Q: Someone gave me a sweet potato vine that lost most of its leaves since being in the house. Can I make cuttings from the ends of the vine or should I just cut the vine back to the tuber and see what happens ? (E-mail reference)

A: Cut the vine back to the tuber and see what happens. Given a sufficient period of time, the plant may develop new shoots and produce an attractive vine for you. If not, check to see that the tuber has not rotted.

Q: I have a hibiscus that I recently repotted. It was doing great for about three weeks and now the leaves are wilted and some are turning hard and brittle. Some of the edges are starting to turn brown. The soil is wet almost to the extent of over-wet. I watered about four days ago and the leaves remain wilted. When I did water, some ended up in the saucer at the bottom of the pot. What can I do? If it is over-watered, why are some of the leaves drying up and falling off? (E-mail reference)

A: You could be witnessing what is known as physiological wilt. This is essentially the same as wilt caused by a lack of water reaching the aerial part of the plant due to a weather-caused drought. It is now being caused by a lack of water from anaerobic conditions -- keeping the soil so wet that the root system can’t get air. These plants go into a rest period during the winter and should only be watered to the point of preventing the soil from drying out. So let it dry up. If the plant still has life in the stems, it should releaf for you. Check the cambium with your thumbnail and if it is green, the plant has a chance. If it is yellowish or brown, it is over! Always pour off the excess water in the saucer.

Q: A lady has a big evergreen but she calls it an overgrown arborvitae. It is red inside and the foliage is red. She watered it all summer. What's happening and can it be saved? (Linton, N.D.)

A: It sounds like rust. Just a guess but I believe it can, if all else is healthy. Spray next spring with Bordeaux mix. It should keep the pathogen in check.

Q: Do you have any experience with tree propagation? I've been trying to propagate my root shoots from a miniature crab apple tree but they won't take. I use Roottone and sandy soil. They grow like crazy from the ground around the base of the trees but won't start on their own. Any suggestions? (E-mail reference)

A: Try the process of "stooling" where the soil is mounded up over the shoots after they are wounded at the base. I'll forward you my publication of "Home Propagation Techniques" where that technique and other propagation processes are explained.

Q: Would this be a good time to fertilize bluegrass with 22-3-14? (Maddock, N.D.)

A: As long as at least half of the nitrogen source was from WIN (water insoluble sources). If it is all water soluble (WSN) or termed "nitrate nitrogen" or "urea nitrogen" then don't use it, for fear of stimulating late growth of the grass. A true winterizing fertilizer has a higher K value than the nitrogen.

Q: I have a question about pyramidial arborvitae. I'd like to put several of them between my house and the neighbor’s. However, there is only about 10 feet between the houses and he is concerned about the root system finding its way into the plumbing. He had some overgrown mountain laurels removed from the same location for those very fears. Was he right? What are the chances of that happening with pyramidial arborvitae? And what type of root system do they normally have? (E-mail reference)

A: Unless the plumbing is leaking, no one has anything to worry about. Roots will not develop where there isn't a good balance of air and water, and arborvitae are used as "foundation plants" in basic landscape projects because they do not have roots that cause problems. Plant without fear.

Q: I just had a flowering pear and a white birch tree planted last week. The leaves appear to be dying on both. Am I watering them too much? I was told to water them everyday for a while. Are the leaves supposed to fall off the white birch in the fall? I also have two purple leaf plums that have leaves that look sick. Do they fall off in the fall and bloom white flowers? Could you please help me as I don't want to loose these trees. They were quite expensive. (E-mail reference)

A: You can relax. Both species of trees are supposed to lose their leaves at this time of year. While you do not need to water them every day, don't let them enter the winter months with dry soil.

Q: I would like to know when to move my yarrow, poker primrose and hosta. Also, my dirt got hard from watering all summer. Can I put new dirt over the old and work it in next to my perennials? Would it hurt to put a small amount of that dirt on top of the perennials using it as a mulch? Would you know why some of my astilbes don't get plumes? I have them on the north side of my house. I would move them if you think they’re not getting enough sun. When would it be best to move them? (Onaka, N.D.)

A: A good rule of thumb is to transplant spring-flowering perennials in the fall and fall- flowering perennials in the spring. Never layer different soil types if at all possible. Improve the tilth by adding organic matter like sphagnum peat moss. The astilbe probably didn't flower because of low light intensity or it was planted too deep. You can move it in the fall but be sure to water in well and mulch all that you transplant this fall.

