Thanks, Happy! Aspen & I were talking about going at dinner last night, but we weren't sure if we were just nuts for considering it this spring, LOL. Thursday isn't good for me, as Joyanna has classes until noon (I think we'd need to leave earlier), but Friday... hmmm...
Is this a good time to take azalea cuttings, also? I have one or two new ones that will go home with my MIL (unless she decides to have them stay here until I can bring them down and put them in this fall), and I really want to try to take cuttings. After all, there are a couple of little branches that *clearly* need to be pruned back, for symmetry. Symmetry, yeah, that's the ticket!
Summertime plant shopping
Symmetry works for me!!! Hehehe
yeah symmetry!
Now is not the right time for azalea cuttings. I had always heard that July 4 was the day, but Mike White told me no -- that it is better to wait until August/September -- you want to have a little "give" in the new shoots. Mike recommends only a 4" cutting, which means it'll take years and years to get a good-sized plant.
But you can do my trick now, of putting a rock on one of those wayward branches to hold it to the ground, if it'll reach the ground. Or air layer, but that is more bother. With layering or air-layering you can get a much larger plant out of it.
Jill--
Ask Paul that...hre is the Azalea/Rhodo Guy to go to.
I have always heard that on woody plants--the time to take cuttings is when
the new growth starts to turn a bit solid--that would be the "softwood" stage.
When the new growth starts hardening off...Happy is correct..
Early-mid August seems correct--like Happy said.
The wood you have now on Azaleas, Rhodos and Camellias. etc is "hardwood'--
or last years growth.
This may not be gospel--and i have "messes around" with doing cuttings earlier...
like for the Swap...they may show new growth--but does not mean there are roots--as I found out.
Waiting to hear (later) from Paul if my Rhodo cuttings I did for him actually made it.
G.
Plant the Azalea then do the bricks...tell them its the best way to make it stay in place LOL
If you scrape the part of the stem that touches the ground before plopping the brick on top, that is supposed to result in quicker rooting. I've never done that.
Gita -- the person I was quoting, Mike White, runs an azalea specialty nursery fairly near to Jill's house, and Paul has been recommending him to us; that's why I thought his opinion on when to take azalea cuttings was worth mentioning.
and I suspect Mike White is a major influence for Paul...lol
Happy is right on about the cuttings and sallyg is spot on as well. I love me some rhodos and he has the best around, two generations of plantsmen and 30 years of business himself. Quite a selection.
I did cuttings for the first time last year and i doubt I will do it again. It is quite a commitment. As happy pointed out just air layer a few and forget about them for a few years.
Well, it just so happens we'll be seeing them in August, so that works out fine! Hopefully Mom won't prune it before then... LOL There are one or two little branches that can be bent down... one has been already, right in the pot. :-) Thanks.
I think Paul was exaggerating, but to be clear, layering with a stone doesn't take a few years -- one year tops. Plus, I've never tried bruising the bark. That being said, I have learned that once the layered stem is rooted, it will not be happy if you immediately replant it into a stop where you can't watch it closely. Next time I'll do an intermediate step into pots.
Sorry, I meant a few years to be a decent size shrub. Most azaleas grow like weeds. As soon as you see shoots coming up from the ground or layered branch it is good to go. It could definitely benefit from a season or two in a pot with no competition for water or nutrients.
I wish my azaleas would grow like weeds. Or put differently, I wish my weeds would grow as slowly as my azaleas....
Ditto the point about, when you do see that the new stem has rooted, it is still not equipped with the reserve of energy that a more mature plant has. I rooted a branch of Bottlebrush buckeye, and promised it to happy, but for now I left the branch attached , dug the root ball, and planted it in a sunken pot right there.
I have had 2 lower branches of my Camellia under a brick now for at least a year.
Nothing happening there! I looked...I do know Camellias are hard to root....
Repeating to myself---"Gardening takes patience---and patience is a virtue"...
Gita
Sally: Thank you so much in anticipation of the bottlebrush buckeye!
Gita: You can try scraping the bottom of the branch and burying it a bit-- then putting the brick on top -- that might help.
Happy--
I know all about the scraping....and I am sure i did it.
If anything--it is not really "buried"--as the branch is not, naturally, laying low on the ground.
It is a bit higher, but the brick holds it down.
Will check both--as soon as things dry out a bit...
I will be cutting some of the branched back a bit--it now has an unnatural, sprawling top.
I would like it to be more compact...
When i cut it down 3 years ago--and it aggressively re-grew--it now has all these
sprawling stems at the top. I think it looks a bit ugly this way....
