Horticulture Guy

Q. Peter, Our family has about four acres a few miles west of Colville. A gravel road and a highway border it and we would like to plant something to help keep out the dust, noise, and increase privacy. The soil is sandy and there are many small volunteer pine trees.  Can you suggest something to try keeping in mind that we don’t have a water source?  Will laurel or lilacs tolerate the 15-95F-temperature range? Thank you Bill Hilsendeger – Puyallup, WA

A. Considering the conditions that you are describing (no water) and the fact that this sounds like a second residence I would like you to consider using natives.  Natives would be tolerant of the temperature range as well as soil conditions. These plants are prepared to fend for themselves without human intervention.   For instance I would venture a guess that unless there are some domesticated pine trees near by the “volunteer pine trees” are Western White Pines (Pinus monticola).  These are wind resistant trees that will do well in the sandy soil, which is likely low in fertility.  They will average around 50 feet tall.  So encouraging these volunteers and transplanting them to appropriate locations would be a good first step in establishing a living evergreen barrier.  Another idea for evergreen natives would be Western Yew (Taxus brevifolia) about 10-20 feet tall.  If you are interested in a deciduous shrub then consider Oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor) a beautiful flowering shrub with creamy flowers that grows to 20ft.  These plants would be equally at home west of the cascades as well.  Plant & transplant when the rains in Colville are most regular. This will give the plants a chance to establish themselves.  Once established they will be ready to fend for themselves, although they probably wouldn’t complain if you gave them a little fertilizer now and then.   

-- HG

Q. I used to get the most perfect tomatoes, but last year and this year, most of the tomatoes are excessesively pulpy. It can be all the way through or just the top half.  I thought it was because I had to put them in the same area each year, so I put in all new soil there this year and I’m getting the same thing.  Help?  Thank you so much for your assistance and I just love your column. Jackie Harris - Tacoma, WA

A.  I am not completely certain what you mean by “excessively pulpy” but texture of a tomato is determined to a large degree by its genetics, but it can also be affected by the growing conditions.  So first off did you grow the plants yourself each year from seed that you know is true to type?  If you are growing them from transplant has the variety changed?  The main reason that it is recommended to move tomato plants each year is due to disease problems like nematodes, fusarium or verticillium wilt.  You have reconditioned the soil so it may not be soil conditions. And if everything else is the same culturally you must look elsewhere.  Sometimes the timing of picking the tomato can also influence its texture.  If they are left on the line too long after they turn red and become glossy the texture will change.  Also storing tomatoes in the refrigerator (anything below 50) will also adversely affect the tomatoes texture.  This can also happen to fruit that are still on the vine in the fall when temps get into the 40’s.  It is not cold enough to kill the plants but will change the fruits texture.

-- HG

Q. Dear Peter:  I have a large Douglas fir tree.   About a month ago I noticed that the needles on the end of a branch looked as if they had been spray-painted white.  Now it’s spreading to other branches at different parts of the tree.  What’s going on and how do I treat it? Marilyn Boyle - Tacoma, wa

A.   It sounds to me like you are dealing with an early flocking of your Douglas fir by some wooly adelgids.  Adelgids are related to aphids and live off of the sap of the host trees.  They also excrete a waxy substance that protects them.  This is likely what looks like the white spray paint.  Most likely you have the Cooley Spruce Gall Adelgid.  This species of adelgid alternates between the Colorado Spruce and Douglas Fir.  This is seen very often at Christmas Tree Farms where the two species may be in close proximity.  But the adelgids can stay on the Douglas Fir without alternating to the spruce for many years.  Unless the Fir tree is otherwise compromised the infestation is usually not fatal.  You can wait to see if natural predators will take care of it or you can start a spray program. You will likely want to contract out the spraying if the tree is large.  There are multiple generations (which can travel from other areas) so you will need to monitor the tree after a summer spray.  September-October is the next best time to spray and get newly hatching adelgids that are hatching from eggs (which are resistant to spraying). 

-- HG

Q. I have a plum tree that is 2 or 3 years old.  Every year it blossoms beautiful white flowers but doesn’t bare fruit.  I’d like to know what I can do to have the tree bare fruit. Thank you, Leona Massier – Tacoma, WA
 
A.  What you can do is exercise one of my undeveloped traits  - patience.  I just can’t wait for the promise of those fruit trees, especially when they tease us with those beautiful flowers.  But it is common for most dwarf fruit trees to take anywhere from 3-5 years to start producing fruit.  The first year will arrive when they produce that wonderful handful of fruit that you savor.  Then in the next few years there will be enough to share with your close friends and relatives.  Next thing you’ll know you’ll be buying a canner or giving the fruit away to any acquaintance that will take them! So hang in there and just keep up good general care of watering, fertilization and pest control and you will be amply rewarded.

-- HG

Q. Good morning. A year ago my wife bought two-birch trees. They looked great until now. One seems to be healthy; one has lost all its leaves. They just dried up and dropped. HELP! George Simmons - Tacoma, WA

A.   You have not indicated that there are any extenuating circumstances or differences in the care of the two birch trees so I will assume that the care has been the same.  Without seeing the two trees in question I can only guess that it could be what I call a congenital defect.  Often trees and shrubs are left too long in a small container as they are developing.  This causes roots to cross back over themselves in a circular pattern around the trunk.  The problem does not become apparent until the tree gets bigger and it girdles (strangles) itself cutting off food and water to the tree. The result could be what you are seeing.   I call this congenital since it is not a genetic defect but rather a defect that arises during the development of the tree.  It is hard to detect as many trees and shrubs are potted up several times before they are sold.  So a tree may not look rootbound in the container but may have been in the past setting up the pattern.  Also not every tree or shrub that is left too long in a container will strangle itself.  The only way to know for certain is to excavate the soil around the base of the tree too look for signs of strangulation.  You will see a root that encircles the trunk of the plant below the soil surface.   Also materials left behind like nylon chord holding burlap can also girdle the tree. It is always a good idea to examing the rootball of trees and shrubs before planting and look for and remove roots that are circling the trunk and remove other objects that can interfere with the trees development.

-- HG