Vacation angst at this time of the year!

16 years ago

Well, I stayed away as long as I could, but I'm back for a little bit---on the forum, that is!

We are leaving for Fla. next week, and may be gone for up to 3 weeks.

As some of you may recall, I have lots of hosta in barrels and pots,

as well as, in the ground.

All of my pots, (large and small) are on their sides. The ones in their barrels

and in the ground have about 6" of ground leaves on them.

I fear, removing the leaves, and I fear leaving them in place!

What to do? If I remove them, and they come up and we are hit with

a late 'surprise' in the turn of the weather, then I lose them.

If I leave them covered, and they are 'signaled' to grow through

the leaves, they will be spindly and ultimately weak. I had that

happen to one in a large pot last year, in that as soon as it broke

through I brought it inside where it got not nearly the light it would

have if it were left outdoors. It never was the plant it should have

been because of it, I believe!

Of course, I lost almost all of the ones I did leave outside, even the

ones in barrels, due to the 'fake spring' for a week in March to

return abruptly to freezing temps after the too-early

signal to "get going"!

So, please, if you were me----what would you do? Upright the pots,

leave the leaves on them (even the ones inground) or don't upright the

pots yet, and remove the leaves on any of the others!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
16 years ago
wellllll.. i wouldnt go to florida..

geez janice.. how easy is that decision ...

what really is more important... hosta or .. what.. some grandkid or something... the little turd will be around next year .... the hosta might not ...

rotflmbo ...

ken

PS: hosta poke through anything.. maybe even the driveway .. ignore them ... the longer they are covered.. the longer they will stay dormant.. the sooner you will be back .. and no matter what happens.. 90% chance nothing will happen to them.. they will live thru frost and freeze.. MOST OF THE TIME ...
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
16 years ago
i would make sure all pots stay out of the sun .. and move as many as possible to the north side of the house or garage... that area will stay a zone or two cooler for the next three weeks ...

all my soil is thawed.. except that on the exact north side of the house and barn ...