Went out to take this pic--Brrrrrrrrrr--it is cold! What a switch in Temps!
It still looks lovely -- what blooms!
I posted this on our Neck of the Woods chat thread, too.
Speaking of Rhodos, my HD has several carts of "past bloom" rhodos and azaleas markrd down for clearance to $4. My store had
Olga Mezzitt
PJM 'Elite' http://www.paghat.com/PJM.html
Weston aglo
Chinoisis
catawbiense boursalt
and several others.
They also had 3 gal pots of variagated azalea, and a nice variagated Perris. for $15.
Perennials are 3/$10 and at my store included astillbe, lime green heuchera, foxglove, shasta daisy, veronica, polymonum, Dancing Butterflies, blanket flower and several others.
Happy, do you want me to pick up some 'Olga Mezzitt' or aglos for you?
Nice price on the heucheras but they are mislabled "Caramel'
I have to pass this store twice a day, so let me know if something interests you all and I can pick up for any of you.
Today I'll be going there this afternoon for 4 bags garden soil for $10 and to see if anything else note worthy has been reduced.
This message was edited May 26, 2013 9:41 AM
hey--everyone!
Just got to work and there by the front door was a cart of "special buy" HB's
There were HB's of amazing, asst. Coleus--all of them had the wavy edges.
Similar to Inky fingers.
it has 7 plants in it--and costs only $4.88,
Go get them!!! g.
OK--Here are some close-ups of the different Coleus in my ONE HB I bought.
Never seen these before----but then--I am used to buying things in market packs
wherever they sell them...just the "usual" assortments...
This sale will be going on until 5/29. But--I don't think they will replenish these Special Buys---
they were, most likely, for the big weekend shoppers...
G.
I am wondering if these are actual varieties of Coleus--or if they did something
to make them grow like these???? Coleup--Coleus Lover--what do you think???
--the whole basket--and some other pretties I saw at the HD today.
We had a cook Out--so I went down for the food--and also took down
a big box-full of all kinds of extra plants/rooted cuttings that I did not want...
Gita, the coleus you got are seeare seed grown from a mix called 'Carefree'. Cute aren't they. Enjoy
http://parkseed.com/coleus-carefree-mix/p/00608-PK-P1/
Yay, Judy!!!
Once more you came up with the needed information....
Interesting--ONLY 12" tall. Hmmmm--now to think borders.....
I am excited at all my options since "The Dr. S." will no longer reside in the usual bed,
which opens it up for all kinds of other plantings.....Nice E. sunlight until about 2PM.
The "Dr." moved into his own space........on "Wintersweet Circle"....:o)
Just around the corner from his old place...
Do you like these Coleus? Maybe you could still get some at your HD....
This coloration was my favorite....so odd!
Walmart has Jasmines and Variegated Pink Lemons now. They are all blooming at the moment. Very fragrant flowers.
I found a man on DG Classified that has Trillium for sale. He sells it at $2 each. Do any of you know if when you buy it you need to buy several ....it seems to me it is like lillies of the valley but I do not remember. Anyone know? I have a shaded area that I would like to stick a few in. Gets late afternoon sun for an hour or so. What do you think?
I would make sure he isn't digging them up from the wild to sell them.
JB, this is about the third time you have mentioned wanting to get a few Trillium for your garden.
To me, Trillium are 'woodland plants' that best grow in a woodland that has all of the soil conditions, moisture, light and the other woodland plants and trees that associate themselves microrhizally in a woodland community.
Even though I have acid soil, shade from big oaks, etc I choose not to grow Trillium and other woodland plants and flowers here because I am not a woodland, especially those that are endangered or rare or wild collected.
As to what Happy raises about wild collected. my brief research shows that sellers can say "not field collected " or "nursery grown" if the plant has spent as little as a week in a pot at the growers! Kind of like saying a bird is 'hand raised' if the seller held it once! Trillium from seed is difficult and takes 4 years to raise to selling size, so $2 is really cheap. Red flags for me.
Some plants do better in captivity than others.
Some plants do better at the hand of man than others.
Native Plant Societies often have sales and good info and work to preserve native habitats Check with your New Jersey Chapter.
Just saying,
Judy
Isn't there some other shade loving lovely just perfect for that spot?
I guess you are right Judy. I just thought this spot was ideal for it since it was a woody and shady area used to be a hedgerow where all sorts of wild stuff grew until we cleaned it up.
I am sorry I repeated my desire to have some so many times, I guess when I get obsessed with something I just keep on with it. Hope you understand. I will try not to do that again.
