Shouldn't my obedient plants still be blooming?

13 years ago

My Miss Manners (I just got this year) seems to be petering out already. I have to admit, I don't know which flower heads to deadhead because it's hard to tell the difference between a bud that hasn't bloomed and one that has. Any tips as how I might tell the difference? I'm sure it's obvious as day, and I'm just a clueless newbie....so please help and enlighten me! ;) If I dead-head shouldn't they continue throughout the Summer, or was I expecting too much? I am battling spider mites unfortunately, so I'm wondering if that is the reason they seem to be slowing down the blooming, or if that is just normal for them.

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Comments (9)

anitamo
13 years ago
Mine haven't even started blooming this year yet, although I have the regular species, not 'Miss Manners.' But new plants bloom sooner than usual...next year they'll be on its normal schedule.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 years ago
plants in their first year.. were forced for sale... so they are most likely out of phase as to what normal would be .... and indicated by how yours is done.. and zone similar peeps have not started ....

ken
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Hmmm, strange indeed monsteraston. I am west of you and all my macs/serratas/oakleafs/paniculatas have leafed out. Granted, some are leafing out from the base/crown and the panics have tiny leaves (1/2 to 1") but still. Historically, paniculatas and arborescens have always been slow to leaf for me here (compared to the macs, which began to leaf out earlier in February). Make notes in a wall calendar from one year to the next so you can get a good feel what is normal but I am seeing more instances of early leaf out than in prior years, especially with the macs. I am also noticing -this year- some winter damage on selected shrubs that face north and that are in unprotected locations. Probably due to the mild weather that was followed by cold lows in Jan 5-8. That could result in growth from the crown and dried out dead stems from any of those types of hydrangeas. Hydrangeas that loose stems that way may take a while longer to produce new stems from the crown but if the roots re ok then they should eventually do that. When cold like January's pops up, I check my mulch levels and try to provide water before the cold period arrives but, even though I did so, the shrubs on the north side look like they got hit as temps prior to the cold front were so mild and these guys were not "protected" by the house and other things. Macs located there have dried out looking stems with no leaves (at east none so far) but, the plants have leafed out from the crown. Macs in protected locations look normal and are leafing out. Paniculatas like my Little Lime are leafing out. Oakleafs too. FYI - if no stems leaf out on a shrub by mid May and the plant does not generate new stems either then the whole plant did not make it. For now, I would maintain the soil as evenly moist as you can and keep them well mulched. I usually fertilize at the end of the month since that would be about two weeks after March 13, our average date of last freeze. If they do not leaf out by May then they did not make it. Prune the dried out stems then. I would hope that the roots did make it though as they usually do. If you cannot wait until May, you can lightly scratch a stem that has not leafed out to see if you see 'green'. If you see green, the roots are alive; but the stem with green may or may not leaf out. Hard to tell if it will as sometimes they leaf out and other times they do not even though they are green when I check. Years ago, I had one arborescens that did not make it due to issues with the drip irrigation one year. It did not come back and I assumed it was lack of water during the winter as I did not notice that there was a problem until some camellias started browning their leaves in Feb-March. So it pays to water them during dry winters (but seldom, maybe every 2-3 weeks or when the soil feels dry).
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joannemb
Original Author
13 years ago
Makes sense---thanks!
conniemcghee
13 years ago
Miss Manners was new to me last year, and it bloomed then quit. I didn't do any deadheading, just left it alone, and it bloomed again later all by itself.

This year I did deadhead (but you're right, it's hard to tell where to do so). We'll see what happens!
fernzilla
13 years ago
First obedient Plants are very late Summer and fall bloomers,
so it may bit a bit early still. My native obedient plants are just now tasseling up and have not yet begin to bloom. I am in Memphis which is Zone 7
I discovered these are Extremely Invasive, so i am getting rid of them as soon as they finish blooming. I intend to cut off the spent blooms ,so that that do not go to seed.
I purchased 6 Miss manners, which I think will be better.
They has a few blooms when I got them, probably forced.
Now as to knowing when to deadhead. Obedient plants bloom from the bottom up on the stalk, so when you see a bunch of
spent blooms all down the stem, and a few bus not opened near the top of stem, that would be a good time to deadhead, and they will bloom again.
marcindy
13 years ago
I don't know, my Miss Manners bloomed like crazy in July and was finished with her show by the beginning of August. Like most things this year it was way earlier than is normal.
hostaholic2 z 4, MN
13 years ago
Mine is just starting to bloom. As for being invasive, it's a native plant. An invasive plant/tree is one such as buckthorn which crowds out native plants. It can be aggressive but I really don't find it difficult to keep in check. I just pull or hoe out whatever crosses "The Line". When it begins to get to crowded I lift it in the spring and toss the center and replant. It does require a little more work than some plants but far less than say an iris. It blooms when many plants are finished for the season and has no serious pests.
viktoria5
13 years ago
The trick to tell which flowers are done blooming and which ones are about to start is to shake the "cob". If it is light and rattles, you are dealing with "buds" that are done for the year. I also find that the "buds" dry out pretty fast after they are done blooming, and they become more of a tan colour, while the buds about to open are a nice, sharp green.

If you don't want any accidental reseeding, be careful when you remove these - the seeds are loose and peeking out and can spill out at the slightest movement. On the other hand, if you are crazy enough to want to save seed from these guys (I am!), this plant is one of the easiest to save seed from. Just make sure that all of the flower "cob" is totally dry to ensure that the seeds are ripe. You can sow those right away and they will bloom next summer.
coolplantsguy
13 years ago
It's also possible that 'Miss Manners' is an earlier-blooming form.

Shouldn't my obedient plants still be blooming?

Comments (9)

anitamo

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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Shouldn't my obedient plants still be blooming?

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