|
May
20, 2004
Hortiscope
Ronald C.
Smith, Horticulturist
NDSU Extension Service
Q: My husband and
I recently moved into a new home. We discovered this week, to our disbelief
and horror, a young tree that was planted with the plastic bucket still
around it. It is budding right now. We believe it's a silver maple. My
husband and I dug around the pot and cut away as much plastic as we could.
We had to leave almost half on the bottom because I couldn't get to it
without the risk of severing the primary root. I carefully filled in the
soil around the tree and then watered. Will it survive? Is there anything
special we should do to help it? (Jamestown, N.D.)
A: As incredible
as your message is to read, it is unfortunately not uncommon. Hopefully,
your efforts will help the tree survive. About the only thing I can
think of are the girdling roots. You didn't mention if you cut through
those. If you didn't, make some clean cuts with a hand pruner or a sharp
knife as soon as possible. Do this in at least two places opposite each
other and, if possible, a third spot between the two. You have done
all you can to help the tree survive. Don't allow it to become drought
stressed, but don't overwater it either. Good luck!
Q: We have a huge
lilac bush that we would like to get rid of. I think it is a Korean dwarf,
although there is nothing small about it. What do you suggest? Also, what
can I add to my vegetable garden to get better results? I had bad luck
last year with my cucumbers and pumpkins but the tomatoes did well. I
recently added some compost. (West Fargo, N.D.)
A: Cut the lilac
bush down with a chain saw and treat the stump(s) with RoundUp right
away. Spray any suckers that come up in the surrounding area, as if
they were weeds, using a broadleaf herbicide that is selective for lawns.
The garden probably needed compost. Work it into your soil and then
fertilize with Miracle-Gro. You should have a decent garden this year
if the weather cooperates.
Q: I rescued a flower
bed of tulips from someone who did not want them. Most have a flower bud.
I want to replant them, but the only space I have right now is in a spot
where my basset hound will eat them. Is it possible to store the bulbs
until the fall or until I have a more ideal place to plant them? What
should I do to prepare them and where is the best place to store them?
Since they were already sprouting, have I damaged them by digging them
out? I have put some in planters but would rather have them planted in
the ground. Should I thin out the bulbs or plant each bundle? (E-mail
reference)
A: Get them in the
ground somewhere as soon as possible without disturbing the bundles.
Keep them there until the foliage turns completely yellow, then pull
it off. Bring the bulbs inside and put them in a cool, dry, dark location
or in the crisper of your refrigerator. Pack them in damp, unmilled
sphagnum moss. When you plant them in their permanent location, divide
out the "bundles" and add some 10-10-10 as you are setting
them.
Q: I have a question
about Juneberry trees that are grown and established. They have not produced
fruit in the last three or four years. The trees blossom and then produce
a few berries, but they do not mature. Could it be an insect or fungus
causing the problem? (Williston, N.D.)
A: It is more likely
frost damage than an insect or disease problem, as either of those two
would be rather obvious. I have occasionally had the same problem with
my Juneberries only to have them come back like gangbusters the following
year! Your problem may be an incomplete or non-fertilization of the
flowers.
Q: Is there a crab
apple tree that does not bear fruit? I have a friend that says she has
one in her yard, but does not know what kind it is or where it came from.
(E-mail reference)
A: The only tree
on the market that I know of is the spring snow crabapple. It should
be available in most quality garden center outlets.
Q: I have two large
lilac trees in my yard that only flower on top. I would also like it to
bloom in the lower areas. Any suggestions? (E-mail reference)
A: The plants will
benefit from selective pruning. Remove some of the oldest canes as low
to the ground as possible. This will stimulate new growth that should
be productive in bearing flowers. Remember that lilacs set their flower
buds for next year on this summer's growth, so don't do a lot of extensive
pruning in late summer or fall. Prune right after or as the flowers
fade.
Q: I have a flowering
crab that has very few leaves. The leaves are also very small. The rest
of my crab trees are doing fine. (E-mail reference)
A: It sounds like
a progressive root rot disease. It is a common disease that can afflict
a wide range of woody plants. It is known as armillaria mellea or simply
armillaria root rot. From a plant pathology standpoint, this is an interesting
disease. It is a soil-inhabiting saprophyte that spreads through vegetative
mycelium. The mycelium often remains suppressed in healthy trees but
can become active in trees stressed by environmental conditions such
as drought, heat stress, compaction or insect infestations. The fungus
actually kills the tree by girdling the crown or lower trunk and then
colonizes the dead wood as a saprophyte. It can spread to healthy adjacent
trees via rhizomorphs (root-like growth) or from root contact. The likely
scenario with your tree is that it will continue to decline. The disease
will exhaust the carbohydrates stored in the stems and trunk above the
girdling fungus until the tissue is completely dead. I suggest that
you remove the plant totally, including the root system. Do not replant
in the same spot for a couple of years. Sorry for the bad news, but
you have lots of company. I lost an apple tree a few years ago to the
same disease.
Q: The Spirit Lake
Tribe has moved their pow-wow grounds to a new location and want to plant
grass in the area where they hold their native dances. What type of grass
should they plant? It has to be something that will establish itself very
quickly and be hardy enough to take a lot of wear. (E-mail reference)
A: Plant native
grass such as western wheat grass, thickspike wheat grass or streambank
wheat grass. They are of the elymus lanceolatus species. They have excellent
seedling vigor and are rhizomatous. Plant at a rate of three and a half
to four pounds per 1000 square feet.
Q: I am planting a
100-foot row of emerald green arborvitae. I am having a retaining wall
built and these will be planted about two feet away from the top edge
of the wall. The wall will have a drainage system behind it. Do you see
any placement issues? (E-mail reference)
A: I would recommend
placing the plants a little further back from the top of the wall. These
plants don't have invasive roots, but they will follow the flow of water
to the drainage system. This could cause a minor problem down the road
as the roots develop and concentrate in that area. Enough pressure could
develop and cause the wall to buckle at those points of contact. You
could also solve the problem by having a root barrier installed.
Q: Have you heard
of royal paulownia trees? Will they grow in North Dakota and what is their
life span? Will planting them be something I will regret in five to10
years? (E-mail reference)
A: Thank goodness
royal paulownia trees are not hardy to our area. They are extremely
messy and require a lot of maintenance. They do grow fast. If you ever
want to see them, visit Longwood Gardens in Delaware. You will see the
best of this species, if they still have them.
Q: I recently cut
some lilac blooms from my son-in-law’s bush. I noticed that there
were seed pods on some of them. Can these seeds be planted? (E-mail reference)
A: Give the seeds
cold, moist stratification for about three months. For stratification,
I suggest the crisper of your refrigerator with the seed packed in damp
sphagnum moss. Plant them in a sunny location and just barely cover
the seed with soil. Treat the seeds like you would any other seeds you’ve
planted. If they are viable, you should see some seedlings emerging
in a few weeks.
Q: When and how should
I clean my asparagus bed? I started the bed quite a few years ago and
have kept a spot going through the years. (Herrick, S.D.)
A: Wait until fall
after a couple of hard frosts. After you have cut down the ferns, get
in there and do your weeding. If you go this Web site, http://web4.msue.msu.edu/veginfo/bulletins/E433/index.cfm?crop=101,
you will find ample research-based information for all kinds of weed
control in your asparagus.
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.
###
Source: Ron
Smith, (701) 231-8161, ronsmith@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu
|
