Around the house I grew up in and still own, my father planted four redwood trees and three other evergreens which I'm not sure what they are. I love the trees but unfortunately, in what will probably turn out to be a wise move, I'm about to chop them down, but thought I'd get some last advice before doing so. -------------------------------------------- Here are the details: I'm sure many people face the same situation: It has probably been about 8-10 years now since my father planted the trees and their trunks are reaching the 10" diameter that would require a permit to remove, a permit type that is increasingly denied these days. I DO LIKE the trees very much and would like to keep them ...for now... ...but I can just see the situation I'll be placing my children in one day, when they inherit the house. The trees would have grown to sizes requiring permits, and the way things are going, given enough time, they are also likely be declared heritage trees one day. The trees will have grown to nuisance dimensions and some will probably be lifting and cracking the house's foundation -- as some of the trees are at varying distances from the house, from 15 feet to 60 feet away. So what will then the "community" do to my children, twenty years from now, to thank our family for having planted the trees in the first place, for having cared for them, for having spent money to maintain them all these years, and for the beauty they have provided to the "community"? They will probably say "We the people ...ordinance 44.21...deal with them and your cracking foundation and continue to care for your trees because we want to enjoy them and have put half of them on the city's heritage tree list. You try to remove them and we send the police with guns and punishment". So please give me some advice because I'm about to chop down the beloved trees my own father planted. Unfortunately seems like I have to resort to "killing them before they grow"... beyond the permit 10" diameter threshold. I have heard many stories of people with "heritage" trees in their backyards in my neighborhood and things are only likely to get worse. I no longer feel secure in my property's ownership so it's time for preemptive chainsaw measures.

I have grown tomato plants in the same spot in my garden for many years. Each year they have been affected by something that appears to be a fungus. It starts with black spots on the leaves which then yellow and die. I also see the spots on the branches and stems of the plants (usually spreading from bottom to top of the plant). I have tried to control it each year by cutting off the affected leaves and branches but ultimately I am left with some pretty ugly plants. What I have read suggests that the fungus spores remain in the ground over the winter due to plant debris and other organic matter. I would like to continue to plant in this area so I am looking for ways to end this cycle. Three ideas come to mind but any other suggestions are welcome. 1. sterilize the ground by placing black plastic over it for a few weeks when the weather warms up. This would, hopefully, kill off the fungus. I would remove the plastic and begin planting (probably a little late in the season). 2. cover the ground with a landscape fabric to reduce contamination from the soil to plants growing in it (doesn't seem quite right to say it that way). I assume you cover the ground with the fabric and then punch holes and put the plants in the ground. I am not sure how this would change my watering and fertilizing plans. 3. I have seen suggestions about using a copper based spray on the plants (brand name Serenade?) to reduce the fungus and keep it from spreading. As a last resort, I could use pots or a raised bed over the existing dirt but this seems silly when I have a nice bed ready to go. Can someone offer some guidance on this? - Peter