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Pruning Willow Oak and planting Chicago Hardy Fig
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Date Posted: Thu, Jul 02 - 7:00 pm
- Hello, We have a very large Willow Oak tree that we want to trim. Any recommendations for arborists that can trim these large trees without causing harm to the tree? We also have a Chicago Hardy fig tree, how far from the foundation should we plant it?
- Thank you so much for reaching out to the Richmond Master Gardeners. For your willow oak, we recommend hiring an ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) Certified Arborist with experience pruning large, mature shade trees. Proper pruning is important for maintaining the long-term health and structure of an established oak, and an experienced arborist can determine whether pruning is necessary and recommend the best approach. While we aren't able to give specific recommendations, you can search for certified arborists in your area using the ISA's "Find an Arborist" directory: https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist. Be sure to ask about their experience with mature oaks and request proof of certification and insurance. For your Chicago Hardy fig, we recommend planting it at least 10–15 feet from your home's foundation. Although figs generally have shallow, spreading root systems that are not considered aggressively invasive, they can become quite large, often reaching 15–30 feet tall and wide under favorable conditions. Allowing adequate space provides room for the canopy to develop, improves air circulation, makes harvesting easier, and helps avoid branches rubbing against the house. If you plan to keep the fig pruned as a smaller shrub, you may be able to plant it somewhat closer, but 10–15 feet is a good general guideline for long-term growth.
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"Suckering" trees
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Date Posted: Wed, Jun 10 - 1:26 am
- Hi - we have a couple of trees that look to have “suckers” of varying lengths (an example shown below). Would an arborist be able to assist with removing these growths safely and helping to minimize future growths?
- Thank you for reaching out to the Richmond Master Gardeners, and for including a very helpful photo! The growth you’re seeing are called “suckers” or epicormic shoots. In your case, these are vigorous shoots coming from the lower trunk. While the leaf shape looks consistent with the rest of the tree, the green color (compared to the purple canopy above) suggests this growth may be coming from the rootstock rather than the grafted top. You are correct to want to remove these, as they can take energy away from the upper canopy and, over time, may outcompete the desired growth if left unmanaged. If you are comfortable with pruning, many homeowners find they can remove these themselves keeping a few things in mind. First, be sure to prune each shoot back as close to the trunk as possible (don’t leave stubs). Stubs will create more suckers. Always use clean, sharp pruners. It is best to remove the suckers while they are still relatively longer. For larger or very dense growth like you have, an arborist can certainly help, but it’s not strictly necessary if you’re comfortable pruning. To help reduce future suckering: 1. Continue removing shoots promptly when they appear 2. Avoid heavy pruning of the upper canopy, which can stimulate more growth 3. Keep the tree healthy with proper watering and mulch (but avoid piling mulch against the trunk) From what I can tell from your photo, this appears to be a purple-leaf redbud, which is often grafted onto a standard green-leaf redbud rootstock. The rootstock naturally produces green leaves and tends to grow more vigorously, which seems to be what you’re seeing here. More broadly, trees often produce suckers in response to stress or disruption. Common triggers include heavy pruning or canopy loss, damage to roots or trunk (from lawn equipment, construction, etc.), environmental stress, such as drought or poor soil conditions, planting issues (like being planted too deeply or having mulch piled against the trunk), and natural growth habit of certain species or rootstocks If these shoots continue to return aggressively, it may just be the nature of the rootstock, but it can also be worth checking for any underlying stress factors.
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Figs, mint, strawberries and cilantro
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Date Posted: Wed, May 06 - 2:08 am
- Hello, I purchased a small fig tree in a plant sale. However, I read after purchase that they can be really aggressive here in VA and choke other plants/roots extend so far that they can damage walls and foundation. I wanted to check if I should put it in a container or plant it as planned in an area that gets east and south Sun. If planted in the ground, how far should it be from structures? Is there an extra way to control its root growth ( pruning in the winter for example )? The same question for strawberries and herbs like sweat mint and cilantro. I read that they could spread and take over the garden and that a flower bed won’t keep them contained. Would they be better planted in a raised garden bed?
