NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State
University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
April 15, 1999
Hortiscope
Ron Smith, Extension Horticulturist
North Dakota State University
Q: I have a few questions that I hope you can help me with. I want to cover an arbor and would like to know what kind of vine would be winter hardy as well as quick growing and nice looking? What grape varieties can you recommend? Could we use one to cover an arbor?
We have a sheepnose apple tree that's 50-plus years old. Would it be a good apple to use with others to make sweet cider? Can you also tell me where I can find more of these apple trees? I have sent scion wood to a friend in Ohio to make a new tree, but he cannot get it to take. (Freeman, S.D.)
A: Both the Beta and Valiant grapes are excellent choices for growing over arbors. You could also grow the vine honeysuckle as an arbor covering. As a temporary covering while the others are getting established, try morning glory and moonflower.
I have never heard of the sheepnose apple. Are you sure it is grafted, or is it a seedling? Have you tried to root cuttings? Try those two procedures this year—seed and cuttings—to see if anything takes. If it doesn't, send me some scion wood next winter and I'll see if our grafting expert, NDSU research specialist Larry Chaput, can succeed.
Q: I have heard about planting potatoes in a barrel and I am looking for more information on it. I would like to know how and when to do it. Have you had any experience with it? (Carrington, N.D.)
A: I have had no direct experience with growing potatoes this way, but I have known people who have, and swear by it. I'd suggest making sure the barrel is free-draining. Then, plant the potatoes in sandy loam around Mother's Day weekend. As the vine grows, add more soil and when fall frosts arrive, begin your harvest.
Never bury the vine completely, always leaving a small portion exposed to the light. Be sure also that the barrel is placed in direct sunlight for maximum growth.
Q: I am interested in planting some Echinacea this spring. If you have any information I would appreciate it. (Ross, N.D.)
A: Echinacea might be better planted in the fall, around mid-October, as it needs a cold stratification period of 90-plus days.
Q: Last year half of my strawberries had a hard end on them. I've been told that an insect is causing this and that I should spray them before the berries start to form. Could you please advise me on what I should do? (Waubun, Minn.)
A: Nubbins, the bane of strawberry growers! They could be caused by an insect, known as the lygus bug, or they could be caused by a late frost when the blossoms were at their most vulnerable, fully open state.
Most strawberry plantings after three years do have some insect problems, so it is a good idea to spray with Sevin just prior to blossom opening.
You might also keep a sharp lookout for late "pocket frosts" that can selectively damage some of your blooms. If frosty conditions are predicted, you would need to provide an overnight covering with a geotextile material in the lowest areas, or those at the base of a slope. Geotextile material allows air and water movement.
Q: My nannyberry shrubs have been infested with white scale insects the last two falls. I have cut off and burned all the infested stems, but the instects come back. This year I made up a gallon batch of Oil-Away, but it clogged my sprayer after a couple of minutes. I cleaned up the sprayer and started to use a brush to put the oil on, but that will take forever. Can you tell me the best way to get the oil on my shrub? (Fessenden, N.D.)
A: I don't know why the oil wouldn't work in your sprayer, but rather than fighting it I would suggest going with a systemic like Orthene.
Then during the summer after new growth has begun to harden off, get what is known as a superior oil spray from a local garden center or mail order. These oils are formulated for use during summer months without negative effects!
Q: What kind of fertilizer should I use on my asparagus? (Kimball, S.D.)
A: Asparagus benefit greatly from liberal fertilization practices—either composted manure, or a regular garden fertilizer like 10-10-10 at about 2 cups per 10 foot of row, but at this point in the spring you may be better off waiting until after harvest to fertilize.
Q: Your recent questions on sweet potatoes have inspired me to try growing them. I have ordered a dozen plants, but I am wondering how to water them? The instructions say to cover the mounded row with plastic, water them a couple of times and "forget about them" until fall. Does this mean I should not water them anymore? Even if we're short of rainfall? (Climax, Minn. e-mail)
A: No, I'm sure they do not mean to forget about watering, unless they are making reference to a Southeastern garden in Georgia or the Carolinas, where the rainfall is 50 inches or more per year.
For those of us in the northern part of the country, I suggest not letting a week go by without a good soaking if Mother Nature doesn't do the task for us. Simply let them grow all summer long until the frost kills the vine off, then harvest and enjoy.
Q: I am looking for something to spray quackgrass with to kill it. I heard someone talking about a chemical called Casoron 4G. Could I use it in my flowerbed? (Cando, N.D.)
A: Actually there are a couple of quackgrass killers out there that can be used: Casoron and Vantage, a postemergence. The list for acceptable crops is quite extensive, so I encourage the reading of label direction before using.
Roundup can also be used on quack infestations. The lawn and garden formulations come in handy spray bottles that allow close application of the product near desirable plants. You might want to isolate the source of crabgrass. If it is coming in from the surrounding turf area, a physical barrier in the soil will be needed to keep it form re-invading.
Most elevators should have these products for sale. If not, then try a garden center.
Q: Someone discarded a 5-foot Norfolk Island pine. It looks like it got a little dry on them but there still seems to be life in it. It doesn't have lush green needles and I am wondering if I should cut it back and let it regrow, or if I should just give up on this tree? I read that it will ruin the shape if you cut it back, but if I did would it take a long time to grow big again? I also heard about a recommendation to rough up trees a little by gently beating them with a newspaper or garden hose. I know this is age-old wisdom but what do you think? (e-mail)
A: The Norfolk Island pine is very likely a goner. They are very fussy trees that have genetically adapted to the South Pacific island environment. Once our household environment deviates a little too much from that ideal, the tree is toasted. You can try whatever you want, but don't bet the farm on it! I have found that once they lose that lush, green color, they are essentially gone.
As for gently hitting your trees with a hose or newspaper, I wish you wouldn't! That is benign cruelty to plants! Our wind hits this region's trees and shrubs hard enough, as does the rain and often, the hail. We don't need to add anything else to the stress of these plants!
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Do you have a gardening or houseplant question? Write to Hortiscope, Box 5051, NDSU Extension Service, Fargo, ND 58105 or e-mail to Ron Smith at ronsmith@ndsuext.nodak.edu.
Source: Ron Smith (701) 231-8161 ronsmith@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136