My pecans have black stains on them, obviously from the outer hull. Is that a problem?

Something is happening to the pine seedlings I planted this fall. I would like to know what is the cause and what I should do to remedy the situation. Thanks!

I bought sunchokes at a farmstand a few days ago. Can I plant them now, or it it too late? If I should wait until spring, will the tubers last in the vegetable cripser of the fridge until spring?

Today I removed a tick with tweezers and got all of it. Are you able to identify the tick? I am concerned about the Lyme disease prevalence in humans?

I have two holly bushes at the foundation of my home that have been growing there for more than 20 years. One has red berries and the other has the white flowers. Although I have done some pruning to them over the years I now wish to prune them back as they have become overgrown and have started to grow out beyond their original area. Can I prune these back now? I am not here in the late winter months so I would be unable to prune then and my next available time would be at the beginning of May. I could possibly wait until December provided we do not get any significant snow storms before then. I live in Mount Holly, Vermont.

I have a residential garden. Is using a grow tent to start seeds/grow seedlings in late winter, early spring worth the expense? Is there any MSU extension literature regarding this topic? Thank you!

Hello, I live in St Louis Park and our boulevard tree is about to be replaced by the city. It will be under a power line and we are on a busy street. We have been given a list of possible choices and I would like help to determine which will be most salt-tolerant, due to salt spray from the street. The tree that was removed was an ironwood--not sure why it was doing poorly. Here are the choices we have been given: Blue Beech (Carpinus caroliniana), Crabapple, Harvest Gold (Malus x ‘Hargozam’) Crabapple, Royal Raindrops (Malus x ‘Royal Raindrops), Hawthorn Crataegus (crusgalli var. inermis), Ash, Showy Mountain (Sorbus decora), Redbud (Cercis canadensis ‘Minnesota Strain) Serviceberry, autumn brilliance (amelanchier grandiflora).

Hello, I am searching for a resource on best practices on ensuring water quality for irrigation of crops. What kind of testing do you recommend to ensure this water is "clean" to be used for my edible plants? Site Information: Water is from a 6300 sqft pond (max 13ft deep) with plans of a hand pump. Pond is a wildlife pond with consistent presence of various reptiles/amphibians/fish/plants etc.. no noticeable change in populations or kills. Vegetation is kept wild within 4ft of the pond to help with erosion. Pond has seasonal application of treatments for algae and invasive plants- all chemicals used are marked safe for irrigation in literature provided from service company. Pond fills naturally through rain and runoff from property. Water levels stay fairly consistent year round they are slow to fall and slow to rise. The most notable change being this past summer during the drought where levels dropped a maximum of 1 ft. Thank you!

My neighbors have a tree infested with lanternflies. I am not sure what species it is, as it is not immediately identifiable as a Tree of Heaven. Three different arborists have different opinions.

I noticed that trees in our front yard are dead or rather unhealthy as in View1 and View2. Could this be caused by the invasive vines (picture attached) that are found in same area? Can you recommend someone with plant expertise who can help advise what is happening and what we can do to get rid of invasive plants that are causing harm to other plants? There is a wetland area (~1,200 sq ft) also in our front yard. Can you recommend someone with expertise who can help us care for the wetland? We thank you and appreciate any assistance and advise you can offer.