We’re moving into fall gardening, and you may have questions. For answers, turn to Ask an Expert, an online question-and-answer tool from Oregon State University’s Extension Service. OSU Extension faculty and Master Gardeners reply to queries within two business days, usually less. To ask a question, simply go to the OSU Extension website type it in and include the county where you live. Here are some questions asked by other gardeners. What’s yours?
Q: I have two trees (I believe they’re Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Blue Surprise’) planted in my front garden that have grown a bit too large for the space, visually. Could I top them down to a few feet tall, so they’re more like a bush? I worry that would look pretty terrible, but would it also kill the tree? Or is it a viable option to continue pruning it to maintain a shorter shape? If it’s viable, are there tutorials on how to prune it correctly? – Multnomah County
A: Here’s some information From North Carolina Extension Service:
“These trees are seldom recognized in the landscapes yet, their color, texture, and form along with pruning provides a handsome specimen. This plant is very tolerant of clipping as long as the cutting does not extend into the brown bark wood. If cut this deeply, it cannot regenerate. On the other hand, if not pruned the tree becomes quite open, unkept and pitiful looking.” – Kris LaMar, OSU Extension Master Gardener
Here is an Extension article that has recommended procedures for pruning this species.
Kiwi file photo (Newhouse. Photo by Edyta Pawlowska) NNS
Q: Will a self-pollinating kiwi also pollinate a standard kiwi or is a standard male kiwi and a standard female kiwi needed? – Clackamas County
A: As with a lot of kiwi varieties it depends on what you have and what you mean by “standard.”
‘Issai’ is a self-pollinating hardy kiwi that is small and does not have fuzzy skin. This plant has both male and female flowers and will produce fruit, however, putting another male kiwi with it, it will usually produce more fruit. Look for an ‘Arguta’ male kiwi.
The name is Actinidia Arguta ‘Issai.’ This is a good plant for the home gardener and can be maintained in a pot. It needs full sun. Like the smaller raspberries and blueberries being produced now, it is smaller in size for patio growing. But it is a vine about 5 feet long so a trellis is needed.
This vine produces small kiwis that I am told are sweeter than the fuzzy kiwis and you don’t have to peel them. It is on my list of fruits to try. These ripen in the fall and have about a month of storage before they start to go bad.
There is one self-pollinating fuzzy kiwi called ‘Jenny’ that I know of and will set fruit but again, a fuzzy male plant will enable ‘Jenny’ to be more prolific. This plant is much larger, up to 10 feet long, and when the fruit sets, it will be a heavy vine needing sturdy trellising.
Since they are both in the kiwi family, (hardy and fuzzy) they can pollinate one another. How well that works, I do not know. That is why I gave you the scientific name for ‘Isaai’ and what type of male plant to look for to encourage pollination. Of course, pollinators are needed so you might want to look into mason bees and how to raise them at your home. They are gentle and rarely if ever sting and are much better pollinators than honey bees. Linn County Extension Master Gardeners usually teach free classes on how to raise and handle Mason Bees. Go to Extension@oregonstate.edu/linn for more information.
This publication goes into extensive detail but thought you might want to peruse it. – Sheryl Casteen, OSU Extension Master Gardener
Bavay's Gage plumOSU Extension Service
Q: I have a ‘Bavay’s Gage’ plum I planted this year that I suspect is suffering from glyphosate poisoning (probably from drift or volatilization from the neighbors). At any rate, buds all over the tree have burst as of a couple months ago, and have resulted in tufts of leaves and/or very short branches. My questions are: 1) Is my assessment likely correct? 2) How should I prune this thing now?
I’m currently struggling with a couple other (mature) fruit trees that are suffering from glyphosate exposure from a couple of years ago, and I’m realizing I need to cut off pretty much all affected limbs and start over. Is this recommended with such a young tree? Should I wait a year to let it become a bit more established and then completely limb it?
A: I would proceed by:
- watering regularly
- pruning any dead or broken branches
- fertilizing by mulching with composted manure around the base of the tree
- and then wait
Do not do any other pruning. If this is a one-time herbicide drift the tree will probably be healthy again next year. Do not take off the leaves.
If this is occurring on a regular basis, the tree may not survive. – Sheryl Casteen, OSU Extension Master Gardener
Fern heat damageOSU Extension Service
Q: I planted lady ferns in my yard in July when it was quite warm here. They did very well. Over the past two weeks they are starting to get brown on leaves. Can you tell me why? – Jackson County
A: Lady fern, Athyrium filix-femina ssp. cyclosorum, a native plant from coastal Alaska to California, grows in moist forests, meadows, forest edges and shaded riparian corridors. It needs full to part shade and moist to wet soil.
The recent weather with many days of 90+ temperature and intense sunlight are hard on these ferns. Signs of heat stress include brown leaf edges such as displayed in your photographs, most often on the outer layers of the plant.
The more sun the fern receives, the more moisture it requires, so place 2-3 inches of mulch on the ground around the plants to cut down on soil moisture evaporation. Morning watering is best to help the plants get through the day.
To cut down on sunscald, place shade cloth over your plants. Or use old umbrellas to shade each plant. Even cardboard tents will help to reduce the sun’s impact on the plants. Add shade in the late morning and remove at the end of the day.
You’ll find more information about heat stress in the OSU publication Heatwave in the Garden. – Sharon Mays, OSU Extension Master Gardener
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