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April
13, 2006
Hortiscope
Ronald C.
Smith, Horticulturist
NDSU Extension Service
Q: When is the best
time to do a lawn aeration? (e-mail reference)
A: I like to use
the guideline of aerating after at least three mowings where green leaf
tissue is removed. That way the grass is in a competitive position to
recover quickly and crowd out any weed seed that may germinate. Before
that, the grass is either dormant or too weak to react competitively.
Q: I transplanted
a cutting from my prayer plant, but the leaves on my new plant are curled.
Could you tell me what's wrong and what I can do to correct the problem?
(e-mail reference)
A: Get a small,
clear plastic bag and cover the plant after watering. This will keep
the humidity high around the plant and keep it from wilting. Do this
for two to three weeks, then gradually uncover it until you can remove
the cover without any wilting taking place.
Q: Is it possible
to break off and plant a twig or two from a bridal wreath bush to start
a new bush? (e-mail reference)
A: Yes, spirea will
root from softwood cuttings taken in late spring or early summer. It
depends on where you live. You can use a rooting hormone, but it isn't
necessary.
Q: I bought tulips
with the bulbs still attached. Now that the flowers are dying, can I salvage
the bulbs? Do I cut the stem and store them or replant right away? (e-mail
reference)
A: You can attempt
to save the bulbs, but usually the effort is futile. If you want to
give it a try, here are some tips. Keep the tulips in the containers
they came in. Set the containers outdoors so the plants get sunlight
and keep the plants watered. If you are lucky, the foliage will die
down slowly and turn yellow. The job is finished when you can separate
the foliage from the bulb by gently tugging on it. You then can plant
the bulbs.
Q: I have two, large
indoor plants (Spanish bayonet). Do they ever bloom? Some of the leaves
have developed small, dark brown hard spots. What are these spots and
what can I do about them? (e-mail reference)
A: They will bloom,
if you summer them outdoors so they get more sunlight. I never have
seen or heard of one blooming indoors, unless someone had them situated
where they could get maximum direct sunlight. Those hard, dark spots
could be San Jose scale. See if they scrape off and leave a little pin
hole behind. You'll need a magnifier, unless you have eyes like a hawk!
If they are confined to just a leaf or two, cut them off and dispose
of them.. If there are a lot of spots spread on many leaves, then you
need to get a systemic insecticide that can be used on these plants.
Shop for a product known as Meta-Systox (or others). Read and follow
the label directions before using.
Q: We have Ozark beauty
strawberry plants. We have had them for about four years. The plants are
beautiful, but rarely bear fruit. Last season, the plants bore fruit twice.
The berries were not very big. What could be wrong? (Kulm, N.D.)
A: Ozark Beauty
is an ever-bearing cultivar of strawberry, so the plants won’t
bear a lot of fruit, but it should be fairly continuous throughout the
growing season. Because the plants did not bear a lot of fruit last
season, it may be time to replant because the plants are more than four
years old. It is generally advised that strawberry plants be replaced
after four years because of low fruit production. Here is a quick, thumbnail
review of good cultural practices to follow for optimal berry production.
Don’t bury the crown of the plants. The plants should be planted
at, or slightly above, soil level. Plant in well-drained, fertile soil
that gets full sun. Remove the blossoms the first growing season to
get good plant establishment. Flowers rob the plants of energy needed
for good root establishment. Ever-bearers should have their runners
removed until the mother plant is exhausted. Then control the number
of runners produced. Keep only the most vigorous runners. Use a complete
fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, when fertilizing. Straight or excess nitrogen
can cause excessive vegetation growth at the expense of fruit set. Do
an annual cleanup in late fall or early spring using a mower. This will
remove old, possibly diseased foliage and stimulate new growth.
Q: We just purchased
a Canada red chokecherry and planted it in our backyard. After planting,
we started doing some research on the tree and found out that the fruit
pits are poisonous. We are concerned because we have a dog and are afraid
it may eat the fruit. Should we be concerned for the health of our dog
and remove the tree? (e-mail reference)
A: Generally, the
birds get the fruit before it falls to the ground. Even if the dog did
eat the fruit, it is unlikely that it would be poisoned because it simply
would pass through the dog’s digestive system. The fruit is not
poisonous, but everything else is!
Q: I just had a call
from a man who plans on planting a slope with grass for erosion control.
He wants to cover the seeded area with burlap and then leave the burlap
in place, hoping it will disintegrate. What are your thoughts on this?
Would that work if it is not going to be a mowed area? (e-mail reference)
A: It would work.
The burlap eventually will disintegrate, as long as he didn't get rot-proof,
treated stuff. Coarse, open-weave burlap is what he wants to use.
Q: If a cat has been
using the garden as a litter box, what needs to be done to the soil before
it can be used to plant vegetables? (e-mail reference)
A: I would screen
the soil down to a depth of 6 inches to be sure that all the droppings
are removed. After that, incorporate generous amounts of sphagnum peat
moss to further dilute the soil.
