Re: Re: Help with H. americana!

Thanks Marge. All the plants are potted in a medium with reasonably good drainage. The Cyclamen is hederifolium; very little root but really large tubers. I'm not good with Penstemon either. This one looks vigorous though - it's woody and has about 16 inches of growth on it. Verbascum is something else that I've always killed and this one, though it has begun to leaf out, is small yet. The Erigeron look as though they'll be no problem.

I don't have space for a cold frame, but the main reason is that I am positive I'd do more damage with one than without. I can't afford an automatic opener/closer. I KNOW I will forget to open and close as needed.

I have about 400 pots out there from last fall huddled against the house in 2 places, covered with leaves and surrounded by upright straw sections. I'll uncover them in a week or so. They don't need daily diligence, so it's a method I can manage.

I'll do the shop light thing for awhile and next week when the lows are 30s I can move the Greer plants to the Florida rm.

Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
----- Original Message ----- From: "Marge Talt" <mtalt@hort.net>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 5:11 AM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] Re: Help with H. americana!


Andrea....not Kitty, but I have received numerous lovely, large and
healthy plants from Greer over the years.  Harold Greer, who owns it,
is a world class authority on rhododendrons.  You should get a good
plant.

Kitty...

Your cyclamen tubers should be fine if what you planted them in has
good drainage and you can keep them cool but not freezing.  Keep
moist but not wet.  Which species Cyclamen?

No words of wisdom on Penstemon; I only kill them on contact.  Don't
grow Erigeron.  Verbascum, if in leaf, is going to want as much light
as you can muster and good drainage.

I should imagine all the above would do better in a cool to cold but
not freezing location.  The cooler it is, the slower they'll start
into major growth, which is best if they have to be indoors.  If you
don't have enough window, get one of those standard shop lights at
Home Despot or Lowes; they're not expensive; and hang it above where
you're keeping the plants and leave it on 24x7.  Seems to work in my
garage.  Start schlepping them out during the day if it's above
freezing, if you can manage it.  I don't know if they were greenhouse
grown or field grown but even if field grown, Greer is in a milder
climate than you are, so I should imagine they'd need hardening off
before you put them out.

You need a cold frame, lady, if you can't manage a greenhouse!  Would
make your life easier all the way around:-)  You could make one of
straw bales and plastic for winter use.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
Shadyside Garden Designs

----------

From: raider843@earthlink.net

Kitty, have you had good luck with Greer? I ordered an Azalea 'Anna

Kehr'

from them today. They were the ONLY nursery that had it that I

could find.

I'm paying through the nose for it but I desperately want to

replace the

one I left behind when I moved.
A

Andrea
Beaufort, SC Zone 8b
raider843@earthlink.net


> [Original Message]
> From: Kitty <kmrsy@comcast.net>
>
> Sorry to hear about the damage, Chris.  Some things are perhaps

too

delicate
> to be handled that way.  Glad they gave you the use of their

photos.  Do

> they take all their own photos?
>
> The Greer order I received had a couple of cyclamen.  Nice-sized

tubers.

I
> potted them up in qts and the tubers are almost that big across.

I hope

> they survive.
> Also potted 3 Erigeron 'Darkest of All' (one so big I barely

could get it

> into a trade gallon) 1 big Penstemon, and a Verbascum.  Anything

anyone

> wants to tell me about them as far as holding them until mid-May?

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