My JK's were stunning until they started getting mildew about 3 weeks ago. I really wanted to leave the foliage and seed heads for fall interest and the birds, but they were beginning to look like grey, fuzzy ghosts. This morning, amid the outraged chirpping of the resident male hummingbird, I cut down all the foliage and bagged it. Now there's an 18" naked cicumference in my border. So, what should I do? Should I just let the spot get some air, and let the surrounding plants extend their arms a little? Is there something besides cleaning up all the cuttings and leaves to lessen the chance of a recurrence? I felt like I should be treating the ground with antiseptic or something (like a child's skinned knee). Is it too late to put annual seeds like zinnias there? There was some tiny new green growth coming up which I left. Was that ill advised? Obviously, this was my first time to have JK's.
Jacob Kline, what to do next?
Mmmmm...don't know the answers to your all of questions, but I do know that your experience with Jacob Cline is not unique.
We yanked our J. C. and replanted with a hybrid monarda that is less prone to mildew. Our hummers do check out the replacements and the Gulf Fritillaries always nectar on our new version, but perhaps not as readily as Jacob Cline.
In any case, we cut down our new monarda last week because it was bloomed out and we have the 12 inch stems showing which isn't a pretty view. Monarda is a bit challenging to deal with this way, but maybe if your surrounding plants get a little more space and sunshine they will happily fill in for you.
Of course, you can always go to the garden center and get some annuals on sale to over-plant if it becomes necessary.
Tabasco, Love your name. Made my mouth water when I read it. We've just made a huge batch of gazpachio (could this possibly be the spelling?). I must add some Tabasco to it. Our garden has been like a 'no go' zone for butterflies, but for the last two days, both the yellow and black swallowtails have been here on the hyssop. I was ready to cut that down too because it is falling over, about four feet tall, but not if it will draw these beauties. Last year we had fly overs by many butterflies, but no takers. This year we have more plants, but the JK's were hummingbird attractors, butterflies not so much. Gulf Fritilaries, so pretty, we had in Florida, but haven't seen a one here. Yesterday we saw a Monarch, the first we've seen in our two years here. There is a lot of milk weed here, but maybe we're not on the monarch flyzone. Thank you so much for answering.
Lucky you getting swallowtails on your hyssop. Is that the same thing as agastache? If it is, I didn't get much interest on mine except for bumble bees. Darn it!
Oh, I forgot one trick I use in our butterfly (and hummingbird) flower border that might be useful to a hummer gardener out there reading this:
When something is finished blooming like the monarda, I may cut it down and place in the empty space a big pot of some annual that I moved from the back of the house and planted from seed just for this 'replacement' purpose.
So, I had planted some Tithonia (Mexican Sunflower) seeds in plastic half barrels (purchased on close-out sale at Home Depot last fall) in early June. The Tithonias are now quite large and I moved the whole container to the spot where the monardas are and it has just come into bloom. The (ugly) container is hidden by leaves from surrounding plants.
And both the Hummers and the Monarchs love the Tithonia, so that's a big bonus.
I spray my Jacob Cline and all other monardas and lilacs with baking soda, and even though it's been very wet here, have had very little mildew. Consider spraying now and in the spring. In the spring I spray every two weeks, and then quit as summer comes on. I use a hose sprayer, just like I use with Miracle Gro, and just put baking soda in it. I just pour some in, I've never really measured it. I think baking soda has to be enviromentally safe , especially compared to other type treatment.
That sounds like something to try, although I am not completely sure that the NaHCO3 solution would be something the butterlies and hummingbirds would find appetizing if dosed onto a favorite nectar plant.
If growing the monarda for the wildlife, that is something I would try to look into a bit.
Polly, I will try the baking soda spray on the little JK's that are coming up where I cut down the mature ones. I don't think they'll get large enough to flower in the time left, but I can experiment with the baking soda idea. I have enough other things blooming to hopefully keep the HB's and bees happy.
Tabasco, The yellow and black swallowtails just started showing up on the agastache (hyssop) in the last couple of days. I thought it was too late and the blooms really sorta past it, but if these butterflies like a mature bloom, I'm not going to argue with them. I've used containers to stuff in a bare spot before, but now that these little JK's are coming up, I'm reluctant to sit something else on top of them. I'll try to plan better next year.
It's going to be in the mid-to-high 90's today and I watered garden and containers after church, and they are on their own. I'm not going outside again. (tried to add a smiley face here, but it didn't work)
Pam
LOL I know what you mean about the watering and the heat today! Kind of refreshing in a weird way around here. Also kind of sweaty! The thermometer says 110 degrees on our deck. But the butterflies are loving it. They keep swooping by and it's a pleasure I have been waiting for all summer.
I just looked out this afternoon and there was a swallowtail on my (wilted looking) agastaches too!
Yes, I agree about mushing your baby monardas with a pot. My monardas are quite rambunctious and seem to take over the garden by July so I don't worry too much about squishing a few down in August. I would if my monarda patch were new, though.
I understand your fears, Tabasco. However, the monarda, and phlox I sprayed has been abuzz with bees, hummingbirds, butterflies and butterfly moths. We have a ton of honeybees, so I try to be very careful with what I use in the garden, and if you could hear the honeybees on it today buzzing..... The whole patch sounds alive. And I've seen no dead bees, or butterflies around. I think the answer would be they either don't mind the baking soda, or the baking soda is not on the flowers when they open, as I have quit spraying by then.
pollyk, I was thinking the same thing about the baking soda spray not bothering the hb's and bees, especially on the monarda, which doesn't get a single flower, but keeps putting out those individual petals. I don't mind a little baking soda in a glass of water myself once in awhile. A dear friend told me it helps balance blood acidity. She was a wonderful macrobiotic cook and organic gardener, so I figure she knew what she was talking about. pam
I'll be curious if you notice a difference in the butterflies and hummingbird nectaring use after you apply the solution.
Baking soda is a miracle product, isn't it? It's interesting that it's in the cleaning aisle, the baking aisle, and the medicine/health aisle at the grocery here!
It would be good to know of treatment that will mitigate the mildew issue and not cause the pollinators to go elsewhere. Maybe it should be stocked in the garden center, too?
Well if it is stocked in the garden aisle, they'll only want to charge more for it, right....heh heh