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February
3, 2005
Hortiscope
Ronald C.
Smith, Horticulturist
NDSU Extension Service
Q: Do you know if
jade tree leaves are poisonous to toddlers? (e-mail reference)
A: The plant is
not listed in my poisonous plant references. Ingestion of the leaves
still should be avoided, as everyone’s reaction is different.
Q: I have a beautiful
poinsettia plant in my window. I have two cats, but woke up this morning
and found one dead. She loved plants and I had to chase her away a few
times from the poinsettia. Could the plant have killed her? (e-mail reference)
A: I am sorry to
hear about the loss of your cat. Poinsettias are not poisonous, but
the alkaloids in the leaf tissue can cause irritation to the mucus membranes
of the mouth and throat. It could very well have been that the plant
was treated with a systemic pesticide that, when ingested by your cat,
reached the lethal dose. Even if plants are listed as not being poisonous,
pets and certainly children should be kept from ingesting them. My wife
and I have three cats that we have had for more than a decade; we spoil
them with affection and they spoil us in return. I have empathy with
your unexpected loss.
Q: I have two hoya
plants that are doing well, but they never bloom. I have had these plants
for more than eight years. Is there something I can do to make them bloom?
(e-mail reference)
A: Hoya plants are
among the toughest plants to get to reflower. About the only thing I
can tell you to do is give it more direct, bright light - sunlight if
possible. More light translates into more stored energy from photosynthesis
for reproduction (flowering).
Q: You mentioned in
your column that saltpeter could be used to get of rid of stumps or that
saltpeter would help. Where can I buy saltpeter? We would like to use
it on some stumps we have. (Fargo, N.D.)
A: The material
may not be sold as saltpeter (potassium nitrate) anymore. Look for stump
remover products that list saltpeter as a major ingredient.
Q: Why is it that
my Meyer lemon produces flowers but none of them are female? In addition,
the rose bush I have has been plagued every year by Japanese beetles.
They don’t seem to be attracted to any of my other plants. I’ve
been told it’s a bad idea to use traps. Is there any other effective
way to deal with them? (e-mail reference)
A: Plants respond
to the environment around them. Many species produce male flowers first,
followed by the female blooms that are pollinated by the remaining males.
If you want to read a very good book explaining botanical action and
oddities in the garden, get a copy of “Sex in Your Garden”
by Angela Overy. It’s an enjoyable and informative book. In your
case, it is very likely that this crop of flowers will produce only
males and nothing else. There is a possibility it may produce some female
flowers later on, with just a few of the male flowers left. Be sure
to get your paintbrush out and dab the pollen around the ripe stigmas.
Pheromone traps or pesticides, it has to be one or the other. You can
apply systemic insecticides that are absorbed by the root system and
kill the beetles as they take in their last meal. The female sex pheromone
should be available in your location. This attracts the unwitting males
to mate, which are then trapped and future generations eliminated. This
doesn’t stop the females from feeding at that time, but they cannot
reproduce any offspring.
Q: Four years ago,
I planted Juneberries in the outside row of our shelterbelt. I’m
disappointed that they’re only a few feet tall. They provide little
wind protection or snow catch. I’m ready to tear the row out. Someone
suggested we offer the Juneberry bushes to someone who has a better location
for them. Is transplanting a possibility? It’s been suggested that
amur maple would be a good replacement. I have lilac, juniper, ash and
Russian olive in the belt.
A: Juneberries and
junipers are alternate hosts for cedar-apple rust, so it is no surprise
that you are having difficulties. I have found that Juneberries also
are a favorite bunny snack. I suspect that they have played a role in
keeping the Juneberries, growth in check. It has been my experience
that Juneberries transplant easily in the early spring. If you can work
up the ambition to dig out 150 feet of the bushes before they leaf out,
go for it! The amur maple would make an excellent replacement and so
would honeysuckle.
Q: Every year I put
your horticulture column in the “favorites” folder of my Web
browser. Please give me this year’s Web address so I can continue
reading my favorite Internet site. (e-mail reference)
A: Here is the current
Web address for weekly Hortiscope news releases: www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/newsrelease/2005/010605/05hortis.htm.
Thanks for being a loyal reader.
Q: I live at Lake
Metigoshe (Bottineau, N.D.) and have nine Valiant grapevines in my back
yard, which I cut back in the spring of 2003 before it warmed up. That
year I hardly had any grapes. I let them go last spring and had a good
crop for wine. I’ve been told they need to be cut back, but in my
case, it produced a much smaller crop. A note for wine makers, freezing
the grapes before fermentation produces a better wine. (e-mail reference)
A: Proper pruning
of the vine should result in increased production. There’s a possibility
that your particular plants rambled so much that more grapes were produced.
Keep in mind that vine production needs to tie in with the ease of harvest.
Same holds true for raspberries and strawberries. Thanks for the tip
on freezing in relation to making wine.
Q: Last year one of
my peace lily flowers turned white. This year it has three flowers. They
started out white, but after three weeks, they turned green. Why would
this be? (e-mail reference)
A: What you are
calling a “flower” (the spathe) is really a bract or modified
leaf. It can turn green if given sufficient light. When the spathe is
white, the chloroplasts are actually masked, but sometimes “come
through” in sufficient light. The true flower is the spike in
the center of this modified leaf. A poinsettia does the same thing.
The “flowers” everyone refers to are the red or yellow modified
leaves, which are bracts. The true flower of the poinsettia is rather
insignificant. It is yellow and located in the center of the colorful
foliage.
Q: I received several
amaryllis plants four years ago. They all bloomed the first year, then
only four bloomed the next year. Last year only two bloomed and this year
only one. I have cut off the bloom stem each time they bloomed. I set
them out on the back porch when the danger of frost is gone. They sit
in an area that does not get direct sun. I stop watering them in August
when the foliage dies. I put them in the basement, where it is cool, for
about three months.
Why do I get nice green foliage and no blooms? (e-mail reference)
A: You are doing
better than average at getting these bulbs to rebloom! Go to this Web
site, www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/plantsci/landscap/h811w.htm
and read my bulletin on amaryllis. I have had very mixed luck with getting
them to rebloom. I gave up after a couple of years trying. Get another
plant; it saves a lot of aggravation!
Q: I bought a palm
tree houseplant a few days ago. It looked like it was in good condition.
I replanted it in a plastic pot with a removable drain cover. I used Miracle-Gro
soil. I noticed a day later that it was getting very dry and starting
to shrivel. I looked closer and found some white fuzz on the soil. I scraped
it off and removed the drain cover on the bottom. I put it in a more open
container for fear of overwatering. I also added more soil. The plant
is in an east-facing window, so it does get a considerable amount of light.
There is a heat vent a few feet away, but it is not blowing on the plant.
Can you please give me suggestions? I’m not sure what kind of palm
it is. (e-mail reference)
A: Here are two
of publications for you to read:
www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/plantsci/landscap/h1123w.htm
and www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/plantsci/landscap/pp744w.htm.
In the publications, I have tried to cover as many aspects of houseplant
growth, problems and care I can. If you are unable to find the answer
after reading through the publications, get back to me and I’ll
try to help you figure out what is going on.
Q: In response to
a question, you said you would forward someone the “Home Propagation
Techniques” booklet. If possible, could you send me the booklet?
(e-mail reference)
A: I can do better
than that! Here is a site where you can download the entire publication
or just the part that is relevant to your interests, www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/plantsci/landscap/h1257w.htm
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.
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Source: Ron
Smith, (701) 231-8161, ronsmith@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu
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