QUESTION : In the spring my semi-dwarf Granny Smith puts on leaves, blooms, and sets fruit. As the season progresses the leaves and tips of some branches seem to die. The rest of the tree continues to do well and bear fruit. Year before last we removed the dead branches and thought we had solved the problem. Last year the same thing happened although to a lesser extent. Is there something we should do before our tree leafs out this year?
ANSWER : Sounds like your tree is having trouble with fireblight. Fireblight is a bacterial problem which is spread by bees during bloom. Antibiotics, such as streptomycin (Agri?Strep), and copper?containing products, such as Kocide, will control the fire blight bacteria if applied at the
proper time. For these products to be maximally effective, the first spray should be applied at green tip. (Green tip refers to first bud activity on the tips of branches before bloom occurs.) The objective is to get the level of these products on and in the tissue as high as possible as soon as possible. Apply each product according to label recommendations. Applications should be made in a sequence of 4 or 5 sprays at 7?day intervals, or less if rain occurs, from the time of green tip through petal fall (when the petals fall from the flower). Applications before, during and after bloom are necessary since all blooms do not open simultaneously and to insure that the bacteria will be killed when the dirty?footed bees, which spread the fire blight bacteria visit. These products will not hurt the bee, just sanitize her! Control will not be 100% effective. It is also a good idea to prune out the infected shoots as you did in previous years. The key is to go at least a foot below where the branch has died to as the bacteria moves down into the stem further than the initial dead tissue. Pruning way down the stem insures that you have totally removed the lesion. Also, after pruning you will need to dis?infect your shears with a bleach?water solution. Use 9 parts water to one part bleach; dip the shears in the solution and clean thoroughly. After cleaning be sure to oil the shears as the bleach will cause them to rust. The dis?infection procedure should take place after every cut to reduce the chance of spreading the bacteria on your tree.

QUESTION : I have recently had an old Chinese tallow tree cut down from my property. The guys also dug up some of the more obvious roots and "ground" the stump a good depth down. My problem now is that I have Chinese tallow sprouts coming up from deep roots (and from the stump) all over my yard!! they grow faster than weeds, and I don't like them. What can I do to get rid of this tree's offspring for good??
ANSWER : Keep the sprouts mowed off as soon as they appear. Soon the remaining root system will not be able to "feed" itself since the food factories of the roots ?? called leaves ?? will be removed. Be patient and persistent in removing the life?blood of the root system and YOU SHALL PREVAIL!!!

QUESTION : My wife and I have an enormous vegetable garden. I have over 50 tomato plants, still producing from last spring. I also have some 25 or so plants that are beginning to produce from their late July? early August planting. All the tomatoes are listed on the "recommended" list. Most, but not all, are in tomato cages. The entire garden is drip irrigated. I believe the plants have experienced near optimum moisture thru out the growing season. Fertilizing has been difficult due to the very dry weather. Since the soil has been bone dry for long periods of time, except the plants root zone, side dressing has not worked well. Fertilizer has been limited to carefully being placed onto the surface that becomes wet from irrigating. I am considering "fertigation". Maybe you have some suggestions on fertigation. All the varieties of tomatoes are cracking very badly. No specific variety seems to be immune to the cracking. I am being forced to pick the fruit early so it does not spoil on the vine. If I may be contributing to the cracking by some cultural practice I can change, please offer suggestions. The garden is a "natural organic" garden, meaning chemicals are not being used. For that reason, I have stink bugs. I feel the stink bugs do damage the tomato fruit, but don't cause the cracks. The garden is west of I 10 just south of Boerne.
ANSWER : Tomatoes crack because of fluctuations in the growth rate of fruit. These fluctuations are usually caused by environmental factors, some of which can be controlled such as moisture and fertility, some which can't be controlled such has heavy rainfall following periods of dryness and a slowing of plant growth caused by weather changes. The addition of gypsum (40?50 pounds per 1000 square feet) prior to planting can strengthen the skin of the fruit. Different varieties have varying skin thicknesses with Surefire and Merced being the thickest wall varieties on the market. But ANY AND ALL tomato varieties will split given the right (or wrong!!) growing conditions. The tomato variety which won't split could be dragged behind the car from Boerne to San Antonio without damage but would then have to be cut with a chainsaw and peeled with a tire tool!

QUESTION : I had an apparently healthy floribunda rose die in TWO days:
It was one of four, and the others are fine
The canes are still green, but all the leaves and buds have turned brown
There is no evidence of any disease or pest on any of the leaves or canes
The roses are in a raised bed in full sun and get regular watering
It was like the plant was struck by lightning!
ANSWER :The only thing which could kill a rose bush that fast has to be Cotton Root Rot to which roses and many trees and shrubs are extremely susceptible. There is no cure for this problem and the bad news is that it may slowly move from plant to plant to adjoining plants. The only "remedy" which may or may not help is to use a product with terrachlor (Turficide) around and in the soil mix in which the damaged plant was growing. Descriptions of Cotton root rot as well as other rose pathogens can be seen at:
http://cygnus.tamu.edu/Texlab/Shrubs/Rose/rosetop.html