Yardening Fall 2013

We came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1328338/#top

Now that we can no longer 'officially' wear white it's back to those yardening colors
Many of us experienced again why 'weeds' are so successful as we turned our backs for a moment to vaca or play with family and friends.

Refocusing here on what needs doing and the list is long! About as long and tangled as those vines in my wild areas that have enjoyed this summer!

Like Sallyg, I'm in a "off with their heads" frame of mind. I want to make big changes not little tweeks.

What's happening yardening wise for you?

Has anyone tried overwintering Dichondra Silver Falls?

It's now my favorite "spiller" for summer baskets, and I'd rather not buy 8-10 starters next year.

This is the only tender perennial I'm interested in saving this year!

Same old--Same old.....

Still NO rain!! Every day they forecast possible T-showers--
and we never get any. They all go over to Jen's in NJ.

So I do the hose-in-hand for a good hour--every day.

My big Silver maple is going through its preliminary leaf drop.
It usually does this to this extent when there is a drought.
One could call it that here.....we need a day-long, gentle rain to fix all this...

My back lawn.....G.

I just love Silver Falls, haven't tried to over winter it yet and it is a bit hard to find in our area. You do need a spot to hang it can't really set it on a shelf someplace. I may hang some in the GH this fall and see how it does.

Does Dichondra appear to root readily at the nodes- ?. I wonder if you should cut apart some vines and try to root little plant lets.

Our lawn is drying up too. Sycamore out front dropping leaves. THings are wilting- this is the most they've had to work for water all summer.

Thanks for the new thread coleup

Since I have returned after substantial time away from my yard, I have noticed things I wouldn't have if I had stayed home. Mostly how truly awful mant things look when they have extended periods of less than ideal growing conditions.

Before I left, I grouped many of my plants (I grow most of my plants in containers) and set them in shallow saucers or large low plastic tubs so that Wayne could just water each tub instead of each plant. Worked well and now with no rain in site I'm keeping them that way!

But, the hostas I thought could fend for themselves! Why do they get so yucky when the season is still long ahead? Must be the combo of excess heat, humidity and lack of water.

And, my Tovara which is a great fill in plant for me and is just now flowering has lost most of the lower leaves! Ugly ugly ugly. So. I cut a bunch back and there were lots of new baby Tovara all green and purty beneath!. So one 20' strip looks presentable again with blooming Liriope backed by Christmas Fern..

Thank goodness I mowed my 'ground cover' areas befor I left! They are brown in spots but not over run (Found one Vinca Major tendril that was over 12 feet long this Spring!)

Coleup, you'd mentioned powdery mildew on the other thread, and that reminded me that I haven't seen much of it at all this year. I haven't had to spray Neem even once.

Powdery Mildew is settling in on many plants in this area.

--My spent peony foliage--which needs to be cut off anyway
--The Zinnias--my one pot is completely shot!
--Lilac bush looks like....any day now...
--Gonna pull up my 3 cukes--they never produced any way..

etc...etc....

Just got home from "running around'--and the garden needs watering again!
Brugs by the shed are wilting....Did it all yesterday evening!
The day is nice today--but the breeze--and the low humidity--is SOOO drying...

You have to remember--that anything in my back yard loses all traces of water
in no time at all--as the 2 trees absorb every drop I put down.

The grass looks like straw in places....not too bed yet--just some areas..
My neighbor's lawn is all dry. I have kept up with weeding and watering her beds
but NOT gonna water her lawn! A good rain sure would help.

She gets back next week--she has been gone for 3 months.

OK! Have to start doing some stuff (food-wise) for the Swap.

Doing the Rain dance here.......G.

I'm getting motivated to get back out in the garden with the cooler temps we've been having. I need to re-seed the little bit of grass area we have in the front yard, weed and mulch one of the last garden sections that we didn't get to earlier this summer, and plant some of the things that have been sitting in the staging area. By the time I finish with those chores, I'm sure the leaves will be falling...

Done catching up on DG Posts....

Now to go out and mow my lawn and then do the "watering works"...

Better hurry while it is still nice and cool....

Gita

I need some advice on a couple of things--from any and all of you.

1--Re all the Sweet Bay leaves SS gave us all at the Swap.
I am wondering what the best way to preserve/save them would be?

I think if I just let them dry--they would not have much flavor left.
I bet they quick-dry them in the commercial world--as they are still so fragrant.
I asked Jill at the swap--and she suggested putting them in OO and freezing them.
Now--this may work for most dishes--but not everything i use Bay Leaves
for (almost everything i cook)--would like to have the oil--such as my Pickles.
Soups and other dishes--it would not matter.
What are your suggestions?


2--I have 3 *" pots of the pink Cannas I bought. Because it was already too late
in the season--I did not plant them. They are still sitting on my patio floor.
Looking OK-=-one is actually sending up a new bud.
However--they are miserably root bound!

Should I:
--Cut off the stems (after frost) and just save them in the pots as is?

--Should I un-pot them, allow the roots to dry out--aand save them the way I save all my
Canna roots--in a shallow box--uncovered and dry for the winter?

--Because these only grow about 24"--I think they are meant for containers.
In that case--Should I pot them up in early spring in, say, 10" pots to start them
growing, and then transplant them into my larger containers to grow for the season???

OK! Thanks for any input. I will see which makes the most sense to me
and go with that.

Gita

I bought fall clearance cannas couple years ago. They did not want to go dormant. The roots were thin, not fat like mature tubers. I suggest you keep them in the same pots, give minimum water and let them be semi dormant and not trying to really grow, just hang out.

Was out enjoying my Salvia gregii and Lantana this weekend. I've also been amazed at how many butterflies, bees, and skipperjacks can cram onto each salvia stalk. Tried taking a photo, but most of them are not really visible--they just blend in. Still, you can see a few of them.

Sally--

What do you mean by--"They did not want to go dormant" ?
Like--they have an opinion????

I should, or should not allow the stem and leaves to be frozen and cut them off?

So--I should keep them in some kind of light? Not in my dark shop? Difficult...
Or--let them go dry in the pots they are in?

I know the root ball was completely covered in roots. have NO idea what
lies below that....A tuber? More roots?

Tell me more..............G.

This was in August--date????

I did not let my pots freeze. I brought them in and thought they would dry out and the tops die off. Yeah they did seem to express an opinion. It was it is not time to go dormant. Seemed to take surprisingly long to happen. I think their life as forced nursery plants has not allowed them the conditions to make the tubers we are used to saving. Take one pot and pull it out and see. So i think less disturbance is best.

Sally--

I DID pull one of them out of the pot-that is how I know it was solid roots.
I can take a pic if that helps.....Not fine roots--pretty hefty roots.
But--whether there is a tuber inside all that--i do not know.

I don't even have a idea where i will grow them next year--it is just
that I had never seen a pink canna.
This "pink" looks exactly like thr pink in the Mandevilla blooms.
It is called "Tropical Rose". Pretty!

G.

Late season bargains are to be had now. When I find them I try to maximize what we have left of our l o n g growing season for that particular plant by providing the best conditions I can to realize that bargains' potential for the coming year. Many times this means sacrificing flowers or above ground growth and going for maximum root development for planting out in Spring.

This entails cutting back and also dividing and repotting to achieve as substantial root mass before 'wintering over' inside if 'tender' or outside with protection.

If those 'Tropical Rose' cannas were mine (and I had the time, inclination, space and materials lol)
I would at the very least pot them up into larger pots with fresh soil, cut them back to 4-5 inches on top and set them in the shadiest place I have to let those roots and tubers grow as fat as they can while waiting the at least two months before a frost would signal our usual time to bring in and store or whatever your usual method of overwintering cannas may be.

I'd sure as heck would sacrifice one pot to my curiosity and tear it apart to see what's there!
My understanding of cannas is that a root bound pot or overcrowded patch will be less 'productive' the following seasons.

Good luck.

Edited to add that 'Tropical Rose' canna seeds are available . They can be grown from seed to flower in 90 days according to Parks
http://parkseed.com/tropical-rose-canna-flower-seeds/p/00443-PK-P1/

This message was edited Sep 10, 2013 9:05 AM

Judy--

My first inclination was also to pot them up in bigger pots and let them "settle in"
before winter....I guess "great" minds think alike......:o)
My concern would be that re-potting in fresh soil would force all kinds of new growth
and it may even set buds. That would not be so good sliding into winter storage...
Thwy WILL have to spend it in my dark, cool shop.

Also--in your guess-- Judy--would this canna be for containers or planting in beds?
I will read up on it a bit more. I am at work right now...

Thanks for the link. Hmmmm....Seed, HUH? Now--here is what I think....
IF you can grow it from seed to bloom in one season--it will NOT have a tuber.
Just roots. Will check when I re-pot it. Can't say I have noticed any seed pods on it.

On the other hand--the Red Canna that came from " wind", makes HUGE, black,
round seeds in those spent bloom "bumps". They are bigger than a pea.
Hard as a rock and perfectly round. I have quite a few collected.

All my Frans Hals DL's along the back of my YUK bed are loaded with seed pods too.
Right now is when they are starting to pop open. I already have a bumper crop of
"bulbils" collected from them...
IF these are like other DL's--it would take 3 years until they bloom...

Hmmmmmmm....I have a "Really Good Idea".....I will scatter a few of them
NOW in a lg. pot and set them against the house to germinate over the winter.
It gets good sun there--and is protected too. Will throw some leaves over the pot....
That is what i always did with my Tiger LIlt bulbils. By spring--they were 2" tall.
If they make it--it will be a nice give-away by the SpringSwap.

Gita

Aspenhill, We won't have much time this fall to do a lot of gardening, putting the beds away for the winter as I would like but I have found that the years that I do have a great impact on the Spring chores. A well weeded bed, that has a nice fall clean up make for lovely spring beds.
Gita, I picked up three bargain cannas last year and pulled them from the pots and overwintered them with the rest like I usually do and only one of them survived. I would def keep them in pots and uppotting them now would give them a nice start before winter season starts. I have never tried to early start my cannas they are always late season for us.

Holly--

Because of the cold, late spring--everything got planted later than usual..

Here it is--mid-September--and the Orange Canna just started blooming...
It sure has not been a good year for growing many things...

I will up-pot the small Cannas and take it from there.....

I appreciate everyone's input.
G.

Gita, with the bay leaves, the amount of OO required to put a sheen on the leaves before freezing (to protect the more volitile flavor components) would be pretty minimal. I've never tried it with bay, but I know people who freeze basil this way. (I mince my basil before mixing with EVOO & freezing, same idea as coating fresh leaves.)

adding... You could also make an herbal vinegar with the fresh bay leaves, just stuff a few into a little jar and add vinegar to cover them (same kind you use for pickles or whatnot). It'll flavor up nicely in a couple of weeks.

And of course you can dry them, but then you'll lose some of the fresh flavors that make these leaves special! I think Gita should divide her leaves into 3 piles and try drying, freezing, and putting them in vinegar -- then report back!

This message was edited Sep 10, 2013 4:01 PM

I agree, I think that is a great idea; that way she will have 3 delicious options to choose from when cooking, and will enjoy a learning experience! :)

When applying the amount of OO to "put a sheen on the leaves"... would it work to: take a bowl of OO, dip each leaf, let the excess drip off, then place into the freezer container? (sounds easier than using a brush to 'paint' each leaf! HA!!) Or, maybe use a spray bottle? Does OO spray out of a spray bottle very easily? (I've never tried it).

As for your Cannas, Gita, I totally agree with re-potting them now, leaving the pots to over-winter in a protected (just protected from frost) area (your aforementioned shed sounds right), minimal watering (maybe just enough to START to dribble out the bottom) over Winter (once or twice a month, maybe). I'm not totally sure about cutting back the foliage now though... might they work like other tubers, which use the energy from the leaves to feed the tubers? You might want to leave the leaves (heh heh) on the plants until they are totally dead, then cut them back.

The ones we over-winter at work are done this way, WITHOUT the re-potting step. We bring them into the greenhouse (which is minimally heated during the winter), placed in "The Shady Area", and they are NOT cut back until March, and they are VERY minimally watered. The come back in the Spring nicely. HOWEVER: I must add that I have NOT 'sacrificed' any to dig around in the roots to look at them, as this is not my property, and I dare not take chances damaging sales stock.

Sorry I'm late with input Gita, but I hope this is of some use to you Dearrrrrrrrrrr.

What is 'OO'?

Olive Oil. :)

.... or, O_O ... which is the look on my face when people use acronyms that I don't understand.

Heeeheeheeheeeee < =D

haha speedie!!!!!!!!

If I were to do the olive oil, I'd just drizzle some over the leaves, then use my hands to massage it all over. Nice hand treatment! Drian briefly on paper then bag them..

>i>I agree, I think that is a great idea; that way she will have 3 delicious options to choose from when cooking, and will enjoy a learning experience! :)
*****************************************************************************************

Ahem--Gita is NOT into fancy- schmancy experimenting....I don't need 3 versions of
Bay Leaves to "choose" from.....Gita does NOT cook all that often....nor does she want
to run any taste experiments when she does.
I like sally's idea best. fast and simple.....She and I are both "simple Folks"...

If her freezer had room, Gita would cook a couple different soups she is dying to make...
and use about 3-4 bay leaves in each big pot...but, freezing all the containers
afterwards takes up a lot of room...There is NO room...
I should eat one bowl of soup (or whatever) every day of whatever I grab.
When my top shelf is close to empty--I can cook something new...

We should have a "Raid Gita's Freezer party......"

*************************************************************************

On the Cannas--I will have to tease apart the root bound mess in one pot to see
what is in there when I am re-potting. Will let you all know--take some pictures..
I still think, that IF it can grow from seed to blooming in one season, there won't
be a tuber/corm in there. Just roots.

Thanks all for your input.....G.

Heeheehee Gita, we were having fun making plans for your time and freezer!! < =D Haahahaahaaa!!!!!!! Mmmmmmm, I like the idea of a "Raid Gita's Freezer" party though. Makes me hungry just thinking about it... WHY don't you live CLOSER to me!?! < =P

You are so nice and kind to your roots. Me? I just whip out my garden saw and hack off about 1/3 of bound root systems. THEN I "tease" apart the remaining mess. =) Yes, truly I have patients .. errrr... patience, but I am also that 'control freak neat freak' person we've talked about before. MUST GET RID OF MESS! < =P

I am as close to YOU--as you are to ME!

'nuff said! G.

Yes, Sally has the right approach... I'd do it just like dressing a green salad, drizzle a little on top and then flip the leaves around with my hands until they look shiny.

(Getting even more off topic, but Jim's Aunt Jane taught me the best way to dress a green salad... first toss with a little olive oil, then add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. The oil lightly coats the leaves and keeps the vinegar from wilting them... you can keep leftover salad in the fridge for a couple of days if you do the oil first. Throw in some parmesan cheese and italian seasoning, and it's like salad at teh Olive Garden, yum.)

Wow, all this hot weather & no rain... I've got to get busy watering again today. Time to put more mosquito bits in the water garden pots, too. Lotus pots have tons of leaves coming up from all across the surface, so I'm guessing we'll have extra tubers to share again in spring... Keep an eye out for those big 20-22" no-hole containers when they go on sale this month. The reason I have so many "pocket ponds" is that I found a bunch of big black polyresin pots being clearanced for $5 at Lowe's.

Jill, many, many years ago Adele Davis always said that's the proper way to dress a salad too.

I just checked the rain gauge. Over an inch of rain!

But all the tall grasses have fallen over. They've never done that before -- well, not to this extent, anyway. They're all horizontal. Is there anything I can do to get them back to standing?

The rain garden held up nicely, with one problem. This is the first time we had an extended torrential downpour since the garden was put in. The water naturally wants to pool in front of the shed, so the RG had to be put in just to the side of it. I thought I'd made a good enough channel for the water to flow away from the shed and into the garden, but I see now that I'm going to need a wider dry stream bed that flows into the RG. Ugh, more digging!

Ha Ss I was thinking about you (and Happy's front hill) with our downpours yesterday!

Here I have 3 inches showing in my rain gauge which came down in under an hour. Glad you got such a good example of what additional digging your dry stream bed will need before you put your shovel and pick axe away. I love to observe the 'drainage' on my sloping property in just such an event.

Wind and rain will beat down those grasses. In the wild they fall and lean on each other and go back upright quite quickly if stems not bent too bad. Shaking residual moisture from them will help them right themselves (just like gently removing heavy snow) but some or parts of some may not stand up again. They can be trimmed nowish or left as is until whenever you would normally cut them back.

Glad your rain garden is doing well and you have a good opportunity to see how quickly those plants absorb the runoff. Wish I had the two frr 60 gal rain barrels I got hooked up!

Can you pick up one of those tall, inexpensive bamboo sticks and gently tie the grasses? Or would the grasses not like that?

Ssgardner maybe you can update your rain garden thread !
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1303812/

A follow up on the pink Cannas....

Re-potted them all today. had to go to 8" or 9" square pots.
The bigger round ones I had were not big enough.

So--here is the "process".....

1--The cannas were extremely root bound. This is when I pulled them out of their pots.

2--To start the roots-losening, I cut off about 1/2" from the base of the root ball.
This is a harmless, good practice with root bound shrubs. grasses, Mums, or whatever.
This small "surgery" will not harm the plant. Use an old kitchen knife.

3--Now the roots are all loosened from the root ball. many broke off and
were discarded. Again--NO biggie! Just look at it as root pruning.
You will see the beginnings of a rhizome forming--from which new, fresh
stems are growing up. I poked around deeper with my finger to feel if there
may be a more substantial rhizome--but there was not.
Assuming these were grown from seed--this could just be the first stage of
development of bigger rhizomes.

4--Here is a new stem growing from this small rhizome.

5--Here they are--all re-potted in their new pots. I only cut off the old bloom stems
and the dried, yukky leaves. Will leave them like this for now.
You can see that one of them has grown a new stem and is going to bloom.

Not sure at this time what the next step will be when it gets cold....
I will worry about that later....

The before and after shots.

They look so much happier! Bet you are, too.

Oh yes, I gotta update that rain garden thread! I'll take pictures tomorrow. Coleup, you got 3 inches?! I'm just so glad I don't have to water the trees and shrubs for awhile.

Catmint, I think I'll wait to see if the grasses perk up on their own.

Look at those roots, Gita!

Beautiful weather today. I think I'll go work in the new turtle garden. Re-weed, finish planting some things, and get mulch down. It should cut down on any more weeds growing this fall and be ready for minimal maintenance and more plants next spring.

This is the area where I planted plugs from North Creek Nursery in quantity - ghost fern, maidenhair fern, chelone 'Hot Lips', phlox divaricata, and phlox stolonifera. I also planted things from you guys - begonia grandis from Happy, lily of the valley from UMD Terp Paul, and things from.Coleup Judy - ostrich fern, two azalea bushes, and some kind of tree (forgot to write down the name, but Greenthumb David knows and can jog my memory.

As soon as I finish today's cleanup work, I need to take pictures. I always like looking at a garden's progression from little plants with lots of empty space the first year, and how it fills in and matures as the years go on - that is, if I do it right LOL.

Ric and I got home today. Boy are my beds in need of a good weeding. We will be gone again in another 10 days. Have to see what I can accomplish and I have quite a few of the Tropicals that should be brought inside before we leave.