January 9, 2003

Hortiscope

Ronald C. Smith, Horticulturist
NDSU Extension Service

Q: My wife and I purchased a house in Lake City, Minn. last year and it has a lilac bush in a corner near the street. Last summer I noticed a lot of dead branches and a few blossoms. When is the best time to trim and remove the dead branches? (Lake City, Minn.)

A: Early to mid-March is best. Cut them back to soil level.

Q: Can I take a clipping from our North Carolina fir Christmas tree that we bought for the holidays? We hate to lose it since it is such a beautiful tree. (E-mail reference)

A: If one could only do so! I'm sorry, but it’s not likely simply because the tree was harvested in October or early November for the holiday market and they do not root easily from cuttings. Nice thought anyway.

Q: Perhaps you can help me figure out what is wrong with my (indoor) ficus. The leaves are falling off at an alarming rate. The newly forming leaf buds are often dry as well although the soil is quite moist. Often the falling leaves have dry patches on otherwise healthy looking green leaves. The plant has not been moved nor have any other changes been made. Is it possible that the pot is too small or that the tree lacks nutrients? For a plant about 4- feet tall, what typical pot diameter should I use? How often should the plant be watered? (E-mail reference)

A: You are likely overwatering the plant, as leaf fall is a typical symptom of this problem. Allow the upper half of the potting soil mix to dry before watering again. You needn't worry about the container size. As long as it is big enough to provide adequate support for the plant and it isn't a problem for you to move it when necessary. Generally, this species seems to thrive in a slightly over-crowded pot. I wouldn't repot until some root started emerging from the drainage hole and then just move it up to the next nominal size pot.

Q: I recently received a beautiful ornamental orange bush as a gift when my mother passed away. When it arrived from the florist, it was beautiful and appeared to be healthy. But almost overnight it started losing leaves and dropping fruit. How should it be cared for? How often should it be watered? Should it be in direct sunlight? There were no instructions with it and I hate losing such a beautiful plant. Can it be salvaged once it starts losing leaves, etc.? (E-mail reference)

A: Sometimes the gift plants one receives are too tender (not acclimated) for harsh household conditions. Keep in mind that most are grown in greenhouses where the humidity and temperature are carefully regulated along with the intensity and duration of the light they receive. Being put into a home where the humidity hovers around 10-15 percent is a major environmental shift for such plants. Your best bet is to allow nature to take it's course and eventually all the leaves will fall off. Then water enough to just keep the potting soil moist and not allow it to dry out completely. Keep it in a sunny window or under a plant light. New leaves should start emerging in about 6 - 8 weeks. This new growth will be acclimated to your household conditions and should thrive, produce flowers and fruit for you within another year.

Q: I wanted you to know that you can keep cyclamens blooming. I have had a pink one since 1982 and a white cyclamens since 1995 and both are still blooming. I just repotted both into the same pot and now I have white ones and pink ones blooming in the same pot. They are in the south window and need lots of sunshine and lots of water. They are beautiful plants and since I repotted them they are nicer yet. (Tappen, N.D.)

A: Glad to hear it! You are a talented horticulturist to be able to do what usually takes skilled florist or greenhouse growers to accomplish! Thanks for sharing your success story.

Q: When I graduated from high school, my neighbor gave me a white-striped spider plant. It came from the spider plant my parents gave to them when they moved to the neighborhood. The first year at college was no problem and the plant grew. However, now I live in an apartment and it is starting to die. It once had several healthy leaves but now has only three. The tips of those leaves are beginning to turn brown. How can I save this plant? I water it and give it sunlight but it still feels like it isn’t enough. (E-mail reference)

A: I think you may be overwatering it or you have it in a container that doesn’t drain. Most spider plants in the Fargo region are now producing new spiderettes and growing quite well. The browning on the leaf tips is normal. It is the result of water chlorination and/or fluoridation and is not lethal to the plant - only unsightly. You might try watering it with some distilled water about every other time to see if that helps to minimize that problem.

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