North Shore Gardener December 2007

Christmas Trees

Photo: K.Smith

December 5 , 2007: Rose of Sharon, Hydrangea, Peachtree

Rose of Sharon in pot
Q: A friend asked me the other day what to do with a Rose of Sharon plant that she was given this past summer. She has it in a pot on her front porch and we are not sure whether she should move the plant into a corner or put it in her garage for the winter and how should she care for it.
She lives in a condo and has no land in which to plant, so she hoped to be able to keep it going in the pot and have it bloom again next summer.
L.P.

A: This is the problem:
Rose of Sharon is an outdoor shrub, hardy to Zone 5 - and it really doesn't appreciate being taken in for the winter....And since it is near-borderline hardy here, it doesn't exactly appreciate being left outdoors exposed in a container, where roots will freeze harder than the same plant were planted in the garden.
In the garden, it would go dormant after a freeze, loosing all of its leaves, and disappearing until late next spring. –It’s on the new growth where you will find the flowers next year.

Now there are choices to be made:
You could plant it, pot and all, in a friend’s garden, mulching it well - and retrieve it for the porch in the spring.....
Or you could bring it in to a cold, unheated garage, where temperatures don't get to freezing but remain in the low 40 degree range - the dormant plant would require no light, but watch carefully and water the plant, probably at least a few times during the winter the winter when the pot dries out.
Or you could insulate the pot very well with Styrofoam and a blanket of insulating material, and leave it out…..
In my opinion, any of these choices would be preferable to keeping it indoors all winter.

Late hydrangea move
Q: I have a question about what to do with my hydrangeas this winter. I have three plants (about 2 yrs old) next to my foundation in the front of the house. We are planning on building a farmer’s porch in that area and the plants will need to be moved several feet forward. What’s our best course of action? We were wondering if we could pot them for the winter and then transplant in the new bedding area after the porch is complete in the spring. We thought about just moving them to the new area now but are concerned about them being affected by the nearby construction of the porch. I know they will be shocked whatever we do but would like to do the least damage possible. Any advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated.
L.L., Beverly, MA

A: It's too late to make even a temporary transplanting move for your hydrangeas - the ground may not /isn't frozen yet, but it is too late now because the lives of newly planted shrubs depend on their being able to grow some fine feeder roots to get them through the winter.....
But there is no reason you can't put them in pots and store them in an enclosed, but cold, frost-free area, like a garage or unheated porch for the winter - you don't need light. Gardeners in colder areas have done this with hydrangeas for years. Really, the only negative to pots is that the pots have got to be large enough to contain as many of the roots as possible....and they're very heavy. There is no reason you couldn't use plastic tubs, or even sawed-off garbage barrels for the temporary holding job - you don't need anything lovely and artistic!

Watch the pots carefully over the winter and water sparingly. Bring them outside into bright light gradually as the weather warms and water as usual. Don't prune, of course - there is certainly some chance of having some flowers next summer against that wonderful new porch! (If you have to prune now because of space limitations, they should return to their full blooming glory in another year.)

Good luck with your porch project. You can plan on lots of pots of annuals for color on the steps and window with Vince dripping over the side next year....happy dreams of the porch this winter!

Peachtree
Q: About five years ago, we planted a peach tree which was supposedly a dwarf peach tree. Every year it is loaded with peaches. However, most of the peaches get black spots on them. Also, by the end of September the peaches are still as hard as a rock. The tree is also about ten feet tall so I gather it is not a dwarf peach tree.
Early this year, we pruned it way back, sprayed it, fertilized it, and picked off many small peaches in the spring. It did a little bit better, but the peaches were still very hard by mid-September and most of them still had the black spots.
I have tried picking the peaches when they have a nice color, but still hard. They rot very quickly in the house so I cannot ripen them in a bag.
Any suggestions as to what we're doing wrong and is there anything we can do to produce ripe peaches?
Any helpful suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
C.K., North Andover, MA

