Ask the Experts

HOW TO FIX LEANING CEDAR

Question: Several years ago, I planted a small Blue Atlas Cedar. Shortly after we had a heavy snowfall, the weight of the snow bent it over. I was hoping it would straighten back up over time, but it remains leaning toward the ground. Can I straighten it by pulling it upright and tying it to a stake?

Answer: Blue Atlas Cedar, Cedrus atlantica, is an interesting tree and grown for its silvery-blue foliage. Some are full of branches, while others have a Charlie Brown Christmas tree look. The tree in my yard resembles Charlie’s tree and leans to the ground. If you try to straighten it, you will need to tie it to a strong and tall stake. Be careful not to cut into the bark, allowing plenty of room for the trunk to expand. Check from time to time to prevent trunk injury. Leave the stake in place for a growing season. Then remove the ties and see if the tree remains upright. If it continues to lean, retie for another season.

Keep in mind some forms of Blue Atlas Cedar can be a weeping variety. If this is the case, it might be best to stake along the support and let the limbs weep. One last thought – this tree can tolerate heat but declines with uneven moisture. Be sure to remember to water during our dry spells for best growth.

GROWING ASPARAGUS FROM SEEDS VS CROWNS

Question: I would like to grow asparagus, so I purchased a packet of seeds. How do I grow this vegetable from seed and be successful?

Answer: Asparagus is one of our few perennial vegetable crops and a planting can last for years. Asparagus plants produce the spears from a crown of roots. Asparagus is typically planted from 1- to 2-year-old crowns in six-inchdeep trenches. Find crowns for sale at nurseries. The year following planting the crowns will produce a small harvest.

Growing asparagus from seed will take an additional year to grow the crown. Plant your seeds about an inch deep and about six inches apart. Allow them to mature and grow as much foliage as possible to develop the crown.

The following season, while dormant, dig the crowns and replant as recommended above. You will need to wait an additional year before harvesting. After that, it will be the third season until you can harvest a planting. While seed is an option, it does require you to wait longer. That is why most people plant crowns to speed up the process.

Blue Atlas Cedar

Chickasaw plum fruit

TELL ME MORE ABOUT SANDHILL PLUM

Question: I recently read an article where a group of Kansas students was attempting to get the Sandhill Plum declared the state fruit. Can we grow Sandhill plums in the KC area? The description of the plant sounded like it would be fun to grow to make jams and jelly.

Answer: Sandhill plum, also known as Chickasaw plum, Prunus angustifolia, grows across much of the Midwest and prefers welldrained soils and full sun. The suckers from the roots form a thicket or spreading stand of small, shrubby

trees. Once planted, it will take a few years to become established. They require little care except to remove deadwood. In this part of the state, they would only need water until rooted. Expect white flowers in early spring prior to leafing out. Fruit will set and ripen in midsummer. When ripe, the fruit turns bright cherry-red and can be used for jams, jelly, and even wine.

Finding plants might be difficult. Depending on which state you reside in, your best source might be the Kansas Forest Service or Missouri Department of Conservation. Small seedlings are often available through their planting programs.

Asparagus spears

Egyptian Walking Onions

EGYPTIAN WALKING ONIONS

Question: A friend gave me a start of what he called walking onions. Can you tell me how to care for this plant?

Answer: Egyptian Walking Onions get their name from the cluster of small bulbils, or onion-like sets, forming at the top of the stems. As the stalks fall over, the bulbils break off to start a new plant, creating the walking effect. They are hardy in our climate and become a perennial in the vegetable garden or mixed in with the landscape.

Each spring, new growth emerges, developing the green stems about finger width, more bulbils, and a white onion underground. Top and bottom growth can be used as a substitute for green onions in recipes. One word of caution – they have a much stronger onion flavor which increases with the heat of summer. Therefore, they are best used in the cool spring.

CREATING A BEE-FRIENDLY LAWN IN SUPPORT OF POLLINATORS

Question: I see on a social media site about planting a beefriendly lawn. What does that mean? How do you go about creating a bee-friendly lawn?

Answer: There is a movement to change the mindset on what is called an acceptable lawn. The typical green monoculture of bluegrass and tall fescue provide little or no food source for bees and pollinators. Pesticides used to achieve this look are detrimental to bees.

As the name implies, a beefriendly lawn allows other plant species to grow that some people call weeds. Dandelions, white clover, and other flowering plants grow along with the fescue and bluegrass, providing nectar for bees. Pesticides prevent this natural ground cover to be the “lawn.” The result is a ground cover lawn supporting our pollinators.

Tolerance and expectations are changing as more people accept this view of the All-American lawn. Unfortunately, bee-friendly lawns are not embraced by all, creating friction among neighbors.

DENNIS PATTON Horticulture Agent

Dennis Patton is the horticulture agent for Johnson County K-State Research and Extension. For free information fact sheets, visit www.johnson.ksu.edu, or call the Extension office at 913-715-7000.

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