How do you encourage lower branch growth on a crepe myrtle? Could construction have caused damage to my tree? What is this suspicious looking moldy growth on my dogwood?

When people are out in their yards during the spring, they are usually getting their landscapes ready for enjoyment. They bring out the patio furniture and dust it off. They take out the accompanying umbrellas and cushions and wash them off, preparing them for enjoying warm evenings and weekends relaxing in the backyard. They clean up their landscape beds, ordering and spreading mulch to give everything a fresh look.

During this time, they also get a chance to get close to their plants. That's when they notice if anything peculiar or strange is happening with one of their trees.

Never fear. The Tree Doctor is here! We can help answer these types of questions and suggest some next steps for tree recovery.

Here are a few of the recent questions we've been asked. We hope the answers to these common questions help you as you care for your landscapes this season.

QUESTION: I bought a tall crepe myrtle tree and was wondering if there is a way to encourage a few lower branches to grow on it?

ANSWER: Allow as much direct sunlight to contact the lower portion of the tree by pruning nearby plants.

QUESTION: I have what I believe to be a scarlet oak tree in my front yard that will not grow leaves on one side. I think it may be a result of neighbors doing some sort of construction on their pipes about 20 to 25 feet away from the base of the trunk. The construction might not have been the problem, but I don't know what else it could be. I have no clue what to do, and I'm low on cash and can't really afford a really expensive evaluation, especially if I need to get it removed. I've never dealt with these sorts of matters and would really like to get my tree back to the healthy beauty it once was.

ANSWER: Oaks have straight grain wood. So if the side of the scarlet oak with damage faces the neighbor with construction, then it is possible roots were severed. The tree canopy compensates by shutting down a percentage equal to the root loss. Roots will eventually regenerate and so will the canopy, but the dead branches will have to be pruned. You can also have a qualified arborist examine your trees. There is no charge for estimates.

QUESTION: Our Honey Crisp apple tree has had the bark skinned at the ground level by a lawnmower that got too close. How can we help it heal or otherwise keep the tree healthy?

ANSWER: The tree will eventually heal on its own. To encourage good health, apply a slow-release, low-burn fertilizer to the soil and water the tree to prevent drought stress. Also, put a ring of wood chips around the base of the tree. This ring of mulch should not contact the trunk. It's there strictly to prevent future mower injury.

QUESTION: Our landscape has a 25-year-old pink dogwood tree that bloomed beautifully and fully until two years ago … flowers were down by half, and this year we have the same results. The bark of the tree has moldy growth.

I cut dead branches out of the tree and there is a lot of new growth. I cannot find a bug in any of the dead wood, but the trunk of the tree seems dark on one side and the bark is unusually rough. I cannot find a tree doctor in our area of New Jersey, and I'd welcome your thoughts and/or advice.

ANSWER: We recommend you send a sample to the plant problem diagnostic laboratory at Rutgers University. Provide samples of leaves/branches where it transitions from healthy to infected. A dead branch would not be helpful. The molds on the bark could be lichens, which are harmless. Identifying the causal agent is necessary to determine control options.

QUESTION: My neighbor has a garden on the other side of the fence. I have a maple tree 40 feet tall that did not come back this year; it has no foliage. Other neighbors say lady in the back of my property has killed other people's trees and bushes with a nonselective herbicide. The tree is about 15 feet from the fence. Could she have put this herbicide on the roots and killed my tree?

ANSWER: A nonselective herbicide would have to have been sprayed on all the foliage of the maple tree to cause the symptoms. The active ingredient in major nonselective herbicides is deactivated by organic matter in the soil and not root absorbed. Therefore, your tree is most likely suffering from some other issue.

QUESTION: We have a large oak tree with a root that runs across our driveway (dirt driveway) and is exposed. We would like to cut the root because it is a big bump to drive over but we don't want to kill the tree. Can we do this and what is the best method? Thanks!!

ANSWER: A large, healthy tree can tolerate the removal of a single root. Make a single, sharp cut through the root on the trunk side of the driveway. Let it dry out for several months, then excavate by hand to ensure the severed portion is not alive through root grafts. Water the tree to prevent drought stress.

