Sure Mark would know.. He is the national expert over there.:-).
All I know is that's what it said on the package. To venture a guess I'd say because the nutrients that Crocosmia take out of the soil get leached out too much for a second round. Probably best to replenish the soil with say clover or something in between. Bone meal can't hurt either when planting the bulbs.
Mark probably has an uncomplicated answer.
DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 28
I'd like to know the answer to that, also. (rotating crocosmias) I just planted mine, I don't want to have to move them every year.
~Lucy
Uh oh, looks like I'm going to have to plant some more extras for the butterflies. I'm getting into the whole local food thing and I decided it was time for me to try my hand at vegetable gardening. I guess I knew Cabbage Whites would eat cabbage, but I was going to grow some nasturtiums, too. Besides the edible leaves, I read their seedpods make a good substitute for capers. I've grown nasturtiums before and never noticed a problem, so hopefully it will be okay. I'm also planning on having extra herbs so I can just relocate the caterpillars. I'm trying to be organic. If given the choice between food that's been sprayed with chemicals or food that's been chewed and pooped on by caterpillars, I'd share my lunch with the cats anyday. They seem pretty healthy, after all!
It's very rainy here today and there's a chance of hail tonight, so no butterflies are out and about. They're probably trying to stay dry. Everyone's azaleas are in bloom now so at least there's plenty to eat. Also, the Spanish Needles (bidens alba) are really blooming right now. They're a weed around here and they're always blooming, but lately they've really taken off. Maybe all the rain? The Dainty Sulphur uses them as a host, so I try to leave some growing between the fence and the street.
Melanie
That's wonderful Mellie! You're getting a real plan going there!
I was reading about Nasturtiums and that they make a good trap for aphids when made into a concoction.. Right now I need to make dinner and I will write that out later when I am on my own time, LOL.. Some of you might look up what I am talking about here and we will combine all our notes together later.
Meanwhile somebody dmail Mark and ask him about the rotating Crocosmia question.. All I know is what I read on the instructions of this Emberglow package.
I haven't seen Mark around lately.
Debnes
I will contact Mark to inquire! I haven't bugged him lately, so it's about time for me to harrass him! LOL!
Love your planting plan, Melanie! My Nasturtiums are all sprouting. I just love those plants/vines. They can get really large which is what I love about them! :-)
Good morning Y'all..................... the bugged one has arrived!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Melanie, Hi Debs and Hiya B B B Becky.............
The question about rotating Crocosmia.............. I have never come across that one before. I don't normally buy packets of corms, but the ones I have bought before its never said that on any!!
My first thought would be because if you plant it in the same place they could be virused....
The same idea is used with roses too....... if you dig a rose up, never plant another in the same place.
All to do with viruses.........
By the way Becky, hows the marker pen prinit holding out???????????????
AND where is Roxy there days???????????????????
Mark
This message was edited Feb 13, 2008 2:57 AM
Hi Mark! Thanks for popping on here and trying to help us out concerning the Crocosmia question.
If I try them this year, they are staying put where I plant them. I don't dig anything up once it goes in the ground unless I have to move them for some reason! (But that is rare!)
You might be right, viruses or predators that might eat them would be a good reason for planting them in different places each year.
My marker labels held up last year, but the ink is starting to fade a little now. We get a lot of sun here. My marker finally went dry. :-(
Oh by the way Becky............... have a look at my newest website!! I am going for the National Collection of this plant soon...
http://www.simplesite.com/schizostylis
Mark
The marker out lasted any other though didn't it?????????????????
Want a new marker?????????????? I will send you one!!!!!
Mark - Yes, the marker certainly did outlast all the others! And YES! I would love another one. Do you still want some Freesia bulbs? I don't know the colors until they bloom. I just ordered some and thought of your request last year for some. I can send you 4 of them if you like. Love the smell !!!!
I have seen your new site and it looks really nice. I like your current site, too! I see you are finally selling some of your Crocosmia to support your National Collection! Good luck with that! :-) You certainly have an amazing collection! :-) Too bad you don't get hummers in the UK. They'd go crazy over all your Crocosmias! (Which is a favorite nectar bloom of hummingbirds!)
BTW Mark - Love the videos of your gardens that you now have on your website! I can almost smell the flowers and feel the breeze on my face! :-) What a beautiful place you have!
Becky
Ok, I will send you a couple more markers............
Ooooooooooooooo Freesia, yesssssssssssssssssss pleaseeeeeeeeeeee!! I don't mind about what colour they are.
Pleased you like the new site........ Yes i have altered the current site quite a lot.
Am selling plants all over the place now from Italy to Portugal to USA........ its sooooooo cool.
Oh how i want some Hummers......... wish wish wish we had some here!!!!!!!!
Awwwwwwwwwwww thank you............... yes it is so beautiful in the summer with all the smells and colours.
Mark
www.simplesite.com/crocosmia just in case anyone wants to look at the site.... LOL
There you are fella!!, LOL! (Now debnes is thinkin' of what to send Mark for one of those aerospace markers, humm.) Nice to see you my enthusiastic friend!! :-D. Glad to see you still spreading the Crocosmia love around!
