When are you planting?

If the weather forecast is right (!), we're going to have a few more very cold nights, then nighttime temps are going to be in the mid-to-high 30s.

Even though it'll be cold, I'm planting my lettuces and cabbages on Saturday. (When I plant the seedlings, I also plant seeds.) They don't mind a little frost.

I'm wondering if I should plant the hollyhock (roots) and hardy hibiscus (roots). Maybe it would be better to wait until the soil warms up more.

Are you planting anything this week?

Frozen Peas ! It will be a few wks. here as we can't seem to get rid of the snow cover. Looks like that will get freshened up Thursday. Winter started real late but now it won't let go. Wish I could plant something outside other than the shovel in a snowbank. kdcon

DH hopes to roto-till the vegetable garden tomorrow, then he'll plant the peas.

kdcon
I can't believe we are getting more! I want to plant too. I remember a lot of times we were able to plant peas during April vacation.

My hoolyhocks that were baby seedings last fall are up so I think it would be fine to plant them along with lettuce, peas etc. I don't know, but would hold off om the hibicus a bit even though they are roots.

Hoolyhocks?

We have many plants up already - Columbines are looking wonderful. Let's hope we don't get the cold I heard about earlier on the news.

Pirl: They are the Irish variety.
Must hand over computer to daughter.

Aha! The ones hybridized by the famous Hooligans!

I hope to plant the sweetpeas this Saturday .... that will free up one window in the house so I can pot up the petunia seedlings.

Anyone ever get a white stringy fungus on seed flats that have been slow to germinate? If so, what do I do?

I planted Snap Peas ( Sugar sprint), a new variety for me. I put them in the ground on tuesday which was a fairly nice day here in S.E. Mass. i got the seed from Vermont Bean Seed Co. which is a new Co. to me also.
Now the forecast for Rain 7 out of 9 days to come. ha Wet spring so far, maybe see some sun someday.

Good luck,
Paul

Dave, I use a mix of Chamomile Tea, H. Peroxide and water and lightly spray the surface. Had some mold etc. start around Petunia/ impatient seedlings and this mix seemed to stop it and did not hurt the plants. The mix I used was 2 tea bags, 4 tablespoons H. peroxide and 1 gal. water. I just steeped the tea in a gal. of water and added the rest to that. Might be worth a try, kdcon

Thanks KD! I'll give it a try. If I'm out of Chamomile, can I sustitute?

Dave, I got that idea from Critteroligist in the pepper forum and have used it as a spray to lightly mist the top of soil and will mix it in the water from now on when I water the trays. They are all watered from the bottom so I kinda used it as a stop gap untill my next real watering, this afternoon. I would just use the H. Peroxide if you have that and give it a try.
Quoted from Critters thread.....

"Gently firm the soil down around the seedling, and water it in to settle the soil around the roots. I'll be using weak chamomile tea for this intial watering, too, although I've just used plain water in the past. You can also use hydrogen peroxide water to guard against damping off & other problems; add 1 tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide (household strength) per quart of water. "

Yes. Critter is great, isn't he? I've learned a few things from him.
Good luck with the storm, kd.

So chamomile reduces stress in seedlings, as well as people!

I did some digging today, the soil is very wet. I was removing not planting. I have not planted anything out doors yet. Very late for me. I have not even cleared the Strawberries yet. Too much rain coming ~ erosion.
Pea planters, do you use Capstan on the seed to prevent rot?
Andy P

We use some kind of innoculant but I don't know the name. He buys it at Agway.

The times we couldn't get it, when Agway either didn't have it or they were out of stock, nothing bad happened.

I did lots of planting yesterday. 30 Clematis and 10 shrubs. I was dead. Soil was still wet but not too bad.

30 Clematis!!!!!!!!! Which ones?

You don't really want me to name them ALL, do you?

Yes, it's good to test your memory.

Okay - you asked for it! Pardon any spelling errors - I am copying from my hand scratched notes.

Charissima, Lady Caroline Neville (4), Franziska Maria, Florida Sieboldii, Pink Champagne, Marmori, Mme Julia Correvon, Abundance, Caroline, Mrs. Cholmondeley (4), Josephine, Minister, Ruutel, Andromeda, Ken Donson, Rooguchi, Ashva, Perle d'Azure, Huldine, Emilia Plater, Prince Charles, Venosa Violacea (3)

9 were planted at the base of a chain link fence. One will climb a trellis that does not exist yet. All the rest are for growing through shrubs.

