Question: Alan, I heard your radio program for the first time last Saturday and have signed up for your free newsletters. In the meantime, I have a lot of questions which I hope you will be so kind as to answer. Thanks!

1. When is the proper time to trim tree branches? I want to trim the lower branches so that it is easier to walk under them.

2. We have had a lot of Japanese beetles this year. Is there anything we should do about the damage they have caused to our small trees? Is it best to trim the areas that they destroyed? Also, what can we do to prevent such infestations in the future?

3. I have a hydrangea that I bought at a local store at the end of the season two years ago. It has yet to flower. It is planted in an area that gets morning sun and afternoon shade. Should I replace it or is there something else I can do to get it to flower? I have not trimmed it at all since it was planted for fear of cutting off any potential blooms.

Answer: I will answer your questions in order as they appear:

1. The best time to trim trees is at the end of January just before the sap starts to rise. However, if you are trimming less than 10% of the tree’s total foliage mass, you can do so now.

2. If the Japanese beetles have attacked just the leaves, as they almost always do, you need not do any pruning now. The stems should still be alive and new leaves will resprout next spring. In order to prevent the Japanese beetles next year, you need to kill the grubs that are in the lawn eating the roots. One way is to apply Merit now. Alternately there is a life-long organic Japanese Beetle control product called Milky Spore, but it is expensive and takes 2 years to reach full effectiveness. Even with total kill of all of the Japanese beetle grubs in your lawn, you will never keep all of the Japanese Beetles out of your yard; some will fly in from grubs that wintered over in neighbors’ lawns.

3. I don’t believe your hydrangea is ever going to bloom. I believe it was a left over hydrangea from either Easter or Mother’s Day that was a forced plant. The plants are winter hardy, but the flower buds are not hardy. I suggest removal of that hydrangea and replacing it with the new, ever blooming Hydrangea Endless Summer. Endless Summer is a introduction of Bailey Nursery in Minnesota, so you know it is cold hardy.

Question: I planted a white flowering butterfly bush several years ago. Starting last summer, I noticed it had several lavender spikes in addition to the white. This year, it has quite a few lavender spikes with the white. Sorry, I don't know what the variety is. I was wondering what would cause this to occur. Also, I cut it back every fall. Thank You.

Question: Alan, you may remember me. I am the fellow that kept coming in last year all fall early on Sunday mornings and buying more Black Beauty grass seed. Then this spring I came back and got some more. I had a beautiful lawn in the spring and summer. It was fabulous; the best in the neighborhood. In most places it is really nice even now. But this summer I got some brown patches and for awhile they seemed to be spreading; although it doesn’t appear that they have gotten any worse during the last week or so. The brown patches are where the lawn was the best and the thickest. I checked and I have no grubs. I couldn’t find even one. What caused these brown patches and what can I do to keep them from spreading? Should I overseed just the brown spots or the whole lawn?

It is also very possible that the brown areas are only dead at the top and new shoots may emerge from the base after you rake away the dead tops. Control of lawn funguses may be achieved by spraying the lawn weekly with liquid Seaweed solution and feeding immediately with a ½ strength application of Turf Trust, a fertilizer which suppresses lawn funguses. As a last resort you can use a chemical lawn fungicide, such as Daconil 2787, but your brown patches seem not to be of significant magnitude that you are going to have to resort to chemical fungicides. If your brown patches do not recover from the roots by September 1st, you can lightly overseed the affected areas in the fall. DO NOT overseed the whole lawn.

Question: Just have a question if you don’t mind. Variegated hydrangea hasn't bloomed since I bought it at local nursery in 1995. It grows profusely and takes root wherever it touches the ground. Huge plant, lots of variegated leaves, but no flowers. It gets partial sun. What am I doing wrong?

Answer: Variegated hydrangeas are notoriously poor bloomers. You are not doing anything wrong. If you desire flowers rather than variegated leaves, I suggest you plant the new Hydrangea Endless Summer. Also, I believe that in 2006 there will be a new variegated hydrangea that blooms well—the best of both worlds.