Re: TB: Witch's Wand

A plant that seems eccentric in what it requires in the way of growing
conditions.  From the years of comment on it from this list and my own
experience, it's hard to say why or where it does well.  My own guess is
that this may be a plant that likes moderate temperatures and dry weather to
do well.  Those are the conditions here when it grows well.  For my
treacherous weather, WITCH'S WAND has proved to be a survivor.  Blooms
shorter than it should, but a lot that apparently outgrow it in other places
do that.  Otherwise it has been durable, dependable - it lives to return
another season.  I didn't expect that based on the reports from the list,
but that's what it's done.  Going on five years now, so it outlasted HELLO
DARKNESS and a number of others.  Blooms every year, too.  If it would only
decide to grow a bit more rambunctiously and send up taller stalks, it would
be winner here with the dramatic coloring.

All that's if it manages to survive the plague of grasshoppers this year.
I've lost all the spring and summer increases now and last week they started
eating fans into the rhizomes.  I don't know how many clumps are damaged
beyond returning, but half a dozen are gone forever and many, many more have
lost up to half the rhizome system.  I had a TB I bought last year that
didn't bloom, but had grown well and looked to have six near bloom-size
fans.  There is only one fan left now, two weeks ago there were still three
fans and six weeks ago it had all six.  The growing point of the rhizomes
are eaten off 1/2 inch below soil level.  Some arilbreds that I wanted badly
are simply gone now.  This year it would have been better if they'd gone
dormant.  The grasshoppers don't find those.  It's going to be a long, sad
August.  The seedlings are actually doing better than my mature plants since
one bed is completely in a shade cloth rectangle and the other one has
stocking caps covering all but a couple of less valued things.  I made some
more stocking caps using tomato cages this weekend to cover some of the
mature plants, mainly a couple of seedlings from last year I want badly to
see bloom.  I can't cover everything.  I think this is the worst damage I've
ever seen from the grasshoppers - and that's saying a lot.  More copperheads
this year, too.  I wonder if they eat them and that is what is bringing them
in the yard.  I don't want them, but if they're eating grasshoppers I do
hope they fill up before I remove them from the premises.

Donald Eaves
donald@eastland.net
Texas Zone 7b, USA



>Witch's Wand won't even grow for us.  There are so many newer ones with
that combination of colors that grow well, Romantic Evening, Wild Wings,
Gallant Rogue, Visiting Royalty, Night Game, Tom Johnson etc.  We are
offering Witch's Want for the last time this year, just can't get it to
increase enough.
>Mike Sutton
>Porterville, CA USA
>USDA zone 8b - enjoying a relatively mild summer.



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