Yeah viruses would make sense... the susceptibility would heighten as the nutrients were leached out. What do you feed yours Mark?
Freesia yeah! Some marvelous fragrance they have! If I am going to have those I better get them in the ground now, they bloom at the same time bluebonnets do.
Here is the skinny on the concoction I was talking about...Nasturtium a great host for Southern and Cabbage White also serves as an aphid trap. When ground with Sage (Salvia officinalis), Wormwood, and Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis), with enough water to make a spray is very effective in the control of white flies and aphids.
The site is really looking good Mark!
debnes
Hi Deb
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so you want a marker too................. silly you don't have to send me anything!! I just send them to Becky, well just because!! So i will certainly send you one if you want one.......
Oh yes, have to spread the crocosmia around a little....
I feed mine on fish blood and bone............. or any food with more potassium than nitrogen in it. Potassium will make it bloom more. Nitrogen will just make the leaves grow.
Freesia will be nice to have stood near the back door.....
Make a garlic wash and spray the plants three times a year, that will keep ALL bugs away from them...........
Mark
Wellll, I think I will mix and spray all the above when those hateful aphids and white flies start. My neighbors are far enough away not to smell it. LOL I bought a few freesias in Walmart. Will see how they do here.
Elaine
Mark, how do you make a garlic wash?
Oh, and I got my first crocosmias, but I don't know what they are. Someone gave to them to me. Oh, well, at least I have some. : )
And, someone else gave me a few Lucifer(I think) seeds, and 3 of them have popped up. : ) Gotta start somewhere, I guess. : )
~Lucy
Hi Lucy
Get a few cloves of crushed garlic and boil it in a pan.
After cooking it strain into a pan or whatever and let it go cold.
Then just add a little of the mixture (depends how strong you want to make it) to your watering can water, and water the plants........
Its particularly good on Hostas, makes the leaves nice and shiny!!!!
The good thing is its Organic and Cheap and IT WORKS!
Awwwwwwww nice to know you have some Crocosmia....... My friend in the states has started selling a nice selection. He is getting more and more varieties as time goes by.
http://farreachesfarm.squarespace.com/partialplantlist/
Mark
Thanks for the garlic recipe, and the website. I'll run over and take a look. : )
~Lucy
Lucy - I received some Lucifer seeds in a swap, too! I will be planting them this weekend! And if I get some from Deb of Ember Glow, then my little hummer friends should be happy!
I forgot that Wally World has the Freesia bulbs. I should be getting some in the mail soon that I ordered a month ago that should be shipped this week.
Mark - Did you see my hummer videos? I'll let you know when I send the Freesia out to you.
Lucy
You are welcome........... don't forget to sign the guestbook!! LOL
Becky
Where are your hummer videos???????????????????
Looking forward to the Freesias........ thank you
Mark - Go to my screen name on YouTube and there is a selection of videos that I have posted. You have broadband internet now right? My original video quality is actually quite good, but when you post video on YouTube the quality is reduced.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=MINATURE2&search_type=
The best hummer video is the "Hummer and Frog" video. :-) Enjoy!
This message was edited Feb 13, 2008 11:39 PM
HI Lucy!!
Hi Elaine!!
Yes indeedy they are some too too cute videos Becky! Your pkg should be there tomorrow or Friday.:-)
Hey Mark!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice to seeya! I can really use the marker buddy! I'm planting up a storm. I am also making a crude diagram of where I put seeds as well, but I do need to make plant markers for them too. Thanks for chiming in about the Crocosmias!!!!!!! :-)
They have some pretty nice copper plates on metal stakes at Target, I hope they start selling those soon. The markers work great on them and they look really nice.
Another thing I'm going to do after the seedlings pop up is to spread some cedar shavings around between the host plants. The kind of cedar shavings you get at the pet store, or pet section of WM. They come in a compressed package that spreads out to be quite a bit. It will also deter predators, (from what Geyata says) as well as hold in moisture in our crazy heat.
Another busy day ahead here... Supposed to get up to 70. We're expecting a wintry mix this weekend.. That should set the seeds I've already put out... I'm going to get the Morning Glory seeds going in a flat today Becky. Can't wait to see those!!!
Debnes
Hi back, Deb. : ) Do you think those cedar shaving might run the butterflies off, too? I don't know, just asking. : )
~Lucy
Hi Deb
Ok, I will send y'all one.................. I reckon they are the best marker on the market!!!!
Mark
I always get aphids on my milkweek. Usually I try to try to smush and rub as many off as I can. As eager as I am to try the garlic wash on my Hibiscus, I assume I can't use it on my milkweek because it will deter the Monarchs. Any thoughts? Trudi
I'm curious about the cedar shavings too.
Had a wonderful surprise today! After the sadness of losing several chrysalises to parasites, this beautiful Monarch eclosed today. I checked first thing this morning, but it was dang cold, 42, so I thought it might wait until tomorrow. When I came home for lunch, I saw a Monarch floating the garden, reminding me to check in the lanai. Found this little chrysalis popped open and it took a few minutes to find the little guy.
