Ten myths of growing under lights
shrubs_n_bulbs
19 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (51)
shrubs_n_bulbs
19 years agolast modified: 9 years agoGreyDawn
19 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
My take on the Gardenia Myth
Comments (18)I've grown gardenias in the DC area for several years. II started with a few from nurseries in the early 2000s. After some mistakes with overwatering in summer and freezing in winter I finally got the hang of it and have only lost two plants since 2008. I have four which are thriving, one is three feet by two feet by two feet in a large windowbox. The key here unless you have a VERY sunny window in winter is to overwinter them in very cool conditions. I keep mine in my unheated garage. They will tolerate long periods of darkness when cold (30-45F) and if it's warmer than that they can go outside. About a quarter of the winter days here are warm enough to leave them out. Temperatures below 25F damage the flower buds and newer growth. Conversely in summer I give them 4-6 hours of sun, preferably morning sun. In spring and fall they get full sun. WIth this regimen, I get small flower buds in November. THese overwinter and start growing in April. Around Memorial day I get flowers and they bloom until about July 4. After that they start dropping buds and generally don't do as well in midummer heat. (low 90s days, mid 70s nights). From mid July to sometime in late August they don't seem to make buds and just grow leaves but after that they make buds again. Late August buds start blooming in early October and I just got my first three today. Cool weather from mid November on seems to slow the big buds enough that they just die on the plant, very slowly. Small buds do okay. I never let them dry out but don't keep the soil sodden either. Their pot will keep them moist for two sunny dry days so I try to keep it on the dry side when I am not on vacation or otherwise gone and water it to half capacity. Overwatering in summer is lethal. I use pro-mix for potting soil although I am not happy with it for long term (years) use. Every few years I cut them back hard to main branches. There is a second type I have found in my neighbor's yard. THis has 5" typically fragrant flowers in June (fall flowering is not as good as the florist types) and is fully hardy here in Zone 7. It is at least 20 years old, has 6" trunks and is obviously thriving. It gets full midday sun. I just got cuttings (with permission) this summer; they've rooted and I'll see how they do. He does not know the origin of the plant but the local Home Depot sells a very similar one which is said to be hardy. I've never tried it. The point here is that like the Spokane WA poster earlier, gardenias will tolerate a lot of chilling and light freezes. They do not like the combination of warm, dry, stagnant and dark that they get in a typical house in winter....See MoreTurtle Islands, Myth and Reality in JG
Comments (51)Gerald --- Yes, Andrea is right. Of course Tamao Goda (Doug's wife) is also participating in their little ruse, so that accounts for stylistic differences. In addition, Tim Hansken (their "copy editor") is also weighing in under psuedonyms. This is what several of us have been complaining about for some time now. It's the group we've been referring to as the "Fantastic Five," etc. They've gotten more clever about planting red herrings to mask their identity. Remember "Watanabe-san"? He was a pretty transparent pseudonym. Be suspicious of any poster who apprears in 2005 out of nowhere, seems to know tons about Japanese gardens, lists no personal information, usually lists no e-mail contact, is fiercly loyal to JOJG, parrots JOJG themes and pet peeves, etc. These psuedonyms are also usually fishing for information (which sometimes appears later in JOJG articles) on broad subjects, and they rarely share any detailed personal experience or information. Never pictures. Of course now that I've said all this it will allow them to adjust their next rash of shills to dodge the profile. As further evidence of this, since I started complaining about it here on GW my name and business information disappeared from the JOJG website as a designer and builder of Japanese gardens in Maine. I'm honored to join the ranks of the likes of Julie Moir Messervy, Pat Chasse, Marc Peter Keane and Matsuhiko Seko, all Japanese garden designers of the northeast U.S. who are now shunned by JOJG due to their failure to kowtow. Lee...See Moregrowing under lights
Comments (2)a new hydro set up [IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y177/latrell1977/000_0038.jpg[/IMG]...See MoreWhat grows under pine trees?
Comments (27)I recently read that pink lady slippers actually require white pine be above them, because there is a fungus in the soil under white pines that is necessary for pink lady slippers to grow. This explains why pink lady slippers are growing in only one section of the woodlands in my backyard--the section under teh white pines. I wonder if there is anything else that actually requires white pine to be above it. I'm in NH....See Morejwmeyer
19 years agolast modified: 9 years agonygardener
19 years agolast modified: 9 years agoalantown
19 years agolast modified: 9 years agoshrubs_n_bulbs
19 years agolast modified: 9 years agoJohn_Dal
19 years agolast modified: 9 years agoshrubs_n_bulbs
19 years agolast modified: 9 years agoalantown
19 years agolast modified: 9 years agoshrubs_n_bulbs
19 years agolast modified: 9 years agoalantown
19 years agolast modified: 9 years agolenrapp
18 years agolast modified: 9 years agozink
18 years agolast modified: 9 years agoshrubs_n_bulbs
18 years agolast modified: 9 years agoJumpin_Timmy
18 years agolast modified: 9 years agorokal
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agodcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoshrubs_n_bulbs
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agorokal
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoshrubs_n_bulbs
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agowyndell
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoobject16
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoshrubs_n_bulbs
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoobject16
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoshrubs_n_bulbs
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoobject16
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agokhyberkitsune
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoshrubs_n_bulbs
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agojessicavanderhoff
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoobject16
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agolermer
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agolermer
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agolermer
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agoobject16
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agolermer
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agolermer
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agoobject16
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agolermer
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agomistascott
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoTheMasterGardener1
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agochilliwin
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agooverdrive
11 years agolast modified: 9 years ago2004michaella
7 years agoYuan Gong Hamilton ON CANADA 6b
7 years agoDanny Marques
7 years agooverdrive
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agooverdrive
7 years agoaruzinsky
7 years agooverdrive
7 years ago
Related Stories
GREEN BUILDING6 Green-Roof Myths, Busted
Leaky, costly, a pain to maintain ... nope, nope and nope. Get the truth about living roofs and see examples from simple to elaborate
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESLet's Weed Out 4 Native Plant Myths
Plant wisely for a garden that supports pollinators and requires less work
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESGarden Myths to Debunk as You Dig This Fall and Rest Over Winter
Termites hate wood mulch, don’t amend soil for trees, avoid gravel in planters — and more nuggets of garden wisdom
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESCommon Myths That May Be Hurting Your Garden
Discover the truth about fertilizer, soil, staking and more to keep your plants healthy and happy
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESWe Bust 4 More Native Plant Myths
Have you been taken in by these fallacies about gardening with native plants?
Full StoryBEDROOMSRest Easy: Myth Busting for Bedding and Mattresses
We put to bed some of the misconceptions that may be keeping you from a good night's sleep
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNStars and Myths Inspire a Contemporary London Garden
A sinuously snaking path, tiles like dragon skin and a triad of stone apples give a British garden an air of enchantment
Full StoryHOUSEPLANTS10 Top Plants to Grow Indoors
Brighten a room and clean the air with a houseplant that cascades artfully, stretches toward the ceiling or looks great on a wall
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESGreat Design Plant: Grow Blueberries for Their Fruit and More
Eastern gardeners should consider growing blueberry plants for their delicious fruits, bee-friendly spring blooms and brilliant fall foliage
Full StoryBUDGET DECORATING13 Versatile Furniture Pieces That Grow With You
Build a collection of high-quality pieces that will work from that first solo rental to a long-term home
Full StorySponsored
drvinnie