Frequently Asked Questions

Sylvan Nursery offers complete design, plant and install service. As we operate a commercial growing operation, we have the experience to help you with any question you might have about a landscape problem, or care for all of your trees and shrubs.

Do you do tree moving? No. We refer people to Sturn Landscaping (259-6040) for trees up to four inch in diameter trunk.

Do you sell landscape rock? We have limestone, cobble 4-6", and 1 ½" washed river rock. Scoria is available at Robinson Brick. We have volcanic rock in bags.

Do you sell top soil? Yes. We sell potting soil by the bag or larger amounts of regular top soil. We can deliver up to three yards with our truck. There is a delivery charge for this. Larger amounts can be ordered from Neibauer Construction (259-8635). They have a minimum of six yards.

What shade trees do you recommend? Or, what is the fastest growing tree? Seedless Cottonwood trees, also know as hybrid poplar, are the fastest and do make a good shade tree. Next fastest are the varieties of Green Ash, which is our best all around shade tree. Patmore is one of the best Ash varieties. Honeylocust varieties are good for light filtered shade such as a front yard. Maples can be used in many parts of the city but are less hardy than the others mentioned. Linden makes a good tree but is quite slow compared with the others.

What about Silver Maple? We do sell this tree but feel there are better choices. Silver, or sometimes called soft maple, has problems with chlorosis, surface roots in the lawn, and weak wood that breaks easily in wind and wet snow.

What can I plant for a hedge or screen? Determine the height the customer wants and whether they want to trim it or not. Then, refer to hedge recommendations in section on shrubs. Any shrub can be used for hedge but the customer usually wants something inexpensive since they need several. We carry certain shrubs that are good for hedge in a shrub grade; bare root or one gallon sizes.

When can you safely plant outside? The average last frost day in Billings is May 15th. However, it is not unusual to have light frost as late as June 1st. The customer has to be prepared to cover plants to protect them from the frost. WE now sell a frost blanket which protects. Otherwise, cloth and paper products work well, next is plastic. Metal usually does more harm than good. Sylvan Nursery is not responsible for plant damage due to frost. Up until May 15th, if the customer buys a plant out of the greenhouse they should be given the sheet which explains their responsibility. Cold tolerant plants such as onions, cabbage family, etc. and be planted after April 15th depending on the season. Very cold sensitive plants such as tomatoes and peppers should not be planted out before May 15h and must be covered on cold nights. Other plants such as shrubs taken from the greenhouses must be protected from frost. Any plants we have outside, there is no problem with frost.


What can I do about my pine tree turning brown?
a. First, determine which part of the tree is turning brown.
b. If it is jut the inner needles from the trunk out and the needles on the outer surface of the tree are still green, and if the time of year is about September or October, it is a natural needle drop of the older needles. Note: in the year pines are transplanted, it is not unusual for this to occur earlier, say in July or August. The customer should not worry about this, it is normal.
c. If the brown is on the surface needles, mainly on the south and west side of the tree, and it is late winter or spring, this is probably "winter burn." Some winter weather conditions cause this even on hardy trees. Nothing needs to be done. The new growth will cover the brown needles. It is best just to wait and see if new growth is normal in late May.
d. If just certain branches or certain sections of the tree seem to be dying, this is probably pine beetles. This is a complex problem! There are two kinds of beetles plus a fungus that are involved.
i. The roundhead pine borer lays eggs which hatch. The larva bore into the branches or trunk. Look for frass, like sawdust. Frequently the part of the tree above this entry will die. Note: most experts around here, including the county extension office this is the only cause of the damage. However, we have good evidence that #2 below is the one killing trees.
ii. The pine barks roundhead borer is very small, probably no larger than the head of a pin so it is seldom seen. However, it comes in great numbers and it carries a fungus disease. It is this fungus, sometimes called "blue streak fungus" that quickly kills the tree or parts of it.
iii. When there is an outbreak of this problem, we recommend that the tree owner first of all protect all pines with the acecaps. This is a systemic insecticide which will kill the larva stage of both buts. This treatment will last up to one year.
iv. If the customer already has the problem and less than 25R of the tree is effected, we recommend the same treatment as above. Also, prune out the dead branches. If more than 25% of the tree is damaged, they can still try the above but there is little chance that they can save the tree. If the fungus is started, there is no hope to save the tree. Dispose of it as soon as possible to prevent the spread to the other pine trees.

What do you recommend for other tree borers such as ash, aspen, and birch bores?

We suggest several things.
a. Treat the tree with the injectible capsule acecap. This is a systemic insecticide which lasts up to about one year. It will kill any bores inside the tree. For smaller trees, recommend the Bayer Tree & Shrub concentrate.
b. Cut out the dead parts of the tree and dispose of the parts to prevent spread of the beetles and bores. If over 25% of the tree is already dead, it is probably too late for that tree. Get rid of it to prevent the spread to others.
c. If the customer doesn't want to do this themselves, they can call a "tree service." We recommend Yellowstone Valley Tree Surgeons (656-5810).

My aspen has knots or swollen areas on its branches. What is this and what should I do? This is a fly that lays its eggs under the bark. It probably will not hurt the tree. You should treat the tree however with Bayer Tree and Shrub insect control. This is a liquid you pour over the roots and the chemical is drawn up into the tree. When the larva chews on the tree, it takes in chemicals and kills them. Knots will not go away but will grow over.