my "noids" from Mountain Valley Growers don't bloom all summer but the 'Abbeville Blue' from Bluestone repeat flush all summer, or at least they did last year. i'll keep an eye on them and see what they do this year.
Vitex
You have to trim the old blooms to keep them blooming. On the main stem of the bloom, there will be two side shoots. Each of these will bloom. They won't be as big as the first blooms, but there are twice as many. They will continue blooming as long as you dead head the old blooms before they set seed and are careful not to cut too far down and therefore cut the next bud shoots off. Mine will likely only bloom once this year because I just don't have the time to cut off the old ones.
Crow
Bluestone Perennials has Vitex Abbeville Blue on sale right now. Small plant, but for $6.47 what the heck! And they do say that it is deer resistant.
http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/b/bp/VIABP.html
Can you trim the bottom limbs on these to get a more tree looking growth? Mine are going crazy also.
yes, you can turn them into standards but you have to give the "tree" extra support of some kind until the trunk gets thick enough to stand on its own in the wind. they get very top heavy is what i'm trying to say! lol
I've seen photos of it as a multi-stem small tree.
here is one that i trained as a standard. i had it staked until the trunk got larger and also had the benefit of the birdbath to keep it from blowing over while it was growing. i regularly trim any side shoots that i don't want.
Thanks Betty I know where Sooner Plant Farm is so next time I have an excuse to go up that way will be sure and check ,I don't know how large that plant farm is but it has over 1 mile of hiway frontage...
the vitex near alto youre talking about is off of 21 as you head towards crockett.. it was planted in the 1800 and is called a pepper tree on the sign..
That is gorgeous, trackinsand! That is just what I want mine to look like when it grows up!
lol, terri! believe me, they don't take long to grow up.
This is the one I want to train. The bed that it's in looks better now. So don't look at the weeds, lol.
hah, i never look at the weeds...florida, texas, weed central!
i don't know if it might be too late to train that one. i started training mine from a 6" tall baby. you'd have to see if you have a main leader and go from there. personally, i think yours looks great just like it is. if it starts to push the plants around, you can certainly whack those bottom branches off.
I have daylilies around and underneath it. This was an old picture. It's much fuller with daylilies now.
the colors together are really beautiful...it's a winner!
AuntAnne, love the colors! One can never have too much blue....
or orange! lol
Well, yes.....I am developing quite the fondness for orange!
I have been pruning mine into a tree-shape..leaving some dedicated trunks and you can prune off the old blooms and they will rebloom...Jeanne
that is gorgeous. I bought one about a month ago at The Blue Moon in Edom. I have seen some at lowe's too since then. I believe I may have to have a couple more,lol.
beautiful!!!
lizzieshome they are easy to root. I have one I rooted from my neighbors tree last year.
They are easy to root...I have two that have rooted in my bubbler ready to pot up now!!..Very quick and easy to do...Jeanne
Wow I did it in dirt. Love the bubbler idea.
thanks! I root other things. not sure why I didn't just think to do this. duh.
JeanneTx, what's a "bubbler", I see the bottom...how does it work?
Can a Crepe myrtle be rooted in a bubbler?
edited to say a bubbler is so easy and cheap to make. But I will let her tell you how. :o)
This message was edited Jun 27, 2010 4:42 PM
I have been "Bubbling" for years but came across a new design which keeps the water pure where no algae forms...unlike my old method which was just a 5 gallon bucket with water and a hose from my Aquarium Bubbler...Here is my post on my bubbler where I share not only a video to watch one being made but my post shows you step by step how I made mine..it is CHEAP and EASY...
