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April
22, 2004
Hortiscope
Ronald C.
Smith, Horticulturist
NDSU Extension Service
Q: I found a grass
herbicide in my garage with the brand name Ornamec. The mixing instructions
are not on the container, so I don’t know how to mix it. It says
for use on unwanted grasses in and around ornamental plants. The active
ingredient is phenoxylpropanoate, which contains 0.125 pounds of isomer
(fluazifop-P-butyl) per gallon. I can also read that it has 1.70 percent
of the "p" word and 98.30 percent inert ingredients. (Email
reference)
A: I cannot find
the active ingredients listed in any of my references, so I cannot tell
you what to do. You might check with the pesticide coordinator or specialist
of your state’s Extension Service to see if they can be of assistance.
Be sure to do this because you might have something that would now be
considered off label and would need to be disposed of in the proper
legal manner.
Q: My husband and
I worked hard putting together our flower bed last spring, however, our
cats decided to take it over. My flowers slowly died. I tried everything,
but nothing worked. The cats are now gone so the flower bed is mine again.
How can I be sure it is safe to plant flowers? What can I do to make sure
they won't die? (Email reference)
A: Follow the old
axiom: "The solution to pollution is dilution." This is not
a true statement, but if you add generous amounts of peat moss and water
it generously, you will dilute the salts that came from the cats using
it as a litter box. Your flowers should then grow beautifully!
Q: I have a cotton-less
cottonwood tree that I planted last year. The tree was growing extremely
well. This year it started to bud, but then we had a cold spell. The buds
are still there, but no leaves. All of my other trees of various species
have leaves. (Email reference)
A: Be patient, this
is just a setback and not the end of the tree's life. Check the cambium
just under the bark. If it is still green, buds will probably develop
again in two or three weeks.
Q: I have a friend
that would like to have a lilac bush. I have been told that if you bend
a branch with a flower on it into a large coffee can and cover it with
soil, it will grow. Is that true? Is there a better way to share my lilac
with a friend? (Email reference)
A: You are better
off digging out a sucker from the base while it is still dormant and
then transplanting it. Everything will happen much faster that way.
Lilacs are not that expensive so why doesn't your friend just buy one
at a local nursery?
Q: I have a Christmas
cactus plant that looks very healthy. I water it only when dry. It’s
located in a well-lit area but not in direct sunlight. Despite the care,
it has never bloomed. (Email reference)
A: You might actually
have an Easter cactus rather than a Christmas cactus. These plants (both
of them) need a resting period by decreasing water and warmth. They
should be put outdoors in summer to set the buds for next year. That
said, many people have had overwhelming success by not following those
directions. But give it a try and see if it helps. This is what professional
growers do to get them loaded with flower buds to make them irresistible
on the market.
Q: Are poinsettia
plants poisonous to children or pets? (Email reference)
A: They are not
poisonous to the extent of killing a child or pet. But, because it is
a euphorbia species, some people are sensitive to the milky sap the
plant produces. Some folks classify it as poisonous because of that
sensitivity, others don't. Either way, it is not a good idea to ingest
it. I'm told that the taste is repugnant enough that one couldn't eat
much of it anyway.
Q: A friend of mine
has a rose bush that I’d like to take a cutting from. Where should
I cut the bush and what do I need to do to plant it? (Email reference)
A: Cut a piece about
six to nine inches long from just below a leaf node, which is where
the leaf is attached to the stem. Remove the leaf and make a slanted
cut just below the node. Place the cutting in a sand/peat mix (50/50)
and keep it moist. The cutting should be kept in the shade to prevent
wilting. If you are lucky, in about six weeks, roots should form. You
can plant it in a protected location for the remainder of the summer
after the roots get to about four inches or so in length. The following
spring, while still dormant, you should be able to move it to a permanent
location, assuming it survived the winter.
Q: I have a ficus
tree that is very healthy. How do I take cuttings to start a few more?
(Email reference)
A: Take terminal
cuttings about six to nine inches in length. Stick them in moistened
perlite, vermiculite or sand and keep moist. They should start to root
in six to eight weeks. If you can find some rooting hormone powder,
dipping the ends in the powder would help to stimulate the rooting a
little faster.
Q: When should I be
putting on crabgrass pre-emergent this spring? (Fargo, N.D.)
