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December
28, 2006
Hortiscope
Ronald C.
Smith, Horticulturist
NDSU Extension Service
Q: I have potted tangerine
and tangelo plants I keep in the house during the winter, but set outside
in the summer. The plants were repotted into larger pots last summer and
moved inside before the first frost. The tangerine started losing its
leaves and was bare by Dec. 1, but had two tangerines on it. Now, the
tangelo is dropping its leaves. Is this normal for these citrus trees?
I also have seed from my gladiolas from last year that I did not plant
last spring because it was too dry and hot. Would this seed grow if I
planted it next spring? (Egeland, N.D.)
A: Leaf drop of
citrus trees moved inside for the winter is common, but usually not
lethal to the plants. It is caused by a dramatic shift in the plant's
environment. The plant moves from high light intensities, long days
and high summer temperatures to an environment with low light, short
days and modest temperatures. Continued normal care should have them
releafing in a few weeks. Don't overwater or fertilize in the meantime.
I don’t know if the gladiolas seeds will grow, but it certainly
is worth a try!
Q: I know you have
had frequent questions about peace lilies. Now I need advice on first
aid for a sick plant. I received two plants in a basket. We didn't realize
there were two pots in the basket. One plant was overwatered, while the
other dried out. I have been told that peace lilies are easy to grow,
but I have no experience. Are the roots rotting? Should the plants be
repotted? What type of soil should I use? The plants are several feet
from a south window and get sunlight part of the day. Can I put them in
a room without sunlight? (McHenry, N.D.)
A: This is one of
my favorite plants to talk about because they are so resilient and beautiful,
whether they flower or not. Peace lilies prefer an evenly moist soil.
Most people find that they can water their plants once a week, depending
on light and temperature conditions. At lower light levels or cooler
temperatures, any plant will use less water than when it is more actively
growing. Always use room temperature water, especially in the winter.
Keep in mind that these are plants that thrive in the tropics under
large canopies. Before watering the plants, allow the water to stand
overnight to dissipate any chlorine because peace lilies are sensitive
to chlorine. The soil never should be soggy and the plants never should
stand in a saucer filled with water. Peace lilies also never should
be allowed to completely dry out. Fertilizing is another important factor
in caring for these plants. The soil will become depleted of nutrients
as the plant grows. It's a good idea to help replenish it by feeding
the plant once a month or so during the growing season. Use any standard
houseplant fertilizer, such as 20-20-20, at a quarter the recommended
dilution rate. The delicate root hairs, as well as the edges of a peace
lily's leaves, can burn if the fertilizer is too strong. Repot the plant
every year or two in a rich soil consisting of equal parts of loam,
peat moss and sand. Peace lilies are somewhat resistant to most insect
pests. An occasional infestation of mealy bugs may show up, but easily
can be treated using an insecticidal soap. Because these plants have
broad, evergreen leaves, they benefit from having their foliage regularly
wiped with a damp sponge to remove dust. You also can put the plants
in the shower about every other week to keep the foliage clean. It's
interesting to note that peace lily plants are taking care of us! Spathiphyllums
were among the top 10 plants in a clean air study conducted by NASA.
Peace lilies were shown to be highly effective at removing formaldehyde,
benzene and carbon monoxide from the air, thus fighting sick building
syndrome. If you have an interest in this subject, get ahold of the
book "How to Grow Fresh Air" by Wolverton.
Q: I have a question
about sunflower seeds that I hope you can help me with. I planted sunflowers
this past summer. Can I eat the seeds right off the flower or do I have
to cook the seeds? (e-mail reference)
A: Some aficionados
claim you get better nutrition and health benefits from raw seed consumption
over the cooked.
