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August
18, 2005
Hortiscope
Ronald C.
Smith, Horticulturist
NDSU Extension Service
Q: I have an asparagus
fern that is becoming too big for its pot. If I can find a pot that is
big enough, I don’t think my ceiling hook will hold it. Can I divide
it in half? A few years ago, it had little white flowers, but never gets
them anymore. I have gone through the Hortiscope column to find any reference,
but was unsuccessful. (e-mail reference)
A: I don’t
think I have had any inquiries concerning asparagus ferns, at least
that I can recall! This weed has almost become a celebrity as a houseplant.
I would suggest knocking it out of its container, then taking a straight-edged
spade or an axe and split the thing into as many segments as you want.
Repot one of the segments in the same container and throw the rest away
or plant them outdoors as part of the landscape. Keep in mind that this
a poisonous plant, so you want to keep pets and kids from chewing on
the foliage. Indoors, the plant probably doesn’t get enough light
to flower, except every so often. Outdoors, you may get flowering every
summer.
Q: I have had a flowering
crab tree for four years, but it doesn’t seem to be growing. It
flowers and gets berries, but doesn’t get any bigger. What can I
do or is its growth stunted for some reason? (e-mail reference)
A: You might just
have a dwarf cultivar that has reached mature size.
Q: I love reading
all of the letters people send you and the answers you have for them.
I have a rather small front yard with an apple tree in it. The tree seems
to attract all of the bees in the neighborhood. Is there a way to stop
the tree from bearing fruit? We love the tree and don’t want to
cut it down, but we don’t like the mess or the bees. (e-mail reference)
A: Amidthin (NAD),
Fruitone-N (NAA), Sevin, and Sevin + NAA are listed for thinning apple
fruit set. Try to locate one on the market where you live and be sure
to follow the label directions carefully. You will not get a 100 percent
reduction in fruit, and it varies as to the cultivar of apple. Also,
bees are one of nature’s most precious assets for the human race.
Without bees, humans could not survive in the numbers we do, so do not
spray when bee activity is going on. This means that the spraying should
take place during the early morning hours or during twilight at the
end of the day. Bees are very sensitive to Sevin (carbaryl) products.
Pollinating bees should not concern you because they have but one mission
in mind, which is to find nectar and pollen in the flowers and then
move on! Thank you for your very nice comments about the column! They
are appreciated. I hope what I have provided for you answers your question
as well!
Q: My husband recently
transplanted 16 arborvitae trees to underneath our deck. He had to trim
the trees significantly to make them fit. Because they are almost touching
the underside of the deck, I don’t see any room for growth. Will
this kill them or can we keep them trimmed? (e-mail reference)
A: Under the deck
is a bad idea for these plants - sorry! If you want to keep any plants
under a deck, they should be adapted to shade conditions and be selected
for maintaining a size that is desirable for the space. Continuous pruning
under such conditions is not the best treatment for these plants, either.
Q: We have a hydrangea
bush that is not in a great location. It isn’t a hardy bush and
other bushes are overgrowing it. Little green sprouts are just breaking
through the soil now. Is it a safe time to dig up the sprouting areas
and move them? Any advice on the move will be greatly appreciated. (e-mail
reference)
A: It isn’t
the best time, but the transplanting should be a success. Don’t
worry if those emerging sprouts wilt because I am sure there are many
more that will break and grow if these should bite the bullet.
Q: What herbicides
will control fescue growing in Kentucky bluegrass? I heard Lesco TFC would
do it. Can a homeowner buy it or does it need to be applied by a certified
lawn professional? Is it labeled for North Dakota? I can’t find
any meaningful information on this. (Fargo, N.D.)
A: Tall fescue control
in Kentucky bluegrass is possible, but only with a nonselective such
as Roundup. TFC used to be available, but has been taken off the market
by the company. As far as I know, no one else has picked up the right
to market the product. Very short mowing in the fall of the year may
selectively kill tall fescue, at least in North Dakota.!
Q: I have a ficus
plant that is healthy except for the knots it has grown on the trunk and
branches. On some of the leaves there is a “spray” that is
clear, but sticky. Do you know what this is and how to treat it? (e-mail
reference)
A: The knots could
be anything from galls to just natural formations that will not hurt
the tree. Insects or mites that are feeding cause the sticky spray material
on the leaves. Most likely mites, as aphids, scale or mealybugs, would
be very evident. Determine what the exact cause is and take appropriate
action. See if you can locate a neem product, such as “Fungicide
3,” which is a miticide, fungicide and insecticide all in one.
Something such as that should control whatever this pest may be.
