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December
8, 2005
Hortiscope
Ronald C.
Smith, Horticulturist
NDSU Extension Service
Q: I have an angel-wing
begonia plant that I started from a cutting about 3 1/2 years ago. I've
started several other plants from this plant and put them together in
a large pot. They never have flowered. It is located in a very "happy
place" on my kitchen island under a skylight. The plant grows like
crazy! I water it every other day with at least 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water.
I've heard that the flowers are very pretty, but have never seen them.
Should I let it dry out between watering? I tried an experiment by breaking
off a leaf, rooting it in a glass of water and put it in its own small
pot. It has sustained its own little life without sprouting any other
leaves or canes. Have you ever heard of this? Will it be an eternal leaf?
(e-mail reference)
A: Yes, it will
be an eternal leaf. If you take the leaf or another one and lay it across
the media, while making small slices across some veins, new plantlets
eventually will grow and the original leaf deteriorate. I am surprised
that this has not happened at the base of the leaf you have stuck in
the water. You are overwatering. You must have good drainage or you
would have rotted everything a long time ago. Allow the soil media to
dry before rewatering. This should slightly stress the plant enough
to bring it into flower.
Q: We have a cotoneaster
hedge 4 to 4 1/2 feet tall that we are thinking of cutting back to 3 feet.
Is there a better time of year to make such a drastic trim? The top of
the hedge tends to dry and turn yellow/brown. Does it need more/less water
or fertilizer? What suggestions do you have to keep it healthy? (Moorhead,
Minn.)
A: Don't prune it
down to just 3 feet. Cut it down to the ground early next spring while
it is still dormant. As to the tips turning brown, I think it may be
something else, such as pear slugs (not really slugs and have nothing
to do with pears) that may be causing the problems. Heavy pruning next
spring will give you a better-looking hedge.
Q: I have a question
about transplanting Norway pine seedlings. My daughter and husband bought
a home on a former tree farm. They have many seedlings, so we would like
to transplant some of them. What is the best way to transplant the seedlings?
Also, how do you start pine trees from pine cones? (e-mail reference)
A: Push a straight-edge
spade into the ground, pull horizontally on the handle to open a hole,
drop the seedling in and pull the spade out. The soil should flop down
on top of the roots of the seedling. Gently step on the soil plug to
make firm contact with the roots. I did it for two years for a Christmas
tree grower in New York state. Put paper bags over the cones before
they open up to collect the seeds. After the seeds are collected in
the bags, plant the seeds in the fall for possible (and probable) germination
the following spring.
Q: I put in a Kentucky
blue turf lawn two years ago. The soil is heavy clay. I am going to aerate
it, but have received several points of view on how it should be done.
One person mentioned aerating, raking up the plugs and doing nothing else.
Another said to aerate, leave the plugs and then overseed. Does it hurt
to leave the plugs? If I do the overseeding, can I put a light layer of
sand down using a broadcast spreader? (e-mail reference)
A: You can do three
things with the plugs. Let them stay where they fall. Their presence
won’t hurt anything and they eventually will disintegrate. You
can rake them up and dispose of them. You can run a power rake (dethatcher)
over them, which will pulverize most of the plugs. The pulverized plugs
will act as a top-dressing for your lawn. This last step is the best
option for your grass. Mow the grass short before aerating. If it has
been some time since a rainfall event, water the lawn 24 hours before
aerating. Aerate the lawn and select one of the options above. Overseed
and fertilize with a winterizer fertilizer. After that, stand back and
enjoy watching the turf system respond. Do not top-dress with sand.
Sand and clay do not mix well, unless you want concrete.
Q: What can I do to
my gladiola bulbs after I dig them up to kill the thrips that have invaded
my garden? Is there something I can treat the bulbs with that will kill
the insects and their eggs without hurting the bulbs? I am afraid there
will be further damage during winter storage if I don't fix the problem.
(Valley City, N.D.)
A: Dust the bulbs
with sulfur powder. Place the bulbs in a paper bag with the sulfur and
shake well to get it into the openings. Store the bulbs in the bag.
If the thrips survive, move out!
Q: Someone wanted
to know what to do with their tomatillos. She wasn't even sure she was
spelling the word correctly. The plants have pods and are shaped like
a Chinese lantern and the inside is a sticky green. I've never heard of
tomatillos and couldn’t find any information on the Internet. (Foster
County, N.D.)
