The Green Thumb
Q. I know you say to leave a bare tree trunk alone, not to put any dressing on it. Years ago, lightning struck a maple tree and my father treated the split trunk with mud made from garden loam and water. He plastered the mud all over the wood and the tree healed over fast. He also put mud on a bee sting and the pain went away fast. If it works on bee stings, why won't it work on tree trunks whose bark has been gashed? Sometimes old-fashioned ideas and remedies work out for the best.
A. One thing we try to do is keep up to date on the latest developments. Painting tree wounds is a bad thing, plus a waste of time. Dr. Alex Shigo is a world authority on tree wounds and maintains dressing is not beneficial.
Q. My garden this summer was the worst ever. Do you think I should have the soil analyzed to see if something is missing?
A. It's a myth to think that something missing in the soil is the cause for poor growth. There are dozens of reasons why plants do poorly.
A plant will not suddenly wilt and die due to malnutrition. And it would be very rare to find a garden soil so low in nutrients that it could not support plant life. The truth is, more plants are killed from over-fertilization than from not enough.
Many factors can cause plant failure which are not revealed by soil testing. Note: A simple pH (acidity or alkalinity) test is very useful for the home gardener because it indicates if lime is needed. Here are some factors that cause plant failure which are not revealed by a soil test:
Poor drainage, especially in wet weather. Wet soils contain no oxygen, which is needed in greater amounts than other elements. "Wet feet" kill the root system.
Droughts. Plants are nearly 98% water and need lots of it for survival.
Insects and diseases are not detected in soil tests. Underground pests such as symphyllids can eat the feeder roots, causing the plant to dwarf and turn yellow. Sucking-type pests can distort foliage and spread viruses.
Indiscriminate use of weedkillers can affect plant growth, and soil testing does not reveal this information either.
The next time you have a house-plant problem, knock the soil ball out and examine the roots, and if you have a garden problem consider such things as water, drainage, insects, disease, light, temperature, and other cultural factors. If none of these reveal anything, then you might consider having your soil tested. It would be great if we had a single test that would tell you what's wrong with your plants, but we don't.
Q. We are a retired couple trying to make additional money raising strawberries. This year the fruit set was real nice, but they got knotty with a bunch of hard seeds at the end of the berry. We want to know what can be done to prevent this again.
A. First, the problem is no doubt due to an insect, the tarnished plant bug. The condition is also known as "catfacing," with fruit producing "nubbins" or hard seedy ends. We used to think this was due to spring frosts injuring the blossoms, but that's unlikely.
Q. I have a house fern with red berries on it and it's about 12 years old. Can I plant the berries? Also, how do I plant an elephant ear bulb? It came with no directions. Will it grow outdoors and survive winters?
A. You have an asparagus fern, not a true fern. Plant seeds in a pot or grow them outdoors. It's almost the same as the asparagus you grow as a vegetable, and is hardy outdoors. Red berries are on asparagus ferns. Ferns don't have seeds or berries, but asparagus fern is not a true fern. Start new plants by sowing seed in a pot of loose soil, equal parts of sand, garden loam, and peatmoss.
For the bulbs, we recommend the fancy leaved caladium. Plant bulb right side up, just the tip showing, using a soil mix of equal parts sand, peat, and loam. Grow in semi-shade.
Q. Years ago everyone had an "air fern" in the home. Where can we buy one today?
A. The plant you mention, "air fern," was not a fern, but a structure produced under water by an animal of the genus Bubala. Today, not many people grow them for their plume-like structure, which is normally green. They are harvested from the sea and dyed a deep green. They are not alive, thus require no water or any special care. Some variety stores still handle them, although they'll never be as popular as they once were.
Q. We have some earwigs and they get into rose buds. Is there any way we can get rid of them? Also, I heard they get into people's ears. Is that true?
A. Earwigs are a pest. They burrow into rose buds, making it difficult to reach them. Place a few-inch thickness of wet newspapers around the bushes. They hide in them. At the end of day or early in the morning, soak the papers in a bucket of water. It drowns them.
Some people do believe earwigs go into the human ear canal. A nurse once told us about the time she removed one from inside a man's ear. Perhaps the Forficula auricularia (latin for "ear forceps" or "ear pinchers") holds some truth after all. Don't worry about it if you sleep with ear plugs.
Q. Sometime ago, you mentioned in CR tricks for making a wisteria bloom. At that time I didn't need the information. Now I do. Please tell me how to make this stubborn vine flower. I heard baking powder around the base helps. True?
