NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
July 8, 1999
Ron Smith, Extension Horticulturist
North Dakota State University
Q: Enclosed is a sample leaf from my piggyback plant. I think I gave it too much water, but I am not sure. Can you tell me how to care for my piggyback plant? (Carrington, N.D.)
A: Piggyback plants—Tolmiea menziesii—like cooler, moist air (about 70 F), and partial shade conditions. Repot each spring in free-draining pot and keep the soil moist.
Allow the plant you have to dry out some and it should be fine. If not, try starting a new plant with one of the baby plants on top of the older leaves.
Q: Can you tell me how to get a poinsettia to rebloom? (Bowdon, N.D.)
A: To get a poinsettia to rebloom it needs total darkness for about a 14-hour period from the end of September until early December. Put it in a dark closet or keep in a room that will remain dark from about 5 or 6 p.m. until 7 or 8 a.m. every day. The room's temperature is best kept from 60 F to 70 F, but day length is more critical for bloom.
Q: Do pepper plants need to be planted close enough to touch in order to pollinate? I am also wondering if you need to disturb the roots on bedding plants when transplanting to give them a chance to spread out? (Audubon, Minn.)
A: I have never heard that you need to put bell peppers close together in order to get them to pollinate! I prefer to plant them close to save room, but if yours are doing well, keep them where you have them!
You also don't need to disturb the roots on bedding plants to stimulate growth. You do, however, need to snip off the flowers in the case of annuals like petunias, impatiens, geraniums, snapdragons etc. when you plant them.
You may be thinking about transplanting trees and shrubs—then you must stimulate the roots by pulling them apart before putting them in the hole you dug.
Q: I have a fern that doesn't winter kill outside, grows slowly and has attractive annual flowers. What kind is it? (Sterling, N.D.)
A: I think it is a Wisk fern—really a very primitive form of a fern-like plant. The characteristics seem to fit, although I will accept correction anytime.
Q: Can you tell me what is wrong with my ash trees this year? They are a little curly and dried out. I also am wondering what is wrong with my basswood tree? (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
A: There are a couple of problems. Some of the spots are symptomatic of ash anthracnose which hit the tree earlier in the year, and the other is more serious—it appears to be an environmental problem—salts accumulating, drought stress, excess water in the root zone or some spray damage. The symptoms are not distinct enough to say exactly what the cause is. If possible, core aerate around the dripline of the tree and be sure to pick up all fallen leaves this fall.
Your basswood appears ravaged, but it does not appear to be suffering from herbicide damage of any sort. Most of the problem appears to be physical—hail or insect damage—or perhaps planted too deeply? These are generally easy trees to grow, so this one must have gotten off to a bad start. If the tree is still small, you might consider replacing it, or you can try nursing it along with a couple of applications of Miracle-Gro.
Q: We have Nanking and Hansen bush cherries and they blossom well, but they don't bear any fruit. What is wrong with them? I love your column and I always learn something new. (Groton, S.D., e-mail)
A: Could be several reasons: Cherries are early to flower and could be doing so when there were high winds, low temperatures or rainy periods so that the pollinators could not work. They could also be victims of selective frost or low temperature periods just when the stigma was ripe to receive the pollen. In the prairie states, the predictable, dependable, uniform pollination of fruit trees generally is not to be assumed or expected. We should be happy with what we get, if anything at all!
Q: I have four hosta plants on the east side of my house.
There is something eating away at the leaves, the holes are everywhere, in the middle, the
tips and some new growth has been chewed off also. We do have a pair of ducks that
frequent the yard as well as rabbits. Could they be the culprits, and what can I do to
prevent this? (Fargo, N.D.,
e-mail)
A: I'm willing to bet that the critters that is chewing away on your hostas are slugs. They are nocturnal feeders and love hostas! There are many baits that can be used to control slugs. Just place them in such a way that the visiting wildlife doesn't mistakenly eat the bait and die.
Also, if you are watering, stop. That encourages the proliferation of these leaf munchers. Hostas are fairly drought tolerant anyway.
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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