CHARLES REYNOLDS: Some spots are normal
When my cabbage-on-a-stick plant was delivered, I examined it carefully — as I do with all mail-order arrivals. Though otherwise healthy, the specimen featured two white and ominously prominent blobs — one on a midrib, and the other on a leaf stem. Cutting into one of those alarming 1/8-inch high-and-wide excrescences wasn’t informative except to reveal that there weren’t scale insects lurking underneath. I adopted a wait-and-see strategy.
That was several years ago, and — during that period — occasional blobs have appeared but caused no damage. I still have no idea whether they’re typical of this Hawaiian species (Brighamia insignis) or simply harmless anomalies — but it doesn’t matter. As you may know from your own experience, this sort of uncertainty is far from unusual. Multitudes of gardeners, upon meeting a plant for the first time, are unsure about the three-dimensional spots that several species display.
Elaeagnus, also known as silverthorn, has undoubtedly triggered anxiety in untold numbers of folks. This potentially large shrub from East Asia bears foliage that’s olive-green above and silvery-white below, making it especially attractive in breezy weather. But those flashy, rough-textured undersides also feature numerous brown spots almost guaranteed to upset novice plant lovers. Their typical response is to scrape the raised dots with a fingernail or examine them with a pocket microscope. Elaeagnus (E. pungens) is ordinarily used as a sheared hedge, but it’s much more attractive when set in an area where the plant’s arching canes — up to 20 feet long — can grow unimpeded.
And then there are ferns, which, I imagine, have caused apprehension ever since the first troglodytes used these graceful plants to beautify their caves. That’s because the undersides of fern leaflets are liberally dotted with clusters of spores called sori, which are shielded by scale-like yellow, brown or black flaps. Understandably, those structures are often mistaken for insect pests or fungal diseases. As a result, ferns are frequently subjected to a cocktail of insecticidal chemicals that’s likely to prove fatal.
Commercial growers, as well as intrepid amateurs, use spores to propagate ferns, especially non-clumping species such as tree ferns. Incidentally, fungi and mosses also develop sori. Propagating ferns from spores has been compared to practicing alchemy. But once the techniques for harvesting and sowing spores are learned, the mystery disappears — though timing can be tricky. Several excellent step-by-step videos are available free online.
Charles Reynolds, a Winter Haven resident, has an associate’s degree in horticulture and is a member of Garden Writers Association of America. He can be reached at ballroom16@ aol.com
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: CLIPPINGS
