Q: I have a bald cypress tree. The knees have spread around it and I am worried about my parents tripping and falling on them. Is there a way to stop these knees?

A: Although bald cypress does not usually make “knees” in non-swampy soil, it does occasionally happen. Scrape the soil away from the offending knee and down into the earth a few inches. Use a sharp pruning saw to make a clean cut at least an inch below the soil surface. Cover once again with soil. Unlike broadleafed trees, the cypress won’t send up new root sprouts from the wound.