A. Save your baking powder for cooking purposes. Under normal conditions, all wisterias should bloom. Some varieties take their time and bloom later in life, others bloom earlier. (See our August 1998 CR column.) Sometimes flower buds are killed by the cold. Always use a grafted plant, since chances are better that they will flower better than seedlings.
If your wisteria is eight years old and does not bloom, try this: Dig a ditch around the vine, 11/2 feet deep, several feet from its base. Mix superphosphate with soil and return the earth (use five lbs. for each inch in diameter). This combined root pruning and superphosphate treatment helps both wisterias and the grafted base of any wisteria, since best varieties are grafted and suckers might take over. Wisterias need a rather poor soil, not the best. So, you might want to mix in a few coal or wood ashes. If your wisteria (also spelled wistaria) is young, don't be in a hurry, because this plant is stubborn and will bloom when it gets in the mood.
Having trouble with another ornamental, such as Hydrangea? Send CR a self-addressed, stamped envelope for our free bulletin "How To Grow All Kinds of Hydrangeas."
Q. Next year if you want a real good annual, try growing Godetia (Go-dee-sha). It's beautiful and lasts all summer long. You start it from seeds. Why don't people grow it?
A. Godetia (satin flower) grows 24" tall, flowers 3" to 5" across. Excellent for arrangements. Seed available separate or in mixed packages. Grow it next year, and you'll love it!
Q. We have a lot of slow-moving moths in our kitchen. These seem to come out of the cupboards. What are they?
A. These are Indian Meal Moths, about 1/2" long, creamy gray in color and not fast-moving. You can slap them in midair; that's how sluggish they are. They live in cereal boxes, flour, hot pepper jars, and just about anything else. The moth lays eggs which hatch into worms about 1/2" long. You'll see cobwebs where they hatch. They'll eat holes in paper, cardboard, and other things.
Where do they come from? If you're a bird lover, blame it on bird seed. They multiply astronomically in a bag of seed. They also come in on dry dog and cat food. They do not come from plants nor do they feed on plants. Control: Keep pet foods and human foods covered. Use a vacuum sweeper or fly swatter on them. Spraying is useless if you don't cut off the food supply.
Q. We don't have a garden but buy tomatoes from the supermarket all winter long. Should these be refrigerated or not?
A. Refrigerate store-bought tomatoes only if 100% ripe. Otherwise, handle them like "non-ripe" bananas. Store at 65 Fahrenheit to 75 Fahrenheit until ripe. They will have much better flavor and quality. Meanwhile, why not grow a few tomatoes in a window box or porch pot? the rewards will be big.
By: Abraham, Doc, Abraham, Katy, Consumers' Research Magazine
A. One thing we try to do is keep up to date on the latest developments. Painting tree wounds is a bad thing, plus a waste of time. Dr. Alex Shigo is a world authority on tree wounds and maintains dressing is not beneficial.
Q. My garden this summer was the worst ever. Do you think I should have the soil analyzed to see if something is missing?
A. It's a myth to think that something missing in the soil is the cause for poor growth. There are dozens of reasons why plants do poorly.
A plant will not suddenly wilt and die due to malnutrition. And it would be very rare to find a garden soil so low in nutrients that it could not support plant life. The truth is, more plants are killed from over-fertilization than from not enough.
Many factors can cause plant failure which are not revealed by soil testing. Note: A simple pH (acidity or alkalinity) test is very useful for the home gardener because it indicates if lime is needed. Here are some factors that cause plant failure which are not revealed by a soil test:
Poor drainage, especially in wet weather. Wet soils contain no oxygen, which is needed in greater amounts than other elements. "Wet feet" kill the root system.
Droughts. Plants are nearly 98% water and need lots of it for survival.
Insects and diseases are not detected in soil tests. Underground pests such as symphyllids can eat the feeder roots, causing the plant to dwarf and turn yellow. Sucking-type pests can distort foliage and spread viruses.
Indiscriminate use of weedkillers can affect plant growth, and soil testing does not reveal this information either.
The next time you have a house-plant problem, knock the soil ball out and examine the roots, and if you have a garden problem consider such things as water, drainage, insects, disease, light, temperature, and other cultural factors. If none of these reveal anything, then you might consider having your soil tested. It would be great if we had a single test that would tell you what's wrong with your plants, but we don't.
Q. We are a retired couple trying to make additional money raising strawberries. This year the fruit set was real nice, but they got knotty with a bunch of hard seeds at the end of the berry. We want to know what can be done to prevent this again.
A. First, the problem is no doubt due to an insect, the tarnished plant bug. The condition is also known as "catfacing," with fruit producing "nubbins" or hard seedy ends. We used to think this was due to spring frosts injuring the blossoms, but that's unlikely.
