Interesting suggestion on the slug control. Have any of you had any experience with diatomaceous earth against slugs? It is supposed to cut when they crawl over it so they avoid it. I have never used it. Just wondering! Can't do much spraying of anything at the moment. We have 7" of snow -first big snowfall of the season!
Stormyla, I don't have a Buddlaia Sungold but the next generation Honeycomb which is weakening each year. We had a very bad winter a few years ago and it never really recovered properly. We are a little colder that you (6a borderline with 5) and I understand the yellow can be short lived. So I will probably replace it this year since I love the yellow.
Jessica
Mid Atlantic region- winter chores
Buddleias root fairly easily, don't they? Maybe you could make babies by taking a few cuttings form your over-the-hill plant?
Thanks, Happy, for that suggestion. I have never gotten into cuttings but need to learn how. I usually get one stem each year even if weak so will look into that possibility. Since this is a hybrid based on the Sungold I don't know how sensitive it is compared to some of the hardier ones. We'll see.
It can't hurt to take a cutting in July, stick it in a pot of soil (or better still, a soil-less mix), and stick a plastic bag over it, put it in the shade and see what happens. . . . .
This message was edited Dec 20, 2008 8:54 PM
I'll try it!
I have never put any Fall fertilizer on my bulbs or other perennials yet! Getting kind of late....
I think the next warmish day we have, I will try to do it. That is ONE thing still left to do....
I suppose I could mulch my roses a bit.....never seem to get to it. Left leaves all over my beds as we talked about earlier. Even added some on the beds that are not near trees.
Might do the Ammonia and water all around my edges and where soil meets concrete. Interesting idea..........IF I feel like it......:o)
OK! Time for bed....Gita
Jessica, I used Diatomaceous Earth in all of the beds against my house and in my long treeline bed, not the ones pictured. There are about 30 Hostas in it, including 3 very large Bressingham Blues whose giant bottom leaves lay against the ground. Only 1 leaf on one of them got eaten. So, it must work. They were all eaten some last year. I didn't use it for slug control, that was just a bonus!
Stormy -- what prompted you to use the DE if not for slug control?
Happy, my beds were over run with two kinds of ants and a population of grasshoppers of biblical proportions.
DE works for a lot of things soft bodied bugs get cut from it and things with shell casing like beetles it gets between the shell and the softer body. It is sometimes added to goat feed as a wormer. Be a little careful when spreading it around you don't want to breath in the dust.
I have a few bags of it, but my husband won't let me use it for that reason.
Happy, I use a dust mask. Works just fine. HD has several different kinds.
Thanks for the tip about using a dust mask with the DE. I would not have thought of it. I think I'll try the DE this summer as I had to use a lot of Sluggo last season. It was the worst for slugs I have ever seen. After one rain our lawn was literally crawling with them. I had never seen that before.
I don't disagree about the dust mask, but my husband doesn't want it anywhere near our place. I think I'll spread it when he is doing errands some day!
You are a wise woman, Happy.
Or really dumb -- depends on the perspective~
Is the dust really that dangerous? Not that I plan to find out but when I think of all the sprays and powders, like Rotenone we all use, is DE worse?
This message was edited Dec 21, 2008 7:28 PM
It's like microscopic razors. I've had to work with it and we had to use real respirators, not just dust masks. It's not poison, you just don't want it in your lungs. I think it's silica, from fossil plankton skeletons.
Claypa, I should have said that I use a respirator mask. Actually, I think a dusk mask would be fine because I use the tube that Milky Spore sells to dispense it. The tube is about 2 to 3" wide and 3' tall. You walk upright carrying the tube pointed at the ground only 2 or 3" above the ground. This way my head is actually 5' or more above the product.
Thanks, Claypa, for the clarification. Maybe I'll look for an alternative. What about using ground up egg shells? I use them for my tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers but thinkt they might be good for slugs. I've never tried them for that. Every year I save them, nook them in the microwave to kill any bacteria, grind them in the blender and put them in used Parmesan cheese containers so I can sprinkle them easier. Have any of you used them for slugs?
Terri, I haven't but Irisloverdee does. She has a local restaurant that saves them for her 1 day a week and she applies them year round.
Don't be afraid of the DE, before I knew that it was dangerous, I used it any number of times without protection.
Just don't breathe it. And don't use the swimming pool filter kind, it's much worse.
