I haven't actually tried to overwinter any of them outside, but when I ordered several different varieties from a nursery, the descriptions said Iron Cross (the green one with purple/burgundy markings) and Triangularis (the dark purple with lighter magenta toward the center of the leaves) were hardy to zone 6. But so much of hardiness depends on drainage and other considerations, not just how cold it gets, and from those strange little tubers I bet oxalis wouldn't do well in a winter wet spot, for example.
Gold & Silver Plant Swaps Trades Haves Wants (Sept.10)
I agree with you, Jill
No biggie keeping the little corms somewhere over the winter....
Thanks for your input.....G.
Jill, so glad that you found the Lilac and the charms. Oh yeah, those little charms made in to earrings would be cute. I have a couple that I have on charm bracelets and also on neck chains. They sell them at the Pharmacy I use and they have them sitting right beside the cash register for suckers such as myself who have to always buy a little something besides the outrageously priced medications I came to the store for originally.
I suppose that looking back over this year and what I have learned by hanging out with Dave's folks is that I need to do a bit better with my houseplants which require a dormancy stage. I haven't yet begun bringing my houseplants back inside, even though the temperatures the past few days have been really low for this time of year, but I am going to arrange the plants when returned indoors to be arranged in places where they they will be able to go dormant if need be.
Sally, in case I haven't told you, I was thrilled by all the surprises you brought for me, or the ones I volunteered to take off your hands. You had some really unusual and new to me things and they will be well taken care of. I hope I am able to meet their needs and keep them healthy and happy.
It goes without saying once again, that Gita is responsible for many of my most favorite houseplants too by her great generosity.
All of you who have so freely given of your gardening efforts have a really special place in my heart and please know that each time I see the gifted plants, I think of each of you. Donnerville, I love the Lipstick Plan and the Streptocarpus. I hope that I can get them to bloom as lovely as when you first gave them to me at Aspenhill's swap.
To all.....once again the swap was a great success and I am ever so grateful to each and every one of you who participated.
Ruby
Help! Something's eating the roots of the Franz Hals daylilies I got from Gita! I tried rocks, a commercial rodent/animal deterrent, and chilli peppers, but nothing's working. I have different daylilies in another part of the yard that's very hard clay, and they're actually doing well and blooming again. These Franz Hals daylilies are planted in a raised bed with nice loose organic soil. Do you have any advice?
Can you dig them up and pot them? They are hardy. They won't have a problem with moving again. Or just pot up some of them and let the otherstake their chances. You may be surprised at what can regrow.
Voles eat plant roots. I don't think voles like to go into pots.
Above all don't stress too much, we'll have another ton of DL at the next swap.
Good advice Sally. So sorry to hear about this Terri. I know that it is ultra frustrating when things interfere with our gardening. Almost up there with losing Internet Service. Even though we don't have the Franz Hals, besides the ones we got at the swap, we have loads of Day Lilies to share at the next swap too. Us Mid Atlantic Gardeners look out for each other, that is for sure.
I just wanted to write and let those of you who John shared with about his friend Jerry who was terminally ill, Jerry left us yesterday morning after about a year long struggle with a nasty cancer. Those who have been close these last months are seeing it as a blessing because this full of life Irishman had lost the twinkle in his eye and his ravaged body and soul were ready to go. John's brother will provide acoustic guitar music for part of the ceremony.
John has been my rock and my anchor over almost twenty years of living from crisis to crisis in my life. The time now is turn around. He recently lost a pet goat whom he dearly loved. Newly deceased Jerry has been a friend and former housemate for almost forty years and the news on Friday morning was that his ninety year old father fell during the night on Thursday and broke a hip. So much coming at him at one time and I basically feel lost to do much to help and comfort him. So far he is doing well holding up though I know that his mind has to be full of sad thoughts currently. I am asking that you all send good vibes his way during this hard time. Thanks folks......this man is truly one of a kind and I am so blessed to have him in my life.
