growing huckleberries from seed

I live in the UK, and I have been given some of your Huckleberry seeds. Can you advise me on how to grow huckleberries from seed?

I am guessing that you mean that you have seed for one of the native
Pacific Northwest huckleberries, such as the evergreen (Vaccinium
ovatum), or red huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium). It would be helpful to know which species you are hoping to grow from seed.

The website of Plants for a Future has propagation information for propagating Vaccinium species in general:

Seed – sow late winter in a greenhouse in a lime-free potting mix and
only just cover the seed. Stored seed might require a period of up to 3
months cold stratification. Another report says that it is best to sow
the seed in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe. Once they are about 5cm
tall, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a
lightly shaded position in the greenhouse for at least their first
winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or
early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Here are additional links to information:
Evergreen Huckleberry, or Vaccinium ovatum

Red Huckleberry, or Vaccinium parvifolium

Apparently, growing our native huckleberries from seed is challenging, as
the information cited here, from a propagation course at the University
of Washington, indicates: “Evergreen huckleberry can be propagated
through hardwood cuttings or by seed, however seedling establishment is
rare in most Western huckleberries.”

The United States Department of Agriculture has this to say:

Seeds of most Vaccinium spp. are not dormant and require no pretreatment for germination. Seedlings first emerge in approximately 1 month and continue to emerge for long periods of time in the absence of cold stratification.
However, seedlings of most western huckleberries are rarely observed in the field. Seeds of evergreen huckleberry usually exhibit fairly good germination under laboratory conditions, but early growth is generally very slow.

tree roots and sewer lines

I have several sewer pipes that are getting plugged by tree
roots on my grounds. I have used a rooter to remove the majority of the
roots and know would like to detour their return by using a chemical
called Root Free. It is a Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate. Is this product safe for my trees if used according to label?

Here is a link to
information on this chemical from the Pesticide Action Network’s
database. This link leads to the Material Safety Data Sheet for Copper sulfate
pentahydrate.

This product is highly toxic to humans and aquatic life, but should not
harm the trees. My question would be whether it makes more sense to
remove entirely any trees with invasive roots, and replant with other
plants whose roots will not cause trouble with the sewer pipes, rather
than use copper sulfate. See information below from UGA College of Family
and Consumer Sciences Cooperative Extension Service:

Tree roots can enter sewage and drainfield lines and cause plugging of
the lines. Lines should not be placed near trees, and trees should not be
planted near lines. Remove tree roots mechanically or flush copper
sulfate crystals down the toilet to help discourage or destroy the roots
where the solution comes in contact with them. Some time must elapse
before the roots are killed and broken off. Recommended dosage rates are
two pounds per 300 gallons of tank capacity. No more than two
applications per year are recommended. Time the application of copper
sulfate to allow minimum dilution and maximum contact time. Copper
sulfate will corrode chrome, iron and brass, so avoid contact with these
materials. Used in recommended dosage, copper sulfate will not interfere
with septic tank operation. Neither mechanical removal nor copper sulfate
contact is a permanent solution for tree roots. Remove the trees for a
permanent solution to the problem.

Here are some links to more information tree roots and sewer lines and about planting on drain fields:

Tree Roots vs. Sewer Lines from the city of Paso Robles, CA.

Choosing Sewer Safer Trees

Planting on Your Septic Drain Field

And here are some suggestions for alternative plantings:

Landscaping Your Drainfield

If you do decide to go ahead and use the Root Free, by all means follow
the directions to the letter, as it is required by law. You may want to
check with Seattle Public Utilities Drainage and Sewer Maintenance to
make sure that use of this chemical in the sewer system is permitted:
206-386-1800

nail galls and other plant galls

On my walk this morning, I saw bizarre lipstick-red protrusions on leaves near the bottom of the tree, where bright green new shoots had sprouted. The tree had kind of sticky heart-shaped leaves, some of them about the size of the palm of my hand. Are these insects? A fungus or disease?

[Tiliagall] cover

Your photos show new growth on a linden tree, possibly large-leaved linden (Tilia platyphyllos). The red things are called nail galls (Eriophyaes tilia) and they are caused by the red nail gall mite.

