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July
28, 2005
Hortiscope
Ronald C.
Smith, Horticulturist
NDSU Extension Service
Q: My neighbor’s
daughter just bought a house north of us. The grass was seeded in 2000,
which is when the house was built. I believe it needs replacing. If so,
should she apply Roundup first, then till and reseed or sod? In addition,
I moved a sandcherry bush. Would it be better to cut it back (shorter)
while the root system develops or wait until fall? (e-mail reference)
A: If your slopes
and general topography are OK, then do not till. Kill everything with
Roundup. Scalp mow and collect the clippings. After that, power rake
and again collect the duff the rake kicks up. Overseed with a quality
Kentucky bluegrass mixture at a rate of 2 to 4 pounds per 1,000 square
feet. Drag the seed in with the rake turned over. Water lightly, but
frequently, until germination is evident. Fertilize after mowing three
times. Keep the sandcherry as is. The leaves on top of the plant make
the food for developing roots.
Q: I recently bought
an old house that has a beautiful, young oak tree. The tree is about 4
1/2 feet from the foundation. I am assuming that this is too close to
the foundation, but I wanted to ask someone before cutting the tree down.
(e-mail reference)
A: That distance
should not be a problem if you have a sound foundation. If the foundation
is cracked and leaking, it will pose a problem. I hate to see a tree
cut down that has the potential that an oak has! Try contacting someone
locally, such as an arborist or a member of the International Society
of Arboriculture, to check on the feasibility of digging up the tree
and replanting it in a better location. With a tree that close to the
house, the branches definitely would become a problem with the windows
and roof shingles, so it should be moved if possible.
Q: I have been trying
to get a nice hollyhock bed going fox six years. A couple of years ago
they were great. I didn’t have as many last year, but the bed was
still OK. This year I haven’t seen a single hint of one. My soil
is very alkaline. Could it be something with the soil? (e-mail reference)
A: You probably
have biennial hollyhocks. They are sold in nurseries as annuals, so
they will flower the first year. Those that came back were seedlings
that most likely were volunteers. The volunteers went through the rosette
stage the first season and then came back to bloom. You might get some
volunteers this season, depending on where you live.
Q: I am getting married
in September and would love to have centerpieces made of purple dried
flowers. I have seen dried hydrangea, but do not have any in my yard.
I do have a large lilac bush. Do the blooms dry as nicely as hydrangea?
Will they retain their color? Do you have any suggestions on large-headed
flower varieties that I can dry and inexpensively display, but still look
elegant? If I plant hydrangea, I doubt it would grow and produce the large
quantity I need in time for the wedding. Is hydrangea easy to grow? How
long does it take hydrangea to mature? (e-mail reference)
A: I am sending
a copy of your message to my colleague, Barb Laschkewitsch, for a possible
response. She is a florist by training and is a very educated and knowledgeable
horticulturist in the area of drying flowers. You can purchase hydrangea
while in flower, which is a good idea because you then will know what
you are getting. Give them a few years to grow. In most landscapes with
ample sunshine, you will be awash with beautiful flowers. Congratulations
on your upcoming wedding. May you have a lifetime of happiness and fulfillment!
Q: I have a rubber
plant that is about 7 feet tall. If I cut about 4 feet off the top and
stick it in soil, will it root or die? (e-mail reference)
A: It will die.
Four feet is too much to root. If you do an air-layer coming back about
12 inches from the top, it should root in about six weeks. You can then
repot it, giving you another plant. You then can cut the mother plant
back to the height you want.
Q: I just ordered
some lilacs through the mail. Do you know how long it takes lilacs to
reach maturity? Will they bloom the first season? The magazine I ordered
from did not mention how quickly they grow or where to plant them. I purchased
three plants. Should I order more? The varieties are sensation and beauty
of Moscow. I am a rose gardener at heart, so lilacs are new to me. I hope
to get these plants off to the best start possible. I use Miracle-Gro
on my roses and have had amazing results. I know from reading your Web
site that lilacs do not need a lot of fertilizer, but I figured fertilizing
the lilacs when I plant would give them a good start. (e-mail reference)
A: If you had written
me before ordering them from a mail-order source, I would have advised
against it. Lilacs are not that expensive to purchase locally and you
get to pick the ones you want rather than just the next one that comes
down the chute to be sent out. It probably will take at least two to
three years before any blooms show, depending on where you live. I know
nothing about the cultivars you ordered, so I don’t know if you
ordered the right quantity. Miracle-Gro is the universal fertilizer
for healthy, vigorous plants.
Q: I would like to
know some facts about the water status of a cactus. I don’t know
the name of the cactus, but it has hanging, flat stems. My colleague thinks
the plant is overwatered, so that’s why the tips of the stems are
soft and part of the stem close to the roots above the soil (the oldest
part) turned brown. I remember studying biology in high school that water
makes plant cells turgid, so when the stems are soft it means the plant
needs water. Am I right? (e-mail reference)
A: The right amount
of water makes plant cells turgid, so too much water over a long period
can cause rot, which is reflected in the softness you describe.
Q: I have an individual
who has an area around her rural home that, for the most part, is crested
wheatgrass. Drought the last few years has taken its toll on the wheatgrass,
so kochia has moved in. She plans to do mechanical control of the kochia
because she doesn’t want to use chemicals. She would like to reseed
with something for a “native” look. What do you think of tall
fescue? Is tall fescue more drought tolerant than crested wheatgrass?
Do you recommend any other species? (Hettinger, N.D.)