OK Sally, What's on the list for Feb.? I know that a few of our DG neighbors have bundled up and gone out to deal with leaf issues. I personally have picked up a few stray aluminum cans that blew out of my recycle bins, does that count? LOL
I have moved most of my house plants back downstairs and am accessing the damage from forced captivity in the upstairs storage room. I've also started to clean up the storage room to get ready for seed starting.
Ric, gathered up some of the bulbs I ordered last year that never got planted and did bulb gardens. Looks like they are doing well as we have quite a few green tips showing.
I've been prowling the Co-op Forums and going a little overboard.
And last but not least I am working on my DG Journal.
It's so pretty out today here! Also so muddy where it's no longer icy. My tasks are limited to strolling and pondering, which is good because I'm supposed to be making lasagne and a cake for DS Bday.
As far as plants= I should be planning my seed starting, continuing to watch houseplants for care issues- (I think I just found scale on Meyer lemons- How could those things arise from nowhere after three months indoors and never having seen them before outside anyway??)
and should get ready for pruning bushes as soon as we get aanother nice day when I don't have to cook! And we pick up fallen small branches on the yard.
OH YEAH_ Trying not to scream at the display of caladiums in Hom DPot on Jan 31, which announces- Plant NOW for your summer flowers!!!
This message was edited Feb 1, 2009 2:17 PM
Hi Guys ! Just got done ordering more seeds. Getting closer to seed starting everyday.
Holly, when do you start your OSP tubers in water, I did not do a time line on mine last year, I was such an airhead!
We still have a lot of snow covering the ground but the sun is out and the temp is in the 40's so we are having a melt down!
I have some bread in the bread machine, will be baking in the oven soon. I just use the machine for mixing and kneading, hate ABM crust, too chewy. (I know, not gardening, but you can't garden on an empty stomach) Sally when's dinner? Happy Birthday to DS !
Holly glad you are working on your journay, I might just take a peek soon.
Picture of MaryChris sun bathing. She was having a bad hair, I mean beard, day.
It is beautiful out there today. I could easily go out for hours and work in the yard with that sun shining. Well I could if everything wasn't still covered with snow and ice crust.
Sally, My houseplants also have issues and I have been spraying with Neem. They are much better than they were but I still see signs of them and my plants are missing a whole lot of leaves. I've given up completely on the Brazilian Plume as the scale just overwhelmed it while upstairs.
Lady, I have been thinking a lot about getting out the few OSP tubers I collected last summer, so it must be getting close to the starting time. Went back and looked up my old Threads and looks like I started them in the first two weeks of Feb. Although you don't have to start them quite this early. I wanted to have a lot to share so I started a bit early to get the most I could.
I'll let you know when the Journal is ready for viewing. So far all I have in there are 2 Roses. LOL I'm just getting ready to put in my Clematis
The guys are all having a party tonight. Ric went out shopping and locked himself out of the car. It's got a broken door handle and automatic locks. It's real easy to hop out to do something and lock your self out. So I had to go up with the extra key and then when we got home I helped make food for tonight. Just getting back to working on the Journal again.
Todays winter chore was washing windows and screens, to let more sun in, so I'll get more energy to plan garden stuff! Can't believe how much dirt comes off of window screens. I' thought I broke a window till I figured out I was putting it in back wards- phew.
Well, I did get out pots for indoor seeds. And added some ammonia window water to dry leaf bags.
Hey, you didn't make it by dinnertime, Chris! I have yours in the refrig. He did not want a fuss; he popped around the corner of the door before dinner and said- No singing, No candles, No pictures...LOL teens. He managed to accept presents, even tho he hadn't asked for anything.
Chris have a piece of bread for me--I used a bread machine some while my friend lent me one, but I just have no counter space to commit to one myself. Well, I'm always going to the store anyway, fresh bread isn't too hard to come by. I suppose I should learn to do it totally from scratch......It would go well with the beef veg soup I'm working on today. I'll go with biscuits, I'm pretty handy there.
You have me puzzled: you "added some ammonia window water to dry leaf bags"???
I'm paying bills. The better to see how much is left to buy plants with. LOL
Ric, Still hasn't come home from last night. I told him to stay at Josh's house didn't want him out on the roads after the game. They were going to cut wood this morning anyway. I thought he would be back by now, then remembered that after they did wood he was going to pick up some 2X4's for the back room. He'll probably come home and take a nap.
Don't forget this month is the ideal time to prune your butterfly bushes.
Yeah, Sally, what's with the ammonia water? For nitrogen?
