The Albo Striata Hakone is very arching as well. I have it on a little slope and it just cascades down it. This pic is from last year and makes me realize that I should probably divide it and thin it out this year....it's definitely vigorous.
Also, saw buds on Bridal Veil astilbe today...now I have to figure out how to fight off whatever it is that is destroying those. The foliage is huge this year....everything is just big this year.
That is a beautiful grass
Love that look. It reminds me of a waterfall without the maintenance issue.
Nice cmbo.Hosta looks like Blue Umbrellas.
That looks wonderful, Cindy! What do you do with the pot for the winter?
I've got to look into those cold frames. I've got so many things in pots due to lack of bed real estate, and I'd like to ensure they make it thru the winter.
Well someone on this board id' d the horrible bug that destroys my Bridal Veil astilbe, year after year. It's something called a tarnished plant bug. I treated it with Neem oil spray after I starting seeing them again, and then I also used a systemic drench out of desperation, when the Neem didn't appear to be working. Thing is, I'm not sure the systemic insecticide works for that partticular bug, since I didn't get the id til after I used it. I've been going out and carefully inspecting the buds and I don't see any more damage, but I have picked a few adults off (evidently the nymphs cause the bigger problem). And boy are the nymphs hard to spot, because they are the same color as the emerging buds. Anyway, if I can keep them from destroying most of the buds again, my Bridal Veil should be gorgeous this year. It's so much bigger with so many more buds....I guess it was all that rain last year that did it.
Good grief not another pest. We have the Red Lily Beetle.I wouldnt know what to do with an astilbe pest.
Do they just destroy Astilbes ?
Thanks for the info. I did not find Neem Oil usefull in combating RLB's.
It sucks on the leaves and the buds, leaving little dead, black areas. Mostly the buds, which is what I care about the most because if they suck a lot, the buds are destroyed. I think I've lost a few out there but most will still open. I seem to be the only one with this pest on astilbe, because googling tells me astilbe is pest free. I get these bugs year after year.
Do RLBs only like Lilies? I don't have any of those, so that would explain why I don't see those. We have Japanese Beetles, of course, but I'm pretty lucky there that I don't have much to interest them.
Their appetite started out with just lillium but they have been reported to be adding DL's as well.
Nooooooooooo! Not daylilies! Ugh, thrips are bad enough, and I get those every year, too. I don't understand how to stop thrips when I've never once seen one. Maybe I should try some of that systemic stuff on the DL's that get hit hardest every year.
Well, that would leave me with a few thousand extra square feet of garden!!!
As far as I know the RLB's have not crossed the Long Island Sound so I'm safe...for now.
Noreaster - I was told that we, on Long Island, should spray every April and June, but I can't recall what the hybridizer, Trimmer, told me to use.
I hesitate to spray because every now and then my dog will go charging thru the daylily clumps. I'll probably just end up living with the thrip damage as I always do. Many of the blooms may be less than perfect, but at least they still do bloom, unlike my astilbe.
The RLB came from CT.
Someone brought a EasterLily home and planted it in their garden,the rest is history.
I heard somwhere there is progress on a preditor bug that likes the larve. Hope its a ladybug type and not another problem.
This message was edited Jun 4, 2010 8:26 AM
