Hey Texans,
Everything is coming back except my Pentas. Will they come back? I had cut them down and covered them with mulch but there are no signs of life. Will the new growth come from the roots like a Plumbego or will it come on the branches like the Chase tree? I assume from the roots. Gosh, I hope they do come back b/c the butterflies LOVE them. OH..and I think I killed my beautiful Ixora. No signs of life there either.
Thanks for any help you can offer,
Michelle
Will my Pentas come back?
They usually freeze dead for me; I consider them to be annuals. My vitex (chaste) have kept their leaves all winter. Ixora I don't do but I think it is frost sensitive.
Deb
Hey Debbie,
yes, I think my Ixora bit the dust. Darn...it was really gorgeous. My vitex is a happy guy and has new growth all over him. He did lose all his leaves and looked horrid...but he looks good now. My Beautyberry is finally getting new growth on it too. So you think my Pentas are history? Drag! I thought they were tender perennials... boohiss.
Michelle
Michelle-
It deeply saddens me that you Ixora may be gone. :-) Your Ixora was the most beautiful plant I have ever seen. I was actually thinking about it today and considering ordering one online.
Don't give up hope on those pentas. My mom had some come back last year and it just took a while for them to come up. Have you fertilized them or watered it with starter solution? Just a thought.
Like I said...I don't do Ixora's so don't take my word for it! They are succulent like right? Some succulents are kinda slow to revive because they like the heat....speaking of heat; it was downright humid as could be this afternoon and then the sun came out...its a good thing you guys haven't smell ability! Did I mention I'm remaining this way until I go back to the Chevy dealer to retrieve the car? For the price they are charging me they deserve to smell me after a day of gardening! Did I mention I STILL have those jeans on I spilled the seaweed emulsion on for a second day? Hey; couldn't see putting on clean jeans to garden! LOL I bet that dealership will be glad to see me gone!
Michelle! You changed your name, didn't you? Is that because you are no longer new at plants? :-)
(Long time, no type!)
Oh yeah, Some of my pentas come back, right at the soil line, some of them don't. It's a mixed bag.
This message was edited Mar 16, 2006 6:19 PM
Now is when the NorthTexas gardeners all say - Our Pentas never come back.... sure wish they did would save the bank big time.
Mine never seem to come back either...must be the stress; that is the stress involved in living in my garden! LOL
Michelle, my tall growing pentas have always come back. The red blooming one that I covered with freeze cloth did not freeze back (I had cut it in half so I could cover it). I have had it 6 years. The bright pink ones that are in a location where they are more exposed to the cold, I cut back to about 2 inches. Then, I covered them with mulch, When it was going to get down into the lower 20s, I placed black containers covered with towels on them. They are just now starting to resprout right at ground level. Two I did nothing to protect them and they are just coming up at ground level. The ones that have lighter pink blooms and the ones that have lavender blooms do not seem to be able to withstand freezes very well even when covered so I overwintered them in my greenhouse in containers. They never quit blooming. Usually the pentas do not come back up until the middle of March or late March if it has preety cold and then take of in April if the weather has warmed up. Since you are in an area that is a little cooler than San Antonio, yours may take a little longer than mine. Don't give up just yet.
Hi Merae!! I know..you really liked my Ixora. sniffle sniffle. I have watered and fertilized. and talking to them (Ixora and pentas) urging them to come back to life.
Deb (aka Smelly girl), no the Ixora is not a succelent. It is an evergreen. I will have to get another...it was so beautiful just as Merae said.
Maggie, hey girl! How are ya? Yep, just changed my name. DH picked it out for me. Figures...I'm surprised he didn't suggest OCDgardener. haha.
htop, how are YOU!! I had 2 very large pentas that I cut down to about 6" and covered in mulch. One was the light pink and the other was lavender. I also has a smaller red penta that might be coming back. It looks as though the new growth is coming from the roots about 4" from the plant. odd. or maybe it is a weed that looks like the penta? haha. I'll keep watching them and see what happens.
mitch, you guys in north TX are much colder than us central TX folks!!
Michelle
I've had my shower now--but trust me; that Chevy dealer deserved it.
Michelle dont rub that fact in!
Michelle, I just noticed one of the pentas that I thought had died seems to have a new plant coming up a few inches away also. Hope springs eternal!
Oh how wonderful maggie. weird that it comes up a few inches away hu? maybe the roots are still alive afterall? I almost pulled the little thing b/c I htought it was a weed at first, but then realized it didn't look like the other weeds I had pulled up so I left it. now it is beginning to look a little more like maybe a real plant. Only the red one has any life to it. Still waiting on the lavender and pink ones. They were huge and beautiful. I'll be so sad if they don't come back.
Deb, you smell better all the way down here! haha. I bet the dealer did deserve it!
Mitch, you are in zone 8a...it can't be THAT cold up there, can it? It has been chilly today. It was forcast to be 72, but it has not gotten over 60. I am so hoping for some good rain.
Just this cold so I cannot have the tropicals but not all that cold so I cannot grow the Northern things like Lilacs and Tulips... But I love it here - would not trade it for anything a great place to garden once you learn a few rules...
Guess I'm gonna have to go to the garden center and get some....might be a little early for them though, huh? I didn't grow any last year--but hey I'm down to only about 40 transplants from seeds on the back patio so I guess I got room for a few more things!
Debbie
Thanks Ronnie. I am hoping after all our rain from the weekend spurs them on to come back. What colors do you have? It seems like the red pentas are hardier than the pink or lavender. Where do you live in Austin? I'm in North Austin near P-ville.
Debbie, I think it was early April when I bought the pentas last year. we have a nursery called Red Barn and I got 2 of them for $6.00. Great deal. They grew huge in no time. They bloomed constantly and the butterflies just loved them. I will have to get more if these don't come back b/c it was so fun watching the butterflies all over them while sitting in our sunroom.
Mitch, I'm not sure where Red Oak is? Up by Dallas?
We are 6 blocks from being out side of Dallas Co - between Dallas and Waxahachie.
Hi Ronnie! Do you grow tomatoes by chance?
Well, I am hoping all of my Pentas come back...we will see.
Did you get lots of thunder, lightning, rain and hail last night? We did up here in North Austin. About midnight it woke me up and I was awake until 2am listening to it. I think we got about 3". I'm thankful we did not have any tornadoes.
We will have to meet up when our gardens get going to say howdy and maybe a trade on some yummy maters if you are growing them. I'm hoping to have them hardened off by next week so I can start planting. I am tilling this week.
Michelleb
Ah Mitch...I know exactly where you are then. I have driven up and down from Austin to Dallas a zillion times. If you are ever in the Austin area, let me know!
Will do - we drive south often for the flea markets so should be through there this summer.
I've been looking around for the pentas to show up in the nurseries. Maybe if they haven't appeared in the nurseries this early we are jumping the gun about worrying that they aren't coming back (we did have that late freeze after all.) The Arbor Gate in Tomball said they should be getting theirs any time now. The Houston Garden Centers (the ones with the yellow/red/white umbrellas) have some in gallon & 5 gallon containers. I never buy things in large containers, they are too expensive. Anyway, they don't have the small ones yet, either.
Here's an assignment for everyone: go out to a nursery (or two) this week and report back!
:-)
Well Mitch, come on by....
maggie, have you not seen any pentas yet in the nurseries? I have not looked yet. Yep, no need to buy pentas in large containers...those guys grow very quickly. i had a very small 4" pot...and the doggone thing was huge in a couple of months.
I will check out Red Barn and see what they have...i know Lowes does not have them yet.