ken
Related Discussions
Time Share Vacation
Q
Comments (1)
You should join great timeshare site that helps with all those timeshare travel questions! My DH and I have been timesharing since 1999, and we love it. I will admit it was a bit mind boggeling in the beginning and parts still are, the website is www.tug2.com and you can join under the basic membership, or pay 15$ and be a ful fledged member. One place you may want to check is Massnutten in Virginia, which would probably work out well. It's a great all season resort, and there would be tons for the whole family. We stayed there and loved it. Good luck!
...See More
alarm system goes off every year during vacation
Q
Comments (20)
I'm an alarm tech. Apart from things, bugs (silicone the holes in the back of the motion sensor to seal where the wire comes in) triggering it, a moving blind or curtain can trigger it too. A wall hanging could also, if the hvac makes it move. This is why it's not desirable to have two motions on one zone. If it faces a window or something sometimes that can cause falsing. If it's curtains, you can mask the back of the motion's fresnel to block that part off, the motion installers's sheet will explain it (you can usually download these.) Brands generally don't mind being mixed. One thing you could do is disconnect the zone in the panel (are there resistors in there? Another possible issue) put a jumper wire in there across the zone, then put a small relay that's switched by the 'loop' - the sensor output from the motions - and a buzzer, if the bedrooms aren't in use. Watch it for a few days, and see if you can figure out what's causing it. This is an intriguing issue. Another thing that can trigger them is if the dc to the motions is interrupted...they go through a warm up cycle and of course, because they're probably Normally Closed, when the current to the motion is interrupted, the panel sees it as an alarm event. What could be causing it is a loose connection or damage to the wire in the wall. If there's enough slack at both ends, very carefully restrip the outer sheath an inch or two and remake all connections. If it's typical alarm wire, station z (old style 4 conductor phone wire) it's quite easy to nick one of the conductors when stripping the outer sheath, so a nick is likely close to the end. How are the two motions wired together? Are there two wires that run to the panel and are connected in series? Does one motion run to the other and have a splice inside? There may also be a splice in the wall, in which case it could be bad, but I don't know why it takes 2 weeks to have an issue. There are a lot of possibilities here. Timers and electrical interference are two, but unlikely - alarms are generally robust and simple. As for cable length, there ARE limits but in practice some runs can be hundreds of feet without issues. I've attached a link to an alarm forum, you might try for some fresh ideas there. Another thing to try is to remove and bypass one motion, then the other, either reprogramming the motion as a door so you can chime it, or using the buzzer as I suggested. A word to the wise about programming, none of the systems are terribly user-friendly, so you may not want to do that yourself. Another possibility is to see what that zone is programmed as. Also, can the motions see out of the bedrooms into a hallway, and could something in there be tripping them? Here is a link that might be useful: DIY security forum
...See More
Vacation Time!!
Q
Comments (12)
Hope all goes well and your trip is wonderful. I'm in Southern CA right now visiting a friend. (water rafting today..yea) the weather is so nice right now and SF should be even better. Have a safe trip!
...See More
Do You Take a Vacation Each Year?
Q
Comments (41)
You don't have to have a lot of money to travel or have an adventure. Sometimes it just means leaving your house to go do something nearby. One thing I've realized is people often don't visit the neat places they have around them. If you have money for a tank of gas, then you have money to travel. Pack a cooler with some sandwiches and drinks that you'd be eating at home anyway and have fun with it. Where will an hour drive get you or even a two hour drive? Do it on a weekend or a day off and you can go, see, and be back. An hours drive here will get me to Galveston and the ocean. Two-three hours will get me to San Antonio or Austin. I live in a major metropolitan area so there are plenty of things to do. Even when I lived in other states, there was always something different to see like national or state parks, changing leaves, incredible sunsets, ancient culture or whatever.
...See More
hosta_freak
16 years ago
Well,Janice,I don't exactly have your problem,as spring is in full swing here. Many of my hostas have leaves unfurling,and the future forecasts are good! What I have noticed this year ,is, many of my hostas were left under tons of fallen leaves,and those,when I uncovered them, had huge eyes! Everything looks like they have all recovered from last year's freeze,and are growing like crazy,due to actual spring rains! Have a good trip,and we'll see you on the flip side. Take care,Phil
grumpygardenguy
16 years ago
I'm going in the opposite direction, from next door to Florida (Alabama) to Alaska. My hosta for the most part are unfurling or eyes starting up, so if a freeze comes along, i guess by the time i get back new growth will be starting up around the death and destruction.

This is my 54th birthday adventure, no way i'm going to miss it, was born in 54 so figured i'd do it up big....

