Horticultural Society

H/10/1990-2-

October 2, 1990, Roslyn, page 2

The Bird Report detailed a mob of starlings dominating the Chances birdbath, a great blue heron at one of Quailhill's ponds, and a confrontation and contest of skills and wills between blue jays and Orioles...armed with bats and chewing tobacco, I might add.

The Bee Report brought Ted Fletcher forward to describe how he treated his bees with menthol for trachial mites and it made them (the bees) mad...we hope the menthol made the mites bloomin' deceased.

Questions

John Hartge has a 5 year old peach tree with bacterial wilt. It is said that pundits recommend that the tree be cut down and replaced with a resistant variety. The prognosis is bad. A less extreme approach centers around experimentation and reporting back.

Lucy Hussman has a sour cherry tree that died but not without sending up shoots from the roots. Are these the same variety as the tree or are they from the rootstock? Advised to plant new tree.

Ellen Hartge put lilies of the valley on the north side of the house and they turned brown and died back. Is this normal? Yes.

Bettes Hartge asked if the Hussman's awful looking peonies are normal? Yes and no but what's important is to cut them down before or after the frost and remove them from the premises. Also she has a white poplar that's turning black. Attributed to aphids and not considered fatal. Advised to plant another tree.

Buzz Hussman recommends putting tree fertilizing holes around dripline of trees to increase their strength and resistance.

Mary Seiler has spotted tiny black worms that may have legs and seem to be nocturnal. Perhaps they are roly polies - a name they get from curling into a ball when they are touched.

Nancy Preuss has hoxta that seems damaged by shade-producing violets. Told that hoxtas are tough and will come back. Be happy don't worry.

Ellis Manning transplanted a japanese maple that did well but now the top branches are eaten away with no evidence of

2. Birds.

Buzz Hussman almost stopped traffic on the Beltway when he spotted two pileated wood-peckers in a tree beside the highway.

There was general discussion of white throated and white-crowned sparrows and other winter feeders. Mary Seiler wonders whether humming birds like Mahonia. Most brightly-colored blossoms attract them.

Forethought Sylvia advises that we prune peach trees, cut Rhodedendron, plant rhubarb and asparagus and early vegetables. Put soluble plant food on roots of plants to be moved.

Questions Jess Canby - asks how long should she wait for cow manure to be safe to apply? Just so it isn't so fresh that it'll "burn" plants.

R. Woodward-How long does he have to wait for peas to come up? A long time in this weather.

Sylvia-Hyacinths are not full. What to do? Have they been divided?

Tom Canby - Is there an easier way to fertilize oak trees than digging holes? Several members had read of new devices that help

Lucy Hussman - Shall she plant strawberries now? Yes