why can't I grow cosmos???
seashore1
14 years ago
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trinigemini
14 years agocjc45
14 years agoRelated Discussions
Why can't I grow decent brussel sprouts?
Comments (4)Should not be too early in your area. Variety maybe. They are also heavy feeders, especially nitrogen. Removing the leaves where sprouts are developing helps. Topping at about the first frost causes the sprouts to develop more uniformly. Important if you want to harvest a whole stem at the time. They also don't like to be crowded....See MoreWhy can't I grow a Willow from a cutting?
Comments (16)If you take a cutting in early spring (about this thickness of a pencil or so)), plant directly in the soil, with about 2-4 buds above the soil line and 8-10" below it will root within a couple of weeks. If it must be done when the parent tree isn't dormant, you really need a mist bench for best success. Rooting in water isn't a great idea because then you must get it established in soil. Just start with moist soil. I've rooted thousands of cuttings and willows are among the easiest if done right. Also, it should be mentioned that not all willows root with the same ease. Pussy willows for example, are not as easy (though still easy compared to say, an oak)....See MoreWhy can't I grow Comte de Chambord?
Comments (5)If you think it's your soil, and you're willing to try again, perhaps this will help. First, don't plant the band directly into your soil -- baby it from Spring in a pot. For potting soil, consider my modified "Mel's Mix" from Square Foot Gardening. The original mix was equal parts peat moss, vermiculite, and compost. I looked at this and broke it down to functional components -- 1/3 nutrient-poor organic base, 1/3 nutrient-poor inorganic base, 1/3 nutrient-rich organic base. My modification was using 2 parts peat moss, 1 part shredded mulch, 2 parts vermiculite, 1 part perlite, 2 parts Bovung dehydrated manure, 1 part used coffee grounds (I don't have any compost working here yet). Into this, I mixed 1 cup Jobe's Organic Knock-Out Rose Plant Food (or whatever organic dry mix you prefer) per 2-gal container. Once you see it starting to put out a good amount of new growth, feed it "weakly, weekly" with half-strength fish emulsion -- with seaweed, if you can find that kind of mix. Make sure the pot doesn't dry out, and keep it where it gets a good amount of sun until the heat of Summer arrives -- then move it to where it gets morning sun and afternoon "bright shade." When the main heat of Summer has passed, get ready to put it in the ground. If you have really bad clay, try to make a hole twice the size of the pot, and set the native soil aside. Make some more of the potting mix, and mix it about 50-50 with the native soil from the hole. Use this to backfill the hole after putting the rose in the ground. You'll have extra soil -- so use this to form a sort of "doughnut" around the newly planted rose to catch extra rain and irrigation. You can level it out with mulch on top -- you'll still have a sort of "pool" around the rose for catching extra water for its first year, being as the mulch will have more air space between the particles than the soil mix below. If you keep doing this sort of thing whenever you plant in the bed (be it for roses, perennials, annuals, etc.), you'll be putting pockets of better-draining soil into the ground, which will break up the clay faster than simply laying materials on top. Also, the vermiculite and perlite is inorganic, so it won't break down over time. It's still good to keep adding organics on top, and I'm noticing that in my bed, it is slowly making its way down into the native soil, but doing this will help a new baby band get going faster. :-) ~Christopher...See MoreWhy can't I grow a Dawn Redwood?
Comments (19)I think I planted mine in NJ/Zone 7 in 2010 or so, from a four footer and now it's at least 20 feet tall. This time of day, the sun hits it at a certain angle and the leaves look yellow-green (even though it is the all green species, not a GoldRush, etc.). What's to say. It's impressive still being able to plant trees at a mature age and being able to look forward to a Sequoia a few years down the line!! I just limbed up mine a bit too. Should do NO HARM, btw. But I would encourage you to water as we are about to start a heat wave here in the East and much of the country. They are okay in heat and drought but NOT AS MUCH so as Bald Cypresses. (Which is btw, another terrific tree!) I have about a half dozen each of Bald Cypress and Dawn Reds to be planted out back in the Autumn. Cheers!...See Moregoldenpond
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14 years agoLora Mayfield Warren
7 years agobea (zone 9a -Jax area)
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7 years agosharon2079
2 years ago
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sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)