CLOSED: Seed Junkie Chit Chat - Newbies Welcome 08/18/09

Margret and Kelly,

Thank You so much for the welcome.

Seray,

Thanks for the hint about letting Robin know what I would like. I have a note into her now with a question. That Iris is beautiful. The lucky winner will surly be blessed with that in their garden.

Hugs,

Jamie

Jamie - do you all get the heat there like we do in Phoenix? We're forecast to hit 109 today. It is supposed to cool down (to what, 100?) over the weekend with a chance of rain - fingers crossed. I love it here because I can grow something all year round, but these summers are sure tough on a gardener sometimes, even a relatively young one like myself . . .

Kelly

Kelly,

Yes honey, we get the heat! Most years we have the humidity too because of how close we are to the gulf...this year hasn't been bad for humidity but, the combination can be brutal on anything that has to move...plants seem to like it...lol...it can be 100 but with 80+% breathing stops being fun...lol...I've never figured out how it can be that wet and not raining! But, here I complain and wish for a little humidity we've barly seen a drop of rain since Dolly last year. I do agree though we couldn't be luckier. I think the only months I read not to plant here will be June and July because of the July/Aug heat but, there will still be things producing those months...I hope...lol...

You're in dessert there right? I was in high dessert in Utah. Do you stay hot at night? I'll keep my fingers crossed for the rain if you promise to send some this way...

Hugs,

Jamie

I'll be sure and send some rain your way, if we ever get any - lol. No substantial rain here since February . . .

Yup - we are in what is considered the low desert (Sonoran desert). We have two seasons here - hot and hot! Right now we're averaging about 108 with little or no humidity. Nights we're lucky if it gets into the low 90s though we have had a couple in the 80s recently. This heat is brutal on a person but even more so on the plants, especially anything that is not native. I have natives and established drought tolerant stuff (like Lantana and Bougenvilla (sp?)) that require very little supplemental water, but anything pretty that likes it cooler or humid it's tough. I get exhausted watering and misting sometimes - lol - but really look forward to fall, like October . . .

loca.. does your Bougs and lantanans do well there?

They grow like weeds - lol. The funny thing is if you water them too much you will gets lots of green and few blooms. I'm attaching the only pic I have on my computer at work of the bougie (James Walker I think it's called) that grows up the west side of my house, full Arizona sun and little supplemental water . . . I almost lost it in a freak freeze we had a few years ago, but she came back bigger than ever. They are frost sensitive.


Edited to add the bougie is about 7 feet wide and grows to the top of my roof!


This message was edited Aug 20, 2009 11:25 AM

OK tell me what a bougie is , ROSE?

Are those your youngins loca?

Bougainvillea.

Yup, those are the younguns! They're not so young now, tho. That pic is from 2005. It's one of my favorite pics of them. They are now 16, 10 and 8, with the 16 year old being 6'3" and over 200 lbs!

Off to lunch . . .

Be back later!

Kelly,

Bougies love it here...so humid no watering required...they just flurish and bloom where ever you stick them in the ground. I hadn't even thought about them. I have a neighbor that doesn't actually live here but, vacations here and that's all they have in thier yard because they don't have to be tended. Something for me to think about!!!! hummmmmm....lol..... The wheels are turning...there is a propagation board...the neighbors number is here somewhere...lol...can't do it now...darn...I'm a full grown adult and have to take a nap...lol...part of the staying healthy rules...could be a WHOLE lot worse...lol...so NO whining...I'll be back to play later...

Hugs to all..

the bougainvillea is beautiful kelly.. course kids are too... Huney

Enjoy your nap, Jamie!

Thanks, Huney! They like to think they are - lol.

Hey guys, question: I have been finding little worms in the seed pods of my Hardy Hibiscus. If I wait until they are all the way dried, the worms have eaten them. What are these little worms and how can I get rid of them? Thx... Mechelle

hrmm. not sure what the worm are but it may be time to use and insecticidal soap to keep them off the seed pods. I wold start as soon as the pods start developing

any brand you would recommend?

try making your own from dish soap, water and a spray bottle.. its the cheapest around...LOL

It is in the four'o'clock family. HUmmmmm But not growable here as it is a tropical version of them. :(((((((((((((((

Do you grow yours in the ground or a pot? loca

Hey, I can handle that. Now if you could only tell me how to make my own root hormone! (besides weeping willow branch tea) Thx Cue

LOL..that I cant help ya with.. even i just purchase a jar of the stuff for $5.. lasts a looong looong time

