Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Wednesday - March 20, 2013

From: Lubbock, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Diseases and Disorders, Pests, Trees
Title: Long term effects of pesticide from Lubbock TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

I have 9 western pecan trees about 20 years old. Trunk sizes is from 18" to 39". I used a product Bayer Tree and Shrub, applied to the trees. I wonder what it will do to the trees. I talkd to Bayer and they told me not to gather the fruit for this year. Will there be long term effect to my trees?

ANSWER:

This is probably something you should have asked Bayer when you contacted them; it is also something that should have been asked BEFORE the product was applied. We tried searching the Internet on the product and all we got were advertisements for it, which would hardly have mentioned ill effects of the product.

We went through one of these advertisements, clicking on the link for Product Details, which gave us a video on application. The main message we got from that was that you should carefully read and follow the instructions on the label. Since this is a systemic, which means it travels up from the roots into all parts of the tree, and is a poison, we would certainly agree to the advice not to eat the pecans for this year. Beyond that, we have no way of knowing when it will again be safe to ingest those pecans.

 

More Diseases and Disorders Questions

Why are large numbers of leaves falling from my Live Oak trees in Driftwood, TX?
June 24, 2015 - Today is June 6, 2015 and I have noticed that for the last week and a half, only a few live oaks out of many, have been losing large numbers of green leaves and turning brown on the ground. I cannot ...
view the full question and answer

Problems with Savannah Holly plants in Friendswood, TX.
June 17, 2009 - I have planted 4 savannah hollies in front of my house, two on the left of the door and two on the right. If you are standing in front of my house and looking at the door, the sun rises at the back l...
view the full question and answer

Problems with Eves necklacepods (Styphnolobium affine)
March 25, 2008 - Mr. S-P, I urgently need your advice regarding two Eve's necklacepods that appear to be dying. They are in two completely different areas of my yard. One began leafing out and then the leaves sh...
view the full question and answer

American Beech with Brown Leaves
August 06, 2015 - I have a North American beech tree in Oregon. Its leaves started out with big brown spots on the leaves and is pretty much turning all the leaves on the tree brown. What could be causing this and wha...
view the full question and answer

Navel orange disease problems
November 14, 2007 - I live in Glendale, Arizona. I hav a mature miniature navel orange tree. This year it has lost a considerable amount of leaves. Also the fruit all has a large yellow spot. It looks pitiful. What shoul...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.