Yardening #4 - July 11, 2014 and beyond

Hahaha ssg! That is SO NOT what i want!

Sally--

Is yours the REAL English Boxwood?

There are so many shrubs with the name "Boxwood"--the Japanese...Chinese--whatever.
These can be pruned and shaped to your heart's content. Commonly used as hedges.
They are evergreen, sturdy, healthy shiny green leaves, Disease free...etc...

REAL, English Boxwoods are known to get some kind of a mite issue that starts
inside the lower part of the shrub and decimated stems and leaves from inside up.
I do not know the name of this disease--but once it settles in, the Boxwood is doomed.

"Pruning" a Boxwood consists of removing the fan-shaped upper growths, called "hands'
to allow more air circulation and light to penetrate the inner parts. This is good!
These "hands" sections can then be used to make Boxwood Wreaths--Cost $$$$

Before you ask how I know all this--I have friends, that live in Fallston, that bought a house,
years ago, that used to be a Boxwood Farm. There were Coxwoods all over the woods
and all around the house. Small, big, bigger, and massive.
They sold many of the Boxwoods for good money. Some of the really larger
ones went for lots and lots of dollars.

We used to get together at their house and make wreaths. That is how I know
about the "hands" and some of this other information...

BTW--do you know how to tell if it is a REAL Boxwood?
Rub it between your hands --and it smells like cat urine. Esp. if it is moist.

Gita

well, thanks, I'll check it out. a friend gave it to me as a memorial for my mom. Hence the reluctance to dispose of an otherwise boring shrub. I'm favoring putting it in place of the holly. It should be easy to keep looking very tidy and good place for curb appeal. The cultivar Wintergreen sticks in my mind and this is what came up
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=g400

I would also keep a shrub with that much sentimental value.

I have Korean Wintergreen Boxwoods that I planted around our Cox Cable box after a neighbor suggested "we" (read: I) do something to hide it : - ).

One thing I find curious: the shrubs that are "book-ended" (held up by other shrubs on each side) need to be sheared to keep them at 4 feet. The one that flops because there is only 1 "book-end" stays about 3' tall.

I have the English boxwood Buxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa'. I was trying to use them to outline a rectangular sitting area where I put a garden bench and was eventually going to put a fountain or statuary center piece. I've completely neglected to shape them - not sure how to do it and have put it off for years. The boxwoods are still alive with absolutely no care whatsoever, but needless to say I don't have that continuous nice edging flanked by entrance columns that I envisioned. They do have that distinct scent that some people think smells like cat pee, but for me the smell is pleasurable because it equates in my mind to old colonial gardens. I'm rarely in that area of the yard, but when I do pass by, that scent really makes me happy.

Does anyone know if boxwoods can still be shaped if they have been allowed to mature without it? Also, is anyone else kind of scared to prune trees and shrubs because it seems so complicated?

I'm not sure about your boxwood question Terri, but I love to prune things! I've been trying to envision our Red Maple in the future and how I want it to look. This past spring I took off 5 large branches. It seems that most of the Red Maples in a lawn environment are low branched and that prevents anything from growing underneath. My goal is bright shade.

I NEED you, Seq!!!!! Hehehehe. I don't have that vision.

LOL!! Well only time will tell if I did anything right :)

Have to pass something on that I learned today from a regular customer.
This is how he grows bulbs. Any bulbs--Tulips, daffs, anything...

1--Take an small empty water bottle--cut off ~ 2" from the bottom.
2--Have a bed or a Window Box (that is what he uses) ready for planting.
3--Invert the empty bottle--drinking end downwards.
4--Put some soil in the bottle and plant your bulb. Cover with more soil to the top
and dig into the bed or WB. even with cut bottom. That's it.

He said the bulbs grow very well this way--the roots go down through the spout.
If you have a large bulb--use a bigger bottle.

Other benefits:

--The squirrels cannot dig out the bulb--as they will hit the cut off bottle and don't like it.
--If you have to move it--just pull up the bottle and plant it somewhere else.
--If you want to share it with someone--pull it up, remove the bulb-babies to share,
plant the bottle with bulb back into the bed and it will grow out very well.

He said he can grow any given bulb this way for several years--always perfect and beautiful.

He also said he should patent this method....This man is a real character!


In our long conversation--I also convinced him that he can eat the red potatoes
that grow beneath the Green Potato Vine plants. He was skeptical.
Someone told him you can't eat them, and he said he threw out a pile.

