Re: TBI "cleaning" leaves question

Amy writes:

<<I cleaned up my TBI foliage this past weekend; most of the dead leaves
from last fall just fell off with a gentle tug.  However, it was rather
like peeling an onion.  The dead leaf closest to the rhizome itself
was still somewhat attached to the rhizome exactly like peeling an
onion.  I pruned these carefully off as close to the leaf / rhizome
union as I could.  Was this the proper behaviour?

Also, many of the rhizomes are *right* under the surface.  Some
had actually become uncovered with a little bit of soil erosion,
and it's easy for the soil to erode with no mulch on top (I've
heard not to mulch the TBIs).  This isn't on a slope or anything,
but some of the top soil will blow or be watered away if there
is absolutely no mulch.  Should the uncovered parts of the
rhizomes be recovered?  If so, with more soil?  I did put the>>

I'd say your clean-up efforts were fine, Amy.  I've gotten so I give the dead
leaves (completely dead--not if still somewhat green) a quick yank, and they
separate cleanly from the stalk-rhizome area.  But better to cut them and be
safe than sorry.  

Re: mulch--I'd consider your area in saying absolutely no or maybe  Ok.  Here
in the humid east--no,no,no; retains too much moisture, leads to rot.  Also
in this area, I've seen wood chip mulch on TBs lead to an infestation of
those hard-shelled little amardillo- like bugs whose name escapes me at the
moment--and they ate the rhizomes!  I always thought those bugs were
innocuous, and probably wouldn't have believed the story if I hadn't seen the
evidence!

But I would certainly recover the exposed rhizomes with dirt, firming it down
well.  I have to do some of that every spring due to the freezing and thawing
cycles and resultant plant heaving.  Usually well-established plants are ok,
but new ones can be heaved completely out of the ground.  Got to replant or
lose it!

Hope this helps.
Dorothy Fingerhood
DFingerhoo@aol.com
Newfield, NY
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index