What's doin in your neck of the woods today? Fall 2011

Isn't it too warm in a closet? I've tried down in basement, crawl space, and garage.

No, I keep them in a warmer room rather than a colder space. They do very well in a warm room, might do well in a cooler space but that isn't where I keep mine.

Jan---
Wassup with you not having any success digging up Cannas????? It may be hard physically--but--no biggie!

Growing Cannas:

Step #1---
Allow the first frost to kill the foliage on your Cannas. Then--cut the limp foliage off--leaving about 6" of the
stems attached to the roots. This will make it easier for you to handle them when digging up the heavy clumps..
Step #2---
Wait 2 more weeks--then carefully, dig up and lift the WHOLE Canna root-ball. Use your digging fork, not the shovel.
You DO NOT want to slice through any of the new roots that have grown outward from the center.
Dig about 5" away from the center of the mass of roots--ALL AROUND--then try to lift the whole root-mass out
Step #3---.
Put your newly dug up root mass in a big box, or tray --or on a plastic bag on your table and remove--
VERY carefully--any extra soil from the root-ball with your fingers. Be careful that you
DO NOT break off any of the new "spikes/eyes" from the root-ball. They are the red "pips" you will see all over.
Every one of these "pips" will be a new stem the following year. Leave any soil clinging to the root-mass on
if you cannot remove any more. This will, actually, keep the roots from, totally, drying out.
Step #4----
Now--the goal is to allow the root ball to dry out before you store it. If the weather is nice--leave it outside.
A warm, breezy day will do wonders....If not--just lay all the root-balls in a shallow box lined with crumpled
newspapers and let it sit somewhere cool, but airy, until it feels dry. DO NOT store still-wet root balls as they will rot!
When dry--just store it for the winter in your basement. NO other attention is required until next spring...
***DO NOT store where there will be freezing temperatures during the winter!****
Step $5--
Spring is now imminent! It is early March--and you need to check on all the stored root-balls.
Get a spray bottle, fill it with water--and give the whole, dormant mass a spraying to bring up some humidity.
Do this a few times--then check on all the roots. The new "pips" will be very fragile and break off easily.
Be gentle lifting and looking at them...
Step #6--
Planting time!!!! Now you can, seriously, look at the root masses and see if you want to divide any of them.
It is recommended that, each division has at least 3 "eyes" on it to produce a reasonable clump of a plant.
If a single "pip" breaks off--NO biggie! It will still grow. Pot it up and let it grow....
Step #7---
Plant root divisions about 4"-5" deep, from the tops of the "pips", in FULL Sun--in a well dug, prepared, amended bed.
Since these grow to about 5'-6' height--give each clump at least 2' space between them--as they will continue sending
up new stems as the root mass multiplies, thus making the clump bigger and bigger. Many varieties grow at different rates...
These can grow to a height of 6' or more--blooming as they grow. Removing spent blooms helps...

That's all! Enjoy this plant all summer----Then start again from Step #1--as cold weather approaches.....
The Cannas are mostly bug, and infestation, free. A GREAT, tall, accent plant of color from mid-late summer until fall.

Enjoy this plant for it's amazing color! Gita

lol Gita, I was just over cutting and pasting you canna advice on another thread to post here! If there ever is a "Save the Canna" movement I know who will be in front!

Just some questions/comments. In an ideal world (you remember, ie when weather and seasonal progressions followed some discernible pattern or predictability) the instructions you give to let frost kill leaves, cut back, dig up 2 wks later seem sound enough as a rule of thumb. However, it also seems to me that a cool spell with temps hovering between 35 and say 50 would bring any "growth" to a standstill and signall the plant to pull back resources rather than surge ahead. Secondly, during those two weeks of inground waiting to be dug, the bulbs may harden some, but they are also more vulnerable to a freeze as they no longer have top growth to protect them. Also, during that 14 day wait period, heavy rains may start to rot the bulbs before digging? Guess I'd like to learn and understand why I wait two weeks and what do I risk if I can't follow recommendations from someone like you who has been repeatedly successful

Not in any hurry here Gita just wondering. Enjoy your daughter's visit. Judy

Judy...Judy...Judy...

NOTHING is ever "carved in stone".....I am just relaying info I have gathered over the years in my area.....
Of course--if one is in a different time zone--or if the weather is different--you simply have to "feel" when
the right time to do anything id here....Then--you just do it!

I will dig my Cannas up whenever i think it is time. This may come from experience--not any carved-in-stone-rules...
I DO know that the foliage has to be first killed off by frost before you dig them up. How long--depends on your weather.
I imagine that--the foliage being removed--would "plump up" the roots somewhat, before they are dug up.

