trees

Master Gardener Sue Bell will share her expert knowledge on pruning and maintaining a beautiful landscape at home. Sue is a garden consultant and designer and is a veritable fount of information. Come learn how to avoid the "uglies" and "gee, it will grow back again, won't ir?" problems with pruning your ornamentals.

Space is limited. Phone the MetroEd/Erikson office at (408) 723-6450 during regular business hours to sign up, or email RitaB@metroed.net.

Tuliptree

Scale and aphids have been raising havoc on tuliptrees (Yellow Poplar) throughout Willow Glen in San Jose and beyond for a number of years. The visual cue is the dripping sticky honeydew all over sidewalks and minor to major limb dieback on affected trees. Entomologists from the University of California are conducting research to introduce a beneficial insect a parasitic wasp called Metaphycus flavus to help control the scale. It may have some potential but the results are not yet conclusive. In the meantime, it may be necessary to join together with neighbors and jointly hire a spray company to control the pest where trees are severely affected trees and their survival is threatened. Spraying should be avoided in the wasp release areas.

Sycamore

The sycamores planted as street trees and in home landscapes up until 15 or 20 years ago were almost always seedling Platanus acerifolia (the London Plane tree) rather than one of the two common selected cultivars 'Yarwood' or 'Bloodgood' that have been widely planted since that time. These earlier sycamores get three highly visible and troublesome pests -- Anthracnose, powdery mildew and sycamore scale. The practical solution in most situations is to live with the problem or replant with the most insect and disease resistant cultivar 'Yarwood'.