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January 12, 2006 Hortiscope
Q: I have a question about horseradish. The roots, instead of being white, have brown streaks. The larger roots are partially gone and filled with brown scales that are turning soft and rotting, but the plant is not dying. The leaves are growing as usual. I would appreciate it if you would let me know what my problem is. (e-mail reference)
Q: I left my cactus plant next to the wood burner one night. The side that was next to the burner has turned yellow and dark brown. Can I save the plant by cutting off these parts? The main stem is not affected. (e-mail reference)
Q: I read with interest your reply to the party from Kindred who was having problems with raccoons raiding the sweet corn in their garden. In the reply, you said they might try live trapping the raccoons, but felt they were too smart to fall for that. You have offered me good advice in the past, so perhaps the time has come for me to offer you some in exchange. Beginning four years ago, I had big troubles with raccoons. Lights didn’t deter them and radios just supplied dance music for a 2 a.m. snack! With the garden only 150 feet from the house, a bird cannon would scare me more than the raccoons, so that was out! The next year I decided to fix their wagon. I bought an electric fence and watered the soil to insulate the ground. I cut the grass down to an inch high and kept it there with a string trimmer. I ran a wire 8 inches above the ground and then leaned back to enjoy the coon’s surprise! However, I was the one surprised because it did not slow the coon traffic. I then added another wire 16 inches off the ground and a bit later a grounded wire between the two hot wires at 12 inches. To my great surprise, the raccoons acted as though the fence wasn’t there. I then thought the fence was defective, so I put my finger on the wire and quickly dismissed that thought! Roasting ear stage was ending, but the coons had harvested more than I had! I then learned that there was a federal wildlife agent stationed at the little town of McLeod, about 25 miles east of Lisbon. He said we should try to catch them in box traps. At the time, I felt much as you did, that they were too smart to fall for that trick. The agent had two traps, so he set them up for me and showed me how to reset them if I caught any raccoons. I soon trapped three of them before they quit eating my corn. I had to return his traps, so I bought three of my own last year. I soon caught them by the dozen! I even caught four coons in three traps one night; two were in one of the traps. The size of the trap is 11 inches by 11 inches and 33 inches deep. The next smaller trap is too small. This year I had corn pulled down by coons twice, about two weeks apart. Each time I had a coon in the trap, so concluded that I had the guilty party! Raccoons definitely can be caught using box traps. In fact, it’s the only way I had any success. The agent advised that I bait them with eggs or canned cat food, but I’ve come up with a better way to bait the trap. I have my wife collect all the drippings from the griddle when she fries bacon. I then bought a new pump oilcan. Coons locate the bait by scent and bacon fat odor carries farther than anything else and is not lost during a rain. I drip a trail for 2 to 3 feet outside the trap and stick the spout through the welded wire of the trap at the far end where the trigger is located. (Nome, N.D.)
Q: How do you get rid of mold on the top layer of dirt on a houseplant? (e-mail reference)
Q: Have you any ideas for root and carrot storage? We have a dirt floor under the house. The temperature is around 55 to 60 degrees, but 40 degrees is recommended. (e-mail reference)
Q: What does water sparingly mean regarding hoya plants? I have two plants. One never has bloomed, but I was told it takes seven years for it to bloom. I am not sure if that is true. The other plant, I believe, is a Bella. It has bloomed once, and for once, my husband was excited about flowers and their beauty. After it bloomed, the leaves began to wither, but only on the stems that bloomed. What am I doing wrong? (e-mail reference)
Q: I have Norway pines lining my driveway. It has been my experience that when I trim a branch, the entire branch will die. I need to trim these pines, but I don't want all the branches to die. Is there something I can do to keep the branches from dying? (e-mail reference)
Q: Have you written anything on tapping maple trees for syrup? (e-mail reference)
Q: Please tell me if it is possible to cut an ivy plant and reroot it in water to make another plant? (e-mail reference)
Q: I purchased a large number of bulbs this fall, but was only able to plant a small number of them. I saw your response to another question that the bulbs can’t be saved for another year. Do you have any suggestions about what to do with them? Could they be planted in pots and placed outdoors during the winter? Could they be placed in pots in the basement and transplanted in the spring? (e-mail reference)
Q: My driveway sits under a large long-needled pine tree. A few months ago, I started noticing tiny blobs of sap on my car, which are difficult to remove and are ruining the paint. I cleaned the car and purchased a car cover (very cumbersome). At the risk of sounding silly, will this tree drop sap year-round or is there a sap season? It would be nice if I didn't have to cover the car all the time. (e-mail reference)
Q: I never miss your informative and helpful column. It has helped me greatly! I have 10 apple trees in my little orchard. Most of the trees are doing very well. I don't spray the trees. I do keep things cleaned up, prune as needed, but don't fertilize or water. The trees are growing in a former pasture and get southern exposure. The trees were planted in a low area, but they never stand in water. I've never had fire blight, other diseases or pests. One of the trees, a macaun, has borne well the past few years, but the apples are stunted. It replaced a macaun I had previously at that location. The apples from that tree were wonderful. They are a large, dark-red apple, sweet/tart and so crisp they snap when bitten into. It is our favorite apple tree. On this tree, the apples are about the size of a golf ball or even smaller. It has never borne a full-sized apple, which is very disappointing! Do you have any thoughts on why this might be? We live on a farm, so I thought of spray drift, but wouldn't that affect all the trees? Other than that problem, I haven't a clue what is wrong. I hope there is something I can do to get this tree to bear properly. I'm not getting any younger and hate to wait another 10 years for another macaun to mature! (Lake Park, Minn.)
Q: Thanks for your help on my stunted apple problem. I spelled the name of the apple tree wrong. The tree is a macoun, not a macaun. I see that the honeycrisp parentage is macoun and honeygold. There is a new variety, liberty, whose parentage is macoun and perdue 54-12. A few years ago, I got my orchard labeling mixed up, so I thought this could be a mantet, but I am 95 percent certain it’s a macoun. Your e-mail encouraged me to go back into my records to be sure I have the varieties straight. It was fun and interesting because I've been keeping records since 1971. They have grown from a single paragraph when I started gardening to five pages in 2004! Thanks for your opinion. I will contact the nursery. I did have another thought. Aren't most apples grafted onto a Siberian crab rootstock? Is it possible for the rootstock to affect the size/type of the apple? I wouldn't think so, unless the tree comes up from below the graft, but I don't know that much about it. This tree has borne a couple dozen apples and they have the same appearance and color as macouns. I'll let you know what I find out. Thanks again for your help! (e-mail reference)
### Source: Ron
Smith, (701) 231-8161, ronsmith@ndsuext.nodak.edu |
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