According to Margaret Redfern’s book Plant Galls, this type of gall (in the form of a pouch) is “initiated in the spring by the fundatrices, females that have overwintered in cracks and crevices in the bark or under the scales of dormant buds.” The mite will wander over a new leaf’s underside and feed on individual cells which then collapse and die. The leaf domes up into a pointed pouch around that area. When the pouch is partly formed, the female mite lays her eggs inside it. The larvae hatch and feed there. Tilia nail galls have a thick nutritive layer, and each gall can contain 100-200 mites by summer. In fall, they disperse and overwinter.

pruning magnolia trees

I have a Magnolia tree that is planted next to our house. This year, there were not very many blooms and the tree is getting rather bushy-looking. When is the best time to prune it and how much can be pruned?

According to the American Horticultural Society’s book, Pruning and Training by Christopher Brickell (DK Publishing, 1996), mature Magnolias should not be pruned unless it is essential. Many species will bleed from pruning wounds, and should only be pruned from summer to before midwinter. Summer-blooming Magnolias can be carefully pruned to reduce size by removing selected branches. The book Pruning: A Practical Guide by Peter McHoy (Abbeville Press, 1993) recommends doing this in late fall or early winter.

Below is a link to an interesting discussion on the how and why of pruning a Magnolia, from University of British Columbia Botanical Garden’s online forum.

plants for attracting birds

I am planning a garden in Seattle and my highest priority is to attract birds. Do you have a list of plants I can use as a reference?

This is a more difficult question than one might imagine. According to Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest, “almost 300 species of birds are native to the Pacific Northwest. Many of them could call your yard home for at least part of the year, depending on what you provide for them. So it depends on what species of birds you want to attract and what environments they need.”

Source: Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest, by Russell Link (University of Washington Press, 1999, p. 48).

There is a lot of good advice on planning your garden with birds (and other creatures) in mind.

Washington Native Plant Society has a resource page devoted to native plants for wildlife.

The Miller Library has a booklist featuring titles on attracting wildlife to the garden: Information Resources for Gardening with Wildlife.

Another good source for this information is Native Plants of the Northwest, by Wallace W. Hansen.
The site has a page of wildlife habitat plant recommendations.

Following is an annotated list of plants that attract birds for western Washington: the oaks, chinquapin, Oregon myrtle, western hazelnut, cascara, and all trees in the Rose family (hawthorn, bitter cherry, chokecherry and Pacific crabapple). Native shrubs include: serviceberry, salal, all Oregon grapes, Indian plum, bittercherry, roses, blackcap, thimbleberry, salmonberry, Pacific blackberry, red and blue elderberries, russet buffaloberry, mountain ash, snowberry, and all huckleberries.

Seattle Audubon’s book and online resource, Audubon at Home in Seattle: Gardening for Life has a chapter on designing a garden to attract birds, and it includes a plant list.

on the difference between marjoram and oregano

I have marjoram and/or oregano growing all over. I like it and use it
as filler, left over from herbs I bought several years ago. But, to
cut them and use for seasoning, I don’t know which is which and they
don’t seem to be so fragrant. Should I just start over and buy new
plants to know what I have? How can I tell the difference between the two plants?

Everytime I get this question (this almost qualifies for a frequently asked
question) I have to look it up again because even the authorities get mixed
up.

Oregano and marjoram are the same genus, Origanum, but different species/hybrids. Marjoram usually refers to Origanum majorana. Marjoram leaves tend to be more gray green in color than oregano, and the leaves are generally smaller. Oregano usually refers to Origanum vulgare. It has a more pungent flavor, while marjoram is sweeter and milder. If you are interested in learning more, this guide from the Herb Society of America goes into great depth on oregano and marjoram.

The short answer to your question is yes, you should start over with new
plants if you want good flavored herbs. You could bring in a sample to the Hyde Herbarium here at the Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 NE 41st St. Seattle.

tip-bearing apples

I would like to find a site that has a list of tip-bearing apple varieties. It does not have to be comprehensive. Many sites talk about them and mention only a couple.

