 |
|
|
|||||
|
|
September 30, 2004 Hortiscope
Q: Woodpeckers have pecked holes in the ash trees that I planted along the boulevard. Is there a way I can keep the woodpeckers away or get rid of whatever is in the tree that the birds are so keen on? Also, I have an area up on Devils Lake that has full exposure to the elements in the summer and winter. What kind of trees would survive that type of area? I thought about a silver maple or a linden, but someone said the lack of protection would do them in and to not waste my money or time. (Jamestown, N.D.)
Q: We have three jackman potentilla bushes that are about 20 years old and are not blooming much anymore. Could we cut them back to probably a foot tall and start over again? We also have a dropmore scarlet honeysuckle vine that blooms very nicely but is getting woody and needs some severe pruning. (e-mail reference)
Q: I have a customer that wants some mature lilacs and a couple of mature spireas moved. They have to be moved within a week as she is putting an addition on her house where they are now planted. I suggested that it is the wrong time of year and it might be cheaper to start over, but she is attracted to the plants. Should they be cut to the ground when moved or not until later? (e-mail reference)
Q: We transplanted a cotton wood tree in the fall two years ago. It did fine last year. Last fall I wrapped the trunk with one of those paper tree wraps to keep a cat we have from killing it by sharpening its claws on it. When I took the paper off this spring there were about 10 places underneath where little green branches had tried to form and were light green with a black kind of rotting at the ends. I cut those off hoping it would force the upper leaves. The tree had buds but never leafed and the buds looked like they have been dipped in sap. At the base it now has branches that are growing fast and have huge leaves. Is the rest of the tree dead? Should we cut it off above the branches at the base? (Sully County, S.D.)
Q: I have two gloxinia plants that I created out of one. While I was transplanting, I noticed a big potato-like bulb at the bottom. I cut the bulb in half and planted both halves. Both have been doing quite well except that they are getting very viney and out of control. Both are still flowering as they have for the past two years. Should I do this again or should I cut the plant back? Will roots grow if I put the bend of the vine stock in some soil? I love these plants, so I don’t want to lose them. (e-mail reference)
Q: I have a doublewide home on a large corner lot. I planted evergreens on the north side for wind protection. There is a small maple tree at the northwest corner. I would like to plant two or three shade trees on the west (back) side. What would you suggest and how far apart should they be planted? (Watertown, S.D.)
Q: My crab apple tree has lots of apples but they don’t get very big. Right now the apples are the size of peas. Can I remove every other apple so that the remaining ones will get bigger? (e-mail reference)
Q: Do your readers know that triennials such as Angelica and heracleum can be kept living and blooming for years and years just by pinching off the flower heads after they bloom and before they set seeds? This may work with many other biennials and triennials as well. It isn't necessary to remove the seed heads from the side umbels, only from the large central umbel, so people who want seeds can keep their plants and seed them too. Heracleum lanatum (cow parsnip) is a very impressive, fragrant, native flower with foliage that’s attractive even before the plants are old enough to bloom. It is perfect for screen plantings, semi-wild areas and the back row of flower gardens, takes transplanting well, and grows readily from seed. I suspect it’s not cultivated very much because people don’t want to wait two or three years for it to flower once and die, but they don’t have to. I have kept some for ten years or more. (Valley City, N.D.)
Q: We recently purchased a home that has a large willow tree in the backyard. The roots are massive and extensive. I am planning to landscape the remainder of the yard and need to cover the roots as well as plant some other shrubs. Can I plant a ground cover under the tree to disguise the large roots? Will ground cloth under a planned deck prevent the root system for growing there? Is there a way to contain its growth? It’s a lovely shade tree, but somewhat of a nuisance. Two of my neighbors have outdoor swimming pools and one has already asked to cut the overhanging branches. What can you advise? (e-mail reference)
Q: I just heard someone on the radio suggest using Tanglefoot on tree trunks to deter cats from scratching. I’m wondering about the toxicity of Tanglefoot because cats are very sensitive to many chemicals and even organics. (e-mail reference)
Q: We have several very old and tall burr oaks in our yard. We have a few mushroom-looking fungi that have started protruding out of the bark on one side of the trees. The fungi is whitish, hard and rubbery feeling. There are several woodpecker holes that have fungi growing out of it this year. The bark where the peck holes are is very loose and the wood underneath is soft and has ant tunnels. There is a hole close to the peck holes that you can look into and see another fungi growing inside. On the opposite side of the tree from the peck holes is another small fungi. We are concerned that this fungi has gone through the center of the tree. Can we scrape off the bark that is loose and spray that area with a fungicide? If we were to do that would new bark grow? Can you give us any idea what these fungi are called and why we would have them? (e-mail reference)
Q: It seems like every time I have an ivy plant, it becomes infested with spider mites. Am I doing something wrong? No other plants in the house seem to have the problem. What is the best way to get rid of them for good? (e-mail reference)
Q: I have a problem with carraganas taking over everything on our farm. It is in a tree line and creeping into our planted trees. We want to kill them completely. (e-mail reference)
Q: We purchased a house that has a hedge along one side of the yard. It has every species of hedge mingled together. Along with this, trees were left to grow and trimmed down with the rest of the hedge (approximately three times according to the jogs in the trunks), which left the trunks to branch out even more. Nothing had been done for quite awhile when we moved in and many of the trees have grown quite high. We love the privacy, but we need to trim and clean up this hedge. My husband thinks we should cut it all down and start from scratch. (e-mail reference)
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 |
Market Advisor: |
|
North Dakota State University |