I said they are yummy--and asked him to try it. Wash them--Nuke them--
get out the butter and enjoy!
He will try it.--I am sure i will get a report back whenever we see each other again.

What do you think of his method of growing bulbs?

Gita

[quote="aspenhill"]
Does anyone know if boxwoods can still be shaped if they have been allowed to mature without it? /quote]

Aspen, yes, boxwoods can be shaped even if they're quite large and have never been pruned. New growth will appear on any part of the shrub that is exposed to sun. I think the general rule for most shrubs is to remove only 1/3 of its branches (or green growth) per year, though.

If there is plenty of green growth on the inside of the shrubs, it should look nice very soon after you prune it. If there is so little green inside that you'll end up with brown stumps after you prune, you could make it a several year project: prune just a little every year, making sure you remove some top growth so that light can get inside, and wait until it fills in a bit to really whack it back.

That sounds like a good plan if you have a serious issue with voles/squirrels and only have a few bulbs to plant, or if you have expensive/important bulbs you need to protect. I can't imagine doing that for hundreds of bulbs, though. How would you obtain/store hundreds of water bottles?

I just read a suggestion that plants generally are best divided in the opposite season from when they bloom. (spring bloom, fall divide ...) Seems to make sense.

And a reference to a crinum lily bulb being cantalope sized.. That's huge. But it seems they can be up to 40 ponds!. Mostly grown in the South but Plant Delights is growing many and say zone 7 is OK.

Sure enjoyed the yard again today. I ignored the leaves on the ground.

Sally, that does make sense. I just never really think to divide in fall but maybe I'll start.

Muddy, what tool should I be using to trim and shape those boxwoods?

Aspen, I prefer horticultural pruning, which involves reaching into the shrub to cut off stems rather than shearing the outside. You would use hand-pruners or loppers to do horticultural pruning.

These links (especially the youtube video) explain why hand-pruning is better than shearing boxwoods better than I can.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxdNdNEGj-A
http://www.mastergardenersmecklenburg.org/pruning-boxwoods.html

I can show you an example of what too much shearing can do to a shrub with little inside growth, though. I have Korean boxwoods growing around a cable box. I shear the side against the sidewalk because it takes the least amount of time. There isn't much green growth on the inside, though, so when I overdo the shearing, like photo 1, you don't see any foliage on the inside and it looks kind of ugly.

Came across a saved Tutorial on rooting Fig cuttings.
I will c/p the whole article as I have it saved. The link below appears in the article,
but I could not open it as my server has been changed.
So--I c/p it and put it in the URL and read the whole thing.
It is amazing and full of information along with step-by-step pictures.

Here is the link...
http://figs4fun.com/basics.html

And--here is the whole article. Great Info.

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

And here is Rooting Figs in a Bag from a longer tutorial with excellent photos and step by step instructions in Figs From Twigs
http://figs4fun.com/basics.html

ROOTING FIGS IN A BAG

Take dormant cuttings approximately 8" long, and wrap in very slightly damp paper towel or newspaper, covering the entire cutting except the bottom 1/2". This allows the bottom end to "callus", which helps to prevent rot, when rooting. If you are doing several cuttings, roll the first one in the damp paper, then add one, and roll, and add, and roll, until you have 5-6 cuttings in a bundle. Place the bundle(s) in a sealable plastic bag (a Ziploc or zipper-bag works well). Place in a warm place, with a temp of 70-80 degrees F (not in the sun or next to a heat source which considerably hotter than the desired temperature). Check frequently for signs of mold, and air out the cuttings is necessary for a few hours. Re-moisten the paper if necessary (a spray bottle works well for adding water, though this is not usually needed if the bag is tightly sealed). Under the conditions of warmth and humidity, roots will develop, starting as small white "bumps" called initials, and gradually growing into longer roots.

When there is good development of roots and/or initials, unwrap carefully, and pot up as follows. Use clear plastic picnic glasses, of about 45 ounce capacity. Drill or poke 4-5 drain holes in the bottom. Stacking 3-4 cups together makes them stiffer and easier to make the holes. Place about 1/2' coarse, well-wetted Vermiculite in the bottom of the cup, insert the cutting, and fill the cup with coarse, well-wetted Vermiculite. Place the cuttings in a container (I use a plastic storage box), with a wire rack or other suitable arrangement, which will allow the water to drain through the cup and keep the cup from standing in any water. Return the cuttings to your warm place. To maintain humidity, you will need to cover the container to simulate a greenhouse environment, but leaving it open for fresh air, periodically, to avoid mold. Water as necessary. The higher humidity environment requires much less frequent watering, which yields better moisture control in the root zone and leads to less rotting of the cuttings.