A: Tomatillos can
be used for making salsa. Go to http://gourmetsleuth.com/tomatillos.htm
for all the information you would ever want on this tasty, useful fruit.
Q: I planted three
linden trees in the latter part of June. Right after planting, the leaves
started browning and almost all the leaves fell off. The limbs seem to
be alive and pliable. I will appreciate any help you can give me. (Portland,
N.D.)
A: I suggest that
you check the planting depth because many trees are planted too deeply.
The crown should be even with the surrounding soil surface, not below
it. If this is the case, pull the soil back to the crown. The fact that
the stems are still green and flexible is a good sign that they may
releaf next spring.
Q: I have tried to
change the color of our white hydrangea from white to purple/blue using
aluminum sulfate, but have had no luck. Please advise me on how much aluminum
sulfate to use and the application procedure. (Detroit Lakes, Minn.)
A: It is not going
to work, so give up trying. The hydrangea species it works on, the bigleaf
hydrangea, is not hardy to our area.
Q: A woman called
about curled leaves on her tree. After she looked closer, she saw shiny
cobwebs covering the whole tree. What should she spray on the tree? Can
the tree be saved? Can mums be put out now or should she wait until spring?
(Wahpeton, N.D.)
A: Tell her to clean
up all fallen leaves this autumn. Spray the tree with dormant oil next
spring, before the leaves come out. That should take care of any overwintering
cocoons or pupae that remain on the tree. She also should be vigilant
about monitoring the tree during the summer. If there is any evidence
of the webworm returning, she should spray immediately with Orthene.
About the mums, many folks grow them in an inconspicuous part of their
garden or property and then move them to a more visible area as the
summer annuals begin fading.
Q: Is it possible
to dig up small dogwood saplings and store them over the winter? If so,
how would we do it so that we could replant them in the spring? Thanks
for your help. We enjoy your column every week in the paper! (e-mail reference)
A: If you want to
dig up the dogwood seedlings this fall, rather than early next spring,
then wait until they have been hit by a couple of frosts. Thanks for
being a loyal reader of the column!
Q: When do you stop
watering fall-planted shrubs? The customer planted an assortment, including
mountain ash, hydrangea, spirea and lilac. (e-mail reference)
A: With newly planted
trees and shrubs, it is a good idea to continue watering until just
before freeze-up. The root-zone soil should go into winter with some
moisture, but not soggy. After the first good frost, back off on the
frequency and duration of watering. After that, monitor the shrubs until
freeze-up, with occasional watering during extended dry periods.
Q: I never miss reading
Hortiscope. I have noted many questions about trees in strawberry beds.
I have used Poast on trees in an asparagus and rhubarb bed that is 60
years old. Poast, plus crop oil, does a good job on brome and pigeongrass.
(Miller, S.D.)
A: Thank you for
the information! Everyone will appreciate your sharing of this information.
Q: You appear to be
an expert on blue spruce. My sixth-grade students want to know why blue
spruce trees blow over in big winds. (e-mail reference)
A: Two things make
them vulnerable to high wind. The huge surface area they present to
the wind's force acts as a sail that catches it almost perfectly. High-wind
events usually are accompanied by heavy rains, which soften the soil
and allow the trees to be more prone to toppling. Keep in mind that
the rain adds weight to the already top-heavy part of the tree, which
contributes to toppling susceptibility. Good question and thanks for
asking.
Q: I planted three
wine and roses wiegela bushes around my pond. My concern is that they
will grow too large. Can you tell me how tall and how big around they
normally get? I'm not sure I have them planted in the right place to allow
for growth. (e-mail reference)
A: They get to 4
or 5 feet tall and about as wide. They easily are kept in bounds with
selective pruning. Wiegela are nice, compact plants.
Q: The cucumbers that
I liked the most this year only had "cucumbers" listed on the
nursery stake. I want to have some again next year. How do I dry and store
the seeds for sowing next year? I do have a food dehydrator. (e-mail reference)
A: Using a dehydrator
is not recommended. Allow the seeds to dry by spreading the seeds on
blotting paper or paper towels. Keep the seeds away from humid locations,
such as a bathroom or kitchen, and make sure the room has good air circulation.
When the seeds are completely dry, put them in a paper envelope, and
seal it to keep the seeds cool and dry.
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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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