Q. I have a house fern with red berries on it and it's about 12 years old. Can I plant the berries? Also, how do I plant an elephant ear bulb? It came with no directions. Will it grow outdoors and survive winters?
A. You have an asparagus fern, not a true fern. Plant seeds in a pot or grow them outdoors. It's almost the same as the asparagus you grow as a vegetable, and is hardy outdoors. Red berries are on asparagus ferns. Ferns don't have seeds or berries, but asparagus fern is not a true fern. Start new plants by sowing seed in a pot of loose soil, equal parts of sand, garden loam, and peatmoss.
For the bulbs, we recommend the fancy leaved caladium. Plant bulb right side up, just the tip showing, using a soil mix of equal parts sand, peat, and loam. Grow in semi-shade.
Q. Years ago everyone had an "air fern" in the home. Where can we buy one today?
A. The plant you mention, "air fern," was not a fern, but a structure produced under water by an animal of the genus Bubala. Today, not many people grow them for their plume-like structure, which is normally green. They are harvested from the sea and dyed a deep green. They are not alive, thus require no water or any special care. Some variety stores still handle them, although they'll never be as popular as they once were.
Q. We have some earwigs and they get into rose buds. Is there any way we can get rid of them? Also, I heard they get into people's ears. Is that true?
A. Earwigs are a pest. They burrow into rose buds, making it difficult to reach them. Place a few-inch thickness of wet newspapers around the bushes. They hide in them. At the end of day or early in the morning, soak the papers in a bucket of water. It drowns them.
Some people do believe earwigs go into the human ear canal. A nurse once told us about the time she removed one from inside a man's ear. Perhaps the Forficula auricularia (latin for "ear forceps" or "ear pinchers") holds some truth after all. Don't worry about it if you sleep with ear plugs.
Q. Sometime ago, you mentioned in CR tricks for making a wisteria bloom. At that time I didn't need the information. Now I do. Please tell me how to make this stubborn vine flower. I heard baking powder around the base helps. True?
A. Save your baking powder for cooking purposes. Under normal conditions, all wisterias should bloom. Some varieties take their time and bloom later in life, others bloom earlier. (See our August 1998 CR column.) Sometimes flower buds are killed by the cold. Always use a grafted plant, since chances are better that they will flower better than seedlings.
If your wisteria is eight years old and does not bloom, try this: Dig a ditch around the vine, 11/2 feet deep, several feet from its base. Mix superphosphate with soil and return the earth (use five lbs. for each inch in diameter). This combined root pruning and superphosphate treatment helps both wisterias and the grafted base of any wisteria, since best varieties are grafted and suckers might take over. Wisterias need a rather poor soil, not the best. So, you might want to mix in a few coal or wood ashes. If your wisteria (also spelled wistaria) is young, don't be in a hurry, because this plant is stubborn and will bloom when it gets in the mood.
Having trouble with another ornamental, such as Hydrangea? Send CR a self-addressed, stamped envelope for our free bulletin "How To Grow All Kinds of Hydrangeas."
Q. Next year if you want a real good annual, try growing Godetia (Go-dee-sha). It's beautiful and lasts all summer long. You start it from seeds. Why don't people grow it?
A. Godetia (satin flower) grows 24" tall, flowers 3" to 5" across. Excellent for arrangements. Seed available separate or in mixed packages. Grow it next year, and you'll love it!
Q. We have a lot of slow-moving moths in our kitchen. These seem to come out of the cupboards. What are they?
A. These are Indian Meal Moths, about 1/2" long, creamy gray in color and not fast-moving. You can slap them in midair; that's how sluggish they are. They live in cereal boxes, flour, hot pepper jars, and just about anything else. The moth lays eggs which hatch into worms about 1/2" long. You'll see cobwebs where they hatch. They'll eat holes in paper, cardboard, and other things.
Where do they come from? If you're a bird lover, blame it on bird seed. They multiply astronomically in a bag of seed. They also come in on dry dog and cat food. They do not come from plants nor do they feed on plants. Control: Keep pet foods and human foods covered. Use a vacuum sweeper or fly swatter on them. Spraying is useless if you don't cut off the food supply.
Q. We don't have a garden but buy tomatoes from the supermarket all winter long. Should these be refrigerated or not?
A. Refrigerate store-bought tomatoes only if 100% ripe. Otherwise, handle them like "non-ripe" bananas. Store at 65 Fahrenheit to 75 Fahrenheit until ripe. They will have much better flavor and quality. Meanwhile, why not grow a few tomatoes in a window box or porch pot? the rewards will be big.
By: Abraham, Doc, Abraham, Katy, Consumers' Research Magazine
posted by James at 4:36 PM
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