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September
21, 2006
Hortiscope
Ronald C.
Smith, Horticulturist
NDSU Extension Service
Q: I purchased a rosebush
last year. It bloomed, but only had a few flowers. Should I prune the
bush every year? If so, how do I prune it? What can I do to get the bush
to grow more roses? Also, I have a flower garden in the front yard, but
the flowers didn’t grow. My husband placed peat moss in the garden,
watered on days it didn’t rain and used Miracle-Gro once a month.
(e-mail reference)
A: Hybrid tea, multiflora
and grandiflora roses produce flowers on new growth. The general recommendation
is to prune the rosebush back in the fall, if winter temperatures are
relatively mild, such as temperatures rarely falling below zero. In
colder climates, prune in the spring while the plants are dormant. In
both cases, the roses should be mulched before the onset of winter weather.
If your husband merely "placed" peat moss in the garden and
did not till it in, the treatment will be of little use. Annually tilling
in sphagnum peat moss is one of the best universal treatments for any
flower or vegetable garden.
Q: I have a Hazen
apple tree, which I think was developed at NDSU. It was loaded with apples,
but when they were about half the size they should get, they started falling
off the tree. I have been picking up a 5-quart pail of apples every few
days from July until now. Next to it is a honey crisp and the neighbor
has a Harrelson and another variety, but not a lot of his apples fell
off. Is this a characteristic of a Hazen apple tree? (Fargo, N.D.)
A: This is not characteristic
of the Hazen. Obviously it hasn't happened to you in past years, so
it isn't a normal characteristic of your tree. It sounds like the tree
is dying. Of what, I don't know. Whenever a tree is loaded with fruit
that is undersized and falls early, it’s a good indication of
a tree that is declining. It likely will be dead by spring. At this
stage, nothing can be done - sorry!
Q: I am hoping you
will have some good news for me about two peach trees I planted. I purchased
the trees from Gurney's and they are in excellent shape. I have seen deer
and rabbits around, but they have not touched the trees. Just in case,
is there anything I can do to keep them away from the trees? How do I
insulate the trees for the winter? When I purchased the trees, I was told
the trees would survive in our zone. I should have done some more investigating
to see how they survive in North Dakota. The trees are located south of
Jamestown and protected by a shelterbelt. (e-mail reference)
A: Good luck on
keeping the deer and rabbits from enjoying these trees as a winter meal.
I tried growing some peach trees at the Carrington Research Extension
Center, but they were wiped out by these sweethearts of nature. You
have a borderline hardy plant for your area, but where you located the
trees may help them survive. Allow the trees to harden off this fall.
Don't try to continue to grow them in a luxuriant manner. Give the trees
just enough moisture to keep them from drying out. Purchase a repellent,
such as Plantskydd, Liquid Fence or Hinder, to spray on the trees as
the winter months come on. Repeat the application at least once during
the winter months. Wrap the trunks in Kraft Tree Wrap after the trees
drop their leaves. This will protect them from frost cracks and sun
scald, as well as nibbling by bunnies and voles. In addition to the
repellent, get some highly odoriferous soap (motel size) to hang from
the branches of the trees to also help (hopefully) keep the deer from
sampling. Good luck and I hope the trees bear peaches for you someday
in the not too distant future.
Q: What are your thoughts
about the fall fiesta sugar maple? How is it compared with autumn blaze
maple? (Chanhassen, Minn.)
A: In our part of
the country, it barely hangs on, but it should do fine in Chanhassen.
I can’t compare it to autumn blaze, as it also is borderline up
here. Both have good qualities, if planted in the right location. I
would encourage you to talk with a local nursery for its take on these
two trees.
Q: I have a lily bed
that has become infested with grass and perennial weeds. Can I cut down
the lily stems and spray with Round Up or do I need to dig up the bulbs
before the application? Maybe you have some other method to complete the
process. (e-mail reference)
A: Look for Hi-Yield
Grass Killer with sethoxydin as the active ingredient. Be sure to follow
label directions. If lilies are listed on the label, then you can use
it as a selective herbicide. It should be available in local garden
stores.
Q: We had to cut down
a purple plum tree. It never rooted properly and always leaned to the
side, so a recent storm knocked it over. Someone at a nursery said we
would destroy too much root system trying to replant the tree, so we cut
it down. We have a wood-burning fireplace in our home, so we would like
to know if this wood is safe to burn inside. (e-mail reference)
A: No problem, as
long as the fireplace is properly vented.
Q: I am looking for
the perfect hedge. Do you know of a hedge that rarely (if ever) needs
trimming, grows 4 to 5 feet tall, is deer resistant and, of course, has
a nice appearance? I may have set my expectations for a hedge too high!
(Minnewaukan, N.D.)
