Here's what one ISA certified arborist says (my pal Howard)- Sick Tree Treatment Trees become infested with insect pests and diseases because they are in stress and sick. Mother Nature then sends in the clean up crews. Insects and pathogens are just doing their job - trying to take out the unfit plants. Most plant sickness is environmental - too much water, not enough water, too much fertilizer, wrong kind of fertilizer, toxic chemical pesticides, compaction of soil, grade changes, ill-adapted plant varieties and/or over planting single plant species and creating monocultures, as was done with American elms in the Northwest and the red oak/live oak communities in certain parts of the South. My tree health plan is simple. Keep trees in a stress free condition so their immune systems can resist insect pests and diseases. For example - it has been noticed by many farmers and ranchers that oak wilt doesn’t bother some trees - especially those that have properly exposed root flares, and those where the natural habitat under trees has been maintained. The Sick Tree Treatment is not just good for oak wilt, but for any other tree problem as well. Here is the updated version and how it works: Sick Tree Treatment Step 1: Stop Using High Nitrogen Fertilizers and Toxic Chemical Pesticides Toxic chemical pesticides kill beneficial nematodes, other helpful microbes, good insects, and also control the pest insects poorly. Synthetic fertilizers are unbalanced, harsh, high in salt, often contaminated and destructive to the chemistry, the physics and the life in the soil. They also feed plants poorly and contaminate the environment. . Step 2: Remove Excess Soil from the Root Flare A very high percentage of trees are too deep in their containers and also have been planted too low or have had fill soil or eroded soil added on top of the root flares. Soil on top of the root flare reduces oxygen availability and leads to circling and girdling roots. Soil, or even heavy mulch on trunks, keeps the bark constantly moist which can rot or girdle trees. Ideally, excess soil and circling and girdling roots should be removed before planting. Removing soil from the root flares of existing trees should be done professionally with a tool called the Air Spade. Homeowners can do the work by hand with a stiff broom or brush. Gentle water and a shop-vac can be used if done very carefully. Vines and ground covers should also be kept off tree trunks. They should actually be pruned back away from the flares, at least on an annual basis. Step 3: Aerate the Root Zone Heavily Don’t rip, till or plow the soil. That destroys all the feeder roots. Punch holes (with turning forks, core aerators or agriculture devices such as the Air-Way) heavily throughout the root zone. Liquid injectors and the Air Spade can also be used. Start between the drip line and the trunk and go far out beyond the drip line. Holes 6-8" deep are ideal, but any depth is beneficial. Step 4: Apply Organic Amendments Apply zeolite 40-80 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft., greensand at about 40-80 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft., lava sand at about 80-120 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft., horticultural cornmeal at about 20-30 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. and dry molasses at about 10-20 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. Cornmeal is a natural disease fighter and molasses is a carbohydrate source to feed the microbes in the soil. Expanded shale applied at 1/2 " is also very helpful if the budget allows this step. Apply a 1" layer of compost followed by a 3" layer of shredded native tree trimmings; however, do not pile mulch up on the root flare or the trunk. Smaller amounts of these materials can be used where budget restrictions exist. Also, any rock dust material different than the base rock on the site will help. Step 5: Spray Trees and Soil Spray the ground, trunks, limbs, twigs and foliage of trees with compost tea or the entire Garrett Juice mixture. Do this monthly or more often if possible. For large-scale farms and ranches, a one-time spraying is beneficial if the budget doesn’t allow ongoing sprays. Adding garlic oil tea or cornmeal juice to the spray is also beneficial for disease control while the tree is in trouble. Cornmeal Juice is a natural fungal control that is made by soaking horticultural or whole ground cornmeal in water at 1 cup per 5 gallons of water. Screen out the solids and spray without further dilution. Cornmeal Juice can be mixed with compost tea, Garrett Juice or any other natural foliar feeding spray. It can also be used as a soil drench for the control of soil borne diseases. Dry granulated garlic can also be used on the soil in the root zone at about 1-2 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. for additional disease control. Adding Bio Wash to the spray is also helpful against insect pests and disease pathogens. During drought conditions, adding soil moisture is a critical component. -Howard Garrett P.S.- "Garrett Juice" is a recipe he came up with, and is made by several companies and can be home-made. He's not receiving any royalties from it. If you did nothing else, this stuff is awesome for new transplants/stressed trees. I've used it several times before, but since I've gone organic years ago, I never seem to have any disease issues. No pests, nothing. I grow lots of fruit trees. Of course, in your case, it is almost certain that the driveway excavation is the cause of your problems. M This post was edited by Mackel-in-DFW on Wed, Apr 30, 14 at 11:19

Awesome new pics and updates everyone! I'm glad lots of folks got some good, soaking rains too. Last Thursday afternoon I was caught in the heaviest downpour I've ever seen here in over 12 years. Amazing! Tons of rain water in my rain barrel right now, and it only collects from about 20% of the roof surface! Mary, you should definitely get some rain lilies, they're just so easy and they absolutely do not need to be on life support (automatic irrigation)! Just plant them, water them once every ten days or so when they seem active, and forget them. They're great, and so easy! Congrats on your pumpkin bloom, Xica, so nice! Keep us posted! Thanks for the nice comments on my little blog, it's a fun little outlet for me. Oh, you can plant those desert bluebells (Phacelia campanularia) any time, but when I am introducing them into a garden for the first time I wait until November to sprinkle them around the garden. They'll pop up in late winter and bloom in spring. Once you let some go to seed, you'll never need to plant them again, LOL. Awesome pics and plants as always, dlg421! I love your garden! Great that it got a nice rain too. I noticed a few mushrooms popping up in my garden too, LOL. Fun! Okay, it's September now, so I'll see everyone in the September thread! Thanks for sharing your gardens with everyone, it's wonderful to see/hear what's going on in your gardens! Take care and happy gardening, Grant Here is a link that might be useful: Happy September 2012 what looks good/bad in your garden?

I love it! Many of the extreme "layered" homes, I do not care for, but this one, YES! It is not so "over-layered" that you can't see each individual item. There are pieces of some type of blueware in almost every room - if not, a blue pillow or rug. The library is wonderful. It has books and beautiful, wooden bookshelves. The only room I could not spend much time in would be the bedroom - I couldn't breathe in there. The room may be larger than it appears. Tuesday

That's kind of what the temps are currently here where I am. They just never got appreciably colder than that .....high 20's was about the lowest. Since I don't need to worry about single digits or even teens, my trees are outside year round with no protection. They are perfectly happy now under conditions similar to yours and buds are beginning to swell. I would not have any concerns about you bringing yours out, provided you do it gradually (over a couple of days to a week)......and are prepared to take them back into the garage should temperatures plummet.