Q: I am having trouble
keeping rabbits from my shrubs and flowers. I have used liquid fence in
the past. It seems to help, but it is so darned expensive. I read about
using hot pepper spray on your Web site. Could you please e-mail your
recipe for this spray? (e-mail reference)
A: Red cayenne,
Jalapeno or habanera fresh peppers can be used in the preparation, but
be careful if you use habanera because the capsaicin concentration is
high enough to cause serious damage to the preparer! Jalapenos should
be hot enough to keep the bunnies away. The quickest way to come up
with a concoction is to take three fresh peppers and run them through
a food processor with enough water added to create a liquid. Pour the
liquid through a cheesecloth mesh into a glass quart jar. Add about
2 tablespoons of olive or other vegetable oil, a squirt of Elmer’s
glue and a drop or two of liquid dishwashing detergent. Use one part
of the concentration to 10 parts water. Shake well just before application.
This should discourage the bunnies without hurting them. If not, then
make the concentration stronger, to 30 percent, or just go up to the
cayenne pepper for extra heat. Be sure to reapply after new growth appears
or after a good rain.
Q: Our city has a
tree and limb dump. The city chips the limbs and stockpiles the chips.
The sources of the limbs and the species from which they derive could
be from healthy or possibly diseased trees. The chips are available for
the taking by anyone who wants them. Is there any reason that these chips
should not be used to mulch around mature trees and in flower gardens?
If so, what restraints should one exercise? (Madison, S.D.)
A: This is done
all the time around the country. I would hope that any Dutch elm-diseased
trees would be debarked or at least separated into burn piles. Generally,
nothing adverse comes from using this mulch around the base of mature
or otherwise healthy trees. It is the start of a slow composting practice
of sorts.
Q: I am painfully
inept when it comes to gardening. I have always loved hydrangeas and bought
two for the front of my home. They receive full sun daily and face east.
I was reading about pruning them in the fall to save them from the winter.
How far do you prune? How much watering do they need? How can I save them
from me? (e-mail reference)
A: During the last
mowing in the fall, I run my mower over the remaining hydrangea sticks.
Every spring they come up and bloom nicely for me. Water them sufficiently
to keep them from wilting and fertilize with Miracle-Gro when new leaves
are forming in the spring.
Q: Please help me
with this problem. I started a scarlet border geranium from seed. The
veins on the bottom side of the leaves are turning red and the leaves
are turning yellow. For now, I pinch them off. What could cause this?
(e-mail reference)
A: Nutrient imbalance,
too cold of a water or air temperature or keeping the soil too wet could
be the problem. Correct whatever it may be and the problem should disappear.
Q: My neighbor has
a beautiful peony that belonged to her grandmother! She heard that if
you freeze the buds they’ll bloom again once transferred to water.
Is this true? I thought they would die. Maybe it’s just another
wives’ tale! (e-mail reference)
A: When you get
to be my age, you think you’ve heard all of the wives’ tales,
but this is a new one to me! All I can say is try it and see if it works.
If it works, I’ll gladly eat my words, but I don’t think
I will have to.
Q: How do I remove
the spent flowers from a tiger lily plant? I know how to deadhead azaleas,
and more specifically, where to remove the spent flower. I do know that
I must remove the spent flowers to encourage more blooms. Where should
the flowers be separated from the host and by what method? Tiger lilies
are beautiful, but a new plant to me. (e-mail reference)
A: It makes little
difference where you remove the spent flowers, just as long as they
are removed as they begin to fade. You want to keep the plant from expending
the energy to make seed. If you can do that, there often is a repeat
bloom cycle to enjoy.
Q: I want to grow
a snowball bush from a cutting. To make a long story short, this would
be a fourth-generation bush. I’m not sure how to get it going. Right
now, it is sitting in water. Please help. (e-mail reference)
A: Softwood cuttings
from all viburnum are rooted easily in a 50/50 sand/peat mixture. Take
the cutting out of the water or get some fresh cuttings and reset them.
Q: In the spring gardening
seminar, you mentioned waiting to power rake and core aerate until after
mowing a couple of times. Is this necessary or could I do it before mowing?
Do I power rake and then aerate or is it the other way? Also, I want to
start having my lawn treated for weeds, etc. Is it OK to do this before
power raking/aerating or do I wait until later? (Fargo, N.D.)
A: Those are good
questions! I tell people to wait until the grass has been mowed a couple
of times to keep them hedged in somewhat or else everybody would be
out there doing it in March or early April with the first nice day that
came our way. First, core aerate. Allow the cores to dry for a couple
of hours, so they break up easier with the power rake. After power raking,
you can apply the herbicide and fertilizer. The mechanical treatment
of the lawn will pull up and expose many weed seeds, so a treatment
after this operation would be the best option.
Q: Have you seen a
houseplant that looks like a dolphin? I do not know the plant’s
name, but would love to have one. (e-mail reference)
A: I posed the question
to my bright, young colleague, Lisa Duppong. She came up with your dolphin
plant. The plant is known as a dancing dolphin vine and comes from the
Michigan Bulb Co. Its Web site is at http://michiganbulb.com/item_disp.asp?pn=68593.
It looks like a showy beauty, so enjoy!
Q: Are box elder trees
toxic to horses? Thanks for your time. (e-mail reference)
A: Red and swamp
maples are listed as having toxic properties, but not box elder. That
doesn’t mean they are not poisonous, just that there have been
no reported cases of any poisonings from this species.
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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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