March 11, 2004

Hortiscope

Ronald C. Smith, Horticulturist
NDSU Extension Service

Q: How do I propagate a wandering Jew? The mother plant is huge and in a big pot along with a geranium. (Napoleon, N.D.)

A: It is very easy. Take a stem cutting, stick it in a peat-based media and keep it moist.

Q: I am interested in growing apple trees, especially crab apple, from wild specimens found around town. I have read "Home Propagation Techniques," but I am still not clear as to what to do. The paper suggests root cutting of apple trees. Can I excavate around some of these apple trees to uncover roots, then cut these roots off, transplant in a suitable medium and expect growth to occur? (E-mail reference)

A: Depending on the species of wild crabapple, yes, shoots may develop on juvenile roots. They can also be formed on the older roots by simply nicking them to see what kind of growth response takes place. In some cases, callus tissue develops, followed by a shoot emerging from the callus. Eventually new roots develop at the base of the sucker growth. After that happens the developing plant can be removed from the parent stock. If you are going to go the root-cutting route, you want to use a plant growth regulator (PGR) to aid in shoot development. To get buds to develop, you need a PGR that is high in cytokinnins and low in auxins. This will help stimulate new root formation and stem bud development. If the trees are going to be sacrificed, simply cutting them down this spring before new growth emerges will produce a plethora of new sucker growth from the root system, which would give you plenty of stock to select from. This assumes that the plant stock you are referring to is healthy and showing a moderate amount of vigor.

Q: We have two pear trees about four or five years old. Last spring they bloomed for the first time. One of them bore three pears with one making it to maturity. It was larger than I expected it to be, juicy and tasted wonderful. This winter a deer found the tree and ate the bark off one side of the trunk. Will the tree die? How do I heal the wound? (Frederick, S.D.)

A: There’s not a lot you can do. Make sure the tree does not undergo any more stress than necessary. I would put a cage around the trees next winter to keep the deer away. You can also use deer repellents.

Q: I just bought about 60 tulip bulbs. I have always planted my bulbs in the fall, but I have no idea how to get them started so they come up next spring. Is this possible? (McClusky, N.D.)

A: Where on earth did you find tulip bulbs at this time of year? If they were already cold treated, they will bloom this spring. If not, they will remain vegetative. Try planting a few in a pot to see what happens. If they bloom, plant them outside as soon as the frost is out of the ground. Usually the forces of Mother Nature will push them into growing no matter where you store them.

Q: I would like to start a few wave petunias in hanging pots. I am never sure if I have too many or too few plants per pot. Could you give me a general guideline? (E-mail reference)

A: There is nothing wrong with the pots looking too full, in my estimation, especially with something this beautiful. In a hanging basket, I suggest three plants per pot. They should cascade beautifully for you.

Q: Can I plant a yuckos in my area? The plant is also known as hedge apple, hedge ball, Osage orange ball, or monkey ball. I want to plant it to control insects. They claim they really work so I want to grow some, but I'm not sure how. (E-mail reference)

A: You are talking about maclura pomifera, which is also known as Osage orange. They are not recommended for landscaping unless you want to break the wind on a farm. They can be grown from about mid-South Dakota on down. The branches are spiny and the fruit has no documented insecticide value that I have ever been able to find. I do know the wood is extremely strong and is desired by bow hunters. Let me know if you find out how they control insects. It might be they taste so bad that insects will not eat them.

Q: My mother received some tulips for Valentine's Day. I’d like to know when I could transplant them. Also, where on the stem do you deadhead? Some say right under the flower while others say close to the bottom of the stem stalk. (E-mail reference)

A: From the plant's point of view, you want to keep it from setting seed as that expends energy that could be used in building a bulb for next year. Cutting it back just under the flower would do that very nicely. From the standpoint of aesthetics, cutting the stalk back to the base will do the same thing and look a lot better. Plant them outdoors after the foliage has completely yellowed and can be pulled off. You should try to keep the foliage in as much direct sunlight as possible to build carbohydrates for next spring's bloom.

Q: We have a 50-foot row of 20-foot high arborvitae that we use as a hedge along the south border of our property. They predated our arrival here so are likely about 30 years old. They were planted very close together. During our 15-year tenure we have taken a fairly laissez-faire approach to them. We trim back the tops to keep them away from wires and fertilize every two or three years. We have greatly enjoyed the privacy they provide. About ten years ago our neighbors to the south planted some evergreen trees about six to eight feet south of the hedge. They are now about the height of the hedge. Our problem is that the hedge now seems to be thinning out, particularly at the two to eight foot level. Is the shade produced by the evergreens affecting the arborvitae? Would trimming the hedge (top or sides) help renew its thickness? Would it help if we fertilized more often?

