whats the hurry ... you can always trim a tree later ... dig a hole NEXT to the ball of soil you planted.. AND FIND OUT... if water is getting down into the whole root mass ... NO GUESSING .... if not .. water deeply.. .. is its soggy down there.. quit watering ... otherwise ... give us a pic.. so we can see what is going on ... if the brown part is dead.. it can wait to be pruned.. if its not dead.. it might releaf.. even next spring... i cant tell you anything about bugs.. on words alone.. but i can say.. if you dont find anything.. then using a chemical.. is pollution ... and trust me.. i dont have anything against such.. when there is something to use it on ... but again.. no guessing ... pix??? do you have a warranty???? might want to think about using it.. but personally .. i wouldnt plant until the next proper planting time ... but the question will be.. will they have a replacement in fall???? might want to talk to them now and find out what your options might be... ken

If they are small bands that you're trying to grow up then yes, disbudding will help them to root and grow quicker. If they are larger bare roots or potted roses I don't think it matters. I do think you should let one bloom to make sure you have the correct rose. Even very good nurseries can make a mistake now and then.

Is this what 2 co-dominant trunks looks like? How do I prune this? Yes - that picture is representative of co-domination, even though one is obviously a little thicker than the other. A) At some point, you can remove one of the trunks entirely, which immediately solves the issue. If you go that route, the trunk you'll eventually remove is a 'sacrifice' branch. For now, it provides food to the plant that helps the trunk thicken and increases the plant's o/a mass. Generally, when I use sacrifice branches, I prune away any branches that cast shade on the part of the plant I'll be keeping. Only the bottom branches of this larch will be part of the end composition. The entire main trunk (90% of the tree's ht) above the low cluster of branches will be sacrificed at a later date. B) you could chose the side you like and cut the other side back hard - to the first pair of leaves coming off the sides of the branch (don't cut back to leaves growing up and down or you'll get a pair of branches growing one up, one down. The other way, leaves on the side of the branch, produces one left and one right branch - much better. Always consider this when pruning plants with leaves that grow alternately on the branch in opposite pairs. Cutting one side hard and leaving the other to grow will quickly make a difference in the thickness of the branches and cures the dominance issue. When you look at any plant and can't immediately see the trunk line and the apex, it's a good indication that more thought during early development would have increased the plant's eye appeal. About the bottom picture you ask: This is the tallest plant, the trunk is about 6" from root to the first branch on the left. From what you have taught me I think that trunk is too tall but I do not know what to do (if anything can be done) Please advise ..... If you want to be very bold, you can cut the plant back just above the tiny little branch on the left and that can be your new leader. You could then use the top as a raft planting. For this, you would cut all the branches off one side of the trunk, lay the trunk down and cover it with soil. You'll end up with several trunks all attached to each other by way of the branch you buried in the soil. For the bottom picture, I would pot it - pruning off a branch here & there to keep it balanced, and let the tiny low branch grow. As it gets longer, I'd tie it to the main trunk with a strip of cloth so it's more or less upright. Then, at some point (next summer or summer after), I'd chop the top off above that little branch. You can construct all sorts of contraptions to make your plants do what you want them to do. I pruned at least 1/2 bushel of foliage off this plant before I did the first styling. Timing is important. Al

I would NOT eat it. There are many members of the Apiaceae. Not all are palatable and some are toxic. As far as I can tell it isn't parsley, cilantro or chervil. Carrot seems the best bet so far. Being able to smell it would help.