Spring is the best time for Heucheras (Zone 5a IL)
vivian_2010 (IL Zone 5a)
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
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hostas_for_barb
9 years agovivian_2010 (IL Zone 5a)
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Canes look green still-very unusual for zone 5a
Comments (27)Glad now that I brought this subject up...sounds like you have interesting views and questions as well. Veilchen-what you're saying about the shorter the canes, the more damage possibility...good point. That is what I was wondering about. Harry-interesting idea about increased hardiness over the years...sounds plausible Digger-had never thought of that (insects on larger bushes). I just know I would love to start with a little bigger plants in April than I usually do. Donna-I forgot, where in NYS are you!? All I know is that it was kinda nice not to spend time I didn't have anyway last fall, cutting down and carrying away all that extra growth...if I knew I'd be doing it all in April anyway. We haven't had that many ice storms (big one about 8 years ago), but yesterday the ice was AWFUL. I FELL down HARD coming out of my house...very thankful I didn't break my wrist as it slammed backwards in Abe Darby's rose bed!! And to think, I was on my way to the doctor's office anyway. LOL :0) Phyl...See MoreAdvice on planting bands in zone 5A
Comments (7)I don't know what your summer weather is like, but if you decide to put them in the ground this year, I'd say to do it before it gets really hot. Even then, they'll probably appreciate protection during really hot weather. I planted two Buck bands in July last year, and didn't expect the weather we got. Blue Skies got all its leaves burned off in one afternoon (whoops)! It spent the rest of the month under a laundry basket recovering. Both were a couple of feet tall by October and are greening up now, so that does seem to have been enough time to get their roots going before winter. Best, Lara...See MoreGrowing Blueberry Hill, Bonica etc. in zone 5A
Comments (20)Shacute and Sam: Glad that Sam mentioned compost .. that provides soluble phosphorus for more branching on new roses. I made the same mistake of putting too much nitrogen when I first bought own-root roses .. and got only one bloom the 1st year !! Sulfate of potash is best ordered on Amazon, the ones at the store (Espoma Potash) is muriate of potash, or potassium-chloride, salt-index of 112.6 ... that's the salty stuff we use to de-ice sidewalk in zone 5a. Quick way to get the potassium & phosphorus you need is to grab a bag of Tomato-Tone NPK 4--6-6, or any organic fertilizer with big number 6 or above for the last digit (potassium). Tomato Tone is sold out fast at Walmart, it's 5 lbs. for $10. Since potassium mobility is a 3, somewhat slow, it's best to put that in the planting hole. If your hole is 18 feet by 12 feet, it's safe to use 2 cups of tomato tone, plus 1 cup gypsum (calcium sulfate) in the planting hole. Roots need both calcium and potassium, plus a bit of phosphorus to get big & solid. The EarthGro humus & compost sold cheap at Walmart for $1.29 per 40 lb. bag .. that's good for the planting hole .. will provide phosphorus for years....See MoreRoses & plants in heavy clay, pH 8, zone 5a, 38" rain and 23" snow
Comments (58)Just thought I'd post the results I had in one garden bed that's clay-loam. Last year I had amended this bed with home-made compost. Everything did well last year as first year plantings. This year they suffered from too little light. (I just put the roses there to get them through the winter and hoping they might like the eastern exposure. Heathcliff, Sugar Moon and Falstaff like sun in my neck of the woods, it seems. I'll probably be moving the viking Queen next Spring as she's a fraction of the size of her sister in full sun, and hasn't bloomed since Spring while her sister would be non-stop if not for the midge.) Anyway, the soil was very dry even with rain. I thought the heavy leaf layer prevented water. I stuffed the empty holes with alfalfa hay, compost and leaf mold until I decided what to plant. I also put the alfalfa under the leaves in the rest of the bed and gave it additional compost. Wow, when I went to plant Lavender Lassie and two hydrangeas, all the soil was so soft and fluffy and moist, even though we had less rain that earlier. I'm now prepping my holes in advance of next Spring and filling them with the same and covering the entire bed with alfalfa hay, etc. The new plantings have taken off even in the reduced light of late summer. I repeated this in another new bed and Mme Alfred Carriere and Awakening seem to love it even in their NE exposure. (Of course, they could just be responding to being in the ground vs. in pots. : ) ) Lesson learned. : ) I'm also trying gypsum on some new beds I'm prepping since they're on an incline. I'll report back....See Morehostas_for_barb
9 years agovivian_2010 (IL Zone 5a)
9 years agojmcdmd
9 years agohostas_for_barb
9 years agovivian_2010 (IL Zone 5a)
9 years agovivian_2010 (IL Zone 5a)
9 years agoUser
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agovivian_2010 (IL Zone 5a)
9 years agohostas_for_barb
9 years agosherrygirl zone5 N il
8 years agosevina22
8 years agojosephines167 z5 ON Canada
8 years agovivian_2010 (IL Zone 5a)
8 years agohostas_for_barb
8 years agohostas_for_barb
8 years agovivian_2010 (IL Zone 5a)
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoSolomon Dang-Goldberg
8 years ago
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