I am really trying to stop planting for this year. I have spent so much money and time. I am pretty broke folks. And this stuff is not going to do that well this year but am hoping it all looks really great next year and will be a pay off. I have also heard mention of winter sowing of seeds and this cuts down costs on planting for the next year.
My question is that I have been reading so much about the Liatris (sp) and how it is a butterfly magnet. I have been back and forth many times ordering it and then canceling the order, ordering it and then canceling the order. I just wanted to hear what you guys might say about it. It is worth ordering this late, is it worth ordering at all? I might have room for one more plant in my garden and I did get paid today so might be able to afford one more plant. So please would appreciate your expertise (which is so abundant here) and tell me should I splurge on that one last plant and if so would the Liatris be that one last plant? If you need a list of what plants I have I can probably give you a pretty accurate rundown but have nothing tall, spiky like this plant.
Thanks for all your wonderful help. Can you believe I only subscribed to this forum for two months and my time is almost up. I know here some of my pay day money will be going, for a full year of DG.
Leslie
Planting anything right now?
lost-- I can't really speak for TX gardening--nevertheless I will!!
But were I you, I would buy the corms from Home Depot next spring and plant them in little pots to get them going and then set them out in the garden. By August you should have some nice blooms.
A bag of corms is like $5. for 20 of them from home depot. And they usually carry both purple and white Liatris spicata 'kobold'. That's what I did this spring and I am so upset that I purchased the plants in years past--it was easy to grow them in the garden from the corms/bulbs (I didn't do seeds because that would have taken another season to get blooms.)
Other kinds of liatris are generally not available in corms, but that's OK. L. spicata is very nice and will do just fine until you can trade for some of the other kinds (if you still want them.)
Good luck with your garden. I know you will be happy with it next year! t.
You are always helpful Tabasco. So then corms are like bulbs or tubers I am assuming. And you just plant them in pots around the garden, correct? So you never put them in the ground actually? You just keep them in the pots? Or do you put them in the ground once they mature enough?
Sounds like a great plan and a great price and something I will plan on doing. That way I do not have to worry about it this year getting established, etc. I so appreciate your help if you would not mind just answering the above questions for me. Thanks so much.
Leslie
I planted some of the corms (which look and are treated like bulbs) in pots (or you could use some kind of seed tray) in early spring to get them going, then set out the seedlings into the garden. You can also plant the corms and keep them in pots for the patio or whatever. I looked for some liatris corm planting instructions on the Internet, but couldn't find any so you will have to rely on information published this spring when they are widely available to purchase....
You can also plant the corms right into the garden and they will grow just fine if you don't have voles/moles who like to dig around and find tasty treats (and slugs like them too). The seedlings look like shoots of grass in the spring so you have to be careful not to pull them out. They like good drainage and decent garden soil and good sunshine.
Now, if you do 'wintersowing' in your area, you could try to collect some liatris seeds from the shoots that have bloomed ( from liatris in other people's gardens) and try to 'wintersow' them. I suggest this because Liatris 'punctata' is more xeric (which might be good in your area) than 'spicata' but 'punctata' is not generally available in 'corm' form to purchase but you may be able to find it growing in a park or garden somewhere.
Again, these suggestions are for Ohio gardening--I don't know about your growing environment in TX.... But liatris are pretty easy to grow...
All right. Too Much Information, I know, but liatris is one of my favorites and I think underused in the garden, so I say give it a go! And the butterflies love it!
Well I am just glad you found my post Tabasco since you love the LIatris so much. That is stuff I needed to know. If they are that easy to grow from corms and I don't have moles/voles just one dog that likes to dig and squirrels who love to dig but usually are pretty safe, then that would be the way to go for me. This is a plant, like many others, I have fallen in love with on here and seeing them for sale on the Inet but they are just not as readily available to buy as some of the others, too late in the year or whatever. But I really like they way they look, stunning display, and would really like to get some in my garden. And I don't know much about Ohio gardening either but seems like we may have similar seasons anyway. I know it gets hot up there but probably a lot colder than it does here. My one big problem here is that I have that clay soil and by clay I mean when it dries up it is as hard or harder than a clay pot. This stuff is tough on the old back when trying to dig unless it is really wet. But I do try to amend as I go. I have never gone and thoroughly amended a whole plot of garden with stuff but usually when I plant I try to add compost, manure, mulch, root enhancer, anything I can find around here. And I can happily say out of the about 300 plants I planted this year (just kidding) I think I have only lost about two. So hopefully I am helping out a little. And I have always had pretty good luck with bulbs but only try things like daffodils, and things like that. Anyway, I appreciate all your help and glad you love this beautiful plant so much. Hopefully when the time comes next year I will still be around and you will still be around here for any more help if I need it. Thanks girl. If you think of anything else, let me know. And I am not really one for being picky about the species of plant I get. I love the purple ones like in your picture and will be happy if those are the only ones I can get. I did see some white ones online and I always love to put a little white in my garden because I always think it is a lot prettier than some people give it credit for. But the purple is fine with me as long as it grows and the BF's like it.
Thanks again.
Leslie
Leslie, the white liatris corms are readily available in springtime too.
Oh cool. Did not know that either. Do you have any white? And are the BF's attracted to the white also?
Leslie
Yes, I have a few whites, but the butterflies seem mostly interested in the purples here.
That is kind of what I figured. They just don't seem to be interested in whites. Don't know why. I think they are beautiful. Thanks so much.
Leslie