A: Do you know what kind of a peach tree you planted? Peaches are a warmer weather crop - but over the years, specific varieties have been developed for our colder climate. Try ripening the peaches in a paper bag again, this time with a ripe apple - this sometimes works if the fruit is near ripening stage......but they'll never be as sweet and juicy as a tree-ripened peach - next time buy and plant a variety intended for this climate.
Note: There are a lot of recipes for peach chutney, which use a firm fruit-
Yes, dwarf is sometimes not really dwarf, as you have found out! Buy from a reputable grower and you can request a replacement-
Black spot is a common bacterial infection. There is a product call SoapShield Fungicidal Soap which is sold by GardensAlive (www.GardensAlive.com or call them at: 513-354-1482) - it is sprayed on the tree from spring to harvest.
I called them this morning to find out whether it was perfectly safe to use on eatables -and they assured me that it could be used right up to harvest, but be sure to wash produce well before eating!

This week’s dirt………………………………………………………
Buy Christmas tree early- you can be it’s protector!
Early in Dec, when you see the perfect tree, buy it! The weather is nicer - and trees aren’t going to get any fresher unless you cut them yourself. Most Christmas trees were cut in very early fall, before snow could hinder the work in the North – and then stacked away dry until shipping.
Trees won’t get any better standing on the lot – it fact, you can treat it better: When you get it home, cut the end and put it into a bucket of water, spray with hose if it doesn’t rain or snow. Allow the tree to thaw and dry before bringing in to avoid dripping in the house.
You’ll have a longer lasting tree!

December 12, 2007: Dahlias, Plumeria, Compost, Hydrangea

Dahlias
Q: All summer my dahlias languished in the garden. Last month I moved them to pots on the front steps and they burst into red and white bloom. I brought the pots into an enclosed but unheated porch when frost was forecast. What do I do next? Aren't they supposed to bloom in the summer and rest in the winter?
As you can gather, I'm not an avid gardener, but I do enjoy your column because it's so well-written. Next week I'll be reading to enjoy your column AND to figure out what to do with my dahlias.
P.D.

A: It's time to let your dahlias go!
Take your pots of dahlias back outdoors, somewhere you can watch them! Let the foliage die down with the frost, but don't let the tubers freeze solid – bring them in when trmperatures drop below freezing. Cut the frost damaged foliage to about 4-6 inches, remove the tubers from the pot and allow them to dry out - then gently brush off the excess dirt, and store in bags of dry peat or vermiculite or sand (this will keep the tubers apart during the winter and prevent rotting.)
Store in a cold cellar or garage but where the temperatures will not go below freezing....about 45 degrees is ideal. Check them every month and remove any tubers that are rotting - and watch for rodent damage. Destroy damaged tubers.
Indoors, next spring, start the tubers growing again for another summer of glorious bloom, whether you use them is pots or plant directly in the garden.
And I think I can see your thumb turning a distinct shade of green!!!

Plumeria
Q: I have a few plumeria plants that have in pots. I keep them on my front steps that receive sun from approximately 11:00AM until the sun sets in the afternoon/evening. I've had the plants for two years and have yet to have any flowers boom, in fact I have even seen a bud. I usually feed them with MiracleGro bi- weekly. Is there anything else I can do to promote flower growth?
Thanks
S.S., Gloucester MA

A: Plumerias need the light and warmth you are giving them - but you are giving them the wrong type of fertilizer. They need a "super bloom", sometimes called a "bloom booster". type of fertilizer which has a high phosphorus content - look for a high middle number on the package, like Peter's Super Bloom 10-50-10 - MiracleGro makes a "bloom booster, too. Use it every week or so during the growing season.....Miracle Gro is a fine general, all-purpose fertilizer, but it’s too high in N (nitrogen), which promotes too much lovely, leafy growth for a blooming plant.

Keep your plumeria plants somewhat dryer indoors during the winter - and don't panic if they lose all their leaves - they are succulent and the leaves will reappear next spring - and that's when you will begin the new higher phosphorus fertilizer regimen.
At two years, the plants might also be a bit young to bloom - some species take a couple of years for cuttings to root and flower..........

