Gardeners Grapple with Plant Care
Homeowners and orchard enthusiasts are seeking advice on managing their plants, including dealing with overpruning, tree straightening, and pest deterrence. These posts reflect a desire for guidance and reassurance in maintaining healthy gardens.
SOURCES (60)
“You can prune plants, it’s shockingly easy to fit that “too big” species in when you whack it back every few years.”
“This is the first big prune of my olive tree. I thought it was nicer looking to prune the bottom to open up the under area. How did I do? Should I reduce its height too? It’ 4 years old and it’s the first time I pruned it. submitted by /u/ApprehensiveBag1489 [link] [comments]”
“I grew this peach tree from the pit and planted it this spring. I have repotted it once. But the leaves are so yellow/red. What do I need to do? Is it time to put this thing in the ground? submitted by /u/justaMShippie [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone, I'm hoping someone can help diagnose my mature lemon tree (region: Northern California). Over the past month I've had one large branch completely die. It started with the leaves wilting, then the lemons shriveled, and eventually the entire branch died. I pruned that branch off. Now another large branch close to the previous branch is doing the exact same thing (pictures attached). These are actually two lemon trees that have grown together over the years, and their trunks ar”
“Hi folks, hate to ask as usually I am able to find answers from older posts on here but I'm stumped... My aprium tree was planted last spring in Bakersfield CA zone 9b and had been doing great until a week ago. Any ideas what's going on? The sun and heat here are really punishing, so that's my only guess so far, but it stays watered. I have had every disease and pest known to man in the last 3 years, I believe my yard may have a curse 🥴 am a total newbie though so appreciate any ins”
“Hello! I have a pink guava tree and every year many fruits drop and smash on the ground overnight, leaving them bruised and battered. When I’m able to pick them before they fall, inevitably others just fall off at the same time from a slight shake of the branch. Do any of you know a solution to catching them before they crash down? A tree net? submitted by /u/Random_Mix415 [link] [comments]”
“9a Texas. Planted 2 yrs ago I thought the drip line got clogged so I replaced and hand watered deeply for about a week to soak the roots. There is a singular green leaf at the top that has remained the entire time. Trunk has crack as noted in second pic. Scratch test continues to show green. I have sandy soil so pocket gophers are an issue but I’ve not seen any mounds in the orchard, and the tree “seems” firmly rooted. Nothing I’ve done in the last 6 weeks has effected any change. I’m still a fr”
“I wrapped the tree with netting but wasn’t able to tie it closed effectively. Any advice for next year would be very welcome. submitted by /u/spin_me_again [link] [comments]”
“So my schefflera started to have a massive grow spurt after I remove a lot of crawling vine climbing it(you can still see some of it at the very back and to the lower right side, I'm not sure what its called). I want to prune this monster but since this is my first time doing massive pruning I'm wondering if you guys have any ideas how to prune so that it looks good. Like what kind of shape looks good for schefflera Dont worry about the the vines, I have mostly cleared it now, hopefully”
“hi everyone, i’m new to this subreddit so i apologize if this is not the right place to bring this question but i am really hoping someone will know what can be done. this is my parents’ italian plum tree, it is somewhere around 15 years old and today while working on a different part of the yard they noticed a split in one of the large branches. the branch had been whole with no issues no more than 2 days ago (as of the last time they had worked in this area). it seems to have split out of the”
“This is a first-year peach tree, and I posted last week about it being eaten. Checked for earwigs (none) and caterpillars (none) and then got some Neem spray and have applied that. We had a big storm, two nights ago, and this morning I looked out and there are leaves all over the ground, brown spots on the leaves that are still on the tree, and maybe (I can't tell) more eaten leaves? See pix. I have diligent about watering. Did a summer prune two weeks ago (just to open the middle). It conti”
“Studies show that at the end the yield difference isn't that different between pruned and unpruned tomatoes, assuming the lack of pruning did not cause diseases. You get bigger and less fruits by pruning, smaller and more fruits if you don't. But the final weight is often the same.”
“Oddly enough, i have a grafting knife (a cheap one) in my pocket even as i type this. I live between Hotchkiss and Paonia on the western slope of Colorado, which is an area full of orchards and vineyards. You can also graft multiple varieties of a fruit onto the same tree.”
“Reduce some leaves/branches (aka some pruning back), so it needs less water while it recovers may also help? But definitely worth a try, indeed.”
“I have an apple tree that didn't grow branches on one side. Can these nodes be woken up by notching next spring? And how many should I notch? Is it a crapshoot whether it grows a branch or a fruit bud? submitted by /u/ZoixDark [link] [comments]”
“I keep mine pruned short because I want them contained. About 3 - 4 feet. I haven't had any issues with my harvest. I prune multiple times a year.”