QUESTION: Recently, my mom gave me a 4' tall liquidambar tree. It's a beautiful little tree and as she is quite old I must keep it alive in her honor. She has always been a wonderful gardener. Sadly, I didn't inherit her talent.

Here is some info on the tree: The tree is root bound in a 10-inch pot on a balcony in the San Francisco area. I have a northeast facing balcony so it gets morning sun.

What's the best time to prune it? How do I know when to water? I usually overwater plants. How do I repot it? What size pot should I use? What's the best potting soil or plant food to use? Is there a book I can buy to learn about this pretty little tree? I have never had a green thumb and am terrified I'll kill my little beauty.

ANSWER: Liquidambar trees reach a mature height over 100 feet in the wild. It will quickly outgrow any balcony. Repot in the largest, practical container. Use a knife to cut vertically through the pot bound roots when repotting. Use minimal amounts of a slow-release, low-burn fertilizer. A weekly watering during the growing season should suffice. Ensure there is adequate drainage through the bottom of the container.

It's nearly 2 p.m. on a Friday. I'm stationed at my desk at work, and I've been staring at the computer screen for what seems like ages. The weekend is nearly here - I can already hear the birds singing as I work my way through an early spring cleaning of my yard on Saturday morning.

As the minutes drag by, the ability for me to focus weakens. (Now I smell fresh grass clippings that are seeping through the window; I feel the cool breeze it accompanies.) I open my top desk drawer to grab a file I'll need to reference for my next project when I see it - that dark chocolate candy bar I bought last week to save me from moments like these.

When I'm about to grab that candy bar and rip it open in desperation, I suddenly remember the healthier lifestyle I pledged to maintain months ago - with the intention of actually maintaining it this time.

During the past few months, I did make changes for the better. I started jogging. I put more focus on nutrition. And I learned to better appreciate the natural world outdoors and its countless benefits on my health.

I've realized that being healthy doesn't necessarily involve diets, calorie counting or even rigorous amounts of exercise. Healthy lifestyles may instead depend on your environment and how you take advantage of your surroundings.

I recommend you take a short walk around your office building or parking lot during your lunch break to breathe in some fresh air and clear your mind. Plan a hike with your family this weekend - pack a picnic and make it a day trip. Plant some flowers - try something new in your landscape. Or even settle under a tree in your backyard with a good book - your mind needs exercise, too.

The Davey Tree Expert Company's Manager of Education and Training R.J. Laverne says there is an amazing range of human health and safety benefits made possible by simply having access to nature.

Scientists have discovered people who spend more time outdoors than others benefit from increased immune functions. Numerous other studies have shown that park visits and forest hikes may increase white blood cells, which naturally kill off diseases and other maladies in the body.

Sometimes it's difficult to muster up the energy to exercise, even though you want to see results in weight loss, toning, etc. But Laverne says nature can act as a quick form of "mental refreshment," which might rejuvenate your mood and encourage more physical activity. "It's not hard to imagine that getting outside and exercising can provide great rewards for our physical well-being," Laverne says.

The "relaxation response" that trees in urban landscapes evoke in people contributes to physical and mental health, according to some studies. The locations that wooded areas and green spaces provide, however, also offer spaces for social events, community interaction and individual physical activity, such as walking, jogging or biking.

Let's return to the problem with staying focused in the office on Fridays. Laverne explains that researchers have discovered it takes a good amount of effort to concentrate on our tasks: effort that involves "directed attention." Similar to the fatigue your muscles experience after a strenuous workout, your brain also becomes tired when you concentrate on a task for an extended period. But researchers have also discovered that our directed attention can be refreshed by taking breaks in places that help our thoughts wander without the energy needed to concentrate - places that include access to nature like parks, nature trails or even a view of a tree outside your window.

As you begin a new lifestyle or revive the healthy habits you adopted as a New Year's resolution months ago, remember how Mother Nature can help you out. Use her beauty, warmth and fresh air - not the cocoa beans in that chocolate bar - as your "thinspiration" to get fit and stay active.

How much is your tree worth to you?

The peaceful sound of its leaves rustling in the breeze? An afternoon of shade? A place for your favorite birds to nest and perch? Home base for your children's daily game of tag?