Compost – and rats!!
Q: I compost all my yard waste, and also all vegetable kitchen waste. I find, however, that I have rats living in the compost pile. So I am always trapping them, especially in the fall so they won't be coming inside. Everyone talks about compost, but no one mentions the rats.

A: -Could it be you've been cheating with what's going into the compost pile? You shouldn't be having so much trouble with rats if you eliminate ALL fatty foods, (even salad dressings, and buttered breads,) as well as all dairy products......
Unfortunately, rats are darn SMART - and once they know where any food source exists, they will remember! Try turning the compost pile more often - rats dislike being disturbed! And could you fence and put a lid on the pile? This might help immensely.

Hydrangea
Q: Here is a hydrangea question. I have lace cape hydrangeas. Last year I didn't prune them, but I fertilized them. They grew about two feet this year, but had no blooms. It was a low number organic fertilizer (like 4-4-4). Was that the wrong fertilizer?
Also, I can never remember which type to prune, or not, and when. Do I cut them now?

A: Watch out for any high nitrogen fertilizer around any blooming plant - this is the kind of fertilizer that you might have used on the nearby lawn in the spring as a "green up" - nitrogen does produce lush green growth, but you want flowers!
Use a super phosphate (high middle number and often marketed as a "bloom booster") fertilizer to promote flowering - but do it in the spring.

Pruning, when necessary, is done immediately after blooming on lace caps and most of the older varieties - dead branches can be removed any time. Older hydrangeas set their buds and bloom on the past year's wood, which means they've developed their buds in late July through September.
Another reason we all had very poorly flowering hydrangeas this past year, was the sudden very late very cold spell in late spring which killed all the buds - however, there is always hope for next year! Plants were are lush and green this late summer - and barring another frigid , dry late spring, we should have a lot of flowers in June - or so we hope!

This week’s dirt…………………………………………………………
Cover plants and flowers, particularly your poinsettias, when transporting them in cold weather – warm up the car before getting in! Take the time to wrap them well – even one cold blast of frigid air between the shop and parking area can seriously damage your plants or cut flowers. …

Dec.14 Halcyon Days begin. According to legend, a period of calm weather is predicted for the next two weeks.

December 19, 2007: African Violet, Potting Soil

African violet not blooming
Q: I read your articles in the paper because I like plants especially African violets, my problem is that I have an African violet with a lot of green leaves but no flowers... I thought that they were dormant, but having it for a long time, I am doing something wrong. What is the answer, I have it by the window where it gets a lot of light and the leaves are nice and green
I’ll be looking at the paper for an answer
T.N.L. Peabody, MA

A: There are many reasons an African violet won’t bloom, such as wrong light (they require lots of light but no burning strong sunlight) , temperatures too cold (they need normal to warm room temperatures), or a pot that’s too large (they don’t need constant repotting, but DO need fresh soil every few years, but not necessarily a bigger pot) –
Your plants appear to be so healthy, I can guess that they might not be getting the right kind of fertilizer - African violets eat a lot and should be fed a specific African violet formula food according to the directions on the package. There are many good brands available at garden centers as well as at many supermarkets…..try Schultz’s, or MiracleGro African violet food – or any fertilizer that is said to be a “bloom booster”!
It won’t work instantly, but with a continued fertilizing schedule, I think you’ll have good results in a month or two.
Thank you for your letter! I probably will be using it in a later column, after the seasons change and everyone is gardening indoors on their windowsills – but I wanted you to have an answer so you could get started with the fertilizing.

Bugging potting soil
Q: I used some commercial potting soil that I've had for about a year and I suspect it's the source of a little tiny black fly that has appeared in my re-potted houseplants. I had this problem once before with the black fly and Ralph Kane of Kane's Florists (on Route 114 in Peabody) told me about a chemical to apply to the pots every three weeks (total of three applications). It works fine. --- But my problem is this --what can I do with the rest of the soil? There is still about ten pounds in the big bag. Someone told me I could bake it, a quantity at a time, in the oven. Would this work? Bake for how long and for what temperature? -- Or do I just have to treat a quantity that I plan to use for potting about 9 weeks before I do the potting?
The chemical, by the way, is "Systemic Insecticide Granules" by Fertilome.
N.G.

