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Posts Tagged ‘plant care’

Sowing hardy annuals - If you read in a book or magazine that hardy annuals should be planted just before the ground freezes so that they will not germinate until spring, remember that this advice is not for the South. In the Mid-South and southward hardy annuals are planted as early as September, though October is the main planting month.

Sowing the plants early in the fall results in the development of vigorous young plants before winter arrives. Along the Gulf Coast and in Florida some species will bloom in midwinter. Here in my garden, situated about 150 miles from the Coast, English daisies and pansies will bloom by Christmas if the winter is mild and the plants are heavily watered and fertilized. In some areas a freeze will sometimes injure the early-planted seedlings, but this is the chance that must be taken.

Caring for chrysanthemums - In the Middle South October is a critical month for chrysanthemums. Early varieties are opening now and mid-season kinds will be open by the last of the month. The large exhibition kinds should be properly staked or tied up to insure straight stems; and, of course, the side shoots should be pinched off.

Look out for the cucumber beetle, the chrysanthemum’s worst insect enemy in the South. This insect, yellowish-green with twelve black spots, multiplies at an astounding rate and, if not checked, can destroy a crop of flowers in a few days. My strategy in controlling these pests is to begin weekly applications of a sevin-malathion spray when the flower buds are well developed. The plants would be damaged if I waited for the insects to appear before beginning the spray program. Only the tops should be sprayed, for insects attack only the flowers.

When color begins to show in the buds, fertilize the plants and water them well.

Protecting chrysanthemums from frost is a perennial problem in the Mid-South. People have even erected frames over the beds. These are covered with polyethylene or sheet plastic. The frames are constructed so that they can be dismantled and stored easily when they are no longer needed.

Do not wait until frost threatens but prepare some type of protection now so it will be ready. I usually dig some plants with balls of earth and move them into the garage. Late varieties will continue blooming for weeks. The garden types can be potted up and moved indoors for home decoration. This will provide plenty of indoor color for Thanksgiving and maybe some for Christmas and a good time for christmas cactus propagation.

Protecting Chinese hibiscus from frost - I have noticed that gardeners who attempted to protect their Chinese hibiscus by pruning, packing with straw etc - lose many of their plants. In areas where hibiscus needs some winter protection it is perhaps better, when practical, to dig and store the plants where they won’t freeze, such as in a basement or heated garage. In spring the plants can be placed in the garden again.

Recommended grasses for Southern lawns - There is no perfect lawn grass, but for sunny areas in the South Bermuda is great. St. Augustine and centipede are both good for sunny and shaded areas. Spot burning or dying out of areas in the lawn is probably due to a deficiency of iron; as a remedy try applying iron sulfate at the rate of one teaspoonful to a gallon of water.

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Ground Covers - Many gardens have areas where grass cannot be grown and in these areas some type of ground cover should be used. What is ground cover? Any evergreen plant that tends to creep or grow prostrate on the ground and as such provides a protective covering can be properly called a ground cover. There are many plants of this nature.

Some of the better kinds are English ivy, trailing periwinkle, and the various euonymus. These three are old standbys and are transitional enough in habit of growth not to compete for prominence with other plants in the garden. October is a good time to plant these so they become established and ready to make new growth in early spring. The native honeysuckle will also make a very good ground cover, but may actually become a pest. This one is excellent for steep slopes for erosion control.

Roses - The last beautiful display of roses comes this month and many clubs have their fall rose shows. The blooms, while fewer in number, are usually much higher in quality, because of the cool night temperatures. Do not relax your program of spraying or dusting because the threat of blackspot is always present as long as foliage is on the plant like eugenia plant care. There will also be an occasional crop of insects showing, up to keep the alert gardener on the spraying schedule. Prune as you cut the blooms and there will not be as much pruning necessary later for eugenia plant. Keep old blooms removed as they draw on much needed food that can be stored.

Bulb Storage - All summer flowering bulbs should be dug and stored as soon as practicable. The first killing frost will destroy the top growth. Even though it may not be possible to dig bulbs right after the frost, the top growth should be removed. Frost develops a toxic fluid in the plant which, when it moves into the roots, will cause them to rot. Dig caladium bulbs and gladiolus corms; dry, and then store in trays of dry sand or moss in a cool, dry place. Avoid storage where the temperatures get above 65.

Dig canna tubers with as much soil as possible adhering to the roots and store in this manner. The tubers (rhizomes) will cure out properly and the clumps can be divided in March for replanting. In digging dahlias, take care to avoid breaking any of the tubers loose. All of the tubers must have a section of the old stem attached, or there will be no plant produced. Growth of dahlias comes from buds on this old stem; therefore every tuber must have a part of this parent stem even though it may be very small.

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Many of the shrub roses like rugosas and the Scotch rose are perfectly hardy in the West and require no covering. Hybrid teas, polyanthus, and climbing roses are quite tender and need winter protection. If the roses are planted in beds, place a mound of soil around each plant to a depth of at least six inches and then cover over the bed entirely with straw.

If only individual specimens exist here and there through the yard, place wire fences around each plant, mound with soil as described above, and then pack the fence with straw. For climbing roses, pull the vines down from their support, lay them along the ground and cover them completely with soil.