I think it was a female, but i didn't want to pester it too much. This caterpillar went through H-E--double-milkweed-stalk and back...
Found the poor little cat after it had been blown down off the milkweed plant in the kiddie pool after a windy night.
I didn't bother it, figuring I would harm it more than do it any good, and lo and behold, it actually made it into a little, kind of lopsided, chryalis.
I didn't get my hopes up, after the parasite incidents...but I did prop it up on a pair of soft gardening gloves, in a sunny spot, near the other two chrysalises attached to the lanai railing.
Today was the day, for the little cat that could! A very special Valentine's Day gift from Mother Nature!
I set it out in the garden, right next to some blooming milkweed, the glove tethered to a plastic bin.
The top left wing had a slightly paler color than the rest, but other than that, it seemed fine, and it had both antennae!
Happy day!
Yea for the Monarch! I've had a few Zebra STs that I didn't think would come out right, but it's amazing how they can thrive with just a little help.
In some exciting news - I had my first confirmed swallowtail siting of the season! I've been seeing what I suspected was a ST, but I wasn't sure. Today I was out picking up trash (I live along a major road) and I chased this bf through my neighbor's yard. I only got two crappy pictures. I think it was a Palamedes but I wouldn't swear to it. Here's the underside of it; it would never land so I could get the top view.
Melanie
Hopefully, I'll see it again. In other signs of spring, my pawpaws are starting to leaf out. I plan to go hiking this weekend and see all my other pawpaw friends. They should be blooming about now. Also, my cherry tree is putting out leaves. Oh, and my daffodils are bursting through. I know I'm too far south for daffodils, but I try anyway. I usually get a few that come through for me. : )
I don't know about the cedar thing, but my dad (the woodworker) has these big chunks of camphor wood smelling up the side yard. I can't tell if it's keeping things away since the part of the yard it's in doesn't get too many visitors anyway. I'll try to keep an eye out and report back.
By the way, the whole reason I was in my neighbor's yard was because there was a Sandhill Crane eating bugs and I thought some of the birdwatchers might like to see a picture. I call them the "dumbest birds on the planet" but the Whooping Cranes like to hang out with them so I suppose they're good for something. Check it out:
Lucky you Melanie! I've been hoping for the Polydamas ST to come back, but none so far. The pipevine is growing really well, so they'll have lots of food!
Can you just imagine what the neighbors must think when they see us- either running through yards, or gawking up at the trees, spnning in circles, just trying to get a picture!
Cathy
Best is when I'm laying flat on my belly to get pictures of those low-flying bfs that hide in the leaf litter! Scared my mother that way - she thought I was hurt. I'm just glad I haven't been caught climbing over and under fences in the preserve where I hike! My pipevine is quite bushy as well, which is amazing since I remember it being chewed to nothing. I'm hoping when I go hiking this weekend I'll see lots of bfs. Since I started bf watching in the summer, I want to pay attention to the spring forms of all the species. I know a lot of the STs have shorter tails in the spring, so I really want to compare. I remember everyone was impressed with the long tails of the Zebra STs last fall, so I want to see if it really is that noticeable. Lots more to learn!
Melanie
Oh, I totally forgot to add that my three Gulf Frit eggs hatched today! They're so tiny and cute.
Melanie
Melanie,,, you are sooo crazy, I can relate.
Lucy, that is interesting question about cedar and garlic running the butterflies off???? I know pine and pine straw doesn't here..
Deb, thanks for seeds you sent me last year... I have one mint- smelling one looks like fennel. It has kept growing even during the cold weather. I lost the tag (hanging my head in shame) It loves it by my pond.
Cathy, that butterfly sure picked a good site and such a beauty.
Elaine
Cathy - Cute story about your " little cat that could"! Love it! Great photos, too!
Melanie - You are posting some mighty fine photos! I beg to differ with ya ... I think the Sand Hill Cranes are SMART! They stop traffic here, they go wherever they want, and they don't take no baloney from anyone! They are the ruling birds here in my town! LOL! And they mate for life - awwww. So special! :-) I think the Pelicans are kinda dumb or at least awkward birds.
Lucy or someone has to find out more info about the cedar shavings. I never thought about using them as mulch. But it sure is an interesting suggestion.
Garlic spray would be great for pests if the butterflies still come around. But I don't want to run them off to keep the aphids and other bugs away. The Ladybugs are back in full force, so I think I'll leave the dirty business of pest control to them! :-)
Melanie, that's funny about lying in the leaf litter! Your poor mom. I never read anything about the length of the tails, I'll have to remember that and watch too.
Thanks Elaine & Becky, I think another will be eclosing tomorrow morning, yippee!
Sweet, smart DH gave me a lovely "Daily Butterfly" for Valentines Day. I guess my incessant dragging him over to the cats and chrysalises on the milkweed rubbed off on him...
Cathy
Cathy - OOOOHHH! Pretty bling-bling!!!
Yes,,, gorgeous bling, bling. your DH is pretty astute
Elaine