What should we do for termites in the base of a cedar tree a few feet from our house?
If the termite-infested wood is within 3 feet of the house, you should call in a pesticide company to treat the area. Remove the tree. If it is farther away but still fairly close to the house, you should consider removing the tree — but for a different reason. Termites are a native insect and a normal, healthy part of the environment; they dispose of dead plant material. So having termites in the yard is not cause for alarm. However, their presence in the tree indicates that part of it is dead, meaning it may be weakened and prone to falling. You don't want that hanging over your house.
My sister loves almonds. I have seen several U.S. nurseries advertising almond trees for [hardiness] zones 5-8 from stock originating from the city of Yalta in the Ukraine. Yalta is at sea level and the weather seems similar to the Mid-Atlantic region. However, I haven't heard of anyone in Maryland actually getting nuts from almond trees. Would this make a good gift for my sister?
Almonds do not grow well here. Native to the Middle East, our seasons, climate and soils are not suited to these trees' needs. They need a very long growing season to produce, and they break dormancy and bloom very early (probably February around here) so our frosts/freezes kill the blooms and halt production. They also do not like wet soils or humidity, which we have in abundance. Almost all U.S. commercial almond production is in California.
Plant of the week
Crab cactus, Thanksgiving cactus, claw cactus
Schlumbergera truncata
The term "jungle cactus" seems like an oxymoron, but in the wild, the crab cactus' plant family inhabits debris in the crotches of tropical trees. Like its cousin, Christmas cactus, crab cacti bloom around holiday time (bloom time can be manipulated). The stems are odd, composed of flat segments with prongs (the "claws"), and the flowers swell directly from the tip segment. Up to 3 inches long and ranging from white to red, flowers appear to grow out of one another. Blooming can last for weeks. Crab cactus enjoys medium light (never direct sunlight) and summer humidity outdoors. Fertilize biweekly and keep thoroughly moist from spring to fall (though don't stand in water), then reduce water and stop fertilizing in winter after flowering. It propagates easily from a few segments.
— Ellen Nibali