A: You're certainly on the right track - you will have to eradicate the black soil fly if you don't want them to live and reproduce in your plants FOREVER!
Yes, you could treat the whole bag of soil with the granules.....that will take weeks!
And yes, you could sterilize any amount of soil in an oven: bake damp soil in heatproof pans with no more than a four inch depth. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and using a meat or candy thermometer, bring temperature to 180-200 degrees and hold for 30 minutes - cool covered and keep covered until used (Are you prepared for a very smelly kitchen -and house - while, and after doing this?!?)
You could also do a small bag at a time in the microwave : Put 2 lbs. of moist soil in a plastic bag - leave a corner of the bag open to vent the steam - and heat for about 2 1/2 to 3 min.at full power (carefully check the temperature with a thermometer) - again, a VERY smelly job!
Maybe the easiest thing to do would be to leave the whole bag out in the severe cold this winter- or put it in the freezer! Soil will freeze faster if you can spread it out on a sheet of plastic, or newspaper - then just re-bag. I might even be tempted to keep the bag outside anyway! Just to be sure those little pests don't get back in the house!
The choice is yours!
Now aren't you glad you asked??
Incidentally, you asked the right person when you asked Ralph Kane for help - he knows everything about growing anything-

This week’s dirt…………………………………………………………
Winter equinox on 22th at 1:08 am - and the days begin to get longer!
Winter officially begins on Saturday ----and now there are only 91 days of winter left! Only 13 weeks 'til spring! But we know spring is coming – after all, the new spring seed catalogs have been arriving since Thanksgiving. With every snowflake that falls, with every icicle that forms, we are longing to begin planning and planting. That’s what gardening is all about – it’s a year-round vocation: Planning and planting.
Only 91 more days of winter! A few more storms and the holidays to weather – then it will be spring again! We’re counting too!

Need a last minute gift?
A great last minute gift is a pot of narcissus bulbs. For less than a dollar a bulb, you can place any number of big bulbs in the pot of your choice or even in a dish of pebbles– and count on having them bloom in about two weeks. (Look for two particularly beautiful hybrids, “Ziva” and “Inbal” – and buy the biggest bulbs you can find!) You don’t have to start growing them – let the recipient have the fun of doing that. –You might include a direction sheet if the recipient is not a gardener. There’s no trick to growing a narcissus – just give them plenty of water.
They make a great gift for a teacher or even a child. Imagine! A whole pot of fragrant, blooming spring flowers! Who wouldn’t love that?

December 26, 2007: Holly, Chenille, Dracaena, Christmas Cactus

Holly lacking berries
Q: My male and female holly bushes have gotten along well over the past five years. For some reason, the female has no berries (or blooms) this year. I did prune them both somewhat this past spring.
Any thoughts on what might be the cause? I appreciate your comments! Thank you.
JEC

A: You sound like you know your holly, so I assume you didn't miss seeing the tiny, insignificant holly flowers this spring.
If you had had flowers but no berries this past year, I would have blamed the lack of pollinators....-
A hard frost in late spring could have also destroyed the flowers and therefore the berries as well, as well as periods of unusually dry weather.......but you say there have been neither flowers nor berries.....

Pruning could certainly be partially to blame because holly does fruit and flower on the previous years wood, which you may have removed....could this have been the reason?
The most logical reason is because hollies can be cyclical bloomers - after a great season of flowers and berries, they often take a rest - next year you'll know for sure - and they should be back to normal.
Thank you for your note!

