Archive for the ‘Ask A Master Gardener’ Category

I have a Dracaena Spike plant that I purchased 3 years ago and wintered indoors and replanted outside in a large pot on my porch. I use it as a centerpiece and put annuals around it. This year it is over 3 ft. tall and 3 ft. in circumference. Since I have two, I don’t think I can bring them indoors. Can I propagate them by removing the top portion and replanting it? Any other suggestions? Bev

Answer: The Dracaenas are a large family of more than 40 varieties, which in their native climate would be rugged, low-maintenance shrubs. As a houseplant the common varieties are sold as “lucky bamboo,” corn plant, and the most common dracaena, ‘marginata’. The ‘marginata’ is prone to becoming long and looking somewhat like a giant bottle brush but it does propagate well. However, spring is usually the best time to do this, although I’ve had some successes in the fall. Since you have two I suggest you try it with one now and leave the other until spring. Don’t throw away the mother plant. If you leave it potted it will sprout new growth around the top of the cane, sometimes two or three sprouts. For the top you cut off, be sure to remove any foliage that would be below the soil. If you have some powdered rooting hormone, dip the cane in some water and then into the rooting hormone to help it get started producing roots from the former leaf nodules. Keep it evenly moist and out of direct sun until it has started to set root. This process could take several weeks, so be patient. You can do this several times and really have a whole potful of nice spiky dracaena!

And if it doesn’t work well, we will have more in the spring!

Good luck~Karen

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I’ve noticed on some of the habanero peppers we have harvested, that when we cut the fruit open, some of the seeds are black. Do you know what is causing this, and are they still edible? Cindy.

Answer: Well this took a little research and deferring to a pepper expert. Apparently habaneros have a tendency for development of a mold. His comment was, “If squeamish, then avoid them.  If you are processing further, like cooking, then they are harmless.”

So, depending on how rampant the infection, you might be able to salvage parts of your harvest.

The previous dry season is the culprit.

Karen

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My question to you is: I bought some “Yoder” Mums. Will these survive indoors? I would love to put them on a huge counter space near a window. Our home does not get over 80 degrees inside. Will they live if I keep them in the house?   Thank you, Cheryl C

Answer: Cheryl, Chrysanthemums are typically grown outdoors for the fall season and then either left in the ground or tossed in the compost pile if they were in containers, but they can be grown indoors with a little care and understanding their needs.

If your plants are just beginning to bloom, they need to be in a location where they can receive direct sun until they are in full bloom. To prolong the life of the blooms, move the plants back away from the sun. Keep them well watered and away from heating vents. Watering with filtered water can help keep them looking attractive. After they have finished blooming, fertilize them about every other week with a general purpose fertilizer.

Getting them to rebloom will require a little skill and effort. Like many other plants, mums set bud based on length of day. They require 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness, so if you want them to bloom other than in the fall, you may need to set up an area where you can control the light source.

Mums are generally pest and disease resistant, but when you are growing them indoors they might be a bit more susceptible, so you will want to watch for aphids, mites, leafminers, whiteflies and thrips.

Happy gardening,

Karen

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I have heard about using epsom salt for bell peppers to help them grow. I wish to know more about this natural mineral & peppers. Thank you, Gale

Answer: Epsom salt is a good source for the trace nutrients magnesium and sulfur. Late in the season tomatoes and pepper plants may start to show signs of deficiencies, such as leaves yellowing between the veins and a decrease in fruit production. This looks similar to blight, but blight will appear as blotchy brown spots on the leaves and stems. Be sure to confirm which it is.

Before randomly adding nutrients it’s always best to obtain a soil test to evaluate the levels of trace minerals in your growing area. Too high a level of calcium will inhibit the plants’ uptake of magnesium, and depending on your soil type you might require more than just what one nutrient can add.

Best advice is to watch your plants toward the end of the growing season. If they start to show yellowing leaves and you’ve ruled out other diseases, you could try adding a tablespoon of epsom salt around the base of the plant, making sure to water it in well. Some report that peppers are heavy magnesium feeders so this could be the reason for the use of epsom salts. Some also suggest starting the treatment at first bloom to thwart the late season deficiency.

Happy gardening,
Karen

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I am interested in planting fall potatoes. First frost looks like it\’s around October 10-11 for zone 5b. Is it possible to plant now? Also, what potato would be the best variety to plant? Thanks, Lydia

Answer: Unless you are planning to just harvest “new” potatoes right before the frost, there is not enough time for them to mature. Next year you need to count back about 80-90 days before the first fall frost in order to have a fall potato crop. Unless you plan ahead, you will have a hard time seed potatoes this late in the season. Happy Gardening, GHS

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I have hydrangeas which are in pots outside but the flowers have died and the leaves are green and look healthy. Would they survive being planted out in the back yard? Some of my neighbors have large hydrangea plants in their yards. Second question – will a kalanchoe plant (in a pot) grow if I plant it in my flower bed? Thank you.I have hydrangeas which are in pots outside but the flowers have died and the leaves are green and look healthy. Would they survive being planted out in the back yard? Some of my neighbors have large hydrangea plants in their yards. Second question – will a kalanchoe plant (in a pot) grow if I plant it in my flower bed? Thank you, Phyllis

Answer:

Phyllis,

You did not specify what variety you were growing: quercifolia, macrophylla, arborescens or paniculata. Most hydrangeas are hardy from Zone 5 to 9, with a few being even more cold hardy. Since you are in Zone 9B, the hydrangeas will do OK for you in the ground, but you are on the high end of the their tolerance range. If others are growing them successfully then you should be able to as well, if you give them the right conditions. Check the ones that are the most successful and see how much shade or sun they are receiving, and how much moisture they are getting. If you are growing the macrophylla (mophead) variety, then you will probably want to check the acidity level of your soil if you want them to be blue. Typically hydrangeas like some shade from the hot midday sun. They are heavy drinkers (of water, please!) and need soil acidification if your pH is too low. Even though you are in a warm climate, they will still most likely have a resting period, like the dormancy they undergo in colder climates. Don’t push them if that is the case.

