Re: Cutting back fans/tough varieties?

In a message dated 96-06-21 08:43:39 EDT, you write:


>>  "Newer is not always better!"

>  The oldies we have around
>that are so vigorous and hardy are still around because they proved to be
the hardiest
>varieties of their generation. Thirty or forty years from now, some
gardeners will be >growing hardy oldies from the 80's and 90's.  .......
>So perhaps I will start a
>"hardiness" test garden.  Let the grass and weeds invade, rarely dig and
>divide, mow them off the with lawn mower.  And keep detailed records over
>the next 25-30 years about which ones can take it.

This is the approach I have been using for the last 20 yrs, though not with a
very big sample size... I have never used the lawn mower, except when the
grass has gotten totally out of hand, but am looking forward to torching them
this winter.  I had never heard of doing that before Clarence suggested it
and Dennis mentioned using a blowtorch.  Sounds like so much fun!

> Dennis Replies: You might be right Lois - One note tho..in the 30's and
40's there >were not 800 TB's introduced per year. 

I did a quick count in the 50s 60s 70s and 80s checklists and there wasn't
that much difference in the numbers of TBs introduced (more and more
non-TBs), but don't have the 30s and 40s checklists.  

Linda Mann lmann76543@aol.com e tenn usa
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