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July 1, 2004 Hortiscope
Q: Why are my peonies turning very dark to black and drying out like bamboo? (e-mail reference)
Q: I received 12 calla lily bulbs for my birthday three years ago. The instructions told me to plant the bulbs (outdoors) after the new moon in June. I did that and by the end of July I had 12 flowers that stayed beautiful and healthy until November. The bulbs had multiplied and I had 22 bulbs after the first year which I dug up and stored until the following June. They were planted in the same location as the first year. The second year the flowers did not bloom, but the foliage grew strong and tall. Do you have any advice? (e-mail reference)
Q: I wanted to plant some Juneberries in my yard, but my sister told me that I should plant serviceberries instead. Is there a difference between the two plants? Also, in my yard grass, I have circular areas of grass developing that are different than what was planted. The grass has a wide blade and seems to spread by underground rhizomes. Do you have an idea what kind of grass this is? (e-mail reference)
Q: How short should I cut geranium plants before I plant them outdoors? Also, why would leaves fall off my houseplant? (e-mail reference)
Q: Does Scott's lawn fertilizer/crabgrass preventer applied with a broadcast spreader hurt evergreen and deciduous shrubs? The label doesn't state if I should keep a certain distance from the shrubs. Broadcasting makes it difficult to control the spread. (e-mail reference)
Q: I have an area under some evergreens (cedar and spruce) where grass won’t grow. I tried all kinds of grass seeds with no results. There is enough sun. What am I doing wrong? (e-mail reference)
Q: I have a spider plant with many babies on it. It is a hanging plant so I cannot keep it attached to the mother when I plant it. Can I put it in water and let the roots grow and then plant it? (e-mail reference)
Q: I have two-year-old evergreens that were planted by the Soil Conservation Service. Some have brown needles on them. I was told there is spray for infected trees, but it has to be used this month. Do you know what the spray is and where I can get it? (Ypsilanti, N.D.)
Q: I would like to know what kind of pumpkins to grow for seed and where to purchase them. We like to roast the seeds for eating. (Tappen, N.D.)
Q: In late summer last year my variegated dogwood and an Engelman ivy vine began to look sickly. By fall the leaves became crisp and dried up, never taking on fall coloring. What should I do this year to avoid this from happening again? I’ve always found dogwood to be disease-free until now. (Carrington, N.D.)
Q: We had elm trees on our berm, but they got Dutch elm disease three or four years ago. We had them cut down and the stumps ground down. Now I have a tough time growing grass and have lots of mushrooms. How do I get rid of the mushrooms? I planted grass seed and put burlap down to get the grass to grow. I’ve got the grass coming through the burlap, but still have trouble with mushrooms. (Jamestown, N.D.)
Q: We have a dogwood hedge that is about 10-years-old. We do not want it to get any taller and we need to make it narrower because it is beginning to get in the way of cars on our driveway. Is there a proper time to prune it and how do I keep it trimmed? (Tyler, Minn.)
Q: We took down a huge evergreen tree in our yard and we would like to fill in the space with some shrubs, flowers and grass. We are wondering if we have to add something to the soil before we plant. (Napoleon, N.D.)
Q: I have a problem with my plum tree. When the fruit gets to the size of small grapes, some turn blue as though they were ripening. They then rot and fall off. I suspect a small insect is laying eggs on or in them. What can I do to reduce this damage? Also, deer think that I plant beets solely for their use. I’ve heard that a hot pepper solution sprayed on the leaves curbs their appetite. Do you have a recipe for this solution or some other thoughts on the subject? (Nome, N.D.)
Q: I've got three varieties of tomato growing in my garden: Earl girl, better boy and brandywine. My brandywine plants have leaves that are yellowing and necrotic from tip to stem. Is this variety more susceptible to disease? Do they have some mineral requirement that the others don't? (e-mail reference)
Q: I recently planted a Haroldson apple tree. I bought some shredded red cedar bark to mulch a nearby flower bed and was also going to put some around the tree to hold in moisture. I was ready to open the bag when I remembered something about red cedar rust and apple trees. Am I better off using something else? (Ashley, N.D.)
Q: We planted a Patmore ash tree this spring. It started getting green buds on it during a week of nice weather in April but then we had a week of cold weather and freezing temperatures at night. Now the tree no longer has any green buds. Will this tree develop green buds and leaf-out this year? Since this is a new tree, what type of fertilizer do you recommend? (Bismarck, N.D.)
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 |
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