Q: The pictures are of a ginkgo tree that is completely covered with this fungus. It was also on our Encore azaleas and some older oak trees and other shrubs. We lost all our azaleas, some other ...

I answer a lot of questions from home gardeners on our Garden Hotline. Quite a few questions deal with lichens. The resident asks, “Are they killing my tree?” Lichens (pronounced lie-kenz) have been ...

Incorrect pruning, particularly “topping,” is the surest way to ruin a tree. If it doesn’t kill the tree outright, it will result in extremely dense growth at the ends of the chopped-off branches.