Learning a plant. What does that mean?
Lagerstroemia 'Cherry Mocha', Late July
Gasteria acinacifolia blooms in March. But also in... July? Yes, actually. Outstanding, zero-care plant. Imagine if plants were all that wonderful.
Knowing what fertilizer, or the lack of it, does to the plant. And when. Did you know roses have the greatest need for fertilizer when they are in full bloom? A University of California study tested and came to that conclusion by precisely monitoring the uptake of fertilizer in hydroponically grown roses--how much fertilizer was removed from the liquid by the roses.
One of the 'Wishes' Salvias, cut back hard and fertilized generously, has been renewed:
Orbea variegata doesn't seem to need a darn thing:
Knowing what cutting back does to the plant, and when best to do it. Many plants here in Southern California benefit greatly from the following: grab it like hair and cut off half, March and very early October. A professional estate gardener told me that.
Cupheas and Lavenders here are ideal for this treatment. There's still enough warm weather in October for the Cuphea to recover and grow a little new foliage so it looks decent over the winter. Even more so for the Lavenders. And March, of course, is spring.
Cut back by half, March and October--looking good:
Knowing what cutting back does, and when best to do it brings me to the Pittosporums I've been whacking at for months. A few days ago they started to sprout new growth. In this garden, it is the time of the year they do so. Therefore, finishing became urgent, lest I chop off all the new growth.
Learning a plant means learning other lessons besides the plant. No more Pittosporum trimming without the right pruning tools.
But there were compensations...
Being outside, among the flowers.
Do you know your plants? In your climate and growing situation, how much does it matter?
I don't know most of my plants anywhere near as well as you know yours. My relationship with roses is tenuous at best. My understanding of Leucadendrons and Grevilleas is probably on the firmest footing. I've made notice of your March and October chop schedule and will try that out - by current schedule is far more variable.
ReplyDeleteThe March/October thing coming from a professional is pretty reliable for our climate, and it has certainly proved so in my garden.
DeleteYour Leucadendrons are fabulous, and your comments on 'Wilson's Wonder' enboldened me to chop my young one back, which made it much more branched, so, thanks!!! :)
Interesting concept for a post, and a great question to ask. Regarding the annuals that I plant reliably every year, some are predictable, while others mystify me. For example, in some years the Mexican sunflowers do very well, while in other years (like this one) they barely grow. I don't know if it's because of the variable tree/leaf cover on my lot or some other factor. Other plants (Cosmos, Zinnias, Fuchsias) always do very well. If perennials don't make it through the first two years, I rarely try them again. It's mostly because the rabbits eat them; so in those cases, I give up and plant rabbit-resistant plants or put fencing around them. Great post. Your roses are stunning!
ReplyDeletePerhaps the soil temperature (sun hitting the area) affects Tithonia performance, being largely from Mexico/Central America/SW US. Here soil temp certainly affects Dahlia & Cuphea both largely from the same areas.
DeleteYes those #%$%&#& rabbits! Planting more and more Salvias, because they don't touch those.
The annual trimming of lavender (I only do it once a year) makes this lovely plant less desirable; it's so much work. And yet, I have multiple type of lavender and I love them. Some plants I got to know well enough to realize they need to go, others I fell in love with the longer I grow them.
ReplyDeleteI grow a couple of tiny Gasteria in door (‘Little Warty’ and Lilliputana). Always astonishing to see them as an outdoor plant. Same goes for the Stapelia. Much easier to grow that succulent outside, where the marvelous wrinkly bloom doesn't make your living room smell like rotten meat.
Good job on the Pittosporum; I bet you are glad to be done with it.
Chavli
Lavender trim lots of work? Just grab like hair, chop off but not into bare stems, then when its all chopped, round off and even out the the whole? Doesn't take me long. Or electric hedge trimmers, even faster, done in a minute and work great. Running the electric extension cord 50' is what takes time.
DeleteHere the once-blooming kinds (either 'Grosso' or 'Provence', insanely sweet fragrance) really only need a cutback after the flowers are complete, but a light clean up in March seems to prettify them a bit more. The continuous bloomers (stoechas) are the ones that benefit the most from two trims a year.
Yep, a living room that smells like rotten meat--the dogs would like it, but not me!