I have, ABSOLUTELY NO other validation to share with you other than what I have learned over the years...
I DO what makes sense to me--that's all. So far--everything seems to be working OK...

I am NOT, and never have been, in the "YOU MUST DO THIS" kind of a mindset...
I DO NOT follow anyone's rules--unless they also are my "rules"....
Usually, I just do what I know is best--and what I know works for me.
THEN--IF it has worked for me--I will share the "How and Why" with the rest of you....
I never have professed to be any kind of a "GURU" of gardening....I just do what I know to do--and if it works--
.I have shared it from experience....

I am NOT a Book Reader..... Gita

Jan, have you had a killing frost yet? We haven't here in Annapolis and no heavy wet snow like Holly.

My 5yo grandson sends me a "map" when I make the long trek to visit Vermont so I won't get lost! He tells me when the geese are flying down to visit me and I tell him when they are heading back up. Plant wise VT has hands down over here on lilacs! The city of Burlington has a lilac festival every Spring. I would trade the Tidal Basin cherries and azaleas for streets and yards filled with tall fragrant lilac bushes!!!

New grandkids and the smell of lilacs...Heavenly

Judy----

I think we Cross-Posted........:o)

Thanks for the quick reply, Gita. That's basically what I thought, just didn't want to miss some important step of the what works for you you so generously share . No wonder your customers love you!

Does remind me of a story about families and traditions and how and why things are done the way they are.

Seems there was a family who had a tradition of all gathering once a year for big roast beef dinner with all the trimmings. Every year the family grew but the dinner remained the same. When the eldest grand daughter was newly marriedit was decided to have her host the dinner in her new modern home ratther than at Grandmas. She followed everything to a T even borrowing Grandmas silver candle sticks. Every thing was meticulously prepared just as her mother and her mothers' mother had done before her, especially the roast and the secret seasonings and bastings..All were seated at the festive table when she brought the beautiful roast and placed it center stage. Ohs and Ahs as she returned with a second platter of roast as was traditional. Eyes turned to Grandma . Beautiful she said and then taking the young woman's hand asked why she had two roasts.?? Because that's how you always did it Grandmother. Yes dear, you are right, but surely your oven is big enough to roast the whole thing without having to cut off part so that it would fit.

Too tired to punctuate...but you get the idea... Judy

LOL, Judy.

Next year, I'll try some cannas again and then dig and overwinter. I think I never left them to dry long enough. I would frequent a local bazaar and get 20 things for $2. I always felt I could handle that. They did well in the spring. I missed the bazaar this year again.
I always am amazed at your wealth of info, Gita. Your customers better appreciate you!!!

If I remember--the two week wait was always advocated by Allan Summers.
He used to have a Radio show here on sat. mornings 7-9AM. I would get up just to listen to him.


He was extremely knowledgeable--and a absorbed it all like a sponge to the point when a caller
would ask a question--I already knew what Allan would say in reply.

I dug up my neighbor's two HUGE Canna clumps. I could hardly lift them.
These are the same as the picture I posted above--the bright orange with the huge, green leaves.
I have no answer about the two week rule....Dig yours up whenever you want to.
in my gut I still think it has something to do with the roots "plumping up"....

Split some of the roots off to share with my other neighbor and will take several to Donn on Friday.
It is his last day in our store. He, and a couple of the ASM's are all leaving the same week.

It is the "BIG switch". Happens now and then. Only one ASM is staying. All else will be new people.
in charge. I hate it--but that is the HD way....I will miss Donn a lot. Now he will have to be on his own with all
his Gardening and plants. He has the info. in that Album I put together for him--he just does not use it....

Donn is going to be SM at Glasgow, DE. He will have his hands full. Even he said the store is horrible.
That is just thew kind of a challenge Donn needs. Gives his life a lot of purpose.
It is also ONLY 17mi. from his house. For the 4 years he has been our SM--he has been driving
100mi round trip every day. We all know he is tired of that!

OK! I sure meandered all over the place---again.....But it is OK on THIS Thread!
Here is another picture of my neighbor's massive Cannas...

Gita

I probably wll do my cannas today after a few other things, before quitting the garden for more 'productive' things. My cannas are theatening to 'eat' a bunch of daylilies. They won't be able to share that space next year.

Me thinks I will plant mine against the fence on my raised bed next year.
I am sure one of the huge clumps I dug up yesterday will be ALL mine!

My neighbor bought 2 pots of these last spring--either at HD or Lowes.
I remember we had them at our HD. I think the pot was like---$12.97.
Had no idea they would grow this massive!

looking forward to these next summer....

Hey Sally, does your more productive work still include the Library? If it does, does your branch have the Kindle Readers for check out, too? I'm on a wait list for one down here. And thanks for the pre emptive BDay wishes. My Mom was an election judge back when there were actual ballots to count and verify. Imagine your Baltimore Poll experience was quite different. Do tell.