Q: About what size planter and how much soil does my ficus need? At its thickest, the trunk is approximately 1.75-inches in diameter. I'm losing leaves like crazy and think I might have poor soil. (E-mail reference)

A: Move your ficus up to the next nominal sized container. Make sure it drains freely so you can collect and dispose of the excess water from the base. Use fresh potting soil that is commercially available at many retail outlets and make sure the plant gets good, strong, indirect light, no direct sunlight. Keep it away from drafts, water after the top third of the soil has dried using tepid water and fertilize monthly during periods of active growth.

Q: I bought a marshall seedless ash tree in May 2002. It was doing very well until two weeks ago. The leaves on the end of the branches turned brown and fell off. The nursery said it was a bug and wouldn't hurt the tree. They will spray the tree for me next year. The branches where the leaves fell off are dead from 8 to 12 inches from the end of the branch. Can you tell me what the cause is? Is the tree terminal? The man I purchased the tree from at the nursery said he couldn't believe it and would be out soon to check it. (E-mail reference)

A: I would say it could be any number of things. It could be planted too deep, have cankers, bark borers, or a combination of problems. I suggest that you wait for the nursery owner to come out and check the tree for you. It might not be terminal, but it will probably never be the tree that you want it to be.

Q: I have a weeping fig ficus that I've had for about 14 years. The leaves are dropping and are very sticky. I am also finding small dead branches. Could the stickiness be causing the problem? It has grown so that it has cracked the plastic pot it is in. When is the proper time to repot? I hate to lose it after all this time. (E-mail reference)

A: Stickiness is not good! The plant is likely getting hit by spider mites. Their feeding is causing the sap or stickiness you are experiencing and the leaf drop if you have not moved it to a new location. Repot now and wash the foliage while you have it out of the pot. Use tepid water to wash the little sap-sucking bounders off. After you have it in a new pot, spray the plant with Schultz's Neem which is an insecticide, miticide, and fungicide all in one. That will take care of the problem.

Q: A friend recently brought me extra iris that she had. Do I still need to get them in the ground this fall? (Chancellor, S.D.)

A: You still have time so get them planted now. You need to mulch since the ground is beginning to freeze. Mulching will prevent heaving.

Q: I have a flowering crap apple tree that is about two years old. I will be moving soon and would like to take it with me. Is it possible to dig up the tree in October and transplant it somewhere else or will I have to just leave it for the new owners. The tree is pretty small right now. (E-mail reference)

A: Any tree would be better off at the same location rather than digging it up. But it can be done, especially at the stage of life it is at right now. Just make sure that the new owners didn't consider it part of the purchase price of the property.

Q: A lady came into our office seeking information on wintering geraniums. The technique she is looking for involves removing the soil and storing the geraniums upside down. Do you or your readers have any instructions for this method? (Killdeer, N.D.)

A: As far as I know, the method is to cut them back to about 4-inch stems, shake off as much soil as possible, then hang them in a cool, dry location. Repot in February and locate it near a sunny window for growth. During the interim, about once a month, they should be checked to see how they are doing. If they start to mummify, they should be immersed in tepid water to rehydrate them, and then re-hung. You will be the first to know if my readers have any other advice

Q: We are using a systemic granular insecticide called Di-Sol to control pine tip moths in our ponderosa pines. It seems to control them but only after the damage is done. Is there anything that is longer lasting? This particular insecticide says that you can eat vegetables 7 to 10 days after it is applied. Apparently it doesn't have much residual effect. It is labeled for pine tip moths though. Second question, we installed 400 yards of sod and had a battle with sod web worms. I think we won after using Ortho's BUG B GONE. But now I have a few patches on the east and north side of the house that have a white coating. Is it powdery mildew? Is it fatal to grass? Will it make it through the winter? I have applied some winterizing fertilizer and the grass was looking great until the white appeared. We have had a few frosts but mainly cool nights and sunny breezy days. (Mount Vernon, S.D.)

A: Anything that is systemic and can be used on veggies can't be very potent, so I would stay away from that material. See if you can get Orthene. It is an old systemic that is quite effective at controlling scale and other insects and has fairly good residual and systemic action. Yes, that is powdery mildew but is nothing to worry about. Simply keep the lawn mowed and collect the clippings this fall. Since you fertilized the area already, it is not necessary to do so again. The fertilization will provide a gentle stimulus for some vegetative growth to help the grass outgrow the fungus.