A search of the North American Fruit Explorers discussion group refers to a list from the USDA Agricultural Information Service which has since been removed from their website. I found an extensive list of tip-bearing and partial tip-bearing apples from Royal Oak Farm Orchard. The list was prepared by Ted Swensen of the Home Orchard Society.

According to Michael Phillips, author of The Apple Grower (Chelsea Green, 2005), most apples are spur-bearing or a combination of spur- and tip-bearing; only about 1% of all varieties are solely tip-bearers (such as Cortland and Russet).

pear trees with bright autumn foliage

Which semi-dwarf pear tree should I plant to get good fall color? I want to eat the fruit and have beautiful yellow to red fall leaves in my landscape.

Not many of our resources on pears describe the color of the fall foliage, as they tend to focus on the taste and appearance of the fruit. However, I did consult Lee Reich’s Landscaping with Fruit (Storey Publishing, 2009), and on page 146 he features “seasons of visual interest.” Here is what the author has to say:
“Come autumn, leaves of many pear varieties, including many Asian varieties and such Europeans as ‘Colmar d’Ete,’ ‘Durandeau,’ and ‘Triomphe de Vienne,’ take on very attractive coloration. Ripening pears among the leaves, especially yellow varieties, also contribute to the show.”

I suspect that the varieties mentioned above are heritage varieties that may be challenging to find. You might find these links of interest:

Digital access to Pears of New York by Ulysses Prentiss Hedrick, 1912
HobbyFarms.com (see list of nurseries which sell heirloom varieties)

By doing an internet search, I came across a reference in a book entitled Growing Shrubs and Small Trees in Cold Climates by Debbie Lonnee et al. On page 233, the authors mention that the variety ‘Golden Spice’ has “nice fall color.” The ‘Luscious’ variety is said to “turn a nice red in fall.” This book confirms what I have read elsewhere, which is that ornamental pear trees are better known for their fall color.

Another approach would be to talk to pear vendors at farmers markets or talk directly to fruit farmers in your area, and ask if there are particular varieties which are notable for their autumn foliage.

An additional consideration is choosing pears which are late-ripening. If you want the fall color to coincide with the pears, you should probably choose a late-ripening variety. Pears are harvested before they are fully ripe, so later varieties will give you a better chance of night temperatures being sufficiently cool for leaves to begin changing color. Oregon State University’s publication, “Picking and Storing Apples and Pears,” by R. L. Stebbins et al., has additional details on different pear varieties.

best time to prune Pieris

I have a Valley Rose Pieris which has finished blooming. I wanted to trim it, but noticed that it has small green buds on the branches. What would be a good time to trim this plant?

The best time to prune Pieris is in the spring when it is done flowering. You can prune it to the shape you desire. It grows new shoots readily from old wood, according to Peter McHoy’s Pruning: A Practical Guide (Abbeville Press, 1993). There are more detailed guidelines in Cass Turnbull’s Guide to Pruning (Sasquatch, 2006). She says you can remove up to a quarter of live foliage without endangering the plant. Always remove dead, diseased, or awkward growth first. She recommends thinning out branches which are too straight, too skinny, or wander too far. Working from the inside of the shrub outward, your goal would be to make the growth less crowded. Pieris also responds to being “limbed up” and treated like a tree, with lower branches removed, if that is a shape you prefer.

common ailments affecting rhododendrons

My rhodies have black spot, rust. Is there a plant medicine I can put in the soil so it will get absorbed by the entire plant rather than spraying every other leaf.

I am sorry to hear about your sick Rhododendrons. You should take a take a leaf sample into a Master Gardener clinic for (free) diagnosis. I have linked a list of clinics in Snohomish County below. Their volunteers are trained in identifying plant diseases and suggesting solutions.

If you cannot get into a clinic try the HortSense webpage from Washington State University Cooperative Extension, and search the common ailments affecting rhododendrons (in the Ornamental Shrubs section).

The reason why it is vital to get an accurate diagnosis is because some fungal diseases do not have treatments that really work, such as rust, while other “leaf spot problems” are not caused by fungus at all, therefore spraying with fungicides or applying a systemic to the soil would only be a waste of time and money!

Try contacting the Snohomish County Master Gardener Clinics to see if you can bring in samples.