Yes to library- Yes to Kindle. I don't work directly with checkout but I think I hear they are all, systemwide, on one big waiting list. Good luck!

Baltimore City is outside my usual 'traffic pattern', and the place I worked was especially. Near Eastern Ave and Broadway. There were two 'precincts' voting in our school and you could almost tell when the voter walked in, which precinct they were from. Turnout was terrible, overall for the election was 13 percent ; we had 25 people in the whole day. I take that as a vote of no-confidence/ disapproval, for voters from this district for that mayor. Still, we have very senior voters making it in with walkers and canes, exercising their rights.

I find with election judging, that all the people coming to vote feel pretty good about getting to vote and are nice. Its confusing at moments because most of the workers are doing something that we hardly get to practice but for that day. But usually a more experienced worker can handle things. All in all, election judging in MD gets you about 10-11 $ an hour for a very long workday. ($150 the day) Be prepared for boredom, though the group I worked with in the city was very pleasant. Interesting to me getting another view of life/lifestyle.

coleup, you must be taking an antinflammatory for that nerve right? Had it once, probably much less than what you have now, very painful, and doc explained must reduce the inflammation. By the way ladies--heavy pocketbooks on the shoulder can bring this on!

Yes, Sally anti inflamatory...Trouble for me is that the opening thru which my nerve exits my cervical spine is narrowed by prior rear end accident so any movement of head on neck or shoulder arm hand re inflames nerve. So I am re evaluating my circumstances and looking for some short term/long term shifts in my economic base. Hard to do when in pain and my future bucket list is in need of alteration from what it was three weeks ago. At the loading dock for the newspapers, the joke is whether we will outlast the paper or if the paper will outlast us!

And good word on the purse or anything that pulls us out of alinement. Personally haven't used a purse in years (prefer pockets). Mine once weighed in at 42 pounds! Most of it $58.00 of "loose change"!

So,either what I have learned to do in the past isn't working, or it is working but the problem is worse.

Still no frost or freeze here. Good because the last thing I want to do is move my plants and trees (JM's) inside or to their winter quarters. Did score ten big garbage bags full of willow oak leaves from a customer who saves them for me to use as their blanket. Most leaves here are still on the trees (or my roof, which is another story)

Good weekend all. Judy

Judy--

Just checking in real quick...I have an eye appointment (down the street) in 10 minutes.....

Amazing--that you have not yet had a real freeze! Our night temps have been in the low 30's now for several days...
Must be all the water that surrounds Annapolis....

Why would you be bringing in JM's??? They are perennial trees....Just wondering....
Are they small seedling babies?

I have pulled up all the annuals and dug up what needs to be dug up. May have to rake some leaves soon too.
Also--have to mow the lawn one more time--close. I usually do 3". For the last mow I lower it to 2".

OK! Gotta run.....Gita

Hey coleup= you know all about what the nerve problem is, so best of luck with it. No easy fix.

I hear you on the newspaper. The same effect is seen with books.

I have one young JM that I potted this year. That reminds me to check on it. A little bird told me there may be an article soon about bonsai and I may want this JM to try it on.

I have 10 large containers of JMs I have raised from babies. They are 6-10 feet tall now. Each winter I gather them into one area in my yard that is protected from wind and I stuff leaves around them covering the containers so it looks like they are growing out of a pile of leaves. The willow oak leaves are perfect as they don't mat down like the oak leaves (abundant) in my yard and break down more quickly in the Spring (and I didn't have to rake them!}

I noticed this morning that they are dry so I will water them later. They don't have to be gathered and "protected" for quite a while yet...probably some time in mid Dec.

Good luck with the bonsai. Sally. Is the baby one from your Mom's tree? Find out the cultivar if possible as some are, I believe, easier to bonsai than others. They do seem to do well in containers though. The JM forum here has some excellent info.

Yes, zone 7b not 7a and nearness to the Bay has some advantages of weather moderation too.

Green thumb how are your JMs? Lots of storm damage reported to them on the Northeast Forum along with other beloved ornamentals. Sad to loose a tree friend of any kind.

Off to water. Judy

Judy--

If your JM's are 6'-10"' tall--you should just consider them "mature trees" by now and let them be. Honestly!
Mulching them is OK, but bringing them inside is totally NOT!

I do not believe that mature perennial anythings need to have winter protection in our zone.

You may be doing more harm than good....Gita

lol Gita, they may be teenage trees now, but they will always be my babies!