I think it should be PIRL d'Azure.

I'll have to look up the ones I haven't grown or killed yet.

Pink Champagne is glorious
Venosa Violacea is one I have ordered and I'm waiting for.
Killed poor Josephine!

Is that Pink Champagne?

YES DEAR!

Very nice honey!

Just take an aspirin for that backache, Victor, and I'll be back to pester you tomorrow.

Hey Victor - do you know of a clemantis that works well in semi-shade? I have an arbor that I would like to have a healthy clemantis drape over. Personally, I would like to cover the whole thing with Sweet Autumn because it is supposed to be fragrant, but I think DH would prefer something with a more dramatic flower. Any ideas?

Most clematis work well in semi-shade. They may not bloom as prolifically, but they should be bloom fine if they get at least 3 hours of sun a day. Some clematis fade in too much sun.

I would recommend a Group 3 type (pruned to the base every late winter) as they are usually tougher and more reliable overall. They typically bloom later in the season (July) than the Group 2's and often again in Sept-Oct.

I have Huldine over an arbor that works well. It gets afternoon sun. I also would recommend Polish Spirit and Jackmanii. Silver Moon is especially good in shade. The President is also a great clematis and mine only gets 3 hours of morning sun

Make sure you get one that says 10-12'. Some newer ones are bred to be smaller for containers

A pic of my huldine on an arbor: http://picasaweb.google.com/gardengal4/Clematis/photo#5048428683760598498

This message was edited Apr 15, 2007 11:13 AM

That's magnificent,plantaholic2. How far apart should I plant them? Should I grow one on each side?

Seandor, there are varieties that are more shade tolerant than others. Silver Moon is the one named most often, as plantaholic mentioned. Others prefer afternoon shade or else they can fade out. Hagley Hybrid is one that I grow that prefers semi-shade. You certainly can put one on either side of the arbor, but that's a personal thing. You might want to use two complementary varieties that will eventually mix together (and hopefully look nice) near the top. Of course, you can also grow another plant with it as well.

Definitely grow one on each side. Actually 2 or 3 on each side depending on which clematis you actually get and how big the arbor is. Each clematis should have 18"-24" width

I grow mine with a William Baffin climbing rose. I have one rose and one clematis on each side, but the rose takes up most of the space. Without a rose, I would have put at least one clematis on each corner of this arbor:

http://picasaweb.google.com/gardengal4/Garden/photo#4995979452441624594

and maybe one alternate complementary one in the middle if I was wanting to push things. Its fun to try to get two to bloom together that are complementary. On the other hand, if they bloom in succession, that's always good too. Hard to go wrong with clematis, my favorite addiction!

Beautiful, plantaholic! That looks like a sunnier area. Is it? What is the arbor material? I too have been hooked on Clematis recently. How many do you grow? Stuck on J. Maples too, but not enough shade for too many more of them, unfortunately.

Victor

Plantaholic has one of the few arbors I like and it's not only planted beautifully but has a wonderful siting. Glorious.

Our arbor is offset and is the gateway into the backyeard and the fragrance garden. The arbor will get very early morning sun and late afternoon, with most of the day in shade.

Lovely.

Well, the circular garden looks a mess in the photo - it's a lot different now. but you get the idea of how shady the arbor is during the greater part of the day.

Thank you. Yes, that area is one of my sunniest. The arbor is cedar. I am letting it go natural. I grow way way way too many clematis. I am only halfway through pruning them and its mid-April and I should have been done by March. Darn uncooperative weather!! Yesterday was the only nice day in months, but I had a birthday part to attend. Still waiting to survey all areas and see whats coming up, but if there were no losses, I think I am up to 69.

The only good thing about the birthday party is that my favorite garden center is on the way. I saw a gorgeous Coral Bark JM that I almost bought, but I needed to do some online research on it. Like zone and sun tolerance. Are you familiar with that one? I like JM's too, but so far, I am not out of control yet, I only have half-dozen. I can see the number growing though. Do you have a favorite?

Seandor, that arbor is lovely, but it does look very shady. I would go for the Silver Moon. The angle looks tricky to fit 4. Can that angled piece of trellis be removed to dig a hole?