Thanks Hart I'll do that I have been thinking about taking a bit off my Quince, too.
Yep, Ric came home and promptly went off for a nap. He says staying overnight at Josh's house is like staying at a Frat House. Food and beer, friends and neighbors in and out. Up playing Cribbage half the night and cell phone calls with pics from the game. He had a ball. LOL
Gee, unmarried guy with his own house on Superbowl night and it's like staying at a frat house - I'm thunderstruck. Where did you go wrong?! LOLOL
Um, well, I wash the windowswith water with some ammonia- so I figured those bags of dry fall leaves that aren't doing a thing, would possibly be helped by the water and nitrogen. That's all.
Butterfly bush stems make good stakes for English peas etc. I cut the bottom on a point, then use gloved hands to break off most of the side branches lower down, leaving some branch stubs near the top for propping up things.
What a life!! I haven't played cribbage in ages. Must teach my hubby.
What a good idea for the trimmings, Sally. I thought maybe the ammonia thing was something we were supposed to do on purpose. LOL It certainly won't hurt.
Do you have a compost heap? Those leaves make mighty nice compost.
My two Butterfly bushes reside in my "YUK" bed--one on each corner.....
I cut them down to about a foot or so in the Spring--but they just never do much blooming-wise. Every year--the leaves succumb to what looks like a mite, or spider mite, attack and the bush suffers.
The blooms are just measly so-so's. Nothing like the bloom should be!
When should I spray and with what?
I have never cut them back this early. Will do so the next warmish day....
Of course when ANYTHING does not do well in this bed--I blame it on the bed and all the tree roots. I never understand how ANYTHING can survive in this bed at all???
The hardiest in this bed are my Shasta daisies. They will grow anywhere!
Gita
Sally, next time you make soup or stew this bread is a good one for soaking up the goodies, it's easy to make.
Onion Dill Bread (No-Knead)
This bread comes out soft. The onion flavor is not over powering. I do add a bit more dill (increase by 1/2 teaspoon) as I like the dill flavor.
1 loaf
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
2 teaspoons instant minced onion
1 egg
Directions:
1 In bowl combine 1 1/2 cup of the flour and yeast.
2 In a saucepan heat milk, sugar, butter, dill seed or weed, onion, salt, heat to 115-120 degrees stirring to melt the butter.
3 Add to dry mixture; add egg.
4 Beat at low speed for about 1/2 minute then high for 3 minutes.
5 Then stir in remaining flour.
6 Cover and let rise till doubled (about 30 minutes) Stir down.
7 Then spread evenly in to a greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.
8 Let rise again until doubled (about 30 minutes) Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes.
9 Remove from pan to cool.
This message was edited Feb 2, 2009 7:37 PM
I had a large white Butterfly Bush, when I put in my Holly hedge I was expecting to have to cut it down. In prep of trying to move it I cut it way back and then realized that at a smaller size it could stay there at least until the Hollies get bigger. I never really wanted a White BB, I wanted a purple one. I thought I would get one so that when I finally do have to move/destroy the white one I'd have another. Ric went out and bought one of those 3 in 1 grafted ones, which wasn't at all what I wanted. Turned out that it wasn't what he thought he was getting and it's white, too. I did order a yellow one a couple of years ago, that one died. Last year I was looking at a multi-colored one but didn't get it. Looks like the only BB around here are going to be white for a while at least. Oh well the Butterflies don't seem to care. LOL
Ric's still recuperating. After his nap he had a light snack and is now taking a second nap on the couch. Wanta bet he wakes up in a couple of hours and is up most of the night. He can still hang with the young guys but it takes a toll. LOL
Thats a good idea about the peas and the butterfly bush trimmings. I do cut back my bushes in the fall, the snow can get so wet and heavy here that I have had bushes split or toppled over exposing the roots.
I also like the idea of the ammonia water, but I still use Windex. But dry my windows with crumpled up newspaper.
My mom used the dish water from the dish pan after dinner to pour over her roses, said the soapy water killed the bugs, and she had beautiful roses.
mmm onion dill bread sounds great!!!! maybe tomorrow! My soup needed more simmering so its for tomorrow dinner instead of today.
tues- tomorrow is now today and in a jiffy i had the bread mixed up and it's rising, smellls good already
This message was edited Feb 3, 2009 4:37 PM
Gee, if the ground hadn't been covered with ice encrusted snow, I could have had a second use for all of that amonia water from my window and crystal washing!!