The most important element is providing overall humidity, without keeping the root zone overly wet.

The coarseness of the Vermiculite allows air in the root zone, and holds moisture in the root zone. If the Vermiculite is too fine, or packed down too much, it excludes air and holds too much moisture in the root zone. Generally, in a warm environment, if there is condensation on the inside of the cup, there is sufficient moisture, if not, it is too dry. The clear cup makes monitoring root zone moisture much easier.

The clear cup is important, enabling you to monitor of root development visually. Leaf development is absolutely NOT an indicator of root development.

When there is good root development (do not rush this step, or be in a hurry to repot in potting soil) repot in a one gallon pot using a minimum of 60% Perlite in the mix, and the other 40% compost or similar organic component. The vermiculite will shake out of the cup, when pointed down at about a 30 degree angle and rotated and squeezed, followed by the rooted cutting. After potting, place in very, filtered shade, with good humidity until the plant has adjusted and is stable; then increase sunlight gradually. Water when necessary. After about a month, water, and let the plant absorb the water for 1 hour, followed by "watering" with a one half strength solution of Miracle Gro. This keeps you from "burning" the plant with the fertilizer. Fertilize twice a month. When roots begin to grow out the 1 gallon pot (roots growing out of the drain holes), repot in a 2 gallon, with 40% Perlite and 60% Compost. When roots begin to emerge from the drain holes, move to a 5 gallon pot, using 100% compost. When roots are visible in the drain holes of the 5 gallon pot, plant it in the ground. At this point, the plant is sufficiently developed to be stable and durable. Many cuttings will grow to 2-5' tall in their first year, but some varieties are slower growing.

If you observe the principles, you can also root larger, thicker cuttings, as well.


Gita

That sounds like a lot of work, Gita! It's a good thing you enjoy it.

Muddy---

I enjoy passing on this kind of information--NOT, necessarily, doing it myself.
There is always a couple nuggets of information in articles like these
that I did not know before. From this article, I learned that:

1--It is important to allow the cutting ends to callous over to prevent rotting
Ooops--I stuck mine into water as soon as I cut them....:o(
I would ALWAYS allow callousing over with Epis and Succulents.

2--Liquid rooting hormones are better than the powdered ones as the
powdered ones can, actually, encourage rot. Hmmm...need to find the liquid one
somewhere...It also costs a lot more--as I once saw the "Dip and Grow" somewhere. $$$

3--Just because the cuttings grow new leaves DOES NOT mean there are roots.
I have always noticed this--also when rooting Hydrangeas.


ME?---I just trim up the tip cuttings and stick them in a soil MIX--keep moist,,
and wait. I AM now considering tenting them over with some plastic--
but they seem to be doing OK so far. I have them on my light shelf for now.
NO room for tenting..

Gita

That's really interesting about the liquid hormones as opposed to the powdered ones. Thanks for the tip!

It sounds like your old way (sticking the cuttings into soil) works for you, Gita; why mess with success : - )

We are home and just can't wait to get out there and do some fall clean up. Spent some time yesterday gathering up the garden art, dumped some pots of annuals into the compost. Today I hope to get the bananas cut down and the cannas dug up. It's 35* out there now got to get warmer than that for me to get out there and work.

Yesterday I got outside and planted 200 muscari bulbs. Even though it was fairly nice, I still got chilled through to the bones after being out there for 2 hours. I still have another 200 to plant, but I headed inside to warm up and never made it back out to finish the job. I have the Veteran's Day holiday off tomorrow - maybe I can finish then. I also need to scatter collected columbine seeds and purchased seed packs of poppy seeds too. Holly, one of my favorite columbines is a noid tall pink one that came from you a few years ago, I'm hoping the collected seeds will result in more :)

Terri--

I have seeds from a tall, pink Columbine called "Dorothy Rose" I have collected
except the blooms on mine are a little bit more upright....not so droopy.

Would you like me to send some to you? Gita

http://rainyside.com/plant_gallery/perennials/Aquilegia_vulgarisDorothyRose.html

edited to add another link,

http://www.tsflowers.com/seeds/aquilegia_dorothy_rose_columbine_seeds.html

This message was edited Nov 10, 2014 12:49 PM

This message was edited Nov 10, 2014 12:50 PM

Thanks Gita - those are pretty. You probably already have it, but I'll send my address in Dmail.

