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December 16, 2004 Hortiscope
Q: We lost nine evergreens to needle cast and will lose another 12. We destroyed the nine but are hoping to replace them with other trees. One nursery told us not to plant evergreens again because they will get the same disease. Another nursery said there was only a certain kind of evergreen to plant. Do you know what kind of evergreen to plant or should we plant something else? We cleaned up the area where the nine evergreens were, but the nursery said the fungus is still in the ground. (Valley City, N.D.)
Q: Is there a pre-emergent herbicide that is safe for horses that I can use to eliminate yellow foxtail on a pasture? (e-mail reference)
Q: What is Bordeaux mixture and how is it applied? (e-mail reference)
Q: I recently purchased a Canada red cherry tree while visiting North Dakota. The nursery never mentioned the fungus that you described in your column. They did mention the suckering problem that you described. While doing research on this tree and reading your comments, I discovered that I may not be doing my neighbors here in the state of Washington a favor by planting this tree because of the abundance of cherry trees here (both commercial and ornamental). I would like to get your opinion on this matter. I certainly would not hesitate destroying the cherry tree before it spreads the fungus to other trees. Could I plant a flowering crab such as spring snow instead? (e-mail reference)
Q: I want to know if it is possible to grow a tree from apple seeds. (e-mail reference)
Q: I have an amaryllis that has a few pods. It’s going to give me seeds, but one of the pods is turning yellow. Should I cut the pod so that the plant will have more food for the other pods or just let it be? Also, I’ve done a lot of reading about the amaryllis plant. In one article, the author says you can put amaryllis bulbs in a cold area such as your fridge (not the freezer) when it’s rest time, but you should not have any apples in the fridge or else the bulb will never produce flowers. Why is that? (e-mail reference)
Q: A friend of mine planted spruce trees around her entire back yard perimeter. The trees on the east side are turning a copper color. The only difference in the yard is a large sinkhole on that end. Are the trees possibly drowning? (e-mail reference)
Q: I have two apple trees that are 5 to 6 years old. They have never produced apples, but are large enough now to do so. This year I had two blossoms on one tree and none on the other. The blossoms did not produce fruit. One is a Sweet Sixteen and I don’t recall what the other is. (Perham, Minn.)
Q: We have several blue spruce trees. Some of them have the very top bending over as if the wind is making them grow sideways. The others are fine. Can we somehow support the top to promote upward growth? (e-mail reference)
Q: I have a very tall pine tree that has lost a lot of needles. What I am noticing in this season is a browning of needles on the lower branches or bottom of the tree and bare branches here and there on the tree (not just on the inside). I have read about needle cast disease on your Web site and it seems that this tree may be suffering from this fungus. The backside of the tree nearest the house is really bare at the bottom. I hope this condition doesn’t work its way up the tree. I read that trees should be sprayed in June and July, so it would be too late now. Should I use products such as Bravo or Dithane? Also, I checked for spider mites and didn’t see anything. (e-mail reference)
Q: I am wondering why my gerbera daisy won’t put out more than two blossoms at a time. I have it planted in regular potting soil mixed with some mushroom soil. The soil is several years old. When I visit stores with gerberas, each plant has four to six blossoms. I would love to buy many more colors, but won’t now until I know how to get the one I have to bloom more. (e-mail reference)
Q: I have a globe thistle that has grown quite large. Can I divide it this spring or does it have a large tap root, which would make that inadvisable? (Twin Valley, Minn.)
Q: A friend of mine has newly planted grafted apple trees in her yard that aren’t doing well. Her son planted them for her and she is concerned they aren’t planted properly. She would like to know if the graft should be below the soil level, at soil level or above. (e-mail reference)
Q: In May 2003, I purchased a European mountain ash. It had a few blossoms on it. This year it did not bloom. Does that mean it won’t survive another year? When is the best time to transplant hosta? (Rothsay, Minn.)
Q: My friend has a young pin oak, which she grew from a very small sapling. This year a vertical indentation, approximately an inch and a half wide, appeared in the trunk. The indentation starts 6 inches above the ground and extends to about a foot and a half up the tree. In the indentation there are three small patches of what looks like dead wood. She said the area was soft when it was noticed, but is now hard. The tree looks healthy, but the patches within the indentation stand out in an otherwise healthy looking trunk. Except for the dark exposed wood patches, the bark within the indentation is intact. (e-mail reference)
Q: I have had a China doll plant for two years. It has grown from 8 inches to 4 or 5 feet. Some of the shoots are leaning badly and are top heavy. I would like to trim it to allow it to become bushier, but I’m unsure how to do it. Do I cut the tops of each shoot? Can I cut 2 or 3 feet off each shoot? My mother-in-law gave it to me and I don’t want to kill it. I water it once a week. Would it require additional water after such a “hair cut?” (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 |
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