There are so many things trees mean to us that are invaluable. But what about the other stuff we don't always notice right away? Like the reduced air conditioning and heating costs? Or the reduction in the amount of rainwater that flows into storm water systems? Or the removal of carbon dioxide and other gases and pollutants from the air we breathe? While these tree benefits may not be as readily noticeable as the more visual and aesthetic attributes, they are scientifically measurable.

That's right. You can determine how much that sugar maple in your front yard provides you in annual benefits. And you don't even need to do a lot of math in the process. All you need to do is use the National Tree Benefits Calculator, a computer model that is based on 25 years of research by the U.S. Forest Service and its partners (including Davey), and it'll do all the work for you.

Just ask the folks at The Morton Arboretum. Davey helped tag 1,500 trees in Chicago and 2,000 trees in the surrounding suburbs this morning with Morton and its partners in an effort to show Chicagoans just how much their city trees contribute to their community. The tags will be up for the next two weeks in celebration of Earth Day and Arbor Day.

For more information or to learn how to tag trees in your community, visit www.mortonarb.org/arborday. And remember, every tree counts!

You know it's spring when the sun is shining, the birds are singing, the flowers begin blooming … and questions for The Tree Doctor start rolling in.

Here are a few of the recent questions we've been asked. We hope the answers to these common questions help you get your trees off to a great start this season.

QUESTION: I planted a potted apple tree that had flowers. A week ago the flowers dropped off and the leaves became really soft. What could be the problem?

ANSWER: This is normal. Flowers typically only last a couple of weeks. Leaves are soft after bud break and harden as the season progresses.

QUESTION: I have a huge tree on my land. But I do not know what kind it is. How can I identify it?

ANSWER: We recommend you look at the tree closely, from leaf shape to bark texture and compare these specifics to a tree identification guide on the Internet to help you identify the tree. One good one is called "What Tree is That?" from the Arbor Day Foundation.

QUESTION: What are fertilizer application rates for feeding fig, pear, plum and other trees?

ANSWER: Apply 2.25 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year with a slow-release, low-burn fertilizer.

QUESTION: I want to plant a Japanese maple. I live in Oklahoma and have a pecan tree that is huge - probably 25 years old. The Japanese maple would be in its shade but subject to the hot, dry winds of Oklahoma. Do you think it would survive? It is very small right now.

ANSWER: A Japanese maple should survive in the shade of a pecan in Oklahoma City, Okla. Deeply water the Japanese maple once weekly during the growing season to prevent drought stress and again just prior to winter around Thanksgiving.

QUESTION: What's the best mulch for your trees and does it depend on whether it's a fruit tree or not?

ANSWER: Crushed coconut shells are actually the best mulch for all types of trees because they retain their color, decay slowly and are crushed into small pieces for a fine texture. Walnut shells and cocoa bean shells are also good for these same reasons. Unfortunately, these aren't always as readily available.

Hardwood mulch, on the other hand, which is more readily available and is inexpensive, loses its color and decays very quickly.

QUESTION: I have two oak trees that I planted on the same day in 2001. One has prospered, has grown to great heights, turns green every year and has produced acorns the past two years. The other has not grown half as much, and the leaves turn yellow and pale green. The northwest side of tree has limbs that won't sprout any leaves at all. I need help knowing how to heal my tree. I love my trees.

ANSWER: This reminds us of the parable of wheat where some was planted in good soil and some was planted in rocky soil. One crop prospered and one didn't.

We think this is probably a result of iron chlorosis due to soil problems. Try adding chelated iron supplements to the soil if the trees are small or through trunk injection once the tree is larger.

QUESTION: The leaves of my white birch came in on the front of the tree, but not in the back part. The branches still seem to be alive in the back.

ANSWER: Have patience for the trees to leaf out. Multi stem birches frequently act as different trees.

Don't forget. If you have a pressing tree care question, you're not alone. You can always ask The Tree Doctor for help.

Are you focused on some last-minute Easter shopping? Before you head to your local retail store, think more organically: Think indoor plants.

Similar to the ways the trees in our backyards, parks and streetscapes provide us with numerous health and wellness benefits, plants can contribute to healthier indoor environments as well. They help patients recover more quickly in hospitals and reduce stress levels during busy hours of the day. Their green color relaxes the mind.

