December 11, 2003

Hortiscope

Ronald C. Smith, Horticulturist
NDSU Extension Service

Q: A neighbor has fruit flies in her house that she can’t get rid of. She has tried to go to the source but has no rotten fruits, vegetables, potatoes, onions, etc. She did have some squash go bad on her but threw it out. What can she do? (Linton, N.D.)

A: Run Drano or some other drain sanitizer down all the household drains, especially the kitchen drain, including the disposal. She also needs to get some sticky tape and hang it where the populations are highest. She should be able to get it at any farm supply store. It used to be called "flypaper" which my grandfather had hanging all over his grocery store when I was a kid. Finally, get an aerosol that contains pyrethrins (that can be used indoors for flying insects) and spray them. Their life cycle is about 7 days, so a two-week period of intensive assault should do the trick.

Q: I bought a candlestick plant this past summer and grew it outside in a container. I wanted to bring it in for the winter, but thought I could take cuttings to start more plants. The first cutting I put in water died. Now I have cuttings that I dipped in root hormone and put directly into dirt. They have not died but their leaves are getting limp and turning yellow. I know nothing about this plant or how to care for it. There were vague planting instructions that came with the plant. The leaves are velvety and soft and seem to grow slowly. Can you grow this plant indoors or is it mainly for outdoors? (E-mail reference)

A: I need something more than the name candlestick plant. It is a common a name for way too many plants. Was there a botanical name on the tag? There should have been, or the grower should be scolded for not providing one. Generally, successful propagation takes place during the early spring or summer when the growth is most active.

Q: I have a pussy willow tree that has some scale on it. It is similar to the color of the tree and appears to be taking over several large branches. The tree is about 8 years old and has grown very quickly. Should I remove all the infected branches? Is this an insect? (E-mail reference)

A: Yes to both questions. The insect is one that feeds with a piercing sucking mouthpart and in sufficient numbers can weaken a plant to the point of death. Remove all the bad branches as far back as possible. When new growth comes out next spring, monitor it carefully to be sure re infestation has not taken place. If they have begun to re invade, apply a systemic insecticide such as Orthene as soon as possible.

Q: You are cited as the source for the news article on drinking hot chocolate for antioxidants. I have a question for you. Is it homemade coca or would a mix do? (Mandan, N.D.)

A: According to the researchers at Cornell, they used pure cocoa (with the appropriate sugar added of course). The mixes, if I remember correctly, are a read in chemistry with some cocoa thrown in as part of the experiment. I guess it’s all for consumer appeal. According to the researchers, any chocolate has antioxidant activity. The difference is in two areas, saturated fat, and the concentration antioxidants. The nice thing about cocoa, according to the scientists, is the low level of saturated fat per serving. You might remember that dark chocolate, not milk chocolate, got higher antioxidant activity grades in similar studies.

Q: I would like to start some plants from the two gloxinia plants I have. I have tried placing a leaf end and a flower end in water but it did not work. I have searched the Web and found no answers on how to re-start this beautiful plant. (E-mail reference)

A: Just to warn you, the florist gloxinia (Sinningia spp) is a tough one to propagate. Perhaps the easiest way is to take leaves and lay them flat over moistened, pasteurized potting media. Using a razor blade or sharp knife, make cuts in the veins of the leaves at several locations. Cover with clear glass or poly wrap and place in bright (but not direct) light. Make sure the cut veins are touching the soil surface. In four to six weeks plantlets will develop at the cut surfaces. Once they have reached sufficient size, remove the covering gradually, a little more each day, until completely uncovered. Then repot. Leaf cuttings will sometimes work but you have to be patient. Make your cuttings going into summer or during an active growing period. In early summer or late spring, dig up the plant, divide the rhizomes and separate by hand. Plant each segment in a small pot about an inch below the surface of the mixture. Several stems should grow from each piece of the tuber or rhizome. Remember that these plants typically enter into a dormant period during the winter months.

Q: I am in search of the botanical name of the Irish tube houseplant. Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated. (E-mail reference)

A: Common names, you gotta love 'em! None of my references have anything close to this name. Sorry that I cannot help you.

Q: My rose bush has some kind of growth on it. They are bumps that begin small but grow to about 2 inches in diameter. They are mostly round but some are oval. They grow on the lower branches and are hard to break off so I have to twist or cut them off. I cut one open and it seems to have tiny holes in it as though something was living in it. I have cut green ones open and found nothing. They change color along with the twig it is attached to which is green in summer and brown in winter. What causes them? The rose is a pink grootendorst and about 20 years old. I cut it down to about two feet in early spring. It gets about 5 feet tall and by mid summer is full of blooms. I never cover any part of it for winter. (Regent, N.D.)

A: It sounds like the rose is suffering from crown gall bacterium, which in this case is soil inhabiting and will be permanently with the plant. The bacteria (Agrobacterium tumefaciens) produces a compound that stimulates rapid cell growth in the plant causing gall formation on the roots, crown and sometimes on the lower branches. The gall is seldom lethal. It’s more of a disfiguring problem. Another gall, caused by a very small wasp, produces what is known as the mossy rose gall. That might have occurred on your bush in some cases, but they usually disappear after a year or two with some good pruning. From your description, that doesn't sound like the one. Congratulations on getting such good blooming on your Christmas cactus. You must be doing everything right as far as the plants are concerned or they wouldn't be rewarding you with such vigorous beauty!

Q: I found a couple ponderosas in my shelterbelt with small holes in the new growth candles. The candles curled over and dried up. Is this a problem that I need to take care of? (Onida, S.D.)

A: The holes in the candles indicate either beetles or borers are feeding. I would suggest spraying the trees before bud-break early next spring with Orthene to help control whichever pest this is. Be sure to monitor your trees next spring as growth commences and take additional action as necessary. Another possibility is that the curling could be caused by phenoxy herbicide drifting in at bud-break time. If you are involved in spraying crops to control weeds or if a neighbor is, take all the necessary precautions to prevent this from happening. If you think this is the case, then the insect damage may just be a secondary problem.

Q: I would like to know if the hull of a hazelnut is useful for domestic animal feeding. (E-mail reference)

A: I checked with some of my colleagues in animal and range sciences and they have no information on it. Sorry I cannot help you but I imagine that there must be some value to them. Perhaps someone reading this will know and get back to me.

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