NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
November 22, 2000
Ronald C. Smith, Horticulturist
NDSU Extension Service
Q: A lady lives in an old house where wasps have found entry. The problem is that her grand daughter is highly sensitive to pesticides--a little sniff and it is a deep resting period. What would be some possible means of capturing the wasps? I suggested some fly tape sticky things, and possibly purchasing some mouse sticky traps to catch them. Do you know of a way of making a bait station that will attract them? (E-mail reference, Mott, N.D.)
A: Wasps in a home (assuming they have nested there) are nothing for amateurs to mess with. A professional exterminator is needed to get rid of them. Other than pesticides, once the nest is located, the exterminator will use a vacuum to suck them into a bag that is then placed in a freezer. The dead wasps are sold to venom preparation companies. This touchy task requires two people who are experienced at being around angry buzzing insects bent on stinging the daylights out of their attackers. Suffice it to say, proper protective clothing needs to be worn. They should also locate the nest and destroy it, since there could be larvae that would only emerge as adults later on. If there are only occasional wasps in the house, then traps with sweet, syrupy material would be a good attractant. There are several of those on the market.
Q: My mother-in-law unknowingly planted mint in an uncontrolled way two years ago. Of course it has taken over a lot of her garden. I am the chosen relative that has to take care of her garden due to her health concerns. What can I do to eliminate this plant short of digging for the next century? Are there any chemicals, treatments, etc? It seems it might be easier to dig up the good plants and totally kill the rest of the garden. (E-mail reference)
A: That might be the best solution- - dig out the plants that you want to save and nuke everything else with glyphosate (Roundup). Mint is a tough one to control once it gets established. Don't let your mother-in-law talk you into replanting with any catnip either- - it is just as bad!
Q: I transplanted my Norfolk Island pine early last summer and moved it out on the deck in partial sun. It has been showing new growth all along. It got blown over several times in strong winds. Now it is back in the house and is about 5 feet tall. Where is their native home? Are they the same as the ones that grow outside in southern Florida? (E-mail reference, Brookings S.D.)
A: The Norfolk Island pine is native to the South Pacific tropical islands. And yes, I would guess they are the same ones that are growing outside in southern Florida, even though I haven't traveled there in decades. Enjoy your pine through the winter knowing that its kin came from no place that resembles the Dakotas!
Q: As I "plug" aerate my lawn and look at the neighbors who have theirs done by various lawn services, the "plugs" look different. Mine have about 3 inches of heavy black soil and half an inch of brown thatch. Theirs have about 1 inch of brown soil and 3 inches of brown thatch.
Which is most desirable? Or is it an insignificant problem? (E-mail reference, Fargo, N.D.)
A: A very good question -- and certainly significant! Your lawn is much better off -- in fact, just about perfect. Those that have the numbers just opposite yours have the problem. The thicker thatch inhibits water and air movement, effectiveness of pesticides and fertilizer, and is a hotbed for disease and insect problems. So, in a nutshell, you caught yours at the "preventative" stage, rather than trying to "cure" a malady already in place. Do it on a regular basis and you'll likely not have any major problems.
Q. I have two large hibiscus plants that I have just brought in for the winter from outside. They were loaded with blossoms when I brought them in and now they have lost some of them. I am wondering if it would be okay to cut them back after they are done blooming since they have become too large to keep in the house. Also, will they be okay over the winter in a sunny room at room temperature? (Ada, Minn.)
A: Sure -- go for it! If hibiscus are not pruned back they will take over the place. And yes, they can be wintered in a sunny room at normal household temperatures. Flower bud drop is normal upon bringing the plants indoors.
Q: I moved several Black Hills spruce and several Colorado blue spruce into my yard from a farm-planted tree row. They were about 10 feet tall and in great shape. It was a little over a year ago that we moved them. They have done real well. Recently I noticed brown needles in all of the trees. These brown needles are up and down the trunk from top to bottom starting from the center of the trunk out about a foot. Enclosed is a sample for you to look at. (Wimbledon, N.D.)
A: There is no evidence of pathogen or insect damage you sent. Black Hills spruce are quite tough, adapted to the dry Badlands of our state. I suggest backing off on the watering and see if they improve over the next year. It probably wouldn’t hurt to give them a shot of Miracle-Gro or Miracid next spring as the new growth emerges.