A: Turf-type tall
fescues are a species of cool-season grasses that turf breeders are
improving for stress and drought tolerance. Because of their deep roots
(going as deep as several feet!), tall fescues are the most drought-tolerant
cool-season turf species. Tall fescues mostly are bred with endophytes,
which are naturally occurring fungal organisms that enhance a plant’s
ability to handle stresses, such as drought, disease and insects feeding
on the foliage. We successfully have grown it in trials in Fargo and
Dickinson and are planning to do so in Williston. On a personal note,
I grew it in my backyard for many years (bonanza cultivar) and found
that it made a dense, vigorous turf. It requires half the water Kentucky
bluegrass needs to maintain green and vigorous growth. Sow the seed
in early summer (before July 1) at 6 to 8 pounds per 1,000 square feet
to make an attractive, dense canopy. I think your client will be happy
with the results.
Q: My crabapple tree
had been blooming nicely the past few years, but last year it didn’t
get flowers. The leaves were eaten by inchworms. I sprayed the tree, but
did not get any flowers this year. Can you please tell me why? (e-mail
reference)
A: Flower buds have
a different (lower) hardiness level than the leaf buds. It could be
that the tree was in a state of vulnerability when the buds were about
to open, so a cold snap may have killed the flower buds. With the information
you have provided, that’s the best answer I can come up with.
Q: My daughter in
Utah sent me cuttings from her edible grape vines. There are numerous
leaves opening on each stem. How do I plant the cuttings? (e-mail reference)
A: Get them in a
moist media as soon as possible. Use a 50/50 mix of sand and peat. Keep
the cuttings out of direct sunlight if possible. They easily root when
dormant, but in the leaf stage, it depends somewhat on luck. Good luck
Q: I have two apple
trees in my backyard. The cultivars are Haralson and haralred. I planted
the trees nine years ago. As of last year, I have yet to have any blossoms.
What am I doing wrong? (e-mail reference)
A: A delay in fruit
set on apple trees that are known to be hardy in our area could be the
result of overfertilization. Rainy, windy or cold weather at the time
of pollination could be the problem as well as improper pruning, the
two trees not being different enough to do effective cross-pollination
or the lack of sufficient numbers of pollinating insects, especially
honeybees. In your case, the two apple cultivars are too similar to
get an effective fruit set. You might want to plant another tree that
is different, such as a summer crisp, to get the pollen mixture.
Q: In January, my
mother came to visit and gave me some clippings from two of her plants
that she thought were philodendrons. One of the plant clippings was cut
where the stem came out of the dirt because she didn’t want the
plant anymore. It turns out the cuttings are scindapsus. One is a marble
queen and the other is a golden pothos. I have a lot of both. I kept them
in water until I could buy some pots and soil. They grew roots by the
time I got them potted. The marble queen is doing beautifully, but the
pothos (the one she cut at the dirt to get rid of) is wilted. She had
it growing up a stump of wood, which is what I’m doing with it.
There are six clippings in the pot. Other than the wilting, I don’t
see anything wrong with them. I don’t see a sign of black leg. A
month ago I tried a rooting hormone. Of the six clippings, one is doing
great. I water it when the top 1/2 inch of soil gets dry. I mist it occasionally
and it sits in a south-facing room with all the other plants that I’ve
had for years. I can’t figure out what is wrong with this plant.
It’s been wilted for four months. Can you give me any ideas on what
to do? I am very attached to my plants and I don’t want to lose
it. (Courtenay, N.D.)
A: The wilting of
a plant is an indication of insufficient water taken up by the root
system or, in this case, the base part of the plant. I would suggest
making a fresh cut at the base in case it has become partially sealed.
Try misting the foliage or using a humidifier in the room where it is
placed.
Q: We have a well
for our water supply. A few years back we installed a water softener.
How harmful is softened water on outdoor plants and trees? That is my
only source of water other than trying to catch rainwater! (Mayville,
N.D.)
A: Did you install
the softener or did a contractor do it? In most cases, the companies
that install water softeners do not channel the softened water to the
cold-water line, just the hot. If you did it yourself and it is connected
to both lines, then the softened water eventually will harm your plants.
The sodium from the salts will set up a reaction in the soil that will
cause it to lose structure over time. The sodium also is toxic to plant
growth as the concentration increases.
Q: I know nothing
about plants except that God made them. I just bought a reduced-price
begonia and put it in my office. When I bought it, there were many dead
leaves around the base of the plant. I cut away the dead stuff. One stem
looks thin compared with the offshoot, which is quite thick. It looks
like it was eroded by the dead stuff. I have prayed over it and asked
God to heal it. If that doesn’t work, should I try replanting the
stem? If so, where do I take the cutting? God bless you. (e-mail reference)
A: Help sometimes
arrives in unexpected ways. Perhaps your prayers led you to find our
Web site! There are three types of begonias. Since you didn’t
specify the one you have, I’ll give you the procedure for each
variety. Tuberous begonia can be grown from their tuberous stems, as
long as each one is bearing a growing point. Leaf, leaf-bud and short-stem
cuttings also can be used. Fibrous-rooted begonias often are referred
to as wax and Christmas begonias. It can be propagated by leaf and stem
cuttings. Rhizomatous types, such as the Rex begonia, are divided or
the rhizomes are cut into sections. These also can be propagated by
leaf cuttings or stem cuttings. Go to www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/plantsci/landscap/h1257w.htm
for my publication on home propagation techniques. The publication graphically
explains the procedures.
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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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