Re: CULT: Freeze damage
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: CULT: Freeze damage
- From: "* G* C* <j*@erols.com>
- Date: Sat, 28 Mar 1998 22:13:05 -0700 (MST)
Lynn W Woosley wrote:
>
>
>
> My japonica looks rough. The center leaves of the fan are white, and the
> others are sort of brownish-green and limp. Is there any hope for these
> plants? I just planted them last fall, so they may not be particularly
> well established. What should I do for them?
>
> Some of the TB that were left unprotected have wrinkled leaves -- as if
> the leaf margins are too short for the length of the leaf. Do I need to
> do anything for these guys?
>
Lynn -- The wrinkled leaves will probably work themselves out
(literally), but they will stay wrinkled. You may want to cut them off
if the foliage's appearance is important to you. I don't grow I.
japonica, so caution you that the following advice is what one would do
with tall beardeds. To find whether there is rot, pull on the white
center leaf. If it is rotten, it will pull right out. You will then have
to do surgery on the rhizome, (but hopefully, someone who grows japonica
will help us out here). As for the outer leaves, carefully pull the
outermost ones sideways and see whether you can peel them off the
rhizome. If they come off clean and crisp at the base, your rhizome is
probably ok. Trim off the discolored parts of the remaining leaves and
leave them on the rhizome, but keep an eye on the plant. If when you
pull the leaves sideways they are rotten, they will look and smell so.
Then, you must see whether there is rot on the rhizome. If it appears to
be only on the surface, soak the rhizome with a 25% bleach solution. If
the rhizome itself is rotting, then you must cut out the infected part
and bathe the wound in the bleach solution. Don't cover the treated area
with dirt.
Griff Crump, along the tidal Potomac near Mount Vernon, VA
jgcrump@erols.com
