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October 28, 2004 Hortiscope
Q: I planted two Canadian red cherry trees around Memorial Day. They seemed to be doing great until about a month ago when one of the tree’s leaves turned brown and shriveled. The other tree was doing wonderful until about a week ago. The trees appear to be alive because the branches are not brittle. I have been watering them a great deal on the advice of the nursery. I just planted a third tree and I’m a little worried that I may lose it as well. Will these trees come back next spring? Our soil is mostly clay. Could this be the problem? Should I have cut off the burlap from around the ball? The nursery worker told me to leave it. (e-mail reference)
Q: I have a Norway that is about 12- to 14-feet tall. We had a very dry spell in early spring, so the needles started to turn brown. I did put some water on it, but even more needles turned brown. There is a blue spruce very close to it and several other pines in the yard. The Norway is the only one turning brown. (Buckus, Minn.)
Q: I have a cottonless cottonwood tree in my front yard. It is about 100-feet high and stands in front of our house. There seems to be something eating away at a limb we had partially removed a few years ago. I don’t see any bugs on the outside. I have painted the limb with pruning paint in hopes that this might seal the holes, but it isn’t stopping the problem. (Dickinson, N.D.)
Q: I just bought a very pricey schefflera tree for my office. It was beautiful when I first got it, but it has lost its luster, is turning yellow and losing leaves. I transplanted it into a new pot and added Miracle-Gro potting soil on the bottom and top of the plant. I’ve been misting the leaves because I read somewhere that my problem could be root rot from overwatering. (e-mail reference)
Q: I have a double peony that looked like it was going to have six or seven buds when it first started to come up, but only one developed and bloomed. The rest dried up or never developed. Why? (Duluth, Minn.)
Q: I have not dealt with juniper trees and I don’t have anything in my office that would tell me what problem this tree has. The top of the tree is totally brown and the bottom looks as healthy as ever. No pesticide was applied in the area and the damage has just shown up in the past few months. A rain spout is right by the tree, but recently the spout was redirected away from the tree. I don’t think that matters because we hadn’t received any rainfall when the symptoms started. Could the absence of the extra water from the roof have caused the problem? (Carson, N.D.)
Q: When is the best time to move asparagus plants? (Linton, N.D.)
Q: Is there a variety of amur maple that does not produce helicopter seeds? I have about 15 of them that I prune weekly to maintain a mushroom shape. One has died and I need to replace it, but the varieties I see on the market have seeds. Mine do not flower, but turn a medium red in the fall. (e-mail reference)
Q: I planted two regular peonies and one Memorial Day peony about five or six years ago. Every year they turn green and look healthy, but never bloom. The Memorial Day peony always buds, but then dries up. Someone told me I planted them too deep, so I carefully lifted them up on a spade, put good soil under them and replanted. No results so far. They are planted on the south side of our house. (Fairdale, N.D.)
Q: I am having problems with my gerbera daisies. They are planted in pots with other flowers. The other flowers are thriving, but the daisies are dying. The leaves are brown and the flowers droopy. I water when the soil gets dry to the touch. The plants are located in a sunny area. Are they susceptible to fungus? This is the second year in a row this has happened. (Ellendale, N.D.)
Q: Do you know what kind of worm/larvae is about two centimeters long and completely orange? It appears they only come out at night. They seem to live in or around spruce trees and anything made out of spruce. (e-mail reference)
Q: Are juniper berries harmful to dogs and cats? (e-mail reference)
Q: I have a patio tomato plant. This past week the bottom half turned yellow. It is in a pot with plenty of drainage, so I give it a pitcher of water daily. I do not know what to do. (e-mail reference)
Q: I want to start a raspberry patch. A neighbor’s mother has some she’ll give me, but when’s the best time to plant? Do they have to be in full sun or can they be in part shade (mostly sun)? Also, my husband has his heart set on having a cherry tree. He wants the good eating variety, not the baking variety. I’ve been searching the internet for a self-pollinating sweet cherry for our area and have only found a couple, lapin and Stella. Are either of these really as sweet as they claim and will they do well in our area? (Lisbon, 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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