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Sep. 16--As the "Garden Detective," we are hoping you could solve what, to us, is an unusual occurrence happening in our garden. A few years ago we had to remove our one sassafras tree due to a hollowing-out by carpenter ants. Since that time it has become something to behold. If you were to draw a circle of approximately 100 feet from where the tree had been, you would see about 30 sassafras trees growing of various heights, some 10 feet already. Our daughter jokes she may have to find our front door with a machete someday. We hope you can tell us what is occurring.

Mr. and Mrs. James Manley, Melville

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Sassafras trees (Sassafras albidum), also called root beer trees, are gorgeous specimens with irregular multilevel branches and brownish-orange bark. They put on a brilliant fall display and have yellow flowers in spring. The roots of the sassafras have been used for generations to brew sassafras tea, and its aromatic oils were used to flavor root beer, back in the day.

So far, so good. But the trees are notorious suckers. That is, they send up suckers in response to even the slightest root or trunk damage. The more the roots are disturbed, the more saplings grow, oftentimes colonizing into a thicket, as you've described. The process is just the tree's way of ensuring the survival of its species: Whenever threatened, it starts making babies like crazy. When you had the tree removed, some roots most certainly were left behind, and all that activity stimulated them to produce more trees.

How do I keep ants from killing my plants, without poison. I've been told that a solution of water and dishwashing liquid works. Is this true?

Benny Rizzuti

Ants don't kill plants. Very likely aphids are doing the damage. When you see a lot of ants on your plants, you can be pretty sure they're there to eat honeydew, or aphid excrement, gross as that sounds. Aphids, or plant lice, have piercing-sucking mouth parts, like hypodermic needles, through which they suck sap out of plants and, in return, inject saliva, which often contains deadly viruses that kill plants. They're usually green, but can be black, white, brown, yellow, red-striped or even spotted. Some have wings; some don't. Look closely at the undersides of leaves and you're likely to see them hiding there. Oftentimes, they can be washed away with a hose.

You're right about the soap, though. Mix 3 tablespoons (for woody plants) or 2 tablespoons (for annuals and herbaceous perennials) of dishwashing liquid (not a clothes detergent, soaps containing grease-cutters or automatic dishwashing soap) into a gallon of water and spray directly onto aphids under the leaves and on stems. You should repeat this weekly until they're all gone. If the problem persists, apply insecticidal soap, which is available at most retail garden centers, according to package directions.

Quote of the week

Gardening requires lots of water -- most of it in the form of perspiration.

- Lou Erickson

Credit: Newsday, Melville, N.Y.