I'm pretty brave about cutting back, and this year I tried an experiment with Clematis 'Arabella'.It reliably blooms til frost but long about the end of June the foliage goes directly to hell. Since I have two I decided to cut one of them down to 12 inches , leaving about three stems intact to see if it would flush out new growth. Since it will continue to pump out blooms for at least three months why not give it a try ? Sure enough, new growth is coming up from the cut stems. We shall see what it looks like in another couple of weeks.
ReplyDeleteCutting back some of my viticellas back some years after the spring bloom, then a deep soak and a dose of fertilizer, did make them burst out with a new round of flowers.
DeleteI looked for 'Arabella' for sale this past winter, but could not find it. Looks like a real gem!
Yes you do need to know your plants and their needs well to get the best out of them. So important if you want things to survive and thrive. I garden in the Chinook Zone (similar to Colorado) where the temperature can change rapidly (up or down) at any time of year. Very tough on plants. There are so many I would like to grow but I am not willing to pamper them for a lukewarm show. Knowing which plants do well has certainly allowed me to develop a successful garden. BTW love that agapanthus. Such a beautiful dark blue.
ReplyDeleteAh, Chinook. My Mom & Dad lived in British Columbia before emigrating to California, so they would joke about the Chinook now and then. As tough on plants as our Santa Anas, just in a different way.
DeleteI adore that Agapanthus! Incredible color. Wish I knew its name, though it really doesn't matter much.
This is an interesting post. Just when I think I know what to expect nature reminds me who's in charge. Had no idea Pittosporum grows so tall. I adore that Agapanthus too--what a rich color.
ReplyDeleteMother [Nature] knows best.
DeleteI did not know Pittos got that tall, either. They fooled me!
Might it be Agapanthus 'Elaine'? That's the one I associate with deep, rich blue...
ReplyDeleteLooked for pictures of 'Elaine', color looks right, but described size much larger. Mine is relatively petite. Thank for the the tip. I'll look for one for sale and give it a try. The color is so fabulous--can I have too many?
DeleteGood job on your Pittos!
ReplyDeleteLearning to 'know' plants is one of the main reasons I enjoy gardening. One can never be bored! No matter how much research, label reading or looking at plants in other people's gardens, until you grow it yourself, I don't think you can truly 'know' a plant. And there are always surprises, both good and bad. A 'good' surprise recently has been figuring out how to grow Alcantarea imperialis well here. All the local specimens I've seen of that plant look pretty terrible. By keeping it in a little micro climate (and very dry over our cool wet winter) it looks very happy, which makes me very happy!
Yes, if boredom occurs we're not doing it right. There's so much to investigate.
DeleteFunny I'm trying to figure out how to grow Alcantarea imperialis well here. Mine are not looking happy. Someone who took a vacation to Costa Rica showed me a photo of one growing there--it was over 2, maybe 3 meters tall. Now that one looked happy!
Who wouldn't be happy living in Costa Rica!
DeleteThey love Sydney's climate - mild and subtropical (very different to here, which is baking hot and dry in summer and cool and wet in winter). In our summer I've had success growing them under 50% shadecloth, packed in close to other humidity-loving plants (eg ferns and other bromeliads) in a little microclimate that I mist every couple of days. I justify the water use as it keeps our outdoor seating area so much cooler and is only a small area.
In winter, they're moved undercover but get direct morning sun. I keep the soil in the pot very dry, but the central cup filled up.
I'm sure you will figure out how to keep them happy in your garden and climate :)
Yes who would not enjoy beautiful Costa Rica? Friends who have been there say it is gorgeous. When I was a kid, a neighbor family was from Costa Rica. The girl my age was so incredibly, extraordinarily kind, I always remember that country as a special place because of her.
DeleteYou gave me some good ideas as to how to help my A. imperialis--something for me to try. They are getting the humidity but too much sun, I think. Shade cloth--thanks!
Hello there HB ;-) Strangely enough that (grabbing it like hair and whacking it off) is how I do a lot of my plants .. sometimes a bit too enthusiastically .. oops ! .. I did not know about fertilizing the roses while they are in bloom , so thank you for that information. Note to self "buy some fertilizer meant for roses "
ReplyDeleteYour plants are gorgeous ! .. that agapanthus in deep blue is eye candy indeed.
I totally sympathize with the ladder jobs ... I have to get some of that done too, not my favorite although very satisfying when completed ? haha
Well done on the mission, you deserve a cool drink while surveying your beautiful Eden !
Hello back! Thanks for your kind comments and I also enjoy seeing your beautiful garden via your blog, though I do not comment much. Best wishes!
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