Q: I planted a small
birch tree last year. It lived through the summer and looked strong. However,
as the summer passed, the tree started spreading or opening up at the
top. The three trunks the tree now has were not strong enough to hold
the tree upright. I am guessing that the nursery did not prune the tree
correctly. I also noticed that one main truck is split into two equal
branches. I heard that I should cut off the main bud on the limb I want
to keep as a branch. Is this true? Also, how do I get strength built up
on the remaining trunks so it will stand on its own? (e-mail reference)
A: You are better
off contacting the International Society of Arboriculture to find the
nearest ISA-certified arborist. To find a list, go to www.isa-arbor.com/home.aspx.
On the left side of the Web page, you will see "find a certified
arborist." Click on that and follow the links for a list of qualified
companies or individuals. Check them out to be sure they still are certified
and ask for references, especially if you are going to hire someone
to do pruning work. Generally, these trees are self-supporting, so your
comment about the tree not being strong enough to stay upright is confusing.
It leads me to think that the tree was not nursery grown. I could be
wrong, so get someone to check it out for you.
Q: I planted some
lovely Asiatic lilies, day lilies and various other bulbs. However, several
of my plants did not bloom. On several mornings, I saw squirrels digging
in my flower beds. I shooed them away, put down mothballs, Critter Ridder
and the less expensive red cayenne pepper. Is there any season-long remedy
that will repel these furry bulb snatchers? I thought they were digging
for nuts, but I found some bulbs half-eaten and the smaller bulbs on top
of the soil. I heard of drowning the critters by pouring water down their
holes, but then I would have to get rid of the carcasses. Any good, humane
suggestions? If not, I'll take any advice to save my flowers! (e-mail
reference)
A: There are a number
of suggestions I can make, but none are permanent or include using mothballs.
Mothballs are ineffective and illegal to use to control squirrels. Squirrels
can’t resist peanut butter. My wife makes a suet bar with peanut
butter in it. It causes a near feeding frenzy, so they leave our bulb
plantings alone. This may or may not work for you. If it doesn't, then
I would suggest capturing them live using Havaheart Live Traps. The
traps usually are available at hunting stores. Place some cheap peanut
butter in the trap. The critter enters the trap and gets caught. You
now have a live squirrel to dispose of. Take the critter to the country
near a place with lots of trees. After release, the squirrel should
be out of your life permanently. Do this before spring arrives because
female squirrels generally give birth in late winter. Repellents, such
as Liquid Fence, work well, but need to be reapplied. Sprinklers, that
have water coming from an owl's face or something similar and have a
motion detector, work quite well. The water comes on suddenly, sweeps
back and forth for about 10 seconds and then shuts off. It scared me
the first time! There are high-frequency units that supposedly keep
critters out of an area. I can't testify to their effectiveness, but
the literature claims they work. If they are not expensive, you might
look into buying one. Generally, gardens and squirrels can coexist if
the right combinations of environmental factors are present. They become
pests when their environment has limited food or shelter sources. Give
my suggestions a try and let me know if anything works.
Q: A friend left her
jade plant outside during the first frost. The plant has since gone limp.
I told her I wanted to try to revive it. Am I fooling myself? Does this
jade have a chance? (e-mail reference)
A: It depends on
how low the temperature went and how long it was exposed to that temperature.
For example, if the freezing point was a rather sudden, sharp occurrence
at 6:30 a.m., but it warmed up quickly, it may be superficial damage.
The plant is cooked if the low hit shortly after midnight and stayed
there for several hours. Time will tell. In the meantime, don't overwater.
If any part of the plant appears to be rotting, cut it back to where
there is no rot. If the entire aerial part of the plant rots, dump it.
Q: I was reading your
information on arborvitaes and noticed many people fertilize with Miracid.
You mentioned fertilizing once in the spring with Miracle-Gro. The label
on the arborvitaes I purchased says they prefer slightly alkaline soil.
I'm wondering now whether to fertilize with Miracle-Gro or Miracid? (e-mail
reference)
A: Sterns, the company
that makes these products, has solved the problem by no longer making
Miracid. Arborvitaes are widely used across a wide spectrum of landscape
situations and soil types because of how easily they adapt to conditions.
