Tag: Foliage
Tips For Harvesting Bulbs
by guest on Apr.22, 2010, under Blog
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 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.
Bonsai - Exotic Choices
by guest on Jul.27, 2009, under Blog
The majority of bonsai gardeners stick with the more common deciduous, confierous, or fruit trees when developing their bonsai tree collection. However, more exotic bonsai varieties are available that permit the bonsai artist to further develop his or her skills.
An superb alternative to the more frequent style bonsai is Wisteria, a native of Japan, China, and Korea. In the wild, Wisteria can reach 30 feet or more in size. However, because Wisteria doesn’t conform to any of the normal bonsai styles, forming them into a bonsai can be an interesting challenge.
The Wisteria flowers are both aromatic and beautiful and come in a variety of colors, including blue, purple, pink, and white. Blooming in the Spring, they need lots of water with sufficient drainage and they do well in partial shade to full sun. Just before they bloom in the spring, you should provide them with ample fertilizer, and once again in late summer before they shed their leaves.
Another good choice is Orange Jasmine which will provide a delight to the nose and beauty to the eye. Orange Jasmine bears a bright red fruit and fragrant, white blossoms.
Feed Orange Jasmine every three to four weeks starting in early spring and continuing through mid-autumn. Only light watering is sufficient for most of the year, with slightly more required in the hotter summer season.
Because they generally grow better in moderate shade or filtered sun, Orange Jasmine is one of the few bonsai that can, and should be grown indoors.
The Mimosa tree, also occasionally known as silk trees due to their long silky filaments, offer another good alternative. They are as fragrant as both of the two alternatives mentioned above and their puffy flowers and lacy foliage are also just as lovely.
The Mimosa’s flowers bloom in late April to early July and moderate water should be given during this period. However, you should avoid getting water on the flowers because, much like a number of other flowering plants, the flowers will quickly deteriorate when wet.
If you choose to cultivate a Mimosa, it will be one of the larger bonsai in your collection since they have large leaves, grow rapidly, and are difficult to maintain at a very small size. So be sure to give then adequate room in your display area.
Another non-traditional bonsai is the Desert Rose. The Desert Rose can turn what would be an ordinary bonsai collection into one full of color and excitement. It is a native of East Africa and in the wild can grow up to 10 feet tall, producing large, pink, trumpet-bowl flowers.
The Desert Rose should be kept outdoors most of the year as they need ample sunshine and lots of fresh air. With their very bushy growing habit, they will make a fine design complement to the many traditional bonsai in your collection.
However, the Desert Rose is sensitive to cold, so they should be brought indoors in cold climates or during periods of cold weather as they will not thrive in temperatures below 10C (50F). With temperatures in the 10C-15C (50F-60F) range, they will lie dormant and healthy and during this period they will need very little water.
You should try your hand at some of these exotic beautiful and fragrant flowering plants to extend your horizon and further develop your bonsai gardening skills. They provide a nice contrast when placed among some of the more standard evergreens, such as, junipers, pines, and firs. Additionally, as they lose their leaves in the fall and blossom in the spring, you’ll have an interesting season-changing display.
George Dodge enjoys landscaping and gardening as a hobby. Bonsai gardening offers hours of enjoyment producing exquisit miniture shrubs and trees as an art form. His Bonsai Tree Gardening site shares tips for the beginning bonsai gardener. Experiment with exotic bonsai choices to roundout your collection.
