more plants from Teddy

A week? Maybe? Sunshine and temp make a difference, so it's hard to be certain but you're close.

Goody,goody, that is exactly what I wanted to hear! Now if the Cosmos and the NL will just cooperate as well, we would have a symphony of color! But the MG blooming is one thing I have always wanted to have, but never had anything for them to climb onto. When I was at home, we had a brick porch railing but never thought to put any kind of plants on there. Thought to put fake spiderwebs for Halloween, but no flowers. I never thought I had a green thumb and was not interested in plants when I was growing up. Now I don't have to worry about them this winter, I won't have to cover any young ones up because they will all be established! And most if all that I planted will reseed and come back up next year, so life is good at least for the flower standpoint.

Now that I know what naked ladies look like, I realize that they are like amaryllis (hippeastrum) where they send up a stalk and the blooms come at the top.
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I have grown plants similar, like hymenocalis, which are white, and I 've grown amaryllis as well in the house.

Well, I don't know what zone I am in, but I made a mistake and planted plants that need water with ones that don't. So I will take what I get. The Irises bloomed and they say they have to wait a year before they bloom, and the Morning Glories are going to bloom, and the Cosmos I don't know about, I had one bloom and so far no more buds yet, so if the Naked Ladies don't bloom this year, I will be disappointed but that just means that next year or maybe the year after. One of the problems I have that I can not do anything about is that this house is surrounded by trees, I have the pot of Geraniums in a corner spot that gets some sunshine and it is doing quite well since it has cooled down, it has buds all over the place! The place where I have the Irises planted has a lot of shade, but some sun. My Morning Glories are turning yellow at the bottom at the lattice, there have been some that fell off, is that normal?

I was going through my pictures and found these, they are the leaves from the Naked Ladies, they did not get much bigger than that, could that be the problem? Could they not have gotten enough nutrients in that little bunch of leaves to bloom this year?

These are my neighbors Morning Glories, mine will be Heavenly Blue which if I can remember are lighter blue. I always wanted to have Morning Glories especially when I read how much hummers like them!

Heavenly Blue. I had them last year and was a bit disappointed. The flowers hide in the foliage. I have a volunteer coming up and had to pull back the leaves to take the pic.

This message was edited Aug 17, 2011 9:40 PM

Every morning I go out to check them, both front and back, so hopefully none will hide from me. That color is really pretty and from the pictures on the package, that is the blue I will have. The red is really going to be interesting, I would love to have Purple since that is one of my favorite colors, I don't have anything else for them to climb on, I could plant in the backyard, the only thing that grows back there are weeds, so if we spray, it would kill them, but I think I can plant them next the fence that goes around the backyard, they would go over it and kind of make it look a bit more pretty. I just thought of that, The only problem would be watering it, the backyard is made up of mostly sand, and requires a lot of water, I may try that though, I planted some Tiger Lilies back there and don't know if it will last there, it does not get much shade back there. Like I said it is mostly sand and weeds, am thinking of planting flowers that don't require a whole lot of water or shade and see what happens. I might as well try to do something with that mess. Any suggestions on what kind of plants to try to get to grow there? Sand and tree roots and weeds that is what is back there.

Teddy, if your zip code is 43331, you're in USDA zone 5.

I am not an authority on plants, let alone naked ladies, but from your description of "surrounded by trees," your plants may not be getting enough light. In addition, plants in shade generally need less water. I think I may have mentioned that I like to use containers for plants, especially when you are a tenant. I like to use large containers (the inexpensive ones from Wallyworld will be for a 10" or 12" pot). I pull off the bottom plastic that is a drip collector so that they can drain well. In large pots you can easily put in a small trellis. Trellises are not imperative. Plants like morning glory will climb right up a stick or just spread on the ground.

You can always move containers to the area getting the best sunlight. It means you can start plants in containers before the leaves come in and move them to the best location. You can also take them in at night if you think it will freeze. My foliage plants (Heucheras and Coleuses) were getting burned during this summer's heat waves. As soon as I moved them to the east side of the house that gets morning sun, they improved. I put some under a tree only to find the leaves being eaten by insects that enjoyed the sap. This would have been much too much work had they not been in pots. Plants that do not get enough light tend to get leggy and lean toward the light.

There are a lot of plants that do very well in filtered light and shade, many of them perennials. If you are surrounded by deciduous trees (not evergreens), you can probably get tulips and other early plants to flower before the trees produce leaves.

