RE: Data base of trial gardens
- To: "s*@egroups.com"
- Subject: RE: [sibrob] Data base of trial gardens
- From: J* H*
- Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 08:40:11 -0700
- Encoding: 59 TEXT
Finding people willing to commit to trialing plants is a challenge and I'd
love to see a list of those who wouldn't be hesitant about critiquing new
plants.
Most people seem to be scared away from such projects by the list of
questions, so thought I'd print the basic list I use and see if the reasons
behind some of the requirements might not make trialing seem less daunting
a task.
Soil ph and type... for obvious reasons. Plants that can adapt to wider
variations are a plus and I'm always looking for places where a species has
a difficult time growing well. A list of things that died is as important
to me as the list of what grows well.
Average summer high, average winter low, average rainfall ... gives a
better picture of what the plants have to deal with and most of us have
some idea of what these are for our areas.
How heavy you feed and water, if they'll be in full sun and if they have a
protective mulch. Any of these things can change conditions radically. (A
large rock nearby can boost the zone by as much as half!)
Not keeping opinions to oneself is ideal for irises. Secrecy is best left
for the perennials under consideration for patents. I probably learn more
about a plant when it fails than I do if it succeeds and being able to
compare notes with others leads to more information for everyone.
A few things I ask about that most hybridizers might not include are what
other species a gardener might be familiar with. (I just can't seem to
resist trying species-X. At the moment, a cute little dwarf setosa has been
tempting me with thoughts of "border" sibtosas!) If a gardener has the
space, I'll send along starts of the parent for comparison.
One thing I probably do differently, is ask that a plant be neglected once
it's had some time to get its roots down. The average type of gardener I've
run into might dote on a plant the first year or two but isn't likely to
fuss over something indefinitely. I'd like to know how a plant does when it
needs to look out for itself.
With the "right" conditions available where a plant is likely to struggle,
I prefer to send more than one start... one that will be pampered and one
that won't, so comparisons are easier. This also seems to make it easier
for trialers to come to grips with the idea that it just might be the plant
that's at fault and not their gardening. :)
Christy Hensler
Z4b near Newport, WA, USA, where it's trying to snow again!
----------
From: Totoo@jps.net
I think Christy's idea if setting up a list of people who would
trial plants is a good one. Here in The sibrob there are plenty of
people like me who aren't quite up to the daunting task of
hybridizing. We however are experienced gardeners, love Siberians and
keep great records. ( Plus I've never been known to keep my opinions
about plants to myself!) <<<
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