JB, I have a pitbull (And a mama bear among other things) in me. too.
Lol. I did refrain from responding the first two mentions!
Good luck with whatever you decide to do. I know that you are a caring person and love plants, so if some trillium do come your way, I know you will do the best by them you can. Decide for yourself what is right, and I respect you and thank you for considering my point of view.
Judy
I have zero tolerance for rudeness especially from young people and I try very hard not to say things that could be taken in the wrong context on the internet. I have even considered starting a thread for those people who can not think before they speak and insist on saying hurtful things to people. There they can degrade and insult each other all day without bothering others. That is why I love Facebook. I just delete many nasty comments because some people do not know how to be respectful of others feelings.
You know many people think all pit bulls are nasty but I know better. Besides, I like you and you are safe from my "pissy" comments until you hit a nerve, then I will tell you just how I feel and send you on your way. I have not survived this long in life being the Sweatheart of NJ.
Thank you for being nice to an old lady. Here is a hug just in case you need one today.
JB here are links to Plant Delights Nursery. In my opinion they propagete, raise, and sell Trilliums (and other native plants) responsibly and ethically. Most of the trilliums they have available now are more Southern types but I have seen more Northern as well.. I grew up with the red flowered and love the giant whites up in Vermont. Have seen the yellow but don't remember where.
Note the prices on these "nursery propagated' selections!
http://trilliumplants.net/
http://www.plantdelights.com/Trillium-for-sale/products/375/
On another shopping note, my HD is now clearencing all azaleas and rhododendrums at least half off.
Thank you Judy. I printed out all of the above and will love going over it in the future. My Mother was a great "wildflower" enthusiast and we spent so much time in our little wooded garden if not adding to, weeding or just sitting on the several benches we had there for Grandmother. The Garden was on a hillside about a quarter of an acre with trees, moss and all sorts of birds and insects and it was just like a nature walk going through the paths she had and seeing the plants she had collected. Thus, my desire to at least own one trillium. Our entire home was about 13 acres with 10 of those acres in different types of gardens. It was just a dreamy way to grow up among all that beauty. It too was weedless because we had a full time gardner and he had helpers but when WWII came along, things drastically changed, it was then that he and the helpers went to war, never to return home again, and I was given the job of the gardner and that is how I came to love plants and the outdoors.
I was in the process of asking this "Chuck" person questions about his $2 trillium when he decided he did not want to discuss it any further and ask me did I want 13 plants for $24 and shipping was free, and he did not answer my questions. My reply was No thanks but thank you for your time. End of dmail discussion. He is not a subscriber to DG either. This is why I liked the Market Place instead of Classified Ads.
Thank you Judy for your information. I promise I will not bring up trillium again. JB
JBerger: I've tried to grow trillium but have always failed. I acquired it before I knew enough to question the source - and probably before I knew the best care to give it. I'll try again next year, maybe with local gardening club plants where I know the donors are responsible.
I need to learn more about when to plant it, etc. I will so some research now that I have a place to purchase it. It is just a sentimental thing. I do not want to sell it, in fact I am not sure we are permitted to sell it in NJ. I would have to check on that. Here you need a permit to "tinkle". Oops. Sorry.
LOL.
tee hee.
I'm just not doing trillium...or dogtooth violet, or spring beauties....or those lady's slippers that I found in a local park SHHHHHH...
I tell ya what, I learn so darned much here just by reading y'all's posts! I had no idea that "The 'T' Word" plant was such a ... shall we say "careful" subject. Thank you, JB and Judy, for the discussion and the learning experience. (you guys are such Ladies, I tell ya!)
I think I have decided, after reading Sally's article, that the next purchase I make will HAVE to be a Mexican Petunia. I've got just the right spot where a little bit of a 'pitbull' plant would work perfectly! =) Excellent article Sally, thank you!
Just in case anybody lurking here hasn't come across it yet... I'm organizing a group purchase of fall bulbs. We're underway with great speedy speed, first round of ordering will be finishing up this weekend! The one catch is that I do not want to ship. If you live near enough to come to the "Harvest Party and Bulb Sorting Event" on October 12, or if you can swing by Frederick at some point after that, or if you can talk somebody else (who can come) into being your "bulb angel" to pick up and/or ship your bulbs for you... Then please join the fun!!!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1314389/
N. 'Minnow', N. 'Einstein', C. 'Prins Claus', N. Tahiti, N. Cassatta
Two well informed articles were written today by MAG frequenters. Nice work Sallyg and Wind!