Q.My trees are losing their leaves
My trees are losing their leaves. They have lost most of their leaves. The seeds are getting white mold on some of them. The mulch/soil is piffy and under some of the mulch is molded. What do I need to do? I have three trees. Two of them are in corner beds with azaleas and the other is alone. One nursery told me to cut all of the seeds off. I need help. I do not want to lose them.
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
It sounds like your trees have a fungus problem. Cut away the molded seeds and then treat the trees with a fungicide, like neem oil or copper. This will kill the fungus. Don't panic yet about the lost leaves. There are several kinds of fungus that will defoliate a tree but will not kill the tree. It looks unsightly though, so use the fungicide to help kill the fungus.
Also, make sure that you rake up and dispose of the leaves on the ground. If you leave the leaves, they could re-infect the trees and make this a yearly cycle.