Try going outside several times during the day to check areas that get the best light. While morning glories are sturdy plants that tend to seek their own levels and make their own places, most other plants need a bit more attention.

Can you tell me why my Morning Glories are branching out away from the lattice? I don't understand why they are doing that, and is there something I can do to stop it if need be. My landlord suggested I put a piece of string on it to help it back to the lattice, is that a good idea, I don't want to hurt the vines.

Is it leaning toward the sun?

I think so, why?

They love full sun. You could very carefully weave it back through the other side or do what your landlord suggested.

thanks kwanjin, I may try weaving them among the lattice tomorrow.

I am getting rather irritated with my Cosmos, one of the stalks is almost up to my chin, and no buds! And now the bottom of them are turning b rown and yellow! I had one bloom and it was nothing to yell about, I thought they were going to bloom big blooms and a lot of them, is Cosmos a fall flower? If so I am going to have to stake them somehow to keep them from falling over, they are leaning towards the sun which means they are doing a LOT of leaning. I already have two tied loosly to the lattice to keep from breaking, do I have to do that with all of them? HELP!!!!!

Bloom time will be affected by when you started the seeds, so if you started them a bit later than the ideal timeframe then they will probably bloom a bit later than they normally would. The other problem you may be having is shade--cosmos like full sun and I've gathered that much of your yard is on the shady side; if they don't get enough sun they won't bloom well.

Cosmos as a rule prefer full sun...less than that tends to make them kind of spindly...and also affects their blooming. You may yet get more blooms, but chances are you will have to stake/support the plants. usually anytime a plant leans toward the sun, it means that they are not getting as much sunlight as they would like.

Would the round ones they use to stake tomatoes work? There is not a lot of room between them, I thought if I planted them close together they would be able to lean against each other and prop themselves up. Is it too late to move them to a sunnier spot? I remember the person who moved his and got transplant shock, would mine do that if I moved them to a place where they got more sun? Or would it be better if I got a rope and tied it to each end of the lattice posts and stretched it out so they all could prop themselves up with the rope?

How close would you say these are to getting ready to bloom?

A few days, not many.

thanx kwanjin, it will be interesting to see which color comes first, red or heavenly blue.

why are the bottom leaves of my Morning Glories turning yellow, is there something wrong with them? No blooms yet.

Yellowing leaves can be lots of things--too much water, too little water, bugs, need fertilizer, etc. If you post some pictures someone might have some ideas.

here is a picture of the yellowing leaves, something is eating holes in the leaves as you will see in the next picture.

something is eating holes in my Morning Glories, what can it be and do I need to fertilize again?

Teddy, trees provide a lot more than shade. When the sap falls on leaves and petals, it makes the foliage more appealing to all kind of insects. If the morning glories are directly below the trees, that could be a good reason. I would not be too concerned unless you want to try an insecticide. Another reason I like containers. By the way, you can always plant them in a pot and hang the pot so that the vines spill over.

During the heat wave, I moved a lot of foliage plants with affected leaves to areas with much less sun. Some went to an area with eastern exposure that only gets morning sun. the others we placed below a big, shady oak tree. When the bugs started dining on the plants under the tree, we moved them

At the very beginning of this post, you mentioned seed packages. Always make sure you read the package carefully for sunlight requirements.

By the way, when you walk around, looking at others' gardens and flowers, you seldom notice tht they, too, have leaves at the base that are yellow. Just cut off those dead-looking leaves, and you will feel better. Garden grooming!

Thank you cathy, I went out and picked the yellow ones off,it has been awhile since they had any water so I gave them a good drink, they are really getting ready to bloom, should happen in a couple more days hopefully, as you can see from the pictures I posted before, they are getting real close. Could not take pictures today, my batteries were gettibng weak, had to charge them.

how many more days? And should I hold off watering any more? Just gave them a drink tonight, how long should I wait until giving them another one? I keep coming out in the morning and checking, you will be the second to know when they bloom.

By Monday or Tuesday, I would think, at the latest. First, you'll have one, then 2, then 25. I didn't see but are they in a shady spot? It takes longer to bloom, if they are. Mine are in full 95º sun and some are near a cinderblock wall and going great guns now. The ones in more shade are taking longer.

thank you, thank you so much, I really do not mean to be such a worrywort, but when I plant something, I get anxious for it to grow and bloom, I have made everyone here think that Iam crazy or have gone around the bend so to speak. But like you said, us gardeners are a breed apart and I keep forgetting that not everyone shares our enthusiasim for the flowers and the birds. I have to stop talking to people about the flowers or they are going to have me committed!Lol! So at least next year I know things that I planted will bloom and I don't have to worry so much, my neighbor said she would give me some of her Naked Ladies and I will plant them in the side yard, it gets a lot of sun, may put them between the pine trees that we have here, they won't shade them as much as the ones beside the lattice, maybe they will come up next year, I hope so.

