Can you tell me what weed this is? Thank you!

Hello! I am thinking about plants I'd like to have on my deck this summer. A small hydrangea--like a quick fire, for example, in a large pot is interesting to me. Do you think I could over-winter it? I have an attached but unheated garage I could move it to. I have successfully done this with a Japanese Maple. What are your thoughts? (Of course I could treat it as an annual, but keeping it would be fun~) Martha Cosgrove

How do I have my soil tested without a test mailer? I see that the test mailers are not available right now. We recently moved from Ohio to East Lansing. In the fall, we removed the overgrown brush from our backyard, and we are planning on planting new trees, shrubs, and perennials this spring. The soil here seems much better than the Ohio clay that we are familiar with, but I'd like to get your evaluation of any soil improvements that we should consider.

I'd like to find high bush cranberry on a property we own up in Koochiching County, near Northome. I've called the Farm Line but haven't succeeded; hoping for a reliable way to find and identify this plant. Can you help? I'd hoped that an ag agent of some kind nearby could help.

I plan on a backyard lawn removal and redevelopment. I believe that I will need to do a soil test for ph and fertility. Do you have provisions for such a test. Do you offer any literature that will help me in my project. Thanks.

T. Talabac's beautiful photo of Aronia arbutifolia in a display of native plants that we're planning. I would include a photo credit saying "Photo courtesy of T. Talabac, University of Maryland Extension." Is that okay?

I was hoping you could help tell me the cause of the leaf-yellowing that I saw recently [photos below] on a set of container-grown 'Green Mountain' Boxwoods at a nursery. The yellow margins were very uniform compared to any variegated boxwood species I've seen, so I didn't think this was likely to be a new cultivar or mutation. I only saw the yellow margins on the new growth coming out in shoots at the top of the plant. Other new growth lower on the plant was a uniform light green, and I couldn't find any sign of tip-yellowing on older foliage. When I looked this up online, every source I could find with a similar photo or description referenced Magnesium deficiency as the likely culprit, with a handful also raising the possibility of Phosphorus deficiency, or a combination of both caused by low soil pH. My question is, why would Mg deficiency show up like this in Boxwoods? When I was taught nutrient deficiency symptoms during college, Magnesium chlorosis was always described as starting with the older foliage because it was a mobile nutrient. In most examples I've seen in other species, the chlorosis was interveinal and left the leaf margins green initially. There were some very reputable sources referencing the Mg deficiency, including the American Boxwood Society and other extension offices, however I couldn't find any academic papers or research. If this has been proven to be Mg, is there a reason the signs seem to present so oddly in boxwoods? Is the path of this nutrient different in boxwoods because they're evergreen, or because of something more unique to them? And why does it only show up on a portion of the new growth? I'd love to hear your input or read any literature you have that would explain this and improve my plant pathology knowledge - this sighting had me very curious.

We have a 75-80 ft pine tree close to our polebarn and garage that was hit by lightning 6-7 years ago and had a portion of the bark blown off on east side about 30 ft off the ground. The tree has done well up to now. This winter, we noticed 6 large holes in the side of the tree where the bark is gone. We believe woodpeckers initially made smaller holes followed by squirrels making the holes larger so they can burrow inside. See pics. Can this tree remain? We really like the tree; however, we are also concerned about its structural integrity. Can someone from MSU extension come out and take a closer look for opinion? We are not far, Bath

We had a pine tree that was 30 years old. It developed some sort of disease and we finally had to replace it. For years I grew hibiscus around the bottom. Now the new, probably two year old, pine tree has developed some sort of "fungus" at the base. Can you suggest how to get rid of it. Could there be something wrong with soil?

I'm looking for local resources for soil and compost to start my garden beds, but Im have a hard time finding it in bulk. I would like to avoid box store bagged soil. Where would I go to find it by the yard in my county?