A: Crabgrass preventative
is applied when the soil temperature is at 68 degrees or about the time
the lilacs are coming into bloom in your neighborhood.
Q: I have a problem
with deer getting into my vegetable gardens. Can you suggest a spray or
powder I could use to keep them away? (Napoleon, N.D.)
A: There are some
home remedy suggestions that may work. Hang bars of dial soap or swatches
or bags of human hair throughout the garden. Place predator urine around
the garden perimeter. The best method is physical exclusion. If you
can, surround your garden with chicken or rabbit wire about two feet
high. The deer seem to be put off by that for fear of getting caught
in it.
Q: My neighbor dug
out a Canadian cherry tree, but the roots are still growing into my garden
and lawn. How can I kill them? (Jamestown, N.D.)
A: Treat them as
dicot perennial weeds. Spray them with TRIMEC. You may have to spray
more than once.
Q: I’m having
a problem with a white pine tree. It was planted two years ago. Last year
it had new growth but also lost many brown needles. We hose them off throughout
the summer. Now they are looking very rusty. (Minot, N.D.)
A: It could be
winter damage, so it may recover. Contact Mike Rose, your local county
agent, to see if he can help you.
Q: In a recent article
you recommended using Bravo for needle cast. Can I assume that this refers
to spruce trees and that this is the best product? Also, is there any
problem with applying Bravo to all my spruce even though some are less
affected or not at all? (Fargo, N.D.)
A: No problem with
a universal application of Bravo. Apply it in early June and again in
early July.
Q: I have a few questions
about lilacs. Is a snowball tree actually part of the lilac family? I
recently had to remove an old lilac from my back yard. In the process
of removing it, we noticed that the bark had clean holes in it all the
way to the trunk. What would cause this? I have another lilac next to
it. Will it die also? Are lilacs actually trees or bushes? (Email reference)
A: Lilacs are shrubs.
The holes in the trunk are caused by borers. If your remaining lilac
is under stress, it may also attract borers. The snowball (do you mean
viburnum, hydrangea, or ceanothus?) is not a part of the lilac family.
The terms tree or shrub are usually relegated to size and whether it
has multiple (shrub) or single (tree) stem. Some nurseries or homeowners
train what would otherwise be a shrub into tree form or visa-versa.
Q: I would like to
plant a hedge or row of bushes along the fence line that divides our horses'
dry lot area from our lawn. We need something that will look good trimmed
to about three and a half feet, not toxic for horses, hardy, economical
and attractive. The soil is nice with good drainage. The site is exposed,
so it gets a lot of wind. I was thinking of planting dogwood since I like
its winter color. But, I’ve read about some of the problems people
have had with dogwood that makes me question doing so. (St. Paul, Minn.)
A: The problem
with shrubs is that something usually wants to eat them or infect them.
Actually, the Cornus mas (cornelian cherry dogwood) would be a perfect
selection for your purpose. It is one of the most pest-free shrubs you
can plant in your region and is completely hardy. See if you can find
redstone or spring sun cultivars. It may sucker somewhat, but if that
is not a problem (it will just make a denser hedge) then go for it.
Q: I have a goldfish
plant that I need to repot. Is there a specific type of potting mix I
should use and what can I do to avoid transplant shock? Should it be fertilized
and, if so, how often? (Email reference)
A: Repot when active
growth is beginning and when the roots have consumed or filled the container
it is planted in. This is an epiphytic plant (grows above ground) in
the wild, so you don’t need conventional potting soil. It can
be potted in coarse sphagnum moss or, if you prefer, a combination of
sphagnum moss, perlite and vermiculite in equal volumes. Fertilize only
when the plant is in an active growth phase, not before. Use a high-phosphorus
liquid fertilizer.
Q: I have been hunting
for a Haroldson apple tree for several years. Can you recommend any nurseries
that might carry it? (Spearfish, S.D.)
A: I don't know
for a fact that the following nurseries carry the Haroldson apple, but
I suggest you contact Lowe's Garden Center in Minot, Cashman Nursery
in Bismarck and the Kroshus Garden Center or Baker Nursery in Fargo.
These are just a few of the major nurseries or garden centers in the
state. If none of these folks handle it, then it's a good bet that no
one else will either.
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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