Terri--

I wanted to show you how the Dorothy Rose looked in my garden.
Not as lush as in those links--but it grew in a crowded bed with almost
NO care--so it is not as spedtacular. Not as tall--for me--but Aina's
grew quite big.
Next to it was the "Winky Purple" Columbine. It is a bit shorter but the
coloration is nice--the deep blue-purple with white edging.

I will send you seeds for both. Just throw it to the winds.....;o)

1--2--here is MY Dorothy Rose

3--4--The Winky Purple

http://www.perennials.com/plants/aquilegia-vulgaris-winky-purplewhite.html

5--This one is Olga's--and I have plenty of seeds for it too. Will send!

Gita

Gita, can't wait to see your seedbox in Feb! Thanks for being so generous with your collection efforts. :-)

Jill--

It will be the same seed box I always had. Not adding anything new to the big box.
Surely--you have dug through it some time at the previous Swaps???
Last year, I took out most of the seeds from before 2013. I wanted it "fresher".

I will have some new seeds from this season--I will put them in a separate
little box. Not too many though, as almost all my seeds are from my own garden.
SO--No new plants---NO new seeds. But....some....

Those that looked through my BIG box last year--there will be nothing new in there.
Might make it easier for those people who have looked through it every year.

The only thing I will do is re-fill the envelopes in there that are, sort of, empty.
Jill--Didn't I get the Winky Purple Columbine from you? Long ago..

Gita

G, I look forward to the columbine seeds.

I got the last 200 muscari bulbs planted yesterday. Whew... all bulbs from the ADR group buy are now officially planted, well except for a box of tulips I kept back for planting in the front steps urns. Is it ever REALLY done???

Sequoia, how are you coming along with your massive bulb planting?

Terri--

The seeds have been sitting in my mail box. They were not p/u
because of Veterans day--a federal Holiday. A mini striation....:o)

They will be picked up today---just hope the PO does not mind
that the envelope rattles...I wrote :Seeds" on the outside.

Gita

Gita, that could well be. I'm pretty sure that one is still out there, although I need to take roll call among the columbines next year... a few disappeared last winter. I have a new area where the perennials have rounded the corner & invaded the orchard & veggie garden, so I'll be tossing columbine seeds out there & hopefully WSing a few as well.

Good to know that Winky Purple grows true from self-pollinated seed!

Terri, in regards to the massive bulb planting I have 15/930 bulbs planted. I wanted to get all the winter prep done first, which I have just completed on Monday. This weekend it's dahlia digout and then full steam in to bulb planting. The 15 I've planted already are the 15 lilies I purchased. I think I have a pretty good handle on it and it's supposed to be nice this Saturday, albeit chilly.

I got another few precious hours of yardening in today, it was lovely, and now I'm really REALLY getting a last session sitting on the deck listening to crickets. And it's getting chilly now. I'll be at work Saturday, no time for the yard.

Seq what does your winter prep mean? Aside from raking leaves, and some weeding, I'm waiting to mulch later, and wishing I had compost to dress everything....pulling up odds and ends of annuals...

Pulled a lot of big leaves off Brug Maya, pulled up and bagged the pot, and hauled it into DDs bedroom. I just want to see if it puts out fragrance from the remaining buds. The pink Brug is still in the ground with a big pile of pine needles around it. Can it possibly come back from the roots next year?

Well this year my winter prep included caging 20 or so shrubs, cutting down all perennials, removing annuals, digging my dahlias, laying cover needles over the more tender perennials, covering the deck furniture, and putting burlap around two borderline rhodies.

Sally, what do you do with your leaves? I look for shortcuts wherever I can (especially when it comes to clearing leaves, which I hate), I'm too impatient to wait for compost to mature, and I always need mulch, so here's what I do with mine:

I try to collect them when they're dry, mulch/shred them with a lawn mower or leaf vacuum so they break into little bits, then dump them directly under shrubs, onto beds, around trees or in my wooded area. If they're wet or didn't break down into little pieces for some reason, I put them somewhere to dry out or compost them, but very few get put on the compost pile.

I don't want to clear leaves in my wooded area, but I don't want them to blow onto the lawn either, so I dump shredded leaves on top of them to hold them down.

This message was edited Nov 12, 2014 7:47 PM

Yesterday--after work--I decided to take apart the big planter in the WS bed.

GOOD GRIEF!!!! I hacked away for over an hour trying to get everything out
in a salvageable condition. SO many lessons to be learned--but I never do!!!!
This was a big pot--maybe 16-18".