A: Glad you are
not expecting too much! With my back to the wall and being late in the
day, the best shot I can come up with is the dwarf American cranberry
bush. It may top out at 6 feet, but will take its time getting there.
It takes the cold, but not poorly-drained soil and is a traffic stopper
when it is in bloom with white flowers.
Q: I have a Christmas
cactus that is growing mold in the soil. I repotted it, but the mold is
reappearing and spreading to the edges of the pot. It's white and fluffy,
but there are patches where it turns yellow, solid and upright. What can
I do about it and will it harm my plant? (e-mail reference)
A: It will not hurt
your plant. This is a saprophyte that is growing and digesting the rich
organic matter in your potting soil. These are healthy microorganisms
at work. The same would be true if you saw mushrooms growing, too.
Q: I noticed something
strange in my backyard today. My daughter was stung by something, but
we did not see a bee. However, from her reaction, we suspect it was a
bee. Later in the afternoon, I was in the yard and found a dead bird with
a hole in its belly. Bees were swarming in and out of it. Is this normal?
I thought bees ate pollen. (e-mail reference)
A: These are not
bees, but a type of wasp known as a yellowjacket. At this time of year,
they are very aggressive and will continue to be so until the cold weather
kills them. They go after moisture (blood, water, sweat, beer or soda
pop) and are attracted by scents, such as perfume, after-shave lotion
and cooking food. Even food that you are not cooking, such as sandwiches
and cookies, will attract them. The worst thing a person can do is threaten
their nest. You also are asking for trouble if you try to swat them.
The best thing to do is avoid them completely. If some come around you,
ignore them, but carefully try to get away. Bees are not aggressive
and are interested in just one thing, which is nectar. The honey bee
has a hairy body on which pollen gets stuck. Yellowjacket wasps have
a smooth body that usually is defined with yellow and black stripes.
They do not deposit their stingers when they sting, so one wasp can
sting a person several times. A honeybee sacrifices its life when it
stings because the stinger is torn out of its body during that action.
The bird probably was attacked and killed by a predator and the wasps
found the bird and began feeding on the body fluids. Keep your daughter,
other family members and pets away from areas where wasps are active.
Too many stings can lead to anaphylactic shock. If the person is not
hospitalized or administered an antidote immediately, such an event
could lead to death. I would encourage you to hire a professional exterminator
to locate the wasp nest (usually in the ground, around foundations or
in rotting logs), and take care of this problem. They should at least
remove the dead bird, which might take care of the problem.
Q: We purchased a
very large ash tree from a local nursery. The nursery used a tree spade
to plant it, which was five weeks ago. The last two weeks, the leaves
have turned yellow and are falling off. The nursery owner refuses to look
at it because he says he would lose $200 an hour if he did. We are very
concerned that we will lose this tree after spending more than $500 for
it. We have watered it every week and we do understand the horrible hot
weather would have caused stress on the tree. We also purchased another
tree at the same time that is not losing its leaves. The nursery owner
advised us to dig down to the rootball to find out if it was too dry or
wet. It was a little dry, but certainly not powder. We are not experts,
so it is hard for us to make an intelligent analysis. (Dilworth, Minn.)
A: The tree should
not have been transplanted at the time it was. Transporting a tree in
full leaf during midsummer almost is a sure-fire pathway to problems.
You should have had it moved while it was dormant in early spring or
fall. If the tree did not have an annual root pruning, then most of
the ash roots were left in the ground at the time of removal. Both of
these factors would be enough for the tree to respond the way you describe.
If the tree did not have its roots pruned on an annual basis, the tree
could die slowly until you can no longer tolerate its appearance and
have it removed. The price you paid for the tree was unbelievably low.
Normally, a spaded tree that size costs about three times more than
what you paid. The advice to keep the rootball wet was good. Don't flood
the tree with continuous water. Instead, try to keep everything moist.
Q: Could you please
answer a few questions about a royal frost birch? Is it really more resistant
to bronze birch borers and leaf wilt? I would love to plant it in my front
yard. Will it survive if it is in full-sun and facing west? Also, I have
read that I should plant birch in the spring and put 6 inches of mulch
around it. (Crystal, Minn.)
A: It is resistant
to bronze birch borers and leaf wilt. Put 2 to 3 inches of mulch around
the roots, not 6 inches. It will survive if you can keep the roots moist
during periods of inadequate rainfall. My 21-year-old cutleaf weeping
birch is doing fine in my front yard. In fact, it is the pride of the
property! Get one, take good care of it and enjoy watching it grow.
Q: What is the name
of a common insecticide that has bacillus thuringiensis in it to kill
moths and caterpillars in a vegetable garden? The places I called can't
seem to come up with a product. (e-mail reference)
A: Biobit, Dipel,
MVP, Steward, Thuricide and, of course, just plain Bt. Someone should
have one or more of these.
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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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