The kalanchoe is technically a hardiness Zone 10.  Since you are 9B, you might try to find a well-protected area to see if it will survive. Keep it protected from any frost and keep it in a partially shaded location; it is not a full sun lover.

Happy Gardening!
Karen

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I have two lilac bushes that are on the west side of my home. They are 5 years old, 5 feet tall, bushy and have never bloomed. I would like to cut them back to a smaller size. If they are not going to flower I want to pull them out.

I will appreciate your advice.

Bonnie T. – Salt Lake City, UT

Answer: The usual reason for lilac plants and other blooming shrubs to not bloom is being trimmed at the wrong time of the year. Lilacs should be pruned immediately after the blooming period. Since yours has not bloomed, you would just have to watch others in the area, then trim. Also, when you prune it’s good to thin an older shrub by removing no more than one-third of the older woody trunks, trimming down to within a few inches of the ground. Blooming is usually more vigorous on new growth. It would also be advisable to give the shrub some fertilizer in the late winter/very early spring, usually just around the time of your last snowfall. I would recommend using Hi-Yield Triple Superphosphate as the phosphate is what the plant needs the most for blooming. Avoid giving it too much nitrogen, which is the first of the three numbers that will be listed on the product. The nitrogen will just produce lots of green leaves and no blooms.

Also check your plant’s location and the amount of sun the plant receives. It should be getting four to six hours of sunlight daily. Lilacs transplant easily, so try taking one of the divisions or side shoots and plant it in a different location. Southern exposure is always good. See if your luck improves.

Some lilacs do take several years to reach maturity and a blooming state. You might try not pruning it this year. Give it some Superphosphate in the spring and see what happens next year.

Good luck and happy gardening,

Karen

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I have a magnolia 4 years old in a pot in a conservatory. Its leaves have started turning yellow in patches. Can you tell me what is wrong with it?

Answer: Without more information I cannot really give you a definitive answer. There could be multiple reasons why the leaves are yellowing.  Lack of water or too much water can cause similar reactions so be sure you are keeping it evenly watered and not over-watered, especially. If the yellowing is occurring in the tissue portion of the leaf and the veins remain dark green, then your plant could be experiencing chlorosis, where the plant is lacking iron because the pH level of the soil is too high (above 6.5). You should test the soil pH to confirm this. You say this plant has been in a pot for 4 years, so it’s possible that it’s simply pot-bound. As a tree that prefers to have its feet planted firmly in the earth, it could be that it isn’t receiving sufficient nutrients after 4 years in the same soil and it might be as easy as repotting in a slightly increased size of pot to accommodate the expanded root growth. If repotting, give it some acid/iron-based fertilizer like our Hi-Yield Azalea Fertilizer to give it the required nutrients for acid-lovers.

One other possible cause could be a soil fungus, Verticillium wilt, but you would want to take a sample leaf and a sample of the soil to your county extension office to verify.

If this does not remedy the problem, then please provide more information, such as your location, a photo of the tree and a problem leaf, and information about its environment.

Happy gardening,

Karen

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Hi, I have a Magnolia that is not blooming this year (I have noticed that other Magnolias have bloomed).  I’ve had the tree for 7 years, and this is the first year it didn’t bloom.  Do you know what my problem might be?  Thank you, Cathryn J.

Answer: Cathryn,

I do not know any specifics about the tree’s location, so it’s hard to guess the cause, but generally lack of blooms is environmental or pruning related. Did you perhaps do any pruning last fall? Any blooming shrub or tree should be pruned immediately after it has finished blooming, as it will start setting buds very shortly after it has finished blooming. These buds lie dormant over the winter, then early in the spring as the sap starts to flow within the tree, they begin their development again. If you have an early warming spell causing a slight acceleration of development, and then have a cold spell, this could cause harm to the developing buds and they will fail to flourish. It will not harm the developing leaf buds which are later in development. If you were affected by the droughts last summer, then the tree could be slightly under-nourished and just failed to develop flower buds, reserving its strength for the development of leaves.

If there are others around you that are blooming or you haven’t pruned it, then you might consider having it fertilized by an arborist who can provide the right balance of nutrients to aid in its development of bloom buds this summer. An arborist can also check to make sure it doesn’t have any insect infestation or disease.

Best of luck with your Magnolia. They are beautiful when they bloom.

Karen

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I’m starting with a small organic garden.  What are the best vegetable combinations for a small garden?  I have read that there are certain combinations of vegetables that will help keep insects away. Jennifer G

Answer: Jennifer, My first suggestion to you is to do some research, especially on the types of vegetables you want to grow. Some plants actually have companion insects that are vital to their production, so for each variety that you decide you would like to grow, research and find out what are the good bugs and what are the bad ones. Many novice gardeners often are confused by this and think all insects are bad. As you mentioned, companion planting can also be good but there are also some plants that should not be planted near each other. One of the best resources for this is a book we carry called Carrots Love Tomatoes, which discusses which fruits, vegetables and ornamentals are beneficial or detrimental to each other. Extension offices will usually have good print publications about Good Bugs/Bad Bugs.

Good luck with you new garden,

Karen

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