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1084737/
The main theory behind "Bubbling" is that it forces more oxygen into the water to speed up the rooting process and NOW with the black spray painting of the hose and clear bottom..no sunlight gets to the water to create algae..just so neat..glad to share this with all of yall and hope you get great results like I have..YES, you can roots Crepes..I have rooted roses,Brugs etc in here ..anything you use to stick in a glass of water..you can root especially hard cuttings...Enjoy...Jeanne
I noticed that Evie's Video isn't working so here is Sure to Grow's video on You Tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yy5kJwdMv8&feature=related
If you are a member of You Tube subscribe to Sure to grow on You Tube and see all their videos..Jeanne
http://www.youtube.com/user/SureToGrowers
Watched the videos, and looks like a simple enough project for me. The principals are do straightforward, aeration, block algae,go. THX Jeanne
you can also pour alittle peroxide in any water container with cuttings and it oxygenates. Just a few drops every other day in a glass in the window and it works great.
Ilove, that's a simpler way to go as I have 15 things in water right now and 7 or so in dirt.
Mailed your seeds Sat. you should get 'em soon. Hugs
I got my seeds today. I am so excited to have them and the photo is beautiful. Thanks for the get well wishes. I have been really sick the last yr with one thing then the other. I was rushed to the emergency room thursday by ambulance. I thought I was having a heart attack. I don't think I have ever been so scared. I have a tear in my rotator cuff from 5 months ago and when I moved I pulled a muscle behind my left breast. The pain was deep inside.
When I got there I had pain again really bad. That time the doctor came in and again pushed on my chest and I came off the table. Seems it is now pulled cause I can't move it certain ways. Grrrrrr
I am only now realizing how sick I was from my gall bladder as I have not bounced back as quick as I had hoped. I also take depression meds and they took me off one with my liver inflamed and I have made a little nose dive and not feeling well that way either. Been a rough time here lately.
Thanks for the links guys! I've been lurking and stumbled upon the bubbler. That is so cool! And you say you can do roses that way? Ooooooh, I NEED to make one!
And JeanneTX, that Vitex is way cool! My little guy has just finished up with blooming. I'm going to move him out of the veg garden beds and to a bed up by the front gate. Can one move Vitex at any time--like a daylily--or is there a preferred time. Fall? It will have daily water to that will not be a problem. What do you guys think?
Terry..I would never tranplant ANY of my plants during the heat of the summer..it's just too much stress on the plant to survive and adapt..Cool Early Spring & Early Fall are the best times for moving & Planting plants..not only is it cooler but we have more rain for keeping any transplanted plant MOIST is essential till it starts putting on new leaves which IMHO means the plant is happy and you've had a successful transplant..I can never stress making sure the soil is moist during this period and HOT Summers dry the soil just too quickly...Hope you make the Bubbler and have success...Jeanne
ps..Fall is the most wonderful time to plant..I plant tons of Clematis etal during Oct/Nov here in my zone 8B
clematis is something that has never grown well for me. I have tried in different spots...made sure the roots were well mulched and shaded....they just do not thrive.
Lizzie...clematis roots need to stay moist and planting them deeper..to the first leaf axil is key..they take a good 3 years to flourish as they sleep,leap and then creep..they need 6-8 hours of sun and fertilized with either Rose or Tomato fertilizer in early spring and any time when they are not in flower or setting flowerbuds..if you truly want to grow them then come visit us on any of the Clematis forums on the net...Jeanne
thanks Jeanne! maybe I didn't plant them deep enough. I don't know...they are something you rarely see around here...maybe people like me just aren't that familiar with their growing habits and needs. will do some visiting on the forums!
Clematis are the biggest joy in my gardens..Once I learned their needs they have flourished and tons of people have stopped by and asked what are they?..You are right..Nurseries around Texas don't carry Clematis and most Texans wrongly think they can't grow here..but that is far from the truth..once you learn their needs they are the "QUEEN" of anyone's gardens..believe me I killed a couple until I joined Clematis forums and learned what I was doing wrong..keeping the roots moist is KEY..even if they wilt and disappear..if you continues watering that spot they will re-emerge with such vigor..I'll look for you around the clematis forums...Jeanne
thanks jeanne! you have given me hope and something new to look forward to in my garden~~