“It will just come back if you pull it. Mine was dug out with a shovel and it was a pretty deep and wide to get the entire root ball out. He them poured a bag of the salt we use to melt ice in the winter into the hole after he got the root out and filled the hole back in and the tree hasn't come back in 5 years. The grass came back right away too.”
“I've tried wearing gloves and pulling for quite a while. Any tips to make it easier? submitted by /u/snarfy42 [link] [comments]”
“i keep reading conflicting info. i have already cut the fluricanes down to the ground. now my primocane is like 6 feet tall. we pruned one time a few months back and now it’s just tall. should i prune it down to about 30 inches? and repeatedly prune to 30-40 inches? should i leave the primocanes alone? Should I prune down to the ground annually? submitted by /u/AITAHdinendash [link] [comments]”
“So, my experience with wisteria is that an active campaign to kill it requires persistent destructive acts. I can cut it to the ground and it will be a significant vine again by the end of the summer. I can say with a high degree of confidence that no matter how much you prune that plant, it will not die. I can also say that it is extremely strong and heavy. I had to fell a spruce tree that was infested with it last year. It had climbed all the way to the top of a 35' tree. I cut the top 16&”
“That's 'Sango Kaku,' one of the most beautiful Japanese maples out there. The coral bark in winter is absolutely worth it. Zone 8B is great for them. Morning sun, dappled afternoon shade, and don't let it dry out that first year.”
“Hey everyone, hoping someone here can provide some advice to a totally inexperienced fruit tree owner. I have 2 pear trees and 2 apple trees in my back yard. They are about 6-7 years old. Every year they blossom and produce lots of fruit. I fertalize them with fruit tree spikes in the spring, and they are in an area k Of the yard that gets full sun and lots of drainage. But every year by the time we reach fall and the fruit is often covered in dark blemishes. I don't quite know what it is or”
“Hey folks, hoping somebody can give a newbie gardener some guidance. It's in my user flair but I'm in Zone 3a/3b. I have what I'm pretty sure are two Nanking Cherry (prunus tomentosa) bushes in my yard. Both are looking pretty stressed and I'd really like to propagate more plants before I lose these ones. 1st bush is in the front yard (north-facing) in the lee of the house but not directly next to the house. It got absolutely brutalized by the contractor I had replace my siding a”
“I did read it needs cool hours, but I’m in Michigan so I’m a bit worried. But if you say so! Also the plant next to it is a Poblano pepper plant haha”
“My first oregano plant is growing so well and I’m wondering if/when to pinch or prune? TIA for any advice or tips! submitted by /u/AwkwardDreadlock [link] [comments]”
“Last year we had an amazing harvest for our peach trees, but I wasn’t sure on pruning so I held off and this year they are barren. I know there is a lot of dead that needs to go but I wasn’t sure wondering if someone could draw lines on branches where I should take them down to. Here are the pictures of the 2 trees, in order first two then second two. If I had the money I would hire an arborist, because I have a plum tree and 2 pear trees that need trimming as well. Please help me! submitt”
“We recently bought a house with a neglected apple tree that has branches going in wacky directions, especially the tallest, most healthy branch. I had a stake and tied it to try to slowly bring it straighter, but as you can see, the stake is too short to keep using. How should I fix this? It starts bending sideways so close to the trunk that if I pruned it off below the bending, it would take the whole thing off. It's one of those many variety grafted onto one tree types. submitted by”
“I didn't do enough research when I bought our fruit trees I think 6 years ago. I have the pear and apple trees figured out now and hopefully next year will see some fruit. But my plums and peach trees, last year i got like 2 plums to survive until we hit a drought and the peach tree the same. The year before I picked a peach that was fully matured. Basically I didn't know what self pollinating and not self pollinating meant. ( I thought not self pollinating meant you had to have at least”
“What do I do will the tree grow new leaves and should I fertilize? submitted by /u/linglingbayarea [link] [comments]”
“For the longest time we didn't know that this was a pomegranate tree. My grandmother planted this 30 years ago and it's been mostly pruned as if it were some type of bush. It does still flower, but the flowers just fall off and never turn to fruit. I know this is going to take several seasons to be able to get it to fruit, but any tips to get there sooner would be super helpful! submitted by /u/NoIron3599 [link] [comments]”
“Just cut it close the foundation, then again 4’ away from foundation. It’s a small root and won’t hurt a mature tree.”
“Forgive my ignorance as this is my first season trying to grow trees in my backyard garden. This is my bonanza peach tree, which I planted in May. It is a single stem, which I have been pretty sad about as it looks super scrawny, and I have been suspicious that it will actually hold full sized fruit. But I have cared for it dotingly nonetheless hoping it will surprise me. About a week ago for the first time what was previously a solid bark stem, sprouted little green shoots, and in the past week”
“They make a tree trunk wrap that will keep bugs out of the wound. It’ll take time, but the tree has a solid chance of survival if you can keep it from getting sick. In addition to the trunk wrap, I also recommend nipping off any buds that appear this year. That’ll encourage the tree to use its nutrients to heal.”
