Good morning- Can you please help me identify what is causing this damage to my crape myrtles and what I can do about it. I live in the Cockeysville area and the tree is about 4 years old (planted by Salt Creek Gardens in Annapolis.

My 20 ft. High loblolly seems to be losing a lot of needles. In the summer I found and picked off many of the caterpillars in the photos. Is there a connection and should I be worried about demise of this lovely tree? Many thanks!

A tree in the woods near my home is covered with these insects. This fall is the first I have ever seen them. Is there anything we could/should do to eliminate them or prevent/slow their spread?

Please share ideas for a small deciduous upright ornamental blooming deer resistant tree. It will reside on the south east corner of the house that gets full sun good drainage. Max width should be no more than 10 to 15 ft.

I have an approx 10 ft x 10 ft patch of brown grass in my lawn. I want to plant grass seed. What type of seed can I plant now that’s safe for dogs?

I would like to buy my dried herbs from someone local so I know I’m getting quality product to use for my homemade tinctures, salves etc. Are there any you would recommend?

We bought a Mandevilla this spring, and were surprised by how much it grew. We know it's a tropical plant that won't survive the winter, but it appears that we can take it in for the winter and plant it again next year. Everything I see on the internet talks about taking the plant inside in a pot, and continuing to let it grow. That won't work for us, so I'm trying to find the best way to store the tuber. Should it be dried? Should it remain moist? It will be in the basement, without light.

I have a much beloved apple tree in my urban orchard, which has now split down the trunk. I don't know which variety it is. We use it mostly for cider. I'd like to graft a branch to root stock to plant a new tree just like it. Do you know where can a find suitable semi-dwarf root stock? I'd only need maybe five pieces.

I purchased a 5' bare root Renaissance river birch in April and planted it according to the nursery instructions. It seems to have established itself well, but I have noticed the leaves have spots on them (this variety is supposed to be resistant to many things that plague this type of tree), and the trunk near the bottom has an odd scar (?). The tree has been protected from rabbits and other damage by a fence since its planting. I can live with the aesthetics of these issues, but wonder if they mean the tree is compromised and if I should ask for a replacement before the nursery's guarantee period expires? Thank you for your assistance and advice!

In the last several weeks I have seen spring blooming plants in bloom. Lilac (not boomerang) Forsythia Lavender Rhododendron Buds on ornamental trees and boxwood. I assume they will not be blooming in the spring. Is that true?