Q: We are going to
do a tree planting for a new park in Wahpeton and were given a list of
trees to choose from. The list includes patmore and summit ash, Dakota
birch, red splendor, spring snow, snowdrift, Indian magic and pink spire
crabs, little leaf linden and autumn blaze, sienna, embers and crimson
king maples. Any suggestions or other tree choices that you could provide
would be appreciated. (e-mail reference)
A: You are somewhat
heavy in the crabapple department. I would suggest also considering
northern acclaim honeylocust, prairie torch buckeye, pekin lilac, snow
mantle dogwood, prairie reflection Laurel willow and prairie statesman
Swiss stone pine. My suggestions are all introductions from NDSU's Dale
Herman. These trees have gone through rigorous testing and evaluation
for many years. You can be assured of their hardiness and disease and
insect resistance.
Q: What can I do to
prevent snow mold damage this spring? I have raked it as the snow melts.
Is this a good process? (Portland, N.D.)
A: Unless you live
in a banana belt, you are raking too early. Wait until the frost is
out of the ground and the grass is beginning to dry and green up. Raking
it at this point is going to do more damage than good. In home lawn
situations, snow mold is seldom lethal, but it is unsightly. Rake it
with a broom rake and lightly overseed with fresh Kentucky bluegrass.
Q: I have a group
of stella dora lilies that I need to thin, but I am unsure how to go about
doing it. The plants are part of a memorial garden, so I don't want to
do anything that will kill the plants. (e-mail reference)
A: In my experience
with daylilies, I’ve found that the only thing tougher than they
are is a crowbar! You would have to work to kill them. Dig up the daylilies
and move the plants to a new location as soon as the frost is out of
the ground. Don't replant too deeply and make sure the new site is in
full sun. After that, water in the plants.
Q: I purchased a very
sad-looking ficus at a garage sale. The branches and leaves are very dry
and brittle, but I’m not sure how to tell if they are dead. After
reading your Web site, I immediately canceled my plan to douse it in water,
fertilizer and then transplant it. I gave it a little water and will let
it sit until I find out what to do. Should I cut off the dry branches
and leaves or is that too much? Will the branches grow back if trimmed
too much? Any suggestions would be appreciated. (e-mail reference)
A: Before you go
too far, take your thumbnail and scrape off some of the bark to see
if there is any green tissue beneath. If there is, then a chance exists
for the plant to recover. If there is no green tissue found under any
of the bark scrapings, then you might as well dump it because the plant
is dead. Assuming it is not dead, follow the basic pruning guidelines
you would with a fruit tree. It should be OK. Stop pruning at the point
where you have cut back about a third of the total canopy. You can take
off more later after the plant recovers.
Q: Can you tell me
what the white substance is inside of a cactus? Someone I know has tasted
it (probably not the smartest thing to do). About a half hour later, their
tongue was burning. (e-mail reference)
A: It is a type
of latex, which is a skin irritant. You are correct, it’s not
a good idea to go around tasting things one doesn't know anything about.
Q: I have taken cuttings
from my geraniums and planted them in the soil using individual pots.
I have tried dipping them in Stim Root No.1, but have noticed that quite
a few have turned black at the base and died. Can you help? (e-mail reference)
A: Your mistake
is the media you have the cuttings stuck in. Get rid of it and plant
the geraniums in washed sand, a 50/50 sand/peat moss mix, vermiculite
or perlite. The cuttings need moisture and air to root.
Q: I recently moved
into a house in West Fargo. The night crawlers are bad. I have read about
using Sevin, but I’m wondering if it is pet safe. Also, can you
suggest a fertilizer that is pet safe? What is the best time of year to
fertilize and use Sevin? (e-mail reference)
A: My best advice
is to contract with a licensed lawn care operator to take care of the
problem. The lawn care service has the equipment and know-how, and will
do a much better job than either of us could. Once watered in, there
is nothing to worry about. Scotts Turf Builder, or one of its generic
copies, is an example of a good fertilizer.
Q: I would like to
ask two questions concerning flowering crabapple trees. I have one crabapple
tree that is about four years old. The tree is beautiful, with dark pink
flowers in the spring. I just noticed that the bark on the trunk is peeling.
I haven't noticed this problem in past years, but really wasn't looking.
Is this common or do I have a problem? The tree does have fruit on it
and the buds are starting to emerge. Also, are there flowering crabapple
trees that have early, mid and late-season bloom for succession in the
landscape? (e-mail reference)
A: Many cultivars
of crabapples have peeling or exfoliating bark as they mature. This
is nothing to worry about. As to blooming sequence, most will bloom
about the same time. About the only difference would be in the microclimate
setting. Those having a northern exposure will bloom later than those
with a southern exposure.
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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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