- It sounds like you had a great day at the plant sale and have several great questions! Starting with figs ... This is a really great resource about growing figs put out by the Virginia Cooperative Extension office and I believe it answers all of your questions: https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/pubs_ext_vt_edu/en/SPES/spes-760.html If you are interested in doing a soil test before planting, there are typically soil tests available from the local libraries. Also, if you'd like to see some examples of mature figs, including one that was recently pruned, you can visit Humphrey Calder Community garden at the corner of Thompson and Patterson. The pruning was done by the city to ease maintenance around the tree and protect the fence. Strawberries and mint are both eager growers and like to spread and can be challenging to control when planted in the ground. Personally, I always plant mint in a large grow bag. It is very happy there, comes back year after year, and is well contained. Strawberries can also be grown in containers easily, or you could make a small raised bed for them. There is another example of this at Humphrey calder - you will find a bed near the center opening area that is mostly strawberries, but the gardener grows other things in the middle of the strawberries, like tomatoes. The Piedmont Master Gardeners have a great resource about growing strawberries: https://www.piedmontmastergardeners.org/article/strawberry-basics-for-the-home-garden/ Cilantro is not something I have ever had to worry about taking over. It is very temperature sensitive and bolts easily as the weather warms. The cilantro I've been growing this spring has already bolted (gone to flower and forming seeds). I would recommend finding a shady spot for your cilantro, and if planting in a pot helps you get it in a shady spot, then that work perfectly fine. This is a great resource for growing cilantro in Virginia: https://gardenclub.org/blog/cilantro-cool-season-culinary-herb Good luck with your new plants! Have fun!
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Pruning Camillias
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Date Posted: Wed, Apr 08 - 11:33 pm
- Good morning. My Camellia trees that are very mature just finished blooming. I would like to do a hard cut back to about 2 feet tall to reshape. With them blooming so late in the season may I do that now? The trees are greater than 20 years old and very healthy. Their shape is just gotten off over the years.
- Thank you for reaching out to the master gardeners! You are actually in the perfect window to prune since your camellias have just finished blooming. Camellias, even mature ones like yours, are generally very tolerant of hard pruning, so cutting them back to around 2 feet (a rejuvenation prune) is acceptable, especially since they are healthy and well established. That said, you should expect to lose blooms for next season because you’ll be removing developing buds, and the plants may look a bit sparse or uneven at first as they push out new growth over the next one to two growing seasons. When pruning, try to make cuts just above a leaf node or lateral branch, and after pruning, support recovery with consistent watering and mulch rather than heavy fertilization right away. If you’d prefer a more gradual approach, you could also reduce the size over two years by removing a portion of the older wood each season. Overall, your camellias should respond well, it will just be a bit of a reset before they fill back in beautifully. This is a great general resource about pruning put out by the Virginia Extension office: https://www.cmgv.org/images/References/Pruning%20Calendar%202019.pdf
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VCU Garden Beds
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Date Posted: Mon, Mar 30 - 2:36 pm
- I am trying to revive 8 garden beds in the courtyard of my campus dorm. The soil is currently dense w/ roots from the nearby mature trees, which have basically invaded the beds! I am unsure what we should do with the roots :( Do we cut them? Additionally, there is a little sapling that is groing magestically in the center of one of the beds.... I do not want to kill it, as it proves itself to be resilient. I am unsure what kind of tree it is, but I assume it grew form one of the seeds of the trees above. How can I excave and transport the sapling to someone/somewhere it can thrive? I do not have photos on this device, but I would love to share pictures in an email thread once you get back to me :) With much thanks in advance, Emma Toggia
- Thanks so much for reaching out to the Richmond Master Gardeners. What a wonderful project for your campus space! It sounds like you’re already putting a lot of care into bringing those beds back to life! What you’re seeing with the roots is very common when garden beds are located near mature trees. Those trees naturally extend their root systems into nearby soil to access water and nutrients. Regarding the roots, you can cut smaller invading roots (pencil-size or smaller) when preparing the beds but you should avoid cutting large structural roots, as this can stress or damage the tree. And unfortunately, even with cutting, roots will likely return over time, so it may help to add a layer of fresh compost and topsoil to improve growing conditions. When deciding what to plant here, we'd recommend choosing shade-tolerant, root-competitive plants like ferns and hellebores About the sapling: It’s great that you’d like to preserve it! You can attempt to transplant it, especially if it’s still relatively young. The best time to transplant is early spring or fall, but you can try now if you’re careful and keep it well-watered afterward. Dig a wide circle around the sapling to capture as much of the root system as possible (roots are often wider than you expect) Gently lift it, keeping as much soil around the roots as you can. There are some trees that have a very long tap root that can be nearly impossible to get out once they reach even a small size. If you find this to be the case with this tree, it may not be possible to save the tree and move it. However, if you are able to get the root ball out of the ground relatively intact, replant it promptly in a new location (or container), water deeply, and keep it consistently moist while it establishes. Do keep in mind that volunteer saplings often come from nearby trees and may grow quite large—so choosing an appropriate long-term location is important. If you have additional questions or want to share photos, you can reach us at rvamastergardeners@gmail.com. Best of luck with your garden beds, this sounds like such a meaningful project for your community!