No, I never bring them in, but since they are in containers I do give them some winter cover. I do the same with my hosta in containers. They get the cold but not the frost heave. The JMs I have planted in the ground only get a new layer of leaves each fall. The leaves from my oak trees are the only "mulch" I use. Most years I shred them by running a mower through the piles several times. My yard is a woodland not a suburban yard. I have no lawn...suits me just fine.I liva as I want "in the country" even though I can see the state capital dome from my back yard!

The plants I still have to bring in are my tropicals..alocacia, colocasia and two huge banana trees. They spend the winter semi-dormant on my enclosed but unheated porch along with my ten pots of dragon wing begonias.

Sorry, Judy----

I guess I missed the fact that your JM's are in pots....
I KNOW that you KNOW what you are doing......I will shut my mouth.....

I always seem to want to give advice when none is needed.....:o)

Gita

Gita, you can give me advise anytime you want! You are like an ever flowing source that I and many others can rely on. Please don't stop. You keep me on the plant straight and narrow. And, it never goes unnoticed by me that you have taken the time to consider and respond to stuff I post.

Hugs, Judy

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. My dgs pic shows what its all about. He said he just couldn't help but jump off his swing into the huge pile of leaves below. He had never done anything like it before! Do you remember the first time you "flew"? Any swing or leaf pile stories to share?

When our boys were young, Jeff would rake trails through the leaves in our yard and then they would play leaf tag. When they got older they would make their own trails and play. Now, the one son does it for his kids. I love that!!!

Jan, we made trails in our wooded lot and rode our bikes through in a precusor to "mountain biking" with "logs, puddles and low haning vines. Spent hours and hours and we didn't have to re-rake them!

We used the huge piles in the yard as "crash test"sites!

Wonder how many leaves by volume one mature oak typically drops? We had 20 of them in our yard and I have seven of them here.

All in all it must make your heart smile to see your kid passing on leaf trails to their kids!

Yep, i felt warm and fuzzy.

It's estimated that a 30-40 foot oak tree drops 700,000 leaves.

25,000 dry leaves weigh about 70 pounds or just under a ton of leaves per tree.

So, 7 tons in my MD yard and 20 tons back in Illinois. That's a lot of trails!

Whew! Glad I don't have rake them.

Leaf piles are great fun. Ric is out there right now with his leaf blower.

Judy...Judy.....

WHERE on Earth do you find all these facts???? You must have a lot of time to "surf" the Internet.....

I DO always enjoy all the links you can come up with and all the data you find...

Hmmmm---I thought most Oaks did not really drop all their leaves until the following spring...
Then again--if you have 50 Oaks--what they DO drop is, surely, more than enough.
You can look at them all winter--and they are still half-covered with leaves....
SO--you must spread the tons of leaves up between seasons....

I think most of the Oaks that were here before they built our houses (44 years ago) were Black Oaks (??) .
This used to be a BIG farm at one time--even had a lake. From what I was told--they used to show "Show Horses"...
Our side of the neighborhood houses were built 1 1/2 years before they built the ones behind me. A NEW section.
There was this bulldozer guy named, John. I, sort of, befriended him. He was there every day tearing down a Forrest
and bulldozing up the roots. The got piled high in an area (which is now the court behind my house) and there was many
a grandiose bon-fire going there.....
John was a nice, young man. In the winter, I would bring him out hot coffee.
In the summer--cold beers. He told me much about the history of the Old farm he was now demolishing...
It was all wooden acres of trees.....A small stream running through it--and the "lake" I never saw.
All I know that the next 3 houses West of me had double foundations--because they were built on the old lake bed.

Many people chose to keep some of these trees around their houses--and some paid a dear price because of it, as the
trees came tumbling down on their houses in severe storms. HUH? Oaks??? They are supposed to last forever!!!

Any trees that have been "supported" by other trees around them for eons do not grow enough peripheral roots to hold them up.
That was the case here---I remember one neighbor who, after moving in 3 weeks ago--had one of the Oaks
fall on their new house in the awful storms and floods of "Agnes" in 1972 and take out a corner of their house.
A tree growing in an open area--has to--to hold itself up through rain and snow and storms, so it grows strong, wide, supporting roots.

BUT--Everything here was "NEW". Nothing much had yet established. We moved into out home in Fall of 1969.
One of my newly planted maples (the one by the shed) was simply washed out....I re-planted it the next day--and it is OK.

Lesson for today ends NOW! Choosing to keep existing trees on a newly razed lot are NOT a great idea!!!!


Mowed my lawn today. Last time--I hope. Set the mower at 2". That will be good for the 1st mowing in the spring
as well.

Some lawn questions: Just for fun...... NO prizes if you get the most correct....

1--I usually mow at 3" --Is it better to mow it lower so you do not have to mow that often?
Who can tell me WHY or why not?????