Hope that this will be a good week coming up for everyone reading. This afternoon I will begin bringing in a few of my houseplants from outdoors. I finally got the shelving put up yesterday that will hold a good portion of them. Thanks to the expert advice I have received this year from some of you in this group, I am hoping that I will be able to do right by the plants and hopefully not lose any of them during the winter.
Enjoy your day everyone.
Ruby
Ruby---
I want to advise you to treat all the soils in the pots of all the Houser Plants you are bringing in.
So many bugs and critters crawl in and "make home" in pots.
IF you couls get some Systemic Granules--or other such product--scatter it over the top of the soil
in your pots and water it in. Now--it CAN have a bit of an odor...so leave them outside for another
week or so before you bring them in. There is plenty of time yet before you MUST bring the H-Plants in.
Save yourself the urgency---You have a lot more time before you "HAVE TO"....
If you know you have any foliage issues with bugs and suckers---spray them now.
It takes time for the "Systemics" to work their way into the sap of all the plants and protect them.
Your comments on John are soooo sweet! Sorry about his loss. It must be hard.....
Like in the marriage wows--it says--"For better or worst"....You two are great examples.
Gita
You are one lucky woman!!!! Gita
Oh, Ruby, lots of hugs & love to John and to you. His friends have been in my prayers, 2-legged and 4-legged both, and I'm sad to hear they've passed on. Even when death comes as a release, it's still so hard to say goodbye.
I can't use systemic insecticides in case either a cat or a child decides to sample the leaves, but if that's not an issue, they sure do work, especially against sucking insects like spider mites or scale. I've started using rubbing alcohol more often, and it's remarkable how many plants tolerate it just fine, not just the more succulent ones or those with waxy leaves. I just put 70% alcohol into a spray bottle and go at it... with most nasties, it helps if you can also rub the leaves and stems to dislodge them and be sure they get a good dose. It evaporates fairly quickly (good to do outside, if possible, or open a couple of windows!), and doesn't leave residue on the leaves.
Thoughts and prayers for you and john, ruby
And for johns dad, please let us know how he's doing, that sounds like surgery and rehab at the mini mum. Does he live close?
Ruby, relay to John that I am so sorry to hear about the losses and that I have been thinking about him every day since we talked at the swap. He is such a kind and gentle man, and I hope his spirits will pick up soon - I'm definitely sending good vibes your way.
Ruby, sorry about writing late. I just came back from a trip north. I am so sorry to hear about John's loses. This is a very difficult time for both of you. Hang in there!
Thanks for the comments all. You folks are truly some of the very nicest and most giving people I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Big hugs to all of you!!!! Oops, too late on treating the houseplants and they all came in about two weeks ago now I believe. So far, so good on creepy crawlies, though I must admit to the invasion of the stink bugs being back again after a not long enough reprieve. Thankfully we have found a product which works to kill them even though we could go broke buying it. They are not as bad as last year, knock on wood, and I haven't seen as many indoors as we did last year, so that is definitely a very good thing, because I loathe them with a vengeance. I can't keep count of the hours I have spent sweeping them away. John finally got out his shop vac and has it sitting on the screen porch for me to use and it is easier than sweeping.
Another plant question for the pros. What has been your best tricks for getting Christmas Cactus to bloom? I am now the owner of several plus pots of small ones and am hoping to see some pretty blooms on them. I have read the tips online but am wondering if anyone has anything to add to leaving them outside till the very last minute and for keeping them in a dark spot for at least twelve hours daily. I haven't yet chosen their fall home for them and am wondering I suppose if anyone has ideas on how to keep them dark for twelve hours a day. I am thinking of setting them all close together on a chest in the plant room and covering with a piece of fabric each night or early morning in order to assure they are getting twelve hours of darkness daily. Any other ideas to assure darkness?
It is now a half hour or so later. I did some scouting while away from computer and found the possible answer to where to put CCactus between now and the holidays. When we brought the plants inside, we took a small three tiered wooden cart sort of piece and sat it in front of the window in the Master Bedroom. There are a few plants sitting on it now. If I move those plants to another location and sit the CC on top of it during the day time hours, I can easily put them on the middle shelf for twelve hours each day where there is a back on the shelf and no light will get there. By jove, I believe that is what I will do. Sorry about thinking out loud or typing out loud, but I often do my very best thinking this way. I am still open to hints and tips for better blooms, so send them on if you have any.
