Aside from the ash, which is doomed from EAB at some point or another...why not? Do they look decent or are they on their last leg? Q. michauxii - one of my FAVORITE oaks. I have several seedings I sprouted this spring...one of them is apparently a mutant as it is nearly 3' tall and still growing, the others are all around 12" or so.

I'm glad the whiteflies are managed now. I remember how the tree suffered with the whiteflies and all the sticky goo they left on everything under the tree. I kept watering it and thinking Hang On, Hang On! Ours has fresh young green leaves now and had a bath yesterday from an unusual May rain. We went to Yosemite a few weeks ago and it's nice to see full grown trees along the roads that havent been chopped at like our city trees have been. I try to let my ash have as much of its natural growth as I can. I just trim what goes over onto the neighbors yard and anything that has died or looks weak like it would break in the wind. My favorite time of year besides the green spring leaves is the intense yellow in the late day sun and the yellow leaves fluttering down in the breeze when the tree is going to rest. Did any of you name your trees? I named mine Paul.

I have found newbalance running shoes are lightweight, well ventilated, excellent arch support inserts and their very robust cushioning allow me to be on my feet all day... if they get wet or muddy I just hose them off, take out the inserts and let everything dry overnight in the garage. Don't laugh, but i change from my clean clothes to my garden clothes in the garage, work in the garden, hose off outside, remove all the dirty garden clothes in the garage and change back into the clean clothes before going inside. Just wish I had installed a sink and shower in the garage! I never tried it , but as a boy scout was told eating the tips of blue-tip matches would help keep the bugs away (something about ingesting the sulfur and the subsequent odor via perspiration). Maybe I will look for something like long sleeve surgical scrubs that are lightweight cotton that can be sinched at the wrist or ankles to keep the bugs out and yet still be comfortable in the heat . I have noticed my raised bed garden close to the house has fewer bugs than the garden area further away or closer to the tall grass/woods areas. The raised beds are easier to garden as you don't have to bend down all the way!

Regarding Imidacloprid Drench, soil inject, or trunk inject. Large trees must be proactively treated, before EAB causes noticeable damage. And if already showing decline, one must apply god-sent Tree-age product until tree recovers. Imidacloprid product must be applied just after ground unfreezes, which is usually April for us in the Midwest. Since peak uptake is needed between end of May and First of July, because Imidacloprid only kills Adults feeding on leaves, and Borer larvae's first two "Instar" stages. So Imidacloprid must kill off all young stage borers, before they reach damaging 3rd and 4th instar stages which Imidacloprid can not kill. Anyone in fear of killing off Honey bees or Earth worms, which settlers both brought over from Europe in 1700's. Must remove any flowering plants under treated tree that might also uptake drench or soil inject. Another proven option is applying Organic Tree-azin and Aza-sol produced naturally from India's Neem tree. Presently these are only approved products available in Canada. All the above only lasts one year, but Tree-age G4 can be purchased and applied by any common tree owner that lasts two years. If anyone would like to learn how to trunk inject themselves, using assembled parts costing under $2 bucks. Just contact me! Know that ALB Asian Longhorn Beetle had been totally eradicated here in Chicago. Since ALB spreads so slow, compared to EAB. Public should also be aware that 99% of Nursury trees arrive today with root flare already too deep in rootball. And require "Root flare excavation" before dug out of field, or installed on parkway. Also be aware that all young trees require "Formative structural pruning" to retain "Apical dominance" completed every few years until age 15-20. And also understory fruit trees with "modified crowns". Enjoy!