Chenille plant
Q: A friend recently gave me a very interesting Christmassy plant, but she did not know what it was called. I checked all my plant books but could not find a picture of it. I hope you can help me.
The plant has heart-shaped leaves and thin branches. The blossoms are bright pink and look like a squirrels' bushy tail. The longest "tail is about 3 1/2 inches long. It seems to love the new pot and soil I planted it in. I give it some water about twice a week.
Thank you in advance for any assistance you can give me.
I look forward to reading your column each week.
J.P.
A: From what you’ve described, I think you have a Chenille Plant (Acalypha hispida) - but the leaf is more like that of a poinsettia than heart-shaped! Check again!
(Look at the site for Logee's Greenhouse for a great picture of a Chenille plant - sometimes called a foxtail.... www.Logees.com )
The plant is of the euphorbia family, just like poinsettias - and just like a poinsettia, and it has the same white, milky sap in the leaves and stems - the sap can cause a skin rash in some gardeners and a child/pet eating the leaves or any part of the plant would probably get quite sick.
This charming plant with the red/pink tails lives on a sunny window and can bloom almost year-round! Don't overwater but don't allow it to wilt! Keep it in normal warm room temperatures...

Dracaena with spider mites
Q: I lost a HUGE dracaena marginata last week to spider mites. I'd had it for years and years, it was lush, full and green, and those Bahsteds reduced it to a stalk-skeleton in less than a week. Bummer, huh ?

A: So sorry to hear of the loss of your dracaena - where was the plant, or where were you when the bugs began munching on the plant - and might have been stopped? Tsk! Tsk!
A few repetitive baths with cold water might have solved the problem – but it has to be done repeatedly until the bugs are gone. Also raising the humidity with pebble trays and water or a humidifier would help. Soap spray is also effective on spider mites – but repetitive spraying is the way you win with any bug war.

Christmas cactus
Q: HELP!! My Christmas cactus keeps loosing leaf segments. It has been doing well the past 3-4 years that I inherited it. It is in an 8 inch pot that is about the right size for the size of the plant. I have had it in the same spot since I moved about a year ago. When we first moved, it put out new growth on a regular basis but the past 2-3 months it has been loosing segments: the past couple or weeks, 2-3 a day.
I water it sparingly. Do I need more fertilizer? Sun? Shade?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. This was my step-mother's plant I inherited when my dad died and we cleaned out his house. I couldn't save all her plants but this one seemed best. Thank you for your help.
J.C., Peabody, MA

A: I think you can save this heirloom plant:
The plant needs good light and a moderately warm place - this is one of the
epiphytic cactuses, and it's a jungle plant, not a desert plant - it grows in a warm, moist climate under a canopy of trees.
It does need more than water every other week - BUT the soil mass may be so compressed with an older plant that it's not absorbing any of the frugal amount of water it is currently receiving.
Try this - take a small dowel, like a bamboo cake tester or a thin pencil, and pierce the soil all around the plant, right down to the bottom of the pot - then soak the whole plant and pot in water deep enough to come up the pot rim - I think you'll be amazed at how much water will be absorbed overnight!
Drain well - then resume watering whenever the soil feels dry - probably twice a week after heat comes on in the house. You may need to repeat the soaking process every month or so.
Fertilize with an all purpose house plant fertilizer like MiracleGro as directed - do it once now, then resume regular feeding in the spring as growth resumes...
Too much sun will make the leaf segments turn a rosy-red color - keep the plant in good light, but out of direct, hot sun! (Sun in the early morning or late afternoon is fine.)
Why don't you plan to perpetuate this favorite, "Just in case"? Root several of those pieces which are falling off – start them in water, or pot them directly in dirt - that way you'll always have a piece of your step-mother's plant to remember her by.

This week’s dirt…………………………………………………………
The word this week is WATER—
Keep watering the tree and holiday plants –if your tree is still up and drinking water, replenish it daily - and don’t forget the cut greens! They can be sprayed with your plant mister and given just a few more days of life - but don’t soak the wallpaper and furniture in your zeal.
And the watch the live Christmas plants – poinsettias, and cyclamen, mums, and cut arrangements - don’t forget to water them during this busy time

If you feed the birds, you know that birds need water too Water more important than food – but food especially foods full of fats are important too,– sunflower seeds, peanut butter treats, suet balls and cages – they all help see the birds through a nasty New England winter – and bring them back to your garden this spring.