“Unfortunately I wouldnt expect a fence installer to know about different types of evergreens and their growing habits.”
“Looks like rabbits. If you have the space and time, fence it with chicken wire or similar (and all your other fruit trees) immediately and let it heal and see how it goes. I had one tree with rabbit damage but it wasn’t this deep. What I read at the time is that if it isn’t all the way around it may survive. If you want to maximize production and don’t want to deal with the risk of losing it later then start over.”
“Should I keep the tree around or is a situation like this inevitable death? submitted by /u/Icy_Maintenance3498 [link] [comments]”
“I am wondering if someone can help me with this tree. It seems like it’s curving down a lot even for a crimson queen of the weeping variety. Is it healthy? I know I’m going to trim it so that it’s not angled down as much but just looking for any advice. It was just planted a few days ago and seems to be pretty established. submitted by /u/conscious_healing100 [link] [comments]”
“Hey guys next month I would like to prune my lime tree (in the grey pot) to tidy it up a little. What is the best way to prune this and can I just prune off the citrus leaf-mined leaves off and shorten the branches? Cheers guys. Currently it is winter in Australia. submitted by /u/razorblade07 [link] [comments]”
“Evergreens only grow from new growing ends. If they had squashed the branches on the other side of the solid fence they would have died anyway since they would no longer be receiving light and the branches that rub on the fence would lose bark and die back. It doesn’t look too bad to me consider the circumstances.”
“Hello, as per the original post I'm looking for any ideas /help with this pear tree. submitted by /u/Upset_Context2990 [link] [comments]”
“I have a 100+ year old apple tree, based in the UK. The bark is coming away from the trunk and there are way less leaves this year. submitted by /u/Gherkin2018 [link] [comments]”
So this is my first year of having bf a citrus tree and I know about rootstock but I’m not sure if this is it can you help me identify please?🙏 😔…
“This has been growing on one of my plum trees this year. It seems to be a fungus or something growing on and into the bark. There is tree resin seeping from some of the spots too. I trimmed these off the tree today. Any help identifying and treating this would be appreciated! submitted by /u/GburgG [link] [comments]”
“April 2026 I inherited an old orange tree a few months ago. I am new to gardening and still learning. I mistakenly overpruned it and thinned the canopy; thinking citrus is maintained like apples and stone fruit. Now the tree is yellowing and dropping a lot of leaves. I haven’t changed the irrigation schedule and I added Citrus Tone 1 month ago. I am in Southern California (10a). I am quite worried the tree is going to die. July 2026 July 2026 submitted by /u/matthewvillasis [link] &#”
“The Peachtree was planted last summer submitted by /u/DangerousString9263 [link] [comments]”
“This tree is slated to be pruned when it goes dormant but my question is should I be pruning the suckers/shoots from the base? I cut back the ones that popped up earlier in the season but they are back in force and I’m not sure if I should be taking them off as they come in pre wait and remove when I do the prune on the canopy. submitted by /u/scatattack91 [link] [comments]”
“This picture is of an ornamental tree next to the orchard since it's easier to see the damage on this one. But some of the peaches have similar gummosis and large trunk cankers. I think the orchard has gone unwatered for at least year and probably unmanaged for a few years. I just took over this week. Colorado 6b. Can the cytospora be managed and the trees left in place once it gets to this point? Or do the trees where it has reached the trunk just need to be removed? submitted by  ”
“Sorry for the terrible photos, it's hard to show what I am trying to show. Both have branches growing up against the hardware cloth I put up to protect them. I am on the border of 6b/7a (it varies by year). I am new to growing apples (intentionally, I have some random sprouted apple seeds that are nigh unkillable). These are two young apple seedlings I planted earlier this year. One is "Pristine", one is "Liberty". Both are on g41 rootstock. They were purchased small and”
“This seems to have come on quite quickly, I came back from vacation and it seems to be all throughout. All signs point to fire blight from what I can tell. submitted by /u/TheGremlyn [link] [comments]”
“I’ve done minimal pruning over the years. And I need to manage these better. It’s time to identify pruning for next February (New York) A). Pictures 1&2. 3 High bushes 6 ft tall under a Japanese maple that is now shading them several hours per day. No longer good producers Q: if I want to move: trim down to a manageable ht over 2 years & cut out the older main trunks? Or, trim out 2-3 of the oldest branches to the ground + any old stuff at the top and they will recover some vibrancy with”
“Can anyone help me identify the problem, and hopefully the solution, to what's ailing my asian pear combo? First two photos are of the top of leaves; the third shows the underside. The tree is continuing to grow new leaves, but they still seem to get infected. All the four different varieties on of pear are affected. I'm in the Puget Sound area of the Pacific NW (USA). Some research suggests Pear Trellis Rust (Gymnosporangium sabinae) but the underside doesn't have anything growing o”