I have seen them thrive alongside azaleas and rhododendrons in the acid
soils of the eastern U.S. I also have seen arborvitaes doing well in
the alkaline soils of the upper Midwest. In either location, arborvitae
vigor and growth will be aided by using Miracle-Gro annually. Just don't
use fertilizer spikes.
Q: I have a jade plant
that seems healthy, except for two large limbs that are hanging over the
edge of the pot. The limbs are firm and the leaves are healthy and green.
However, I am concerned that the weight against the edge of the pot will
snap off the limbs. What should I do? I have had the plant for about a
year. Do I need to repot or fertilize it? What soil and fertilizer mix
should I use? (e-mail reference)
A: If the branches
are against the side of the pot, I would encourage you to cut them off
back to the main trunk. You can take the cuttings and/or leaves and
propagate those into new plants. For guidance on how to do that, go
to www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/landscap/h1257.pdf.
Repotting jade or any other houseplant should be delayed until it is
an obvious necessity. If the water doesn't immediately flush out of
the bottom of the pot when watering, then it is not ready for repotting.
If the plant appears to be wilting and you water it, but the wilt comes
back sooner than it has in the past, then it is ready for repotting.
If it appears there is little soil left in the container or a big fist
of tight roots make up the majority of the volume, then repot. There
is a plethora of information on jade care and culture at www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/hortiscope/houseplnts/jade.htm.
Enjoy your jade plant, but don't overwater or fertilize it while there
is no active growth taking place.
Q: You mention using
burlap to protect arborvitae from heavy snow. Can I leave it on for the
winter or do I just put it on when heavy snow is in the forecast? (e-mail
reference)
A: Most people find
it easier to leave it on through the worst part of the winter. The middle
of the winter, as harsh as it may get, often is not the hardest on trees.
It is the spring weather. The ground freezes in late fall or early winter
and still is frozen in March. We might have air temperatures and sunshine
that gets the evergreen plant tissue physiologically active by transpiring
moisture through stomata openings. With the roots in frozen soil, it
is not possible to get the lost moisture moved to the foliage, which
causes desiccation to take place or possibly foliage death. Typically,
this occurs on the south and west exposures, so make sure those two
sides are protected with burlap. The burlap doesn't protect the arborvitae
from heavy snows. If a heavy snowfall is in the forecast, I suggest
getting oak stakes and tying the stakes on the main stems using twist
ties or cotton twine. This will keep them from bending out of shape
or possibly breaking.
Q: A friend of mine
has asked me to cut down a wild plum. However, the tree is healthy, full
and decorative, which is everything one wants in a tree. However, when
he planted the tree he was unaware that it grows as a thicket, so now
the suckers have spread to the neighbor’s yard, making it difficult
for the neighbor to mow. I have an aversion to cutting such a tree. I
also am concerned that with a strong root system; cutting the tree will
just make the suckers grow even more. (e-mail reference)
A: You probably
are not going to like my answer. Plum and cherry trees are noted for
their suckering in most Midwest landscapes. This is something that is
not taken into consideration when people go to a nursery or garden center
and fall in love with the red-foliaged forms that are on the market.
As the years pass, the roots begin sending up suckers throughout its
root system. The suckers make it difficult to mow and are unsightly
to an otherwise attractive landscape.
You are correct
in stating that there will be even more suckering when the tree is cut
down, but then everyone affected can go about killing the sucker growth
with herbicide applications. If it only affected his property, then
he is under no obligation to remove the tree unless he wants to. However,
since it impacts a neighboring property, he really has no choice. He
should be alerted to the increase in suckering and what to do about
it after the tree is removed. The neighbor also should be told and assisted
with getting rid of the suckers. Mature trees, such as elms, oaks and
giant sequoias, are worth attempting to save because of their longevity,
grace, beauty and historical significance. Wild plums are not worth
it. I had a suckering experience with a couple of edible plum trees
on my property years ago. Between the neighbor’s complaining and
my young daughter hurting her foot stepping on a cut-off stump, I was
moved to get them cut down. I replaced them with some apple trees. I
haven't regretted it one bit.
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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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