NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
April 6, 2000
Ron Smith, Extension Horticulturist
North Dakota State University
Q: I followed the directions you gave me last spring about keeping my azalea plant alive. Much to my pleasure, the plant is loaded with new blossoms at its site in my south window. Some branches died off so I did cut them off, making it a little strange looking. But I still pride myself in the fact I kept it alive and going for the most part, as I don't have a green thumb! I fertilized every two weeks with Rapid grow also. Thanks! (Lamoure, N.D.)
A: I appreciate knowing of your success! I hope it can be inspirational to others as well!
Q: I have a grapefruit tree that is 7 inches tall. It grew good last fall, but in January the leaves started getting spotty. I think it may be caused by tiny spiders, as I could see some sap leaking at the ends of the leaves also. Could you tell me what the problem is and what to use to get rid of it? (Minot, N.D.)
A: I'd say you are correct--spider mite damage. Spray the entire plant with insecticidal soap, or dip it into a prepared solution, to completely cover the foliage. Once under control, mist the plant frequently with distilled water to keep the population from building up again.
Q: Can I put a weed preventer (like Preen) on now in my flower bed? I have poppies that seed back every year. Will this prevent them from coming back?
Also, how do you get rid of moles? I haven't had much luck trying to trap them. (Winner, S.D.)
A: You can apply Preen after the first of April and it shouldn't hurt the poppies. As for mole control, get rid of their food (grubs) and they will move on.
Q: What lawn grass has the most tolerance to salinity? We have many areas in Minot that have a high water table and salt problems. It is very evident this time of the year with the whitish material on the surface. (Minot, N.D., e-mail)
A: Try Fultz (Puccinella distans) creeping alkali grass. If that doesn't grow there, no grass will! It has been successfully used in Medora, N.D., where they have similar problems. It isn't any prize-winning beauty, but it will at least survive where nothing else will.
Q: We are having trouble with skunks and need to know if there is a plant to ward them off. (e-mail)
A: I know of no plants. The only way to control skunks is to fence them out of the area you want protected with a chicken or rabbit wire fence. They are members of the weasel family and are constantly looking for food, such as spilled garbage, grubs, slugs etc. Skunks can also be trapped live, something that we have tried. But who is going to approach the trap to move them? You can't hire me!
Remember, while the striped skunk is not a protected species, the spotted skunk is. If you live far enough away from residential areas, you may have to resort to shooting the striped animals, which are potential carriers of rabies. Be careful, no matter what you choose to do.
Q: We have an oak tree in our yard that is about 20 feet tall. We have raised it from an acorn and have had no concerns about it until recently. During the spring, we started to notice that the bark was gone on the main trunk, right under where branches go out of it. Just recently I have noticed that a great deal of bark has apparently been removed due to pecking. We have never seen any birds doing it, but suspect that is what is happening. We do have woodpeckers at our suet feeder daily, so they are certainly around. It is there anything we can do to protect the tree? With so much bark missing, I am concerned about its survival. (e-mail)
A: Woodpeckers and sapsuckers can be visually destructive to some trees when they are actively setting up territories or attempting to attract mates. It is the males who are "showing off" to attract a female. Typical, right?
First of all, these birds are protected under federal and state law, so they cannot be legally shot. Next, a little annoyance or scare tactic will usually discourage most. Hanging aluminum pie tins or aluminum strips around where they are actively drumming will discourage them. Also, a material used to trap the female cankerworm--Tanglefoot--will make the area so sticky that they unlikely to come back. A final method is to discourage the drumming sound by wrapping some insulation around the area they frequent. Being songless birds, they need to find a surface on which to make their drumming sound, and with soft insulation covering the surface, their efforts will be thwarted.
Q: My daughter is getting married Aug. 4. For centerpieces at the reception, I had wanted to plant grass in clay pots and then place fresh flowers in the pots in water picks. We are having a garden theme. I planted grass in the clay pot to see how long it would take to get nice thick grass. I placed the pots under lights and covered the pots until germination took place. The grass germinated fairly well, but I had trouble with the thickening-up stage. The grass has now died. I may have not watered enough and plan to practice again soon. Do you have any suggestions for better success? Next time, I plan to use grass for shade, thinking it might require less light, even though I had it under lights and don't think light is my problem.
A: Try some creeping red fescue, Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass seed in different containers to see what it is you like best. All need light for most effective germination, so don't cover. That will also cut down on the possible incidence of disease getting started. Use sterilized potting media to start the grass in, and sprinkle the grass seed thick enough to cover the area completely.
You are going to be using the grass in the juvenile state, so seed density is important to get the effect you are seeking, since these containers will only be temporary. Note also how long the grass stays attractive, so you can figure how many days to give yourself prior to the wedding day.
Good luck and have fun! I'll be facing the same thing someday, so I might be coming to you for some advice on how to survive "marrying a daughter off!"
Q: Lately my lawn has come up with some coarse clumps of grass that spread like wildfire. You can even feel these clumps when you step on them. (Steele, N.D.)
A: I believe it is mat muhlyMuhlenbergia richardsonis, a rhizomatous perennial. I know of no selective herbicide that will take it out of your lawn. If the clumps are too extensive in number to dig up, then my only suggestion is to use Roundup as a spot spray or to completely renovate you lawn.
Q: We plan to retire in Custer, S.D., and I would like to know if the following bushes and vegetables would grow and thrive when the altitude is 5,280 feet. All of South Dakota is in the 4 zone, but what effect does altitude have on raspberries, blueberries, apricot trees, rose bushes, asparagus and gladiolas? (Eagle Butte, S.D.)
A: The effect of altitude, to the extent you are talking about, is to lower the hardiness zone number to 3. Winters come earlier, stay longer and get colder than close to sea level. I would suggest you get some historical records from South Dakota State University or the local weather service for low temperatures at that location, and base your decisions on that.
Denver is also a mile high city. It isn't so much the low temperatures that kill the plants there as it is the wide swings in weather.
To be on the safe side I'd look at zone 3 plants and check the precipitation totals for the growing season as well as the year-round temperature extremes.
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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