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January - 2009 Questions & Answers Compiled by David Rodriguez County Extension Agent-Horticulture Bexar County

Special thanks to Forrest W. Appleton and volunteers of the "Master Gardener Hotline" in support of the weekly gardening questions and answers.

Question:
What is the difference between a set and a transplant?
Answer:
Although many gardeners use these terms interchangeably, there is a difference. An onion set is a small bulb, to 1 inch in diameter. It is produced under conditions which rapidly produce a small bulb which, when planted, will grow a larger bulb. An onion transplant is a plant between 8 to 10 weeks old which has not gone through the bulbing process, and if planted at the right time will produce large bulbs. Texan's have best success with the use of onion transplants.

Question:
How deep should my onion transplants be set?
Answer:
When transplanting, the onion plants should be placed approximately 1 inch deep or at least deep enough to support the plant and keep it from falling over.

Question:
Is it necessary to remove the garden soil from around my onion bulbs in the spring to make large bulbs?
Answer:
Absolutely not. Bulbing of onions is controlled by variety, temperatures and length of day. The onion will bulb when the required conditions are met. Removing soil around the base of the plant will not increase bulbing, although it appears to because the bulbs are visible. This operation may do more damage than good, especially to white varieties of onions. Removing soil from around white onion varieties may result in sun burning which turns the top of the bulbs green.

Question:
Every year I buy onion plants to be set out in the spring in my garden. Some years they make nice size bulbs and other years they don't. Why?
Answer:
There is no simple answer to this commonly-asked question. First of all, obtain varieties which will bulb in your particular area. Always buy plants about the size of a lead pencil. Larger plants will not produce earlier or produce larger bulbs. Generally, a large onion plant will produce a seed stalk after planting instead of forming a large bulb. Always set the plants in your garden at the right time for your area.

Question:
Should I break over the tops of my onion plants to get a larger bulb?
Answer:
Breaking over the tops of onion plants will not increase bulb size but can prevent bulb enlargement. Onion bulbs increase in size as sugars manufactured in the top are translocated to the bulb. If the tops are broken, this process stops preventing further bulb enlargement. This question comes up often among gardeners interested in growing large onions.

Question:
My ponytail palm that is a few years old has a very healthy young plant growing out of the side of the main stem. Is there a recommended way of removing this young plant and giving it a pot of its own?
Answer:
If the new growth is at, or below, the soil line and has formed roots of its own, you can carefully remove it using a sharp knife and pot it as a new plant. However, if it is coming from a point well above ground on the main trunk it is just normal branching that occurs with age of the plant and should be left to grow there.

Question:
I just planted snapdragons because the deer won't eat them. The only problem is that I went out the day after planting them and the tops had been cut off and were on the ground. What is doing this and how can I prevent it from happening?
Answer:
Snapdragons are not eaten by deer "in some neighborhoods". However, I can attest to the fact that they are not safe in "other neighborhoods" and I suspect that they are the culprits in your yard. If you spray the plants periodically with a repellent such as Liquid Fence they should not bother them. Even if they do not like their taste deer will often nip off the blossoms. I suppose that they think that surely anything that looks that good must be good to eat. Then they spit them out when they find that they are not to their liking.

Question:
I have a loquat tree planted for ornamental reasons near my pool deck. It has become too large and quite messy. How severely may I prune it? When and how should it be done? It rarely produces fruit, which is fine with us. We love the tree but would like to tame it a bit.
Answer:
This tree - Eriobotrya japonica - is very forgiving when it comes to pruning so you can prune it as severely as you wish. This should be done in the early spring before it commences new growth. The main reason for its non-production is that it is a very early bloomer and the blossoms frequently freeze.

Question:
Does the desert rose lose all its leaves in the winter or is mine just dying? I brought it in house two weeks ago. I don't want to lose it. Help me!
Answer:
This is normal. You should withhold water at this time letting it get quite dry. Then in the spring when you return it outside you can commence watering.

Question:
I have several male sago palms and have had good success replanting the pups. Will the pups be males? I have seen female sago palms and wondered how you know when you purchase if it's a male or female. Will a pup from a female produce another female?
Answer:
The pups, being offsets of the parent plant, are clones of that parent and should be the same sex. There is no way to know the sex of a plant before it blooms and since most sold in garden centers are seedlings it is going to be the luck of the draw.