A: It is very likely the shade from the adjacent evergreens is causing the thinning out problem. Fertilizing and pruning the top will not help in thickening up the lower portion of the hedge. If you have the space, I would suggest getting a shade tolerant species such as mugo pine or Canadian hemlock (depending on where you live) to plant in front of the arborvitae to help provide some privacy for you.

Q: There is a large wild mushroom that grows in grassy areas during a wet spring or damp autumn. It grows in the Turtle Lake area and even though it isn't listed in the North Dakota brochures, it is quite common around our family farm. It meets all the descriptions of being an agaricul agustus. It grows really large and is quite tasty if used fresh. Can I cultivate it if I gather the spores and use decayed horse manure? All types of domesticated mushrooms are offered in growing kits through seed catalogues. Can this wild type be started this way? Also, I have a seed catalogue from Hartman Nursery in Lacota, Mich. It offers ground cover raspberries. Are you familiar with this plant? Is it related to Salmon berries or the cloudberries (rubus chamaemorus) that grow in the South Arctic regions? Would they grow in North Dakota? (Turtle Lake, N.D.)

A: Not being a mushroom expert, the only thing I can suggest is to give it a try. As the saying goes, "nothing ventured, nothing gained." I saw the ground cover raspberry for the first time myself in the Hartman catalog just last week. That's all I know about them. I plan to order some just to see how they grow since I'm an old raspberry grower. They certainly should be hardy enough, coming from Zone 1 in Sweden! It is marked as a hybrid so there could be some relationship to the salmon and cloudberries. Give them a try and we'll compare notes next year.

Q: In a December article someone asked about cloudberry or lingonberry. It seems every area has a native berry quite similar. In our area it is the buffalo berry. In Alaska it is called salmon berry. The jelly from all of them is very similar and the berries seem to have enough natural pectin to jell on their own. In the same issue there was a question about a spruce tree smelling like rotten eggs. We had a similar experience. Often animals in the wild will mark an area with their scent. I'm quite sure this was the reason that the warmer it got, the worse it smelled. (Wimbledon, N.D.)

A: Good information. Thank you for writing!

Q: When my husband died in June of 2002, I was given a big beautiful peace lily. It has done really well. I have noticed that when I water it once a week, the water runs through into the container the plant sits in. I just leave it and by the next time I water, the plant has absorbed it all. Is it time to separate and repot the plant, just repot it, or do you have some other suggestion? (Arlington, S.D.)

A: The water flowing through is normal. It is recommended that you dump any excess in the saucer 20 to 30 minutes after watering. It will make little difference with your peace lily because they thrive in moisture. If the plant begins to decline, back off on the watering and allow it to go dormant and dry out. It should stay that way for six to eight weeks. At that time, repot and begin watering again.

Q: I need some information about the green on potatoes. I've seen green on potatoes before, but nothing like it was last year. My husband and I planted white potatoes last spring. When they were harvested last fall, almost all had green on them. The small ones were green all the way through. When I peeled the other ones, I tried to get all of the green peeled off. Even then, while cooking, green showed up on them and the water was slightly green too. (Ellendale, N.D.)

A: The green is a chlorophyll formation from exposure to light. If they came in from the field green, that means they were not covered with enough soil to prevent light penetration. The green coloration also means there is a toxin accumulation. If taken in small amounts, it can cause a mild digestive upset. It can be toxic if digested in large amounts (whatever that would be). The white potato is really a modified stem, hence it's ability to carry on photosynthesis and turn green. It takes very little light reaching the tuber to stimulate chlorophyll production. Any potatoes that show anything more than a very superficial green coloring, should be thrown away.

Q: My partner and I have been growing peppers in a hoophouse. We're planning to grow peppers again this year in the same hoophouse. Should we fumigate the soil? We grew the peppers last year through black plastic and we still have the plastic down. We understand that fumigants such as Vapam (believe that's right) have a waiting period before you can plant again. What are your recommendations on lighting for starting plants such as peppers and cabbage? Do you recommend ordinary cool fluorescent lights or the enhanced cool lights? Is the light spectrum good enough with ordinary cool bulbs (blue red spectrum) versus the enhanced, which I believe are also more expensive? How many bulbs or watts do you recommend per square foot of tray? (Cando, N.D.)

A: I know little about soil fumigants except that they are not to be messed with by the average person, which I classify myself as. I would suggest importing fresh, pasteurized soil and building raised temporary beds over the present site that you have covered with plastic. This would give you a worry-free start each year without the need for such drastic soil treatment. I would suggest using 1-inch by 6-inch boards and importing media that has outstanding drainage characteristics and is pasteurized. Creating temporary beds costs about the same as fumigating. The blue end of the light spectrum will build stockier plants, but you can get away with using the blue/red fluorescent bulbs. Keep one of each in every fixture and keep them about 10 to12 inches above the plants. It would really stimulate the roots if you could put in underground heating. This is as much advice that I feel comfortable giving you. I hope it helps!

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

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