Went out for paint came back with a tree

so lucky

Garden Master
Joined
Mar 5, 2011
Messages
8,342
Reaction score
4,958
Points
397
Location
SE Missouri, Zone 6
I am wanting to get a redbud to keep my new dogwood company. The dogwood is feeling kinda dwarfed by the tall pine trees in my newly claimed "pine garden." I still need to protect the trunk of the dogwood from weed whacker string and what ever else. The dogwood is particularly vunerable to borers, I have been told, and an open wound could be all a borer needs to find a new home. Now that Lindane is apparently off the market, I don't know of a good substitute. People used to paint the trunks of susceptible trees with straight Lindane, or a 50/50 mix with water. I guess that was why they used to white-wash tree trunks, too. What do you all use to prevent or treat borers?
 

vfem

Garden Addicted
Joined
Aug 10, 2008
Messages
7,516
Reaction score
39
Points
242
Location
Fuquay, NC
That is why hubby dragged me out of Tractor Supply when I saw clearance roses!!!! UGH!

I just spent a fortune on feed! :lol:
 

897tgigvib

Garden Master
Joined
Mar 21, 2012
Messages
5,439
Reaction score
924
Points
337
Mother's day weekend and Memorial day weekend working at the greenhouse nursery was like working at a toy store before Christmas! Holy cats! "ooo! a whole flat of these, and those too! awwwwwwwwww, someone already took the frizzly pansies??? will you have more tomorrow??? ohhhhhhhhh looga those crabapple trees!!! gimme 5! aren't there anymore wagons to load?" Lol!

So Lucky, it might help with the borers if you also keep them off those Pine trees. That's their main tree. At least the kind we have around here.
 

bj taylor

Garden Ornament
Joined
Feb 26, 2013
Messages
1,099
Reaction score
14
Points
92
Location
North Central Texas
it is so dangerous this time of year. my 90 y/o mother and i go out every wednesday. when the weather cooperates we go to nurseries. we spend way too much and laugh at each other. our trunk is full & her neighbors watch as we separate our goodies at her house.
i will treasure these great memories of her & i plant shopping and buying plants we had no intention of getting.

i am so enjoying my redbuds right now. the Texas Redbud has been blooming awhile now. the Eastern is just starting. there are three volunteers. i don't know which variety they are. i would like to get a mexican - but it might be too far north here for them.
 

thistlebloom

Garden Master
Joined
Dec 1, 2010
Messages
16,473
Reaction score
17,405
Points
457
Location
North Idaho 48th parallel
so lucky said:
What do you all use to prevent or treat borers?
One simple thing to do proactively is to make sure they are never stressed for water. Borers move onto stressed trees.

If the trees capillaries ( not sure that's the word I want ) are kept turgid with water the borers have a tougher time. At least that was the way I understood it from a conversation with an arborist.
 
Top