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Arborvitae Decline
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Date Posted: Thu, Feb 26 - 12:58 pm
- We have 2 arborvitae bushes/trees in our front yard. in Goochland County. One has died; the other is dying. They are about 25 years old. Perhaps they have just lived out their lives; but if there is something else it might be helpful to know before we replace them. We are only planting native plants now, so that might help the situation. If you have any thoughts, I would love it. Thanks so much in advance for all that you do for our community.
- Thank you so much for reaching out — and for your commitment to planting natives! That makes such a positive difference for our local ecosystem. Arborvitae can live quite a long time, often 40–150 years depending on the species and growing conditions, so 25 years would not typically be considered old age. When we see one arborvitae turn completely brown and another beginning to decline, it usually points to an environmental or site-related issue rather than natural lifespan. Is this a change that you have just been seeing recently? My first thought goes to the winter weather that we have had - both with all of the ice that we had sticking around forever in January and more recently all of the rain saturating our soils. Arborvitae do not tolerate prolonged saturated soils very well. When soils stay waterlogged, roots are deprived of oxygen and can begin to decline or develop root rot. The extended ice cover would have kept soils cold and saturated longer, further stressing the root system and delaying recovery. Evergreen foliage continues to lose moisture in winter, so if roots are compromised, browning can occur fairly quickly. It's typically not one single environmental factor that can lead to decline but several factors in combination: Wet soil weakens roots, ice delays recovery, a sudden warm spell increases transpiration, the plant cannot move water efficiently. That combination can lead to rapid browning. Spider Mites are also a possibility for the damage but seem much less likely to me. When spider mites are present, the foliage typically turns brown or dusty prior to becoming completely brown and you tend to see gradual thinning, rather than sudden death. It's also a little early to be seeing spider mites, but you could try shaking a branch over a piece of white paper to see if you see anything mite-like coming off. Given the wet winter and prolonged ice we've experienced, root stress from saturated soils is the most likely cause of the decline, particularly if one plant has browned uniformly and rapidly without visible insect evidence. While spider mites (and bagworms) can affect arborvitae, their damage patterns and seasonal timing do not match up with your description. Unfortunately, the one arborvitae that is completely brown is unlikely to recover, as they do not regenerate from old wood. The second tree may continue to decline if root damage has occurred. If you are looking for native replacement options, a couple of suggestions to consider are Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) and American Holly (Ilex opaca). Good luck! The arborvitae beautifully framed your porch and I know it must be disappointing to lose them!
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Planting under a Magnolia
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Date Posted: Wed, Jan 14 - 1:33 am
- I have a magnolia tree in the front yard and underneath it it's mostly dirt. I don't really want to plant grass there but I wondered if you might suggest something that I could plant under the tree so it's not so muddy. My grandchildren get very muddy after a rain. I took a picture so you can kind of see what it looks like. It has a little bit of morning Sun but mostly shady during the day. Thanks for your help. I
- Thanks for reaching out to the Richmond Master Gardeners with this question! This is a very common situation under magnolias, so you’re not alone—and you’re smart to avoid trying to force grass there. Magnolia trees have shallow, wide-spreading roots and create dense shade, which makes it hard for turfgrass to survive. We are always gravitating towards native options anyways. A favorite of mine for a situation like this is a sedge. Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) is one of the BEST grass-like alternatives for shade. It looks neat, stays low, and is much tougher than turfgrass. (https://vaplantatlas.org/index.php?do=plant&plant=1242&search=Search) Some other native ground cover options you could consider are: Green-and-gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) Semi-evergreen, spreads slowly, cheerful yellow flowers in spring https://vaplantatlas.org/index.php?do=plant&plant=1776&search=Search Wild ginger (Asarum canadense) Excellent for shade, soft leaves, great soil cover https://vaplantatlas.org/index.php?do=plant&plant=2009&search=Search https://vnps.org/wildflowers-of-the-year-2/2010-wild-ginger-asarum-canadense/ Creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera) Handles partial shade, beautiful spring blooms https://vaplantatlas.org/index.php?do=plant&plant=3156 A couple important things to keep in mind before planting anything under a magnolia: Avoid digging deeply (to protect roots) and do not pile soil or mulch against the trunk. You could consider covering some of the space with mulch - just be sure not to pile it against the trunk! Good luck!!