Doing Route 66 first from Chicago to LA, with Duro and Grand canyons tossed in, then up to the big National parks, death valley, yosimitee, sequoia, yellowstone then up through Canada and then a few weeks in Alaska. Have to get back into Canada before June 1st or will have to stay in Alaska 6 weeks longer, as that is how long it takes for a passport. (only need birth certificate till then)I could handle it, as my Daughter lives in Alaska, so i'd have somewhere to stay other then a hotel. the adventure must end sooner or later......later would be ok though....
razorback33
16 years ago
Alligators are hungry & vicious in Florida this year. Beware!
Rb
esther_opal
16 years ago
All of my pots, (large and small) are on their sides. The ones in their barrels
and in the ground have about 6" of ground leaves on them.
THAT IS ALL YOU CAN DO BESIDES PUT THEM IN A GARAGE OR NORTHSIDE OF SOME BUILDING.
I fear, removing the leaves, and I fear leaving them in place!
LEAVE THE LEAVES ALONE, THE CROWN IS THE PROBLEM IF THERE WILL BE A PROBLEM.
What to do? If I remove them, and they come up and we are hit with
a late 'surprise' in the turn of the weather, then I lose them.
If I leave them covered, and they are 'signaled' to grow through
the leaves, they will be spindly and ultimately weak. I had that
happen to one in a large pot last year, in that as soon as it broke
through I brought it inside where it got not nearly the light it would
have if it were left outdoors. It never was the plant it should have
been because of it, I believe!
GROWING THRU MULCH IS NOT A PROBLEM, THE ONES YOU BROUGHT IN HAD ANOTHER PROBLEM MANY OF US HAVE EXPERIENCED FORCING HOSTA AND IT IS NOT A LONG TERM PROBLEM.
Of course, I lost almost all of the ones I did leave outside, even the
ones in barrels, due to the 'fake spring' for a week in March to
return abruptly to freezing temps after the too-early
signal to "get going"!
YOU DONÂT HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THE WEATHER EXCEPT WHERE YOU PUT THEM SUCH AS GARAGE AND LEAVE THE MULCH ON TO SUPPRESS EARLY EMERGENCE.
So, please, if you were me----what would you do? Upright the pots,
leave the leaves on them (even the ones inground) or don't upright the
pots yet, and remove the leaves on any of the others!
DO UPRIGHT THE POTS, DO NOT REMOVE LEAVES.
PRAY NO LATE FREEZE UNLESS YOU THINK THAT ANSWERING YOUR PRAYER WOULD CAUSE SOMEONE ELSE A LARGER PROBLEM OR SAY GODÂS WILL BE DONE, GOD WONÂT CARE IF YOU TAKE PRECAUTIONS!
Janice
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you all!!! I guess I won't sweat it! Yeah, right!!!

But, there's only so much a body can do!

Hey, Grumpy Guy, I think you will enjoy your 'anniversary birthday' the most!
I hear that Alaska is simply spectacular!

Okay, leave leaves, upright pots, keep them where they are on the northside!
Got it--oh, and pray for what is 'best for all'--not just my own concern! :o)

Good advice!

Ken--watch your back!! You can't scare us like you did-- without repercussions! ;o/
Maybe it's time for 'Hosta Devil'!!
ebb_tide
16 years ago
happy birthday Grumpy Garden Guy - nice name

Ken you put a big smile on my face with the reference to the grand kid....

I will leave the leaves on my hostas then....
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
16 years ago
you said: But, there's only so much a body can do!

yes janice.. that is true ... and you do your best... and dont worry about them

but your problem is.. YOU CONTINUE TO WORRY ... and that will get you nowhere ...

they are hosta.. drag them to the driveway ..... waive to them when you leave.. maybe even run them over .... and they will be there when you get back ... but for the thieves in your area ..

dont fret.. dont worry.. dont give them another though ...

and if i recall properly .. you are out of yard.. so if you lose a couple.. WHO CARES.. YOU WILL HAVE AN EXCUSE TO BUY MORE.. like that wasnt the plan anyway.. lol..

god speed

ken

PS: typo above.. i meant turd 'machine' .. left out the machine part.. your ever loving stay at home diaper changing dad .. thank god those days are past.. how can one little carp factory.. smell like the best thing god ever made.. and the worst sewer you ever walked past ... now clean up the coffee you just spit on the monitor.. and have a good day ....
Janice
Original Author
16 years ago
Ken--re:"...your ever loving stay at home diaper changing dad .. thank god
those days are past.. how can one little carp factory.. smell like the best
thing god ever made.. and the worst sewer you ever walked past ... now clean
up the coffee you just spit on the monitor.. and have a good day ...."

LOL---if I were allowed.....that 'coffee spewing on the monitor screen' part would make a great graphic!!!
It's not been that long since I was very familiar with those smells! Sigh--What a great description of them! LMHO

Okay--you're off the hook! I just called the thug and cancelled
the 'contract' I had out on you! I hate being scared, btw!:o)

Vacation angst at this time of the year!

Comments (10)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

Related Discussions

hosta_freak

grumpygardenguy

razorback33

esther_opal

Janice
Original Author

ebb_tide

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

Janice
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Vacation angst at this time of the year!

Comments (10)

Related Discussions

JaniceOriginal Author

JaniceOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Janice
Original Author

Janice
Original Author