Mine are in the ground. I have a James Walker (the one in the pic) that has been in the ground for years. I almost lost it when we had a frost a few years back, but it came back and is bigger than ever. It says hardy 10a to 11, but I'm in 9a and it does fine, though it is frost tender.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/159876/

The other I have is Jamaica White. That one is smaller - only been in the ground maybe 4 years and also survived the frost. I really need to prune it so it will bush out more.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/133001/

flower - lots of peeps grow them in pots. You would have to bring it in for the winter, but you can prune them back pretty hard and they will be fine. The more you prune, the bushier they get. The trunk on my James Walker is big around as a man's arm! I've even seen them trained into trees with the bottoms pruned - lol.

they do that in So. FL quite a bit.. traint hem into trees. in fact.. you see them more as trees than as vines

I like the Jamaica White Kelly. I don't think I've seen that one growing.

It's very pretty. Just a touch of pink in the bracts. You know, I found that one at HD a few years back. Only one they had and it looked really sad. Bought it and it's growing great and wouldn't you know, I've never seen another one! I've tried rooting cuttings so far with no luck ;^(

I lived in FL for 22 years and I can't remember seeing that. Very nice. I think they would be hard to root.

The one place where I went to actually find out about it talked like all you do to root them is use the harmone rooter and stick them in the ground and should take off. ????Have to mist instead of watering it said. They said easy to root. Me don't know. LOL

I've tried to root both softwood and hardwood cuttings, with rooting hormone in soil and just in water and no-can-do! Just can't giterdone - lol.

Well don't feel bad neither can I . There is a trick to it some where if somebody woud just tell us now??????????????

Anybody have the secret to rooting bougie cuttings? Give it up!

This woman says she knows: LOL

http://www.ehow.com/video_4418631_propagating-bougainvilleas.html

If the ideas in the video make sense, can some one translate for me? I have dial up...lol...yes dial up...nothing else...NO nothing is availible here...NONE of them...we've talked to them all...something to do with location, elivation, trees, neighboring homes etc. until spring (hopefully) when they put a tower in across the Arroyo...in the meantime I can't get a video up...can someone either dmail me an overview or post it for those in the same boat pretty please?

Hugs,

Jamie

That was a good link, seray.. Watched it and lots of others, lol. Videos are good for people like me who need to "see it done" rather than be told "how to"

I can't watch it at work so will have to check it out when I get home;^)

Hi everyone,
I was reading on here the other day and seen a formula for feeding brugs. I think it was Cue that posted it . Does anyone know what all is in it or where I can find the formula for it.

Thanks,
Darla

here ya go dardee ...

Cue's recipe for Liquid Brug Fertilizer:

12 oz can of beer (use he cheapy stuff)
1 c. Epsom Salts
1/2 c. Household Ammonia
1/2 c. Unsulphured Molasses
4 Tbs. Miracle Grow
3 Tbs. Hydrogen Peroxide
2 c. Hot Tap Water.

*optional ingredients: 12 drops Tea Tree oil (anti microbial properties)

directions;

Dissolve Epsom salts in Hot tap water. Add remaining ingredients. mix thoroughly. Store in container with lid. I store mine in a clean pickle jar.

add 1 Tbs per gallon of water. feed 1 - 2 times weekly. can also be used for foliage feeding.

This makes one batch and is enough to last several months when stored in air tight container.

just wanted to share this with everyone... as it is very inexpensive to make. I made a quart of this stuff for less than what 4 oz of store bought liquid fertilizer would cost... cant beat that! And at only 1 Tbs per gallon.. you can imagine how long it lasts.. and the potential savings!

Would that fertilizer work for other plants? Like Hostas or roses?

Hi everyone.. been a lurker here on DG for a while, but finally joined! Yay for me! I'm learning all kinds of neat stuff & met some really wonderful people!

Just actually have a question about seeds... can I harvest seeds from petunias that I got from nurseries? I want to try seeds next year for my petunias... I'm getting too poor w/all my roses to be buying tons of annuals!

Thanks! :)

These are the small black seeded sunflowers in full bloom we talked about several days ago. The plants are smaller than most, about 3' high with 5" blooms. The seeds came directly out of my birdseed bag after I checked a sample for germination. I have plenty seeds packaged in coin envelopes available if anybody wants to try them, just D-mail me and I'll send them out to you or swap for something.

Al

WOW, Al. Those are sure purdy!

Kelly

Another shot of the same plant.