Digging Bulbs

October is the time for digging and lifting summer blooming tender bulbs. Use a digging fork for lifting gladiolus plants. Loosen the soil with the fork and pull the plant gently. If it is a valuable variety and you are saving the cormels for increase, be extra careful in pulling the plant from the soil. Remove extra soil from the corms, cut the foliage to within an inch or so of the corm, and place the corm in an open tray or box to cure and dry.

If fusarium disease has been a problem with the glads during the summer, store the corms in a warm airy place at a temperature of about 95, degrees for about seven days. Then clean the old corm off the bottom, removing all dried roots. Dust the new corms lightly. Store the corms for another seven days at 95 degrees. After this period place the corms in cool storage at temperatures between 35 and 40 degrees if possible. Never store the corms in closed, airtight containers.

Dig dahlia tubers and lady slipper orchid at the advent of the first light frosts. Remove excess soil from the tuber clumps, washing it off with a hose if necessary, and place the clumps upside down to dry and drain moisture for a few days. As soon as lady slipper orchid and dahlia tubers have dried, place the clumps in cool storage, around 35 to 40 degrees. If the storage place is moist the clumps can be stored in open flats or trays. If the storage is very dry, store the tubers in slightly moistened sand, peat moss or sawdust.

Examine the tubers occasionally to see that they are holding well in storage. The clumps can be divided at any time. In making a dahlia tuber division, be sure each division has an eye or bud on it. This will be found at the base of the old stem, or at the top of the tuberous root. Dig and store cannas in a similar manner.

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October in the Middle West! What a thrilling month for those folks who from day to day watch Nature secretly, silently and swiftly shift the scenes in cities and on the countryside from verdant green to yellow mixed with orange, red and purple. Plants that sat backstage during the summer show, now step forward and assume the major roles in the fall revue.

Virginia creeper, climbing to the very top of the old oak tree, frantically waved its leaves at the passing motorists during the summer season - but they did not see. Soon this vine in all its glory, dressed in gorgeous red and scarlet, stops the same motorists, who now marvel at its sudden beauty.

Sumacs and poison ivy, villains in the play, chuckle at the masterful way in which they receive public applause. Bittersweet, with its clear yellow dress and dangling, orange colored jewels, also plays well. The fall actors, white ash, green ash, Amur maple, red maple, sugar maple and the oaks soon take the stage for the climax of the drama. After the curtain falls, the players stand by almost unnoticed until spring, when they again open an entirely new, thrilling show.

A Privileged Region

Now, as we enjoy Nature’s phenomenon of fall color, few people realize that the Midwest is located in one of the few regions of the world where brilliant autumn coloration of foliage prevails. This marvelous display is confined to deciduous forest areas of the temperate zone, blessed by considerable rainfall. Leaves turn brown and fall from plants in the tropical regions toward the end of the dry season, and little bright color occurs.

The gorgeous beauty of most autumn color combinations results from the bright reds and brilliant scarlets displayed together with the pleasing yellows. The Amur maple, red maple, sugar maple, sassafras, sumacs, oaks, sourwood, tupelo and flowering dogwood are especially outstanding for their conspicuous, red fall color. Since the fall color of these dogwood tree blossoms and trees varies from year to year, it becomes evident that brilliant displays depend pretty largely on certain definite weather conditions.

Yellow is the dominant color in our fall show, since the greater number of trees in the woods and in our plantings belong to the group whose leaves normally turn yellow before dropping. This group includes elms, poplars, willows, locusts, hackberry, Norway maple, box elder, green ash, birch, tulip-tree and redbud. The yellow color is believed to be due to the reduction in the rate of the plants’ manufacture of chlorophyll - which provides the green color - while the rate of decomposition is maintained. The two yellow pigments usually present, carotin and xanthophyll, are simply masked by the green chlorophyll until it is broken down by the approach of fall.

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Many folks think of the lilac as being an all-American shrub because it is grown in every state.

There are many reasons why it is so popular. First, it is easy to grow. It is not at all fussy as to type of soil, and it thrives in either full sun or partial shade. After it has become established, it requires but little care and will grow and bloom for generations.

Another reason is its great versatility. It makes a magnificent individual specimen plant, goes well in a shrub border and is excellent in a tall flowering screen. Of course, the most noticeable reason why a lilac is so popular is its lovely fragrant flower. A few plants in full bloom in early spring perfume an entire neighborhood; or just a few flowers brought indoors will add a sweetness to the entire home.

Lilacs may be planted successfully either in early spring or in the fall. When you plant them, be sure to give them plenty of room as they will make a rather large shrub six to eight feet tall and nearly six feet across. If you plant them too close together, they will tend to be tall and rangy and will not develop into a neat compact shrub. Most varieties begin blooming the second or third year after planting and within a few years produce a gorgeous shrub covered with lovely flowers in early spring.

Colors of lilac flowers range from pure white to deep violet, with shades of pink, lilac, lavender, blue and red. All of the colors are rich and pleasing; yet they blend together beautifully and sometimes mixed with purple shower plant. This means that you can mix varieties in shrub plantings without worrying about color conflict just like what i did with my purple shower plant. Two or three of the finest varieties in each color class are listed below.

There are many hundreds of varieties of lilacs, all of them beautiful, but some which we feel are better than others. Check out the varieties are in commercial production, and are available for purchase from your nursery.