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June
9, 2005
Hortiscope
Ronald C.
Smith, Horticulturist
NDSU Extension Service
Q: What will grow
close to a house? The soil is mostly gravel. Some evergreens are growing
in the area, but they are not doing well. (e-mail reference)
A: Nothing will
grow well in gravel! Some decent topsoil should be added. Try planting
a Japanese tree lilac; you’ll love it!
Q: I just found your
Web site while doing research about grapevines in North Dakota. In an
area about various fruits and jam/jelly making, I read that I shouldn’t
grind chokecherry seeds or nuts because they are toxic. Last year was
the first year my husband and I picked and processed chokecherries. We
used an electric grinder and ground the washed fruit. Then we poured boiling
water over the pulp and let it sit overnight. The next step was to extract
the pure juice and throw away the remaining dry pulp. The taste is unbelievable.
It has a very mellow, much sweeter, almost almond taste. We did not have
any ill effects. (Osnabrock, N.D.)
A: The poison is
in the dose. Obviously, you tasted the poison and it didn’t kill
you, as it didn’t kill generations of Americans before you. If
you want to play it safe, separate out the pits from the flesh. The
“almond” flavoring will be greatly reduced or eliminated
because that is the flavoring of the poisonous seeds. Children especially
are prone to poisoning through eating the leaves, skewering hot dogs
on chokecherry twigs or eating the seeds (difficult and tough on the
teeth!). Poisoning symptoms are difficulty in breathing, voice paralysis,
twitching, spasms, stupor, coma or even death. In mild poisoning cases,
symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, headache, muscular weakness and
irregular heartbeat. Again, the fruit is edible as long as the seeds
are discarded. Because of your body mass and the amount of the product
you consumed, you did not experience any poisoning effects, but why
make your liver work any harder than it has to?
Q: I’m writing
for my daughter who lives in Mandan. She is interested in planting a small
shrub row next to her home. The planting area is on the south side of
her home. The planting area measures 46 inches wide by 35 feet long. Next
to the planting area is a paved alley, which creates a lot of heat. Is
there a shrub that can be planted that will take the heat or should we
plant something else? Do you have any other suggestions? I read your column
faithfully and respect your suggestions. You do such a wonderful job!
(e-mail reference)
A: Thank you for
the nice comments about the column. I appreciate you being a faithful
reader and enjoying what you read. I wouldn’t bother with shrubs,
if you don’t mind. I would suggest that your daughter get a prairie
wildflower mix. It will explode into a riot of color that will grow
back each year. The flowers need little maintenance, just an annual
mowing before new growth begins in the spring. Wildflower mixes are
available at local garden supply stores or through catalogs. If she
has any trouble locating a source, let me know.
Q: I just purchased
a weeping willow. How big will it get, how fast will it grow and should
I plant it away from my other trees? (e-mail reference)
A: Is it a weeping
willow or pussy willow? I’ll assume the former. Willows will grow
by feet a year, not inches, and will develop a spread equal to their
height in many instances. They use a lot of water. If you have an area
that tends to remain moist, it would be a perfect spot. Willows also
are famous for producing kindling as they age, so be prepared for that
little chore.
Q: I thought I had
bookmarked the Web site you wrote about in your cactus column regarding
propagation techniques. Apparently, I thought wrongly. Could you please
send me the address for the site? I found it extremely interesting and
there are several ideas I would like to explore. (e-mail reference)
A: No problem. The
information is available on the Web at
www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/plantsci/landscap/h1257w.htm
. Thanks for the interest!
Q: A member of a compost
e-mail list recently said that compost is a good, natural form of weed
control and enhances the soil, particularly clay soils. I understand how
compost can enhance the soil, but I question the use of compost as form
of weed control. What has been your experience and are there any studies
that support using compost to control weeds? (e-mail reference)
A: If the compost
is weed seed-free and applied to a depth of 3 to 4 inches, it will block
light, which is required to get most weed seeds to germinate. That is
the limit of its effectiveness. It works, up to a point.
Q: There appears to
be white mold on the top of the soil of my cyclamen. Whatever it is appears
to be making the plant lose its leaves. They don’t even have time
to turn yellow before the leaves come off with a tug. I scraped the top
layer of soil off the plant, but I’d like to keep it from coming
back. I don’t think the roots have rotted because it has been putting
out many leaves, though it has slowed down recently. (e-mail reference)
A: The white mold
could be a saprophytic fungus growing in the soil or an accumulation
of salts. I suggest you consider repotting with fresh, pasteurized soil.
If your container is not a free-draining pot, replace it with one that
is. I suspect the mold is a saprophyte that is causing some type of
dysfunctional behavior in the plant. Repotting and using fresh soil
would correct the problem. While in the repotting process, check the
crown to be sure no rotting has started. Cut out any decayed parts.
