December 26, 2002

Hortiscope

Ronald C. Smith, Horticulturist
NDSU Extension Service

Q: I have a cyclamen that I took with me after moving to a different home. I water with distilled water and fertilize twice a month. But this year it does not seem to want to bloom. It grew lots of new leaves but no flowers. It was fairly close to a heater so I moved it to a window sill where it's cooler. It didn't seem to like it so I moved it back. Is there any chance that it will bloom again or should I just give up? (E-mail reference)

A: You must like challenges. My advice, to most people, is to dump cyclamen plants after they flower. They need a bright light source but not direct sunlight. You may have to buy a plant light to provide it with enough energy. I assume you let it go through a dormancy period where it was allowed to dry for a period of time before you resumed watering. If you didn't, that may be the problem. There are easier plants to grow. If this one frustrates you, get rid of it and move on to others which will repay your attention with more beauty.

Q: I have 1,000 Colorado spruce trees I planted a few years ago. They are 10 feet apart and are now 3 to 6 feet tall. Are they likely to die off at that spacing? Is there a formula, when transplanting, for the amount of dirt and depth that should be moved with the roots going by the diameter or height of the tree? (E-mail reference)

A: According to the American Standard for Nursery Stock, put out by the American Association of Nurserymen, 1996 issue, the ball size should be 14 inches diameter for the 3 foot tall trees, and 22 inches diameter for those that are 6 feet tall. These are minimum sizes and assume cultural practices up to the point of digging that would have encouraged the development of a well-branched root system. If this is not your case, then I would tend to make the ball size larger. The depth size should be not less than 75 percent of the diameter for the 3 foot tall trees, and not less than 66 percent of the diameter for the 6 foot trees. As far as spacing, I would recommend every other one be removed or cut out before the trees become too crowded. Overcrowding will encourage disease problems and competition for limited resources like water and nutrients.

Q: To the lady with the beaver problem. She should us 36 inch hardware cloth, 3/4 to 1 inch, wrapped loosely around the trees so it will expand with the tree. That should save her trees if she doesn't live by running water. They will kill acres of trees if they dam running water. What they eat isn't too bad. In two years she will be glad to get rid of them. The guy that's going to move trees should learn to root prune first so the tree will make a root ball. It sure helps in sand or sandy loam. (Bemidji, MN)

A: Thank you for your common sense advice. I'm sure all of the readers will appreciate it.

Q: Some of us like to keep some beavers. We chicken wire our trees at a minimum of 48 inches. Be sure to check it regularly. We also spray cayenne pepper powder around and on the tree in real active areas. It’s time consuming and labor intensive - but effective. We have 1 1/3 miles of creek trees we protect this way. It's the best method we've come up with to co-exist with the beaver. Plant or encourage cattails as beavers seem to eat the roots quite voraciously. (Letcher, SD)

A: Thanks for the excellent suggestions!

Q: I read the question about a spider plant flowering. You said it's rare. We’ve had a spider for a few years that blooms often, gets a long stem, flowers and then babies appear on the stems. Ours is green with a white stripe on the leaves. We also have a Christmas cactus that bloomed from Thanksgiving to Easter and now is getting ready to bloom again. (New Rockford, N.D.)

A: You and about a dozen other people have told me the same thing! So allow me to change what I previously said - "it is not uncommon for spider plants to produce flowers." Thanks for your letter and for being a faithful reader!

Q: Being new in North Dakota, I have learned so much from your column. I really enjoy your helpful hints. I have an avocado plant nearly three feet tall that is growing like a cross. Can I cut the ends off to encourage it to fill out? Any other hints for keeping it alive? It looks very healthy and is about 6 months old. What about fertilizer and repotting it? (Dazey, N.D.)

A: Thank you for the nice words about the column! Concerning your avocado, this is considered a fun, temporary plant to grow. As a houseplant, they usually don't live beyond two or three years. You can pinch out the growing tip to encourage bushy growth. Repot in a minimally larger pot and use a multi-purpose potting mix such as Schultz's.

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.

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Source: Ron Smith, (701) 231-8161, ronsmith@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu