PLANT ADDICTS CHAT # 2

yehudith---

What kind of kelp are you using that is liquid? Name? Where do you buy it?

I have a bottle of "Bio-Feed" cold processed seaweed. Got it from Planet Natural
a few years ago. Is that considered kelp? What dilution do you use for spraying???

I need to use these kind of things more....Why do I buy them--and then they just sit?
Answer---Because it is easier to just grab a bottle of water and use that.
Overall--my plants are all grossly under fertilized. I am just lazy....

My Brugs would love it......My Hibiscus would love it....as would anything else....

Giving myself a pep-talk here......I can DO IT!!!! G.

Lol...

I forget what mine is called but it's definitely kelp. I think kelp is different than seaweed. My kelp was 'harvested' from the north Atlantic. Kelp forests are pretty cool though.

Gita, I'm not good at remembering to add liquid fertilizers either... that's why I use a lot of Osmocote when I pot up or plant out, it bridges the gap. Epsom salts... good reminder; I have some that I could throw around.

Speaking of things that get big... I was wondering if I could let a new, narrow spruce grow for a year or two in my front bed before moving it to the back tree line... or do spruce trees put down major tap roots? If so, no problem, it'll get a big pot instead. :-)

Kelp is a type of brown algae, which is a big group of sea weed. And thats about the extent of my fabulous knowledge of kelp "plants"

Gita, put a glurp of seaweed into the watering can every time you fill it. I think, like me, you are afraid you will overdose the plant by using fertilizers. . But I don't think that is a danger with kelp.

I could mix it with some Fish Emulsion--I gave a lot of that....

I am not good at the hose attached to bottle kind of fertilizing.

I can mix up a gallon in my sprayer and give everything a spritz...
Too hot today....I may put some of the clear-shine paint I bought yersterday
on my table. Get that done....Let it dry.

Jill--I use Osmacote in everything....beds and containers...

G.

For others addicted to LILIES, I've got my sights set on some very nice "Orienpet" hybrids from van Engelen. They'd be delivered by mid-October, like our amaryllis group buy bulbs, so we could have one pick-up party for both.

Details are in this post (on our amaryllis bulb thread in the group buy forum). http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=9900194

I guess this is the "Shopping" Thread now??

Anyway--I want to show you an excellent buy for a very reasonable price.
VERY much needed in the garden.

If you have a Big Lots near you (who doesn't?)--they have a pack of 25, nice
brown, 3' long bamboo stakes for $4.50. They are about the size of a pencil.

Pretty soon, Garden stuff will be discounted. They already have 25% off on it.
Soon it will be 50%.

These stakes are a very nice color brown & they blend beautifully with garden plants.
I just used them to stake up some of my Glads. Have several packs from last year's sales.

Here is a picture....go check it out. G.

Wow, those look so nice, they should be indoors :)

Use them indoors OR outdoors....YES! They ARE nice---
that's why I wanted to let you all know..
They also come in a 6' length pack. ( 15--maybe)-- $6--I think. They DO sell out...

I plan to cut many of these in half so I can use them to hold up my plastic fencing
I use around my beds ans some plants.

Just FYI--cutting a bamboo stick with pruners is hard. The only place it will cut cleanly
is just above or below the 'knots". The wood is solid there. Otherwise--it splinters....

G.

That's a great deal, Gita! I checked the site and noted a price cut -- that bundle is now $2.25.

No Big Lots here (we have "Ollie's Discount Store" though).. closest is in Germantown. I'll try to keep it in mind if I head down that way!

Ahhh--so now they ARE 50% 0ff....

I could be greedy and get some more--but I have about 4 packs of them in the shed.

Hmmm--nice gift? G.

pssst! Gita! Gift table.

Psst--David---I already thought of that--even though I had 2 other gifts in mind....
but they can wait....
Are YOU hankerin' for a pack, David ? I could pick up several if people want--$2. 25 +tax..
IF they are still available. This Big Lots is just across the parking lot from my HD.

Last time i was there--they had quite a lot. I work Sunday--but I can always run up
and get some...it's just 4 miles...

LMK----LMK---LMK----- G.

I'd take 4 packs for $10, if you get back out that way... and please remind me what i owe your for the trimmer (I'll try to remind you to stick it in the car the night before LOL) Thanks!

I drove out to my Big Lots today and bought 15 packages of the stakes.
Left about another dozen in the box.
If there is a big demand in the next few days--I can go and pick up the rest.....

Have David (2) and Jill (4) down for what you asked for.

Anyone else???? Don't be shy here....this is a great deal on a great product.
LMK right HERE!!!!

Jill--I DO hope I don't forget the trimmer....I have it written down.
I have used it twice. Both trimming and edging...Works well...

Gita

Gita- I'll take 2.

I dmailed- but placing a request here for one or two- to keep it together. Man who can argue with ten cents to save a stem of pretty flowers? I always think I will have regular sticks, but they are too limp or too short or don't stick into the soil far enough.

One of my possible butterfly bush volunteers is definite. 36 inches tall and budding.

This message was edited Jul 27, 2014 7:53 PM

Packages of stakes--

4 left available as of right now.

I think I will run in Tuesday and pick up 6 more.. IF they are still there....

G.

Is anyone interested in volunteers or cuttings from these ROS? I have 4, all different; these photos show 3 of them. The flowers on the 4th are purplish, but too high up for me to get a photo.

Photos 1 and 3 are the same plant. The flowers start off lavender/purple and turn blue as they age.

Photo 2 is a double-flowered pink variety. Conventional wisdom has it that pollinators can't access double blooms, but a bee was happily darting in and out of flowers.

Photo 4 flower is the same color as the photo 2 shrub, but is single-flowered. I have given a neighbor many seedlings from this shrub and they're always the same pink color.

Nice offer, Muddy, but I'll let others have their fill...
;^D

We have loads of the "Blue satin" ROS at the HD.

Kind of pricy---but--25% off. What a beautiful, pure blue the blooms are!!

G.

X^P
I don't know what it is but they just don't tempt me in the least. I could be truly, illogically prejudiced against Rose of Sharon.

Very pretty ROS, Muddy! :-) When I first began learning about varieties of flowering trees last year, I just loved the ROS and went out and got my own little 'Minerva'. She's gotten a little bigger this year and is flowering nicely.

If I'd had my druthers, I would have gotten one with pinker blooms, but DD (Katie) was with me, and she always has opinions. ;-) LOL!

Sally, you're such a goof...I don't get your prejudice against the ROS. What's not to love? A flowering shrub for mid-late season color? Doesn't get much better than that IMO. ;^P

I agree, ROS looks weedy to me. I love the individual blooms, but not the tree itself.

I wintersowed them a couple of years ago just to see what would happen and was surprised at the great germination. Then I realized I didn't want them in the first place and gave them away at the last swap.

I think the foliage looks somewhat like Chrysanthemums, very pretty. I always like when I see them growing wild on the side of the roads.

Terp, have I ever told you what a fine, intelligent and tasteful person you are? And Terry?
;^D

I won't object to roadside ROS. And I'll stop poopooing all the ROS here. As you say, Seq, summer flower shrub...

For an alternative to ROS have any of you all grown Swamp Hibiscus , hibiscus coccineus?

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderComments.aspx?kempercode=d270

Red flowers, native, attractive foliage, attracts hummers and butterflies, easy care...etc
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1872/

SSG This would look spectacular against your white fence!

I saw several 4 footers for sale at a local nursery. Very tempted to try. Would make a good water feature plant and can be kept tall and narrow or encouraged to bush out...Fairly drought tolerant once established. Can be grown in containers

Sally, would look cool with your black stem taro!

"Sally, would look cool with your black stem taro!"
LOL, well, yeah, but tell the Hydrangea, Swamp milkweed, Bird of Paradise, Calycanthus, Holly, Brug, Chelone, and three ferns to SHOVE OVER...hahaha!!!

I am among the lovers of ROS, so Muddy, if you have a volunteer or two of the first picture I will find a spot for it in 'my' yard.

My grandfather grew one in his side yard so it's a memory thing with me.

ROS do look a little scrubby, but I like them along the back of a border (I have a few in the bed along my neighbor's fence). They self-sow or winter sow easily. I potted up 20 of them this spring that I'll put along the back side of our little treeline, letting them "hedge together" in several places.

Muddy, I really like both of your double-flowering ones. Do you think the double flowers come true from seed? I'd be willing to try... easier than taking cuttings, anyway.

I'm sure there are more volunteers out there, but I have a couple kinds growing so closely together that I don't know what color the volunteers would be -- either blue-lavender or white with a red center.

btw, merciless pruning can definitely improve the form of a ROS. :-)

I do like that swamp hibiscus! It'd do well at the bottom of the hill since the soil stays moist.

SSG Let me know if you want one, They are $8.99 plus tax and in a 2 gal pot I believe. May go over there in a little while and take some pics. They all had a lot of buds on them. The leaves on these had a dark reddish cast to them. Would love to see the red of the blooms in person.

Any one else? Catbird, Catmint, Muddy ? I hear there is also a white form.

Or, I could just stay home and water.......

That's an excellent price, but I'm going to pass for now. I might be interested later this fall, though!

Thanks for the offer, Coleup, but I'll pass for now too. Just taking care of what I have now is keeping me busy!

Critter and Catbird, I don't know whether the double-flowered ones will come true from seed, but it's worth a try!

Sally, it's perfectly okay with me if you are "truly, illogically prejudiced against Rose of Sharon." I feel the same way about Coleus, for example. They don't tempt me in the least! To each her own :-).

I bought every one of my ROS to provide rapid screening of neighbors' houses. They're great at doing that! I have 2 that are about 18' high and, along with 2 even taller Crape Myrtles, totally block the view of one neighbor's house.

There are some plants that I think are 'just okay' that other people are quite enthusiastic about. ;-)

Thank goodness for personal taste; we wouldn't want all of our gardens to look identical. How boring would that be?!