My neighbor gave me some Tiger Lilies and I planted them in the backyard, since their growing season is over, should I keep watering them? They are in sandy soil, actually more sand than soil. Should I just ignore them? And if my other neighbor gives me her naked lady plants, should I plant them back there too? Several years ago, we sprayed weed killer back there because all there is back there is weeds, so I am not sure if ANYTHING I plant back there will grow. It is anyone's guess, they do get plenty of sun back there, they get some shade but not as much as in front.

more recent pictures of the Morning Glories, is each of those pods going to be a flower? If so, I am going to have a boatload of blooms!

Look what I found when I looked at my Cosmos! Yep, more buds, as you can see there are two that you can see, but what you can't see is another bud further down the stem, it is the same plant that had the bud on it the first time.

Everything that's newly planted needs to be watered until they are established. Each of the buds should produce a bloom, so no worries. Lots of new buds on your Cosmos! Yea!

I guess I do overworry about these flowers, one of our neighbors said I might be worrying about them too much, they say let nature take its course, do you think they might be right? They say they don't water or fertilize or anything and their flowers came up just fine, especially their Naked Ladies, they have them around a pole and they came up pretty. I still think I did wrong by putting plants that need water with ones that don't need a whole lot. Since all my flowers are esatlished, do you think I should hold off on the watering so much? And can I stop worrying about them?

Depends on how much rain you're getting. Since you seem to obsess, I'd water them every other day. For those in a sunny area, you might want to water daily if it's very hot.

Regarding the tiger lilies, if they are true tiger lilies, they need to be watered when they are planted, and then leave t hem alone. Lilies hate to be overwatered, and they need proper drainage or they will rot. However, a lot of people call their plants tiger lilies when in fact they are orange daylilies. Essentially, if they are true lilies, they will have a bulb and will probably have bloomed already. If they are daylilies (hemerocallis), they will have roots and are fairly impossible to kill, but if small plants, they take a while (a season or two) to get established and then they take off.

The best, most experienced gardeners have good seasons and bad seasons. Plants we love and plants we don't love. We all have disappointments. In addition, we're all finnicky about different things and all have different micro-climates in our yards and gardens and homes. Even the biggest penny-pinchers have to spend a few dollars now and then. If you have friends, always ask if you can take a look at their gardens, and do not criticize or brag. We all depend on Mother Nature.

Also, do a little internet exploration on your own without asking questions; just read the answers to others' questions. You can learn a lot, and it is free for the reading. And in the end, if you cannot grow stuff outdoors, grow plants indoors. It is so rewarding.

What Cathy said. ^_^

Ditto!

Do you think it is too late to move my Cosmos? I was thinking of putting them in the side yard. I would have to dig another hole for them, do you think it will kill them to go from a shady spot to one that has a lot of sun, or should I just thin them out? The one that is budding like I said is the one that bloomed before, I think the taller ones are crowding it out, it seems to want to bloom but for some reason it can't. It would get more sunlight if I thinned them out and maybe put some of them somewhere else.

Your cosmos are annuals and uprooting them now will probably kill them.

Teddy....there is a common theme running through every response that has been made to your questions.

Read the packet info before you plant so you know where to plant, how big the plant will get and what it requires in the way of feeding, watering or staking.

Full sun means a minimum of 6 hours direct sun on the plant

water deeply and thoroughly when the soil is dry more than 1 to 2 inches below the surface....use your finger to check. Soak the ground so that water reaches the plants roots...NOT just the surface of the ground

First resource for info...open google search, type in the name of your plant and then read, read, read. If you need clarification about what you read...ask here. If you go back and read both of your threads here, you will see that there are no magic answers. Each of your questions has been answered, often by more than one experienced gardener and the answers are always the same.

The best advice I ever got was to get a notebook...write down your question and then write down the answers that you have researched or someone gives you.

And lastly....when you ask a group of experienced gardeners for help, accept their information and advice and stop second guessing them....a rough estimate of the years of gardening experience you have tapped here, in the kind folks that have answered your questions, is more than 100 years collectively.