Plants not only add color and aesthetic appeal to indoor settings, they also help increase productivity and comfort. According to a study from Washington State University, plants release moisture in an office environment, creating a humidity level that matches the recommended human comfort range of 30 to 60 percent.

Easter is the perfect holiday to give plants as gifts. Some indoor plants can be repurposed as outdoor plants in our gardens - just in time for planting season. After a few weeks of proper care and maintenance indoors, an Easter lily, chrysanthemum or an azalea can be ready to transplant outdoors.

Happy, Healthy Plants - Inside & Out. Indoor environments don't necessarily keep plants away from harm. To keep indoor plants healthy after the Easter holiday, execute proper care and maintenance:

• Remove foil from the flower pot to avoid overwatering.
• Keep your plant away from heat sources and windowsills behind closed curtains.
• Occasionally mist the plant and immediately remove dead flowers and leaves.
• Provide sufficient water to keep the soil moist, not soggy.

Once the weather is right and the plant is ready to transplant outdoors, remember to maintain its good health for the remainder of the spring and summer months. Some indoor plants thrive in moist, shady outdoor areas, while others are more sensitive to overwatering. So before the big move, research the best locations for the plant species to better ensure it will thrive.

Teach by Example. Not only are seed plantings, watering and plant care tasks hands-on, but these activities also encourage children to practice responsibility. Bring your children with you to the local greenhouse to choose plants of their own. Educate them about the steps they need to take to keep their plants healthy. And show them what plants need to stay alive.

Then, watch your children learn as you assist them with their plants. Periodically ask for their predictions about the plants' growth. Take pictures to document the progress and experience.

After a few weeks of consistent, proper care under your guidance, your children will begin to notice the green seedlings peek out of the soil and share their excitement and pride. No matter how simple or small, signs of growth represent a sense of accomplishment for all, including the young, wondrous eyes of children.

Start New Holiday Traditions This Year. Instead of throwing out all that extra plastic Easter grass on Monday morning, you can create your own organic Easter basket and benefit from the real herbs you plant inside. In the process, you'll also teach your kids how to be economically conscious.

Add live, vibrant plants to your Easter baskets this year. You'll fill your friends' and loved ones' homes with greenery and comfort, and you'll fill their hearts with love.

"Can I prune my trees despite recent, unusual weather fluctuations?"

"How would pruning affect drought-stressed trees?"

These are some recent questions we've been getting as people are feeling the warmer weather and thinking of tidying up their homes and gardens, something we all like to refer to as spring cleaning.

While pruning could cause further unnecessary stress on your trees if done incorrectly, Bal Rao, Davey's research and technical development manager, says minimal pruning, such as creating air tunnels in the canopy to help trees withstand storms, is acceptable.

Drought Check. When it comes to drought, before deciding whether to prune your drought-stressed tree, first remove excess leaves. If moisture is present, growth will remain and buds will emerge. Also evaluate the tree's surroundings, such as sidewalks, buildings and other obstructions, and the value of the limbs in question.

Rao uses three levels to determine the value of tree roots and branches:

• No value: Limbs are dead, broken or hazardous. Prune them at any time - you will not harm the tree.
• Low value: Limbs are typically crossing or rubbing branches, or co-dominant branches that are the same size. Prune these with caution, keeping safety and tree health in mind.
• High value: Limbs are often found on healthy, good-looking trees. Prune these only for cosmetic reasons.

Pruning Pointers. In general, never prune more than 25 percent of your tree's foliage at one time. "In theory, you are making the tree 25 percent less efficient by reducing the photosynthesis surface," Rao says. In some cases, cabling and bracing might be better for your tree than pruning.

But if pruning is necessary, a few guidelines can help you protect your trees from further damage:

• Prune during active growth periods to allow trees to heal themselves at the wounds. "You don't want to slow down the 'walling off' process," Rao says.
• Prune with sharp, clean tools to make small, clean cuts. Disinfect tools with rubbing alcohol.
• Only prune dry trees with angled cuts to help the water drip from the branches. Wet branches can spread disease if spores are present.
• Avoid pruning branches that connect at a V-shaped crotch.
• Remember that topping gives trees weak branching.
• For trees with summer blossoms, prune them in winter before the buds break.

Some trees prefer to be pruned during certain times of the year, so check with your local, licensed arborist for advice.