Hello, we have a 800 square feet of native prairie gardens in our yard, with one of the primary flowers being purple coneflower. This year we noticed many of our coneflower plants getting white spots on the leaves, and some of them would also get yellow and brown spots. The heads of the coneflowers would also sometimes start turning black and rotting. Our questions are; how should we handle these diseased coneflowers as we cut our garden back this fall and is there anything we can do to prevent this from spreading or occurring again?

I put down a pre-emergent September do I need to put down another one now.

My crape myrtle tree recently became infested with white specks on the bark along the trunk of the tree and on the branches. Can you let me know what these specks are and what I can do to remove them? Thank you

Hi UMD extension, First I have to say I really appreciate your support and knowledge. I am currently am looking at how to rejuvenate my yard after a backyard wedding. First I hope it's not to late in the season to overseed. My plan was to likely Aerate first because of the compression of the wedding then overseed. My next question is what seed / grass types I should look for a yard that is basically a sleep hill in the back that is pretty shaded in the summer but the lowe part of the yard and my front yard get a ton of sun. Also many of the bare areas get high foot and doggie traffic so I wondering what might handle the slope but also handle my dog/active family lifestyle. I also am looking to make sure I am handling it in and creating a lawn that is supportive of the local ecosystem as possible. I am in the colesville/silverspring area. Thanks so much

My backyard is over run with moles. I treat for grubs and have not seen any. I’m thinking they are eating my earth worms. What do you suggest?

What type of tree is this? I photographed this on Mackinac Island. Thanks for your help!

Hello. My large white oak tree did not produce any acorns this year. Last year it had a smaller than usual crop. We have lived here 37 years and this tree has always had a bumper crop up until now. It looks to be healthy. It does not exhibit any rot around the base or root area. Can you tell me why there is a sudden decline in acorns? Thank you.

Hi! I have a built-in patio bed and there’s a stump (almost positive it was that amur honeysuckle) and it has fungus growing on it. I planted hostas next to it and they all died (also could have been too much sun and deer snacking on them). Before I try to plant there again I’m wondering if the fungus could be detrimental to other plant life. I’ve attached a photo. Thank you!

If I use triple fertile to get them and k needed for my grass, it grows fast but doesn't help the root growth which is very important. So with the triple fertilizer what can I use for better root growth?

We bought 2 verbena in pots this past summer. When can I transplant them in the ground, since they are perennials ? Also do they need any protection for the winter?