughts.

What are mulch options ..mainly for moisture retention purpose,,,,?

We are new to South Dakota from northwest Minnesota. We live on the outskirts of Wall. The land around our house was once a horse pasture, clay. How can we make this soil better for vegetable and flower gardening?

Dear MG: One of my taunton yews is not vigorous. Before I remove it, my landscaper suggested I try a fertilizer. What fertilizer do you suggest? Thank you Marcia Kaufmann

The shrub seems healthy early in the year and was covered in blooms in the spring, but now (and also last year) the leaves have lots of light colored speckles, which on some leaves become darker brown and some have holes. On the underside of the leaves there are also tiny black speckles. Is this an insect infestation? Is it mostly unsightly, or is it going to kill the shrub eventually? (And, is there anything I can do about it?) I mostly garden organically...

You talked about the fact that the mites could not withstand 106 degree temperature but bees could but worried about the bee pupae couldn’t you do a brood break and at the end of it raise temperatures to 106 degree to kill the remainder of the mites and then after that release the queen to start laying eggs.

Hi. I have a window box that is almost always in the shade due to the many trees in our yard. Are there any options for perennials that would do well in this environment? Either flowering or nonflowering plants would be fine, but native plants that support pollinators are preferred. I live in Minneapolis. Thanks.

I found this "preplanned" garden https://www.highcountrygardens.com/pre-planned-gardens/jumbo-waterwise-pre-planned-garden that I would like to plant in my yard in Laramie however it will not ship until the end of August beginning of September. What do you think?

I have several blueberry bushes which often suffer from getting white maggots inside. I have been reading online and have tried to identify what type of fly it is. I thought it was spotted wing drosophila but I am not sure. Is there more than one type of fly that causes these maggots in blueberries? I have seen the term "blueberry maggot" used for a type of fly. Is this just another name for spotted wing drosophila or is a totally different fly? I would like to stay organic, what is a good spray (commercial or home made) that I could spray on bushes, even into the fruiting stage if possible. I also thought about treating the ground around the bushes since I understand that is where they may overwinter? What could I treat the ground with? Thank you very much.

Can you tell me what kind of rocks these are? They were found in Lake Huron