Does anyone grow variegated lily-of-the-valley?
gottagarden
14 years ago
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diggerdee zone 6 CT
14 years agobrody
14 years agoRelated Discussions
ideal growing conditions for lily-of-the-valley
Comments (18)I have mine growing beside the house, north side. Total shade all day, but soil has clay mixed in it, stays kind of cold damp most of the time. Thick leaves prevent soil getting dried out from wind. The LOV have been pretty happy there and expanded enough to surround my ferns. They bloom reliably, smell wonderful, with no other care. I know the leaves of Oaks have covered them in winter, probably adds organic matter along with their old leaves each fall. This is a similar setting to what my mother had with her LOV at the old house. Lots of shade in summer, just ignored them except to pick the flowers each year. I do have a couple other plantings around trees in the yard. Trees are Ironwood, Elm Family. LOV are getting going, expanding a bit each year. We just mow the ones who come out too far, so they stay contained. No bed edgings. I had another bed of them out front, half-day sun under and around forsythia bushes and Oak trees. They didn't do at all well out there, even after several years. Very thin, scraggly, no flowers, no multiplying either. I dug them out and put them around the Ironwood tree, which also gets some sun and they have taken off. Perhaps you could add some shredded fall leaves to the beds this year. Not whole maple though whole oak leaves might work well. Maples get mushy with wet weather, smother beds. Oaks stay crispy, even wet and snowy. Shreds work best as they fall down between growing plants. Leaf mulch would help keep damp too. Anyway, the leaves would attract worms to eat them, work the soil around the LOV plants, enriching the location for better flower growth. Could be they would take right off with just that bit of help, and just neglect them the rest of the time. See if it works for you. I like my LOV, sure sign of Spring each year....See MoreDo you grow lily of the valley?
Comments (15)I planted mine in the center of an island bed where the shade from the dogwoods seemed to prevent anything else from doing well. Plus I wanted a groundcover in there so I wouldn't have to crawl in on my hands and knees to mulch. They stayed pretty contained in that area until I was forced to severely cut back the dogwoods, which allowed a lot more light into the center of the bed. This spring I noticed that they were spreading much more aggressively and I had to dig out quite a bit that was not where I wanted it. They had been planted in this area for probably 8-10 years and this was the first time I had ever had to take any action to contain them. I'll see what they do this year and if they get too wild I guess I'll have to take them out and find a more sun tolerant, but better behaved groundcover. Totally Confused...See Morehostas in lily of the valley patch - anyone?
Comments (26)Well, I sound like a broken record (even to myself) but why in the world would any one try to dig up LOTV rather than killing it with glyphosate (RoundUp). As long as you don't spray it on any of their foliage it will not kill other plants. It can be sprayed on tree trunks as long as there is no green showing as the bark protects tress. Even in close proximity to other plants why not paint it to a point where spraying is possible to eradicate the foliage showing, the roots as well as the rhizomes spreading it. I have never sprayed glyphosate directly on the bark of any trees, but I have sprayed right up against trees, most assuredly with some overspray on the bark, I have LOTV behind my shed where it doesn't bother anything and simply doesn't spread. I assume sunshine keeps it in check. ....and please don't tell me about how RoundUp is banned in Canada as every single herbicide in existence is banned for home use in Canada or how it is a 'probable' carcinogen based on a UN study that fed thousands of times any possible dose to rats and produced cancer in rats. 40-50 years of studies of people most greatly exposed to glyphosate in the manufacture and by farmers who have used it for decades has shown zero (yes, zero) increase in cancer risk. It is the least toxic herbicide available, period; or how it kills fish because it doesn't kill fish or any other animal; it is not recommended to be used near ponds or lakes because it will kill aquatic plants, which will eliminate food for the aquatic life in a pond or lake and fish will die of starvation, not from glyphosate ......OK, maybe vinegar may be just as safe, but is only effective if you don't mind spending many years repeating the process and probably doing a good deal of damage to enzymes in the soil and interfering with breakdown of nutrients. Since, off-the-shelf vinegar is 5% acidic acid I think this is probable. Jon Excuse me while I step down off my soap box....See MoreDoes anyone grow nelumbo nucifera(sacred lily)?
Comments (4)We live in zone 4 southern end have raised lotus for many years in 24" X8" shallow tubs. We store the tubs in one of our lined ponds for the winter as the main one drains out. They need about 10-12" of water over the soil in the container to winter in our climate. We haul them out in the spring and put them in a warmer location outdoors, not back in the earth pond as the water is fairly cold especially in springtime. After they have a few airborne leaves (not resting on water surface like a lily pad) you can give them fertilizer tabs. Remember to keep the water to a depth of 5-6" over the soil. Plant tubers w/ about 1" soil over them, weight them down with a rock and DON"T cover the growth point. The tubs have 3"-4" soil in them. I wouldn't plant them in the pond if you want to do anything else with the pond as the stems are very spiny. If you're in a warmer climate I would guess they'd own the pond quite quickly. Ours never get big enough to eat, but the flowers and pods are attractive. Good luck....See Moreaftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
14 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
14 years agodiggerdee zone 6 CT
14 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
14 years agochristinmk z5b eastern WA
14 years agobuyorsell888
14 years agogottagarden
14 years ago
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