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Fall Native Seed Sowing
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Date Posted: Tue, Oct 21 - 12:33 am
- I am getting ready to sow native flower seeds. I plan on just casting them on soil (blanket flower, tickseed sunflower, cardinal flower, salvia, turtlehead and coneflower) I have some heavily mulched areas and understand I should rake that back so they contact the dirt and rake it back in the spring. I also have a lot of trees and wonder if it's ok if seeds are covered w leaves, or should I wait until all of the leaves fall and clear the area as I would the mulch? Thank you!
- Thanks for reaching out to the Richmond Master Gardeners! Those are all wonderful native choices that benefit from being sown now so they can go through a natural winter cold stratification period. You’re also correct that good seed-to-soil contact is key for germination. Here’s how to approach each situation: Mulched areas: Yes — rake the mulch back before sowing so the seeds can fall directly onto the soil. After seeding, gently press them in (you can even walk over the area) so they make contact with the soil surface. Leave the mulch off for winter and rake it lightly back in the spring after seedlings start to emerge and you can see where they’ve sprouted. Leaf-covered areas: A thin layer of leaves is fine — it can even help protect seeds from washing away and mimic natural forest duff. However, a heavy mat of leaves (especially large, flat ones like oak or maple) can smother seeds and block light in spring. If you have thick leaf cover, wait until most have fallen, then lightly clear the area before sowing or thin the layer to about an inch so seeds can still reach the soil and get some light and moisture. Good luck! We hope you have lots of success!
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Transplanting a peach tree
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Date Posted: Thu, Aug 14 - 5:34 pm
- I need to transplant this peach tree but know next to nothing about when/how/where. Would love advice!
- Thank you for reaching out! Peach trees can grow successfully in the Richmond area when given the right conditions and care. Since your tree is currently in a pot, here are some steps and tips to guide you through transplanting it into the ground: Best Time to Transplant Late fall to early spring (after leaf drop but before buds swell) is ideal. In Richmond, that’s typically November through March when the tree is dormant. This reduces stress and gives roots time to establish before summer heat. Choosing a Planting Site: Sunlight: Choose a location with full sun — at least 6–8 hours daily. Soil: Well-drained, loamy soil with a pH of 6.0–6.5 is best. Avoid low areas where water collects. Soil test kits can be found at local Richmond Public Libraries Air Circulation: Good airflow helps reduce fungal diseases. How to Transplant: Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep. Loosen the surrounding soil to encourage root spread. Gently slide the tree out of the pot, loosening any tightly wound roots. Trim circling roots to prevent girdling. Place the tree so the root flare (where roots meet trunk) is level with or slightly above ground level. Fill with native soil (you can mix in some compost if soil quality is poor). Water deeply to remove air pockets. Apply 2–4 inches of mulch around the base, keeping it a few inches away from the trunk. This helps conserve moisture and regulate temperature. After planting: Water deeply once a week during the first growing season, more often in hot/dry spells. Lightly prune in late winter to shape and remove damaged branches. Young peach trees can be susceptible to deer, rabbits, and voles, so consider fencing or trunk guards. Good luck with your peach tree!! We wish you lots of success! Thanks again for reaching out.
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Serviceberry TLC
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Date Posted: Thu, Jul 31 - 10:56 pm
- My service berry tree has split bark in several places and there may be insects in the bark. There are many yellow leaves. The tree doesn’t look healthy. I planted it in the fall. Is there anything I can do to save it?
- Thank you for reaching out! It sounds like your serviceberry tree is experiencing some stress, but we’ll do our best to help you support its recovery. Yellowing leaves can indicate a few things: transplant shock, water stress, or even nutrient deficiency. This is common in newly planted trees as they adjust to their environment. Split bark can also be a sign of environmental stress like rapid temperature changes in winter (known as frost cracks or sunscald), mechanical injury (e.g., weed trimmers or animals), and overwatering or underwatering. Unfortunately, splits in the bark can make the tree more susceptible to insect or disease invasion. If you see insects, they may be opportunists rather than the primary cause. What You Can Do: Inspect the trunk: Look closely at any insects you find. If you can, take a clear photo to try to ID. Mulch properly: Place a 2–3 inch layer of mulch around the base of the tree (keeping it a few inches away from the trunk) to regulate soil temperature and moisture. Water consistently: Deeply water once a week during dry periods. Avoid overwatering—serviceberries prefer moist but well-drained soil. Prune carefully: Remove any obviously dead or damaged branches, but avoid heavy pruning during stress periods. Avoid fertilizer for now: Wait until the tree is more stable before fertilizing. It may take some time for your serviceberry to bounce back, but with proper care and monitoring, it could still recover. We wish you the best! For more information, check out: https://piedmontmastergardeners.org/article/serviceberry/