I planted in it:

-the small, pink Canna in the middle--(this made nasty roots!) Nothing cute about it!

--Two 4" pots of Asparagus Fern--wanted something trailing...
(these made roots to the bottom of this pot and those water-saving
nodules all over. Big!--the size of large grapes. Nasty!)
I, finally, pulled/dug out the two ferns and, I know!, each will make a nice HB.

--A couple of Dragon Wing begonias--(always good bloomers!).

--Had a couple of Osteospermum Daisies in there (these got obliterated--never bloomed)

--A couple of small, white, robust, trailing A...??...?. (these grew well and bloomed)

If I planted anything else in there--I never saw it.


Lesson!
MUST think ahead and plant just some annuals that do not have deep roots!
OR--plan to toss the whole soil clump in the pot in a compost heap. Bye..Bye...everything.


This is from July--everything still looks orderly....

It looks beautiful, Gita, but it might be easier if you put less plants in it next year.

AHHH--but I wanted a nice, big, mixed planter....

All I got was a headache! G.

BTW--Does anyone have some Angelonia seeds?
Someone on another Forum would love to have some.

All mine, so far, have grown out to be Red satin Coreopsis...

Need real, blue Angelonias....please......Gita

Gita, I'd rather have full containers than skimpy or ones that take a month or two to fill out. What were you saving besides the pink canna? They should make 'spring form' containers for plants like they do for cakes so they could be easy out at the end of season!

Muddy, that is exactly what I do with my leaves, only difference is that I don't have a lawn so leaves can and do go everywhere. And, I love my oak leaves and how quickly when shredded they turn into that deep black stuff that my plants and trees and shrubs love. So far this season I have collected 20 bags from customers on my paper route....could use more! Not a leaf hater here.

Muddy, I try to get them all shredded on the lawn, and what is excess for the grass, I compost. Mother Nature fills up under my shrubs with blown leaves.

Asparagus fern roots are a ... mess. But asparagus fern greens do sound lovely between canna and begonia

Springform pots, love it!

Judy--

The pink Canna itself was difficult to extricate from the mess.
I was, actually, using my small trowel to hack with--like I was killing something...:o
The canna roots were surrounded by the A-Fern roots with all those water nodes.
There were also 3 different Purple Oxalis to dig and save.
They too had these big, translucent nodes.....like short, fat carrots.

I did want to save the fern--as I thought it would lok nice hanging in my bathroom
by the small window right above the toilet (humidity??) , May not be a good idea,
but when I get my mind set on something--I want to try it out.
All the rest were annuals and got yanked.

Well--re leaves--I see that these cold nights, finally, caused all the leaves to drop from the
Silver maple. it sure hangs on to its leaves for a long time!
The Red Maple drops hers in 2 cycles of dropping.
Time to rake and shred and dump them over the beds. I may even run it through
2 cycles of shredding......so she says.....???

Here are the Asparagus fern nodes...I left a bunch attached to the plant.

AND--My Clivia is blooming in the Shop. I do not always have the light on down there...

G.

Asparagus ferns are beautiful, but mine always seemed to go cyclical and drop lots of little needles (vaccuum cleaner) even with proper humidity indoors. This was lessend alot by cutting out any of the older branches or the more upright flowering/fruiting stalk. HaHa, maybe you could do an orchid in your bathroom! Brought in my oxalis, too. My asparagus fern used to overwinter fine on my enclosed unheated front porch and then put out new growth in the Spring.

My DragonWing Begonias and other 'tropicals' do well each year there, too. They will have to endure for a month longer 'semi-dormancy' this winter due to our early sustained cold.

Bundling up to go outside and spread some shredded leaves around my six groupings of containerized plants, trees and shrubs (last year there were 4 groups, yikes!) will then wrap bird netting around and over several groupings to deter deer brouse on tasty twigs and buds. Good grief, my yard looks empty with so much consolidated (ie seven JM s in the space of one, ditto 6 desiduous azaleas, and eight Hydrangeas!) And then there are all of the up potted native plants for more Monarch Waystations come Spring in my generous neighbors 6 x 30 borrowed sunny garden space. Not sure I will get to rigging a low tunnel for them which would mean I could control moisture and root rot and bring them out of dormancy earlier.

Oh, yes, turned off outside water and emptied hoses! May still plant garlic. My sedums and hens and chicks get stowed in a 'parts car'..again saves them from rot or smothering them with leaves.

May want to get the new foot warmer inserts that can be recharged and turned off and on at will.
Now where is my hat?