Let me take this opportunity to wish each of you a great weekend. Have fun and be safe and well.
Ruby
Think away- we all like the process of figuring out our plants. My CC are budding nicely just having been outside in the shade of the norway maple tree all summer. Go figure ! Then I tempted disaster by up-potting the big one. I just had to. ( no explanation needed HERE about why i HAD TO repot a CC) So far it seems OK.
We're nearly down to 12 hours of darkness now, aren't we? Actually, yes, I'm sure we are, because Autumn Equinox (equal length of day & night) was Sept. 22 (or 23), and now the nights will be increasingly longer than the days until Winter Solstice... days won't be longer than the nights again until after Spring Equinox.
So, I don't think any shenanegans are required with respect to daylength. I have noticed that if I let a CC get really dry and then give it a good soak, that seems to stimulate budding, but I don't have any hard data on this.
I just leave all my CC outside till it gets close to freezing....Well--about low 40's or so.
Most of my other plants will have come inside long before.
Usually--when i decide to bring all the CC inside--the tips of all the leaves have small buds on them.
Also-They never get total dark--as I have a patio pole light that is on 27/7.
They all, definitely, get semi light all night....Go figure!
Today i was cooking all day Pot roast--taters--gravy--green beans--etc...
Did not get to bring any plants inside. Well--we had about 4 separate bouts of T-showers or rain.
NOT the most inviting weather for garden chores....
Gita
Reminder to Ruby, Sally, Critter and Gita that we have a wonderful thread devoted to Holiday Cactus started by J Berger. I've bumped it up and here is the link
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1150081/
I also took the liberty of duplicating your questions and comments over there. Maybe we can get that thread going again, too. (if anyone mind's my doing this please dmail me and I will remove or what ever you wish.
And a good weekend to you all, too.
Well--by now I know that something must have happened to my front door frame...
It sticks badly--and I have to pull it shut by hand. Also--the storm door will not swing to be shut.
Have to pull that one shut by hand as well.
At first I thought it was all the rains we were having--but it is still there....
Just glad there was no more serious damages, Gita
Gita, my doors and windows have not worked right since the earthquake! No lie. I was home when it happened and could hear my house creaking on its foundation...worse on the southwest side/corner.
Very interesting about the non-working properly doors and windows and the earthquake. I was standing in my laundry room believing our house was going to come off the foundation if the trembling continued. Now that you ladies mention it, just a few days ago I was trying to close a front window that worked perfectly fine the last time I checked it and now there seems to be some sort of locking issue with it. Darn it, by golly I believe you may be on to something there Coleup.
Oh gosh.....thanks for the link to the Christmas Cactus thread, but the first time I thought of reading it I saw there were over two hundred posts and I changed my mind about it. This was ages ago so I suspect there are a lot more now. Thanks but no thanks. I have come up with the way I am going to try things this year. Without knowing anything about the proper care of CC in the past, I have had mine bloom for me anyway. I have just added a few new ones to the mix this year and want to do right by them. So far, putting the small pots of CC in to a large aluminum pan and putting out during the day and then moving pan to darkened shelf each evening has been working. According to some of the research we did, some folks go as far as saying to not allow any light to get to them during the 12 to 15 hours daily they need darkness. We put a thick bath towel on the top shelf which drapes down over the darkened shelf and so no light, not even TV rays are getting to them. I will report back after the holidays whether any of this was necessary or not. hahaha
I suppose I should be really grateful that so many plants are forgiving. I know that I have often done exactly opposite of what should have been done as far as care goes and still have some beauties to show for it. I will have to admit to there being a few things that try as I might, I end up killing them. I suppose that much of my current concern comes from having received so many new plants this past year and knowing very little about their proper care. Just a tad nervous about it.
Anyway......as always, really grateful to each of you writing with your experiences and tips. I have learned so much from being a member of Dave's......a better place to hang is not to be found. Love all of you muchly.
Ruby