NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
April 27, 2000
Ron Smith, Extension Horticulturist
North Dakota State University
Q: Have you heard of a Legency maple? Are they OK to plant in North Dakota? (Mandan, N.D., e-mail)
A: Nope, but I have heard of the Legacy, which is a cultivar of sugar maple. Unfortunately, this beauty doesn't make it in North Dakota.
Q: Last year, in the same raspberry patch, with the same light, soil, and water, about half the patch produced small, crumbly berries. The foliage looked fine. The berries tasted OK, too, but the rest of the patch had big, juicy raspberries. Is the rest of the patch going to get this, too? Should I destroy the bad part of the patch? Your suggestions or referrals are welcome. (e-mail)
A: Thanks for the good description of your problem. I had the same situation back in the good old days (?) when I was growing berries, and I had no idea what the cause was. I simply ripped the affected bushes out.
Now I know--decades later--what causes your "crumbly berries." It is a viral disease known as tomato ringspot virus. The fruit is usually most obviously affected, followed by yellow rings that may show up on some of the foliage later, like this year. The disease is commonly spread by dagger nematodes but can be picked up by insects such as aphids and leaf hoppers.
The best remedy is to destroy the plants so affected, and go about five or six plants beyond the ones that showed the visible symptoms to be on the safe side. I would suggest a soil sample from the base of some of the visibly affected plants to confirm the presence of the dagger nematode. If confirmed, then that area should be kept clear of all vegetation--even weeds--for two years before replanting. That is usually sufficient to starve them out.
Q: What do you recommend for fertilizing strawberries? (Forman, N.D., e-mail)
A: Strawberries need fertilization right after harvest, or before the onset of flower-bud formation that takes place in August. About 5 pounds of 10-10-10, or something close to that, per 100 square feet of row. If the plants show a nitrogen deficiency, then perhaps a shot of some SCU (33-0-0) at about 1 pound per 100 square feet of row would green them back up again.
Q: I have two camellia plants that are at least 30 years old. Now I have a water problem in my basement, and I am pretty sure the roots are tunneling into the foundation. My question is, can the roots penetrate the concrete blocks? I am planning on pulling them up. Can they be transplanted easily? (Bessemer, Ala., e-mail)
A: Every camellia I recall when I was living in the South did not have any kind of an aggressive root system. In fact, mulching was always necessary because of the shallow roots these plant species had, so I doubt that they are creating any pressure against a cinder block wall.
On the other hand, some of the camellias I recall did get quite large over time. So, the weight of your camellias could be creating pressure in that area and could be contributing to stress on the wall. Ripping them out sounds like a good idea.
I also know, from having worked in a Georgia nursery that camellias are easily transplanted. So unless they are extremely large, and much of the root system is damaged, they should transplant without too much trouble.
Q: During the past four years, two cottonwood trees in our front yard have mites in a lumpy growth. When we noticed the problem, we were told they wouldn't spread (which they did to another tree) and that they were only unsightly and wouldn't harm the trees. Now leaves will not grow where these growths are present.
The trees are about 30 feet tall, and the mites are now about half way up the tree. The second year we sprayed with Kelthane and an oil from a nursery, but they were pretty well leafed out. Last year, it was either rainy or windy during the time they should have been sprayed, so we weren't able to do a good job again.
My questions are will we ever get control over this mite problem, or are we wasting our time? Will leaves ever come back on these lower branches? (Elgin, N.D.)
A: I would say it is time to remove the trees. When a problem is that advanced, the best hope is only for survival, not thriving growth.
Q: Is there a pre-emergence weedkiller I can use for broadleaf weeds and also pigeon grass where I will be planting sweet corn? Also, I have wood chips from ash and boxelder trees. Can these chips be used as mulch for tomato, cabbage, etc? (Wahpeton, N.D.)
A: You have several weed-control choices, with Frontier 6EC being the best bet. And yes, you may use the wood chips as a mulch.
Q: There is prickly plant with big leaves growing 2 to 3 feet high in my raspberry patch. What is it? (Portland, N.D.)
A: I would say the plant is a currant (Ribes spp.) of some kind, but which one I'm not sure. Kill the plant off with a paint brush dipped in Roundup when it re-leafs this spring.
Q: I am writing in regards to raising carrots. The last few years our carrots get all covered with hair-like roots. They grow all ugly shapes and sizes. We live in sandy soil, so I am wondering if it's a fertilizer deficiency. (Clearfield, S.D.)
A: The carrots are reflecting a herbicide residue presence. Try some again this year to see if the herbicide has broken down or leached from the upper surface. If the problem recurs, try in another location. Sometimes dagger nematode activity can cause the same symptoms, but certainly not on a wholesale basis as you imply.
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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