November 8, 2001

Hortiscope

Ronald C. Smith, Horticulturist
NDSU Extension Service

Q: How do you tell red mulberry from white mulberry? I would like to grow some from hardwood cuttings (I've read that they root readily) but am not sure which species the local trees are. I want to grow only native trees. (E-mail reference)

A: Think very carefully before you plant a mulberry tree ( either one). The fruits are almost irrationally attractive to birds, and if they are planted in a location that is inappropriate to that kind of attention, you will have a mess on your hands! If you can, try to propagate from a fruitless (male) tree for a cleaner area under the canopy. Of the two trees, the red mulberry (Morus rubra) is more rare and more attractive. It is difficult to describe the subtle differences but I will try: the white mulberry leaf is very polymorphic-- that is, some leaves are lobed, others not; the base of the leaves could be cordate (kind of heart shaped), others not; the veins on the underside of the leaves could have a slight pubescence (peach-fuzz) to them. The red mulberry has a much handsomer, dark green leaf that is broadly oval, and comes to an abrupt point, with some being two or three lobed (but not as frequently as the white); the underside is dark green and softly pubescent, not confined to the veins.

Q: Is there a cheap household way to treat flowers that develop fungus? I'm having problems with geraniums and summer phlox. Someone mentioned baking soda, but I don't know how much to add per gallon. I suppose I could buy a well known fungicide and have it for next summer. (E-mail reference)

A: Sorry, but I don't know of a baking soda cure. I would recommend the use of an organic fungicide such as Safer Fungicide and Miticide. Another one on the market containing Neem, another organic, is Schultz Expert Gardener Fungicide 3. It is a miticide, fungicide, and insecticide. All fungicides work better as preventatives than as cures.

Q: A local farmer brought tomatoes and wanted to know why they developed yellow patches.

All have some degree of yellow on them. I'm sorry I don't have any information about the variety, etc. (Williston, N.D.)

A: The random yellowing is nothing to really worry about, unless one happens to be a nutrition fanatic. It simply represents a lycopene (red coloration) breakdown in the fruit and could be a result of the cultivar interacting with the environment (soil, watering, nutrients, weather conditions, etc.). Slice 'em up and enjoy, even if they are still a little deficient nutrition-wise

Q: My mother would like me to move her perennial flower garden. Could you tell me when is the best time to move hostas and day lilies? (E-mail reference)

A: After a good, hard, killing frost.

Q: We recently built a new home, had several loads of black dirt hauled in and have a huge problem. We have not been able to get anything to grow but crabgrass. We have reseeded twice. We did spray the crabgrass (which had little effect); now our linden tree is dropping its leaves. We can only conclude that the soil must have been treated with some kind of herbicide. Can you help? (Watertown, S.D.)

A: Your information is too spotty: Did you backfill around the linden with these several loads of soil? If so, when did that take place? As little as 6 to 8 inches of soil over the rootzone of the linden could cause problems with survival. Crabgrass is an annual and easily controlled with a pre-emergent herbicide in the early spring. If you are going to be seeding your lawn, as opposed to sodding it, then you can only use a product called Tupersan (siduron). It is an effective annual grassy weed control that will allow the typical lawn grass seed to germinate. All other herbicides will prevent the lawn grasses from germinating for up to 12 weeks. It could well be that the topsoil came from a former wheat field where broad-leaf herbicides were heavily used. If so, then the residue could be migrating to the roots of the linden and being taken up and gradually killing it. To test the soil, try growing a bean or tomato plant in it. If either die, that is likely the problem. The only options open to you then are the complete removal of the soil you brought in or generous incorporation of activated charcoal into the soil to absorb the herbicide.

Q: We recently moved into a house built in1997, so the trees have been there for maybe four years. The previous owner put in four poplar trees. There are also two lindens and two crab apple trees. A bit overdone. We have underground sprinklers so I am nervous about getting the poplars out of there. What is the best way to do this? (He also had two weeping willows, but I got those out as soon as the snow melted.) Also my lindens are looking sickly, with very small leaves. I am watering and putting on aluminum sulfate to counteract the clay soil. What else can I do to help bring them back? (Fargo, N.D.)

A: I suggest doing to the poplar trees exactly what you did to the weeping willows--cut them down and grind out the stumps. The lindens could be affected by the lawn sprinkler system, most likely getting too much water. They are very adaptable trees and don't need any special soil treatment. When were the trees planted? Are they planted too deep? That seems to be one of the most common causes of loss with these trees, along with overwatering.

Q: I have recently taken on a project investigating the composting of poultry feathers. Before I tackle the issue I am researching the techniques of composting and what factors make a good compost. I have investigated the moisture content and the carbon to nitrogen ratio. (E-mail reference)

A: You need to get your hands on two books: "The Rodale Guide To Composting" and the "Science and Engineering of Composting" edited by Harry A.J. Hoitink and Harold M. Keener, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH.

If you can’t find the answers to your composting questions in these two books, I doubt you'll find them anywhere else!

Q: I have a spruce that is about 4 feet tall. It has a space of about 18 inches on one side where there are no branches. If I keep the top cut off and do not allow vertical growth, will new branches develop in this bare space? (E-mail reference)

A: No! But as a matter of practicality, those 18 inches will be of less significance as the tree continues to grow and mature. The branches above will droop down with age, and you will likely be taking off the bottom 18 inches anyway. Cutting the top off a spruce is never a good idea!

Q: Is there a spray available that you can use so plum trees don't bear fruit? The plums are making a real mess in my yard. (E-mail reference)

A: A material called "Fruit Stop" contains an ethylene-producing substance that, with the exact right timing, would cause embryo abortion of the fruit, never giving it a chance to form. It’s available in many garden centers. My experience has been that its performance is very undependable.

Q: We are seeding about 2.5 acres in a cemetery expansion and are looking for recommendation for types and cultivars of grass for this area. The soil is light sandy loam on in a full sunlight flat overlooking the Sheyenne valley. We also need to know a recommended planting rate. We hope to seed with a barley or wheat cover crop. (Valley City, N.D.)

A: I would seed some common Kentucky bluegrass, like Kenblue or SD Certified, at a rate of 3/4 to 1.25 pounds per 1000 square feet. The cover crop is a good idea. If bluegrass isn't to your liking, then I would suggest a crested wheatgrass cultivar like Fairway or Ephriam. The former is a bunchgrass and the latter is stoloniferous. Both are minimal maintenance turfgrasses, establishing easily and quite drought tolerant. Seed Fairway at about 5 pounds per 1000 square feet and the Ephriam at about 3 to 4 pounds. If this isn't going to be a highly public cemetery, I would go with one of the wheatgrasses.

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. Note to e-mail correspondents: please identify your location (city and state) for most accurate recommendations.

###

Source: Ron Smith, (701) 231-8161, ronsmith@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Gary Moran, (701) 231-7865, gmoran@ndsuext.nodak.edu