Q: During this summer’s growing season I had a problem with cucumbers. They were slow growing and there were a lot of blossoms but few cucumbers and they tended to curl. I believed there were plenty of bees for pollination since we had a lot of flowers. What product can be used to control blight on tomatoes and other vegetables? I have a dusting power which I have had for some time. It is called "Tomato Vegetable Dust" by Ortho. I cannot find this product now and the closest think I can find doesn’t mention controlling diseases, only insects. Is there a product which can control both insects and certain plant diseases on vegetables and flowers? Also, I have a method of making compost which is to freeze the waste such as vegetable peelings, lettuce, cabbage and things of that nature in milk cartons, then thaw and bury this in the garden. Of course, throughout the growing season, I add other soil nutrients. Is this type of compost acceptable? (Barnesville, Minn.)
A: There is a product called "Home Orchard Spray" which contains both Malathion and Captan that will control insects and diseases. It should be available in any major chain outlets that handle garden supplies or certainly in local garden centers. As for your cucumbers, I’d suggest another variety. Obviously the one you had didn’t like the environment. Your freezing stops the composting action. What you are putting into your garden is not compost by any definition. Compost is a mixture of decomposed vegetable matter, whose constituent parts are not recognizable. What you are adding will eventually become compost, but you can’t call it that now.
Q: This summer I planted last Christmas’s poinsettia in the ground outdoors. This fall I repotted it and brought it into the house. How can I get it to bloom again? It’s a full, beautiful green plant.. (Montrose, S.D.)
A: You’re going to be a little late to get it to rebloom by Christmas, but it’s worth a try. Begin immediately by giving it short days. You can do this by covering the plant with a light–proof sack, box or bag for at least 13 hours. Many folks do this by covering the plant when they come home from work at 5 to 6 p.m., and uncover it just before they leave the following morning around 7 to 7:30 a.m. Do this every day until flower buds are evident (actually the bracts begin coloring up), then you can stop. It should take about six weeks for this to happen.
Q: Can I use Prowl on my asparagus bed next spring as a pre-emergent herbicide? (Pelican Rapids, M.N.)
A: I cannot find asparagus listed on the label. If it isn’t there, its use would be considered illegal.
Treflan is labeled and controls some of the same weeds as a pre-emergent herbicide.
Q: The lawn directly in front of our home is heavily infested with the enclosed specimen. I would say that it is either quack grass or crab grass. What would be the best way to get rid of it? (Fargo, N.D.)
A: How about neither? It is tall or meadow fescue, and unfortunately there is no selective option for ridding it. If your lawn is truly heavily infested with this clumpy, coarse-textured grass, I suggest a complete wipe-out with Round Up next spring or early summer, and reseeding.
Q: A lady who has a hydrangea is wondering when is a good time to cut it back and transplant it. I'm guessing you can transplant any time, but is it a good idea to trim one back? (E-mail reference, LaMoure, N.D.)
A: Hydrangeas set flower buds (at least the ones that grow in our part of the country) on the new growth next spring. She can dig and transplant when the plant has gone dormant. All the leaves should be off before attempting to move it. If she missed the fall window, she can catch it next spring before new growth begins.
Q: I have two azalea plants, one magnolia, hydrangea and other smaller plants which I know I have to mulch to keep over the winter. When is the best time to mulch these plants and with what type of mulching material? (E-mail reference, Jamestown, N.D.)
A: Mulch should be applied right after the soil freezes, but before the tough winter weather arrives. Now this makes an assumption that both you and I know doesn't always hold true in North Dakota; that the soil freezes first before the snow cover gets here. As to what to use; dried grass clippings, clean oat, wheat, or flax straw, or if you can get it, salt marsh hay. Many people successfully mulch with tree leaves. Or in some cases, branch boughs from evergreens.
Q: We are removing some old bridal wreath bushes. We would like to get the root stumps level with the adjacent ground to cover the area with grass. Do you have a suggestion as to how we can most efficiently remove the root stumps? (E-mail reference)
A: The most efficient way is to rent a stump grinder from a local equipment rental shop. It will grind them down to below soil level in a matter of minutes. The stumps on those things could be as big around as your waist after all those years- - I know from tough experience!
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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: Gary Moran, (701) 231-7865