Q: I would like to put a crabapple tree in my front yard. I went to the garden center today but they don't have pictures of what the tree looks like when it’s full grown. I know what I want, so I would like to take a look at pictures of full trees (not just the fruit). Can you recommend a book that would supply me with pictures and information? I want something that’s disease resistant, 15 to 20 feet high, not upright growing and will have small red fruit in the fall through winter (fruit like the winterberry tree). I read about the sugar thyme and it sounds like something I would be interested in, but they didn't show it full grown. I'm an avid gardener but I'm very specific in what I buy. (E-mail reference)

A: There are as many different crabapple types as there are different Smiths! The best bet for you is to contact the local county extension office and see if they have a horticulturist that can help you. Crabapple selection is very a local process and there are literally thousands to select from. The cultivar you mention, sugar thyme, is listed in one of my references. Here are its characteristics:

Flowers: Pale pink buds that open to sugar white fragrant flowers.

Fruit: Red, one-half inch diameter, abundant and persistent.

Habit: Upright oval, vigorous, 15 to 18 feet with crisp dark green foliage.

Diseases: Very resistant, slight scab in Ohio (1997). Test evaluations great in Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina and Vermont. Good Japanese beetle resistance but poor fireblight resistance. Hope this helps!

Q: Could you please tell me if hoya can be propagated from seed? Also, are there any hoya varieties that can climb a wall or a tree without any additional support such as chicken wire or a trellis? There must be a generic name for vines capable of doing that type of climbing but I'm not sure what that term is.

A: Yes, they can. Although most increases are done by cuttings being dipped in a rooting hormone powder (which stops the milky sap from flowing) which root in about 4 - 6 weeks. Seeds can be sown fresh and kept moist at about 70 degrees F. minimum. The seeds should sprout in about 5 - 7 days. The species of hoya that grows as a vine is known as the porcelain flower (H. australis). The H. carnosa, which is known as the wax or honey plant, is a vigorous climber that is more commonly on the market.

Q: Is Christmas cactus poisonous to my cats? (E-mail reference)

A: Christmas cactus is not listed as a poisonous plant but that doesn't mean that it cannot make your kitty sick. The grower may have had the plants treated with systemic pesticides or the cat could be allergic to the plant's juices. Basically, it is not a good idea to allow your cat to eat anything green that you haven't grown yourself and know it to be free of toxins.

Q: Can you tell me how to cross-pollinate roses or any other flower? (E-mail reference)

A: I am hoping that you know the various floral parts as I describe them. If not, then I suggest you get a basic botany text from your local library. The rose flower has both sexual parts. The stamen (male) has the anther or pollen bearing structure. The pistil (female) is made up of the stigma, style and ovary. You have to figure out which flower is going to be the donor (male) and which one is going to be the receptor (female). Once that decision has been made, emasculate the receptor flower of all pollen-bearing anthers as soon as it opens. Do it carefully so as to not damage the female organ. Then take the donor flower and make sure the pollen is mature. It should leave a little dust on your finger or brush. If it is mature, then take a small lettering paint brush and gently rub it over the pollen bearing anther on the donor flower and transfer that pollen to the stigma on the female part of the receptor flower. Do this until the stigma will no longer take any pollen (it will start to dry up). If you are working with a rose, the petals should then fall off and the rose fruit (called hips) should develop slowly. As the fruit matures it turns a bright red. At that point it is mature. You can then harvest the fruit (hip) and allow it to dry. Once dry, gently crush it and carefully separate out the small seeds from the litter. Sow under proper conditions and see what you have produced with your cross-pollination! If you are doing this outside, you’ll want to cover the fertilized flower with a sack to keep insects from messing up your careful cross-pollination. That step won’t be necessary if you are doing it in a greenhouse.

Q: My spider plant has very long runners that the babies are attached to. I have tried cutting several off on two different occasions but it seemed like the plant was going to die. It didn't and after a couple weeks it perked back up. There are 16 on the plant right now, with five being fairly new. Is it possible to get rid of them? Is this spider plant a producing one? I have nine others from this one and only one of them is doing what the mother is doing. In general, can you tell me about these runners and the right name to refer them as? (E-mail reference)

A: You are calling them by the right name, runners or stolons. Don't cut them off as they are a part of the beauty of the plant. If you want, poke one of the runners in a small pot of soil while attached to the mother plant. In a couple of weeks it will root giving you another plant. This is one of the best, most ecologically positive houseplants, anyone can grow. They tolerate a wide range of conditions and normal neglect.

Q: I recently received a boxed amaryllis bulb kit. When I opened it, I found that the bulb had already begun sprouting. It has grown to about 6 inches tall and there is a bloom-looking thing on top. Unfortunately everything is white. Will it recover or is it useless? I also recently bought a cyclamen. It just finished blooming so I cut off all the old blooms. Is it possible to keep it growing without letting it dry out? (Vermillion, S.D.)

A: In answer to both of your questions, I don’t know. Your reference to everything is white leads me to believe that it is moldy. Gently squeeze the bulb to see if it is still firm. If it is, there is a chance it will recover. The white stuff could just be a surface mildew that may not be lethal to the bulb. If the bulb is mushy, then you might as well dump it, unless it is continuing to grow for you. Frankly, I have never grown a cyclamen after blooming so I don't know what the results would be. My references tell me that watering should be withheld and the pot placed on its side in a cool spot and kept dry until midsummer. Then repot using fresh potting soil and begin the process of watering and fertilizing. You might try what you are suggesting to see what the results would be. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Q: My sister calls her cactus a Thanksgiving cactus because it blossoms at this time of the year. It has developed a bark-like appearance at the base of the stems and seems to be wilting. Any suggestions to get it back to health? (E-mail reference)

A: Her problem is likely caused by rot developing at the base of the plant on in the roots. The best thing she can do is take some cuttings and root them. They root easily and that way she would be perpetuating the same plant which is important to many people.

Q: I came across your Web site while looking for information on how to care for jade plants. In your responses to other email questions, you mentioned a circular on propagation. I have eight jade plants (eight, 10-inch-tall single stalks in one rectangular pot) that I turn daily so that they grow straight up. But they are getting too tall and starting to bend. Is there a way to train the growth direction? Does this plant just have one stalk or can it have a bush-like growth? (E-mail reference)

A: You can cut it back and it will branch out for you into more of a shrub form. If you want the Home Propagation Techniques circular, I need an address to send it to.

Q: I just had to tell you about my garden surprise. I've been watching the flowering cabbage and kale. When it froze, the plants hung down and I thought that was the end of them. But, when it warmed up to 40 degrees, they fluffed up. I cut one yesterday and let it thaw out. I removed the bottom leaves and rinsed it off. I put it in a bowl and it is beautiful. I cut the others and shared them with a relative. I'm going to add some evergreens today to make an arrangement. (Gwinner, N.D.)

A: Nice surprises are always great to receive especially in gardening and at this time of year! Thanks for sharing your story with me.