Question:
Do you know if pampas grass is harmful to miniature donkeys? I have 2 donkeys that eat it and have been told it could kill them.
Answer:
Unless they cut their tongues or mouths when eating the leaves it should not harm them. However, if you have concerns, you should consult with your veterinarian.

Question:
I am looking for information on the Ashe Juniper. Where can I find a map showing the natural range of this pollen monster? I would like to spend the pollen season outside this area. Any info would be appreciated.
Answer:
I cannot find a map showing the occurrence of this plant (Juniperus ashei). The Ashe juniper has a limited range in southwestern North America. It occurs in populations in southwestern Missouri and Arkansas, in the Arbuckle Mountains of southern Oklahoma, and in Coahuila, Mexico. The main population occurs in west-central Texas, largely on the Edwards Plateau. Even knowing this natural range doesn't guarantee that you can escape the pollen as it is known to be blown by the wind up to 500 miles.

Question:
Is it too late to plant edible pear trees in January?
Answer:
No, it is not too late to plant edible pear trees in January. In fact, January through February is not only the ideal time to plant, but most nurseries would have the best selection to choose from.

Question:
My neighbor has an Italian Stone Pine (approx 5') in a pot that I want to purchase from him. The tree, has been sitting in its location for a little over a year, so some of the roots have grown into the ground. I want to dig it up and plant it in my yard. Will it hurt the tree if we damage some of the roots, or can't get all of them, when digging it up? I looked for information on there Internet and couldn't find anything on this subject.
Answer:
Just sever the roots where they come out from the pot. Then when you remove the plant from the pot to put it in the ground make sure that you cut any roots that are growing in a circle around the outside of the root ball. This will allow the tree to establish roots out into the surrounding soil.

Question:
My soil test analysis recommends that I thoroughly flush my vegetable/fruit garden soil to leach high soluble (H2O) salts away from the root zone. My soil is a garden mix from a local soil company that is 18 to 20 inches deep in a 4' by 9' timber framed raised bed. My question is how many gallons of water do I need to apply to achieve this?
Answer:
If plants grow without any problems in the soil, I would ignore this recommendation. With each irrigation or rainfall, this salt should be leached downward. If it is in fact causing problems then the process may be necessary. I cannot put a definitive amount on what will be necessary to flush out this built up salt. Just flood the plot with water until it runs out the bottom of the bed and continue this for perhaps 10 minutes. This should leach it out nicely. I would definitely not purchase soil from that source again.

Question:
I have over wintered my chili pequin peppers from year to year. Will Jalapeno and Serrano peppers re-grow if they are cut back and mulched?
Answer:
The chili pequin (the native pepper of Texas) is a true perennial and will survive our winters. Jalapeño and Serrano are tropical perennials and sometimes will survive and return from their roots. However, production will be best if you replace them with fresh plants each year.

Question:
Leaves are falling on my St Augustine. My wife says I must pick them up. I say that they should stay and act as protection during the winter. What should I do?
Answer:
The best thing that you can do is to let them fall on your lawn and periodically go over them with the lawn mower to help chop them up. This will prevent them from getting too thick and help them disintegrate into the soil providing the return of nutrients. Winter protection doesn't enter into the question as the grass will survive just fine with no protection.

Question:
I planted broccoli and cauliflower in my fall garden. Both have grown magnificent foliage (almost waist high) but only one or two broccoli plants and no cauliflower plants have heads. Did the wild temperature fluctuations this fall cause this or do I possibly have a chemical imbalance in my soil?
Answer:
You do not say whether or not you started these plants from seed or from transplants. If from transplants you should see heads in approximately 60 to 70 days after putting them in the ground. If the plants were started from seed, you need to add another 30 - 45 days to that. I think that you are just being premature in your worry. They should soon start to make heads.

Question:
When is the best time to plant Satsuma trees? Can they be planted in January?
Answer:
Best results come from planting during fall to late winter as the tree can become better established before the onset of hot, dry weather of late spring and summer. Just remember if there is a hard freeze, this plant will need protection.

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