Q: We have four large
sedum plants in our yard. They start out nice in the spring, but the base
is so tight that about July the plants split down the middle and start
to droop. I assume they are too big and need to be split. Can you tell
me when to do this? Can I transplant the portion I remove? (e-mail reference)
A: Sedum will tolerate
digging and splitting anytime during the growing season. The plant re-roots
easily, so the worst gardener in the world can rebuild confidence just
by sticking pieces of this plant in a high-sphagnum, peat-based soil
that can be kept damp.
Q: I have a question
about dragon’s blood sedum. I found it in the Henry Fields catalog.
I have some sedum that does well, but the catalog says it is “southern
certified.” Does this mean it is only for southern climates? The
catalog says it stands heat, drought and poor soil. (Bowman, N.D.)
A: Dragon’s
blood sedum will grow nicely in Bowman. It will take heat, drought and
cold temperatures. Unless we have record-setting low winter temperatures,
with no snow cover, this cultivar of sedum should establish itself very
nicely.
Q: I have a mugo pine
bush that is out of control. It is 6 feet tall and about 8 feet wide.
Can I trim it down a lot, part way or will the bush die? In addition,
can I now trim my apple, linden and oak trees? (Valley City, N.D.)
A: Now is a better
time to trim your apple, linden and oak trees. Prune the mugo pine to
a lateral branch or where needles exist. Pruning beyond that point will
leave a stub with no needles.
Q: We have an old
apple tree in the middle of our lawn. In the last few years, it has developed
something that looks like dried mushrooms on its bark. The bark is peeling
off and I have had to remove some large limbs. Is there a way we can save
this tree? I also should mention that it was originally a grafted tree.
I was able to graft a third variety from it. I spray and prune regularly.
Can you help? (e-mail reference)
A: When decay has
progressed to the point you describe, the tree has its days numbered.
It may survive for a couple of years, but it will continue to decline.
There is really nothing you can do except to harvest some apples this
year, sow some seed and see what comes up. Use as a rootstock for grafting
or budding on scionwood from the present tree. This will be a clone
of the current tree and should last for many years.
For information
on budding/grafting techniques, go to
www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/plantsci/landscap/h1257w.htm.
This is a home propagation publication that goes through the basic steps.
Q: We have a crabapple
tree that flowers nicely, but no longer produces fruit. It starts to loose
some leaves in July. How can we help our tree before it is too late? (e-mail
reference)
A: Get some apple
scab protection spray on the tree immediately and repeat every seven
to 10 days when the bees are not active. Spray until the fruit is about
golf ball size. The materials to consider using include benomyl, mancozeb,
Fore or Bordeaux mixture. Always clean up fallen fruit and leaf litter.
Q: We really enjoy
your column. When is the best time to prune pussy willows and hazelnut
bushes and how should it be done? I trimmed them before, but cannot remember
if it was spring or fall when I did it. (Brookings, S.D.)
A: Thanks for the
nice comments. Spring is the best time to trim them to the ground!
Q: How often does
oak tree bark regenerate? The tannins in oak bark are used for vegetable
tanning of leathers and for medicinal purposes. If a tree is exposed to
environmental contaminants, wouldn’t the tannins extracted from
the tree contain some of these contaminants? If so, at what point is new,
clean bark regenerated? (e-mail reference)
A: The bark continuously
is renewed from the cambium. Essentially water proof, (remember it is
used in corking wine) contaminants are limited to the outer surface
of the bark. Bark regeneration surges in the spring along with other
plant growth. As to the tannin contamination, I would assume it is checked
to be sure any contamination is below threshold levels. I am not qualified
to answer that question, so I suggest you contact the agencies that
use such products.
Q: My lawn has dollar
spot. Is there a way to get rid of it without killing the lawn? How often
should we aerate the lawn? (e-mail reference)
A: Dollar spot is
an easily controlled turfgrass fungus with any number of fungicides
that will not kill your entire lawn if properly used. Fungo (thiophanate-methyl),
mancozeb, maneb and Subdue are a few examples. It can be controlled
culturally by removing morning dew with a syringe cycle of the irrigation
system; maintaining a good (not high) level of nitrogen with light,
frequent applications; and keeping the lawn hydrated, but not saturated.
Aerating a home lawn once a year is more than enough unless you have
very poor internal drainage or the turf doesn’t respond to normal
cultural practices, such as fertilizing, mowing and watering. Timing
is important. Aerate when the turf is growing actively, so anytime after
green-up and a few mowings is acceptable. Since aeration dries the soil,
it isn’t advised if there are watering restrictions or there is
a drought. It can be done in conjunction with early fall fertilization
and overseeding.
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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