Any advice appreciated from experienced seed grower
janice8bcharlestonsc
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (17)
janice8bcharlestonsc
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Experienced Rose Growers Will You Advise On My New Selections
Comments (24)Hi Jennifer -- I'm living in California but grew up north of Pittsburgh (near Butler) so I'm familiar with your climate. You should do well with Austin roses with winter protection. As for climbers, I suggest you get more cold-hardy roses than Austins, which in any case may not be climbers for you. I agree with those who say you would do well to order hardy roses from Pickering. If you want own-root roses, you might consider High Country Roses as a source. Certain rose breeders specialize in cold resistant roses. Kordes, the Brownells, and Griffin Buck are among them, and there is a series of Canadian Explorer roses that are exceptionally cold-tolerant. For a red climber I'm going to suggest the Brownell rose Rhode Island Red. I have heard that this rose is probably the same rose popularly known both as Field of the Wood and as Kocher Red. It would give you that nice, full rose old fashioned rose form in a repeat blooming climber, and it is fragrant. Under one name or another, it is available from a number of old rose vendors....See MoreNeed advice from experienced zone 5 ppl :0)
Comments (3)Phyl, I'm in CNY also (Oswego) and I'm not so sure baggies are the best way to go for our area. They might not be sturdy and rigid enough to put up with the snow and wind. I'd think you'd have to worry about the bag caving in on the surface of the soil, regardless of what kind of support you put inside the bag. I use milk jugs and juice jugs. Deep pots would probably work (deep because you need the weight of the soil to anchor down the pot so it doesn't blow away...or maybe put a rock in there). I probably use more like 3-4 inches of soil in the jugs because, again, I'm trying to wind-proof them. But I also group my jugs together in a plastic bag for the same purpose. (With 30+ mph gusts coming unexpectedly throughout the winter, I can't take any chances! :-) Also, I buy a couple bags of Promix to get me through the WSing season. Just the regular Promix. In the past I've also used Miracle Gro potting soil (from HomeDepot, Lowes, Walmart)and Expert Gardener potting soil from Walmart, all with success. I did use seed-starting mix one year, but it didn't seem to work any better than the potting soils (and maybe worked a little worse...too dry). That being said, I'll put what my experience has been with WSing some of the things on your list: Perennials: You probably won't get blooms first year on these. If you do, it will be very very late in the season, like around Sept, Oct: Aquilegia (various) Campanula persicifolia (peachleaf bellflower) Pyrithrum Robinson's Painted Mix Salvia Blue Bedder (may be annual here) Gaillardia (perennial type) Rudbeckia (perennial type) hollyhocks foxglove poppies (perennial) Annuals (bloom times in my yard): Early to Mid- May Centaurea cyanus (various bachelor buttons) June-July through to October Chrysanthemum Coconut Ice Cosmos (various) Dahlia Rainbow mix Zinnias Aster Chinensis (various) Calendula (various) July Dianthus Chabaud mix Gypsophilas Scabiosa Hope this helps...if you have any more questions, feel free to email me, too :-) Linda...See MoreLooking for Tapla and other experienced fig growers- Chicago Hard
Comments (6)Tapla surely know about many aspects growing plants. Hopefully he will chime in. I also live in Zone 5a and growing figs so I will respond based on my limited experience, MY input is listed (bracketed) next to your question: ---------------------------- 1. Is it better to plant in a plastic pot or in the ground in general? (I practiced in ground (with the Chicago Hardy)but could not keep it safe from the Ottawa winter. I know extra more elaborate insulation technisque may work but I do not believe I may be willing to do that kind of work every fall. Zone 5a is just too cold for medium effort insulation techniques). 2. Given that it's mid oct and the ground could freeze mid november, should it go in a pot now and get planted in the spring? Or is there enough time for the roots to settle? (It is always better to plant bare-root fig as soon possible unless you have storage area with techniques that nurseries use, stable temp etc. Then you can decide later what to do with the plant). 2.b I don't know if the pot or ground will be more troublesome. Our basement is below ground and would have to haul the tree down and up the stairs. (in Zome 5 the ground will be troublesome for the obvious readon of providing extreme insulation. Also, I don't think figs in pots are troublesome to those who really like them. It becomes like a love affair). 3. I have a spot in our west facing front yard that gets hot afternoon sun for at least 6 hrs. It is not protected so it will have to battle the winds. The eaves on the house cast too much of a shadow so it would probably only get about 4hrs of sun if it was right up against the house. Though the brick does generate heat. (Good enough for potted fig and the pots can be moved around if need be to a better sunny warm location if required) 4. Our soil is clay. We've amended spots where we've planted peach and apple trees which seemed to grow since the spring but since they were planted this year, I can't say for sure if they will survive the winter- though they should. Many people have them in our area. This just means we probably won't be able to bend the tree to the ground and cover with dirt/trench it. It will be too hard to dig this. I've ready people protect it upright with either plastic or with some leaves. I've heard pros and cons for both. Do you know which is more successful? Here, the plastic may cook the tree if we get our usually blue bird sunny winter days- very sunny in the winter. But, I have no idea if the leaves will breakdown quickly and just blow everywhere. Though it's sunny, the ground is still frozen. (More reason for growing in pot) 5. We would like to keep it small- we live in an urban area so our yard is very small. I've read that you can cut this guy back to 30" every spring/fall but don't understand what that means. Cut each branch to 30" long? Cut the trunk to 30" high and only keep the branches that are lower than that, or cut them all off? Up to 5-6ft is fine in height but I've also read that the Chicago fruits heavier with regular pruning. (Chicago Hardy fruit grows on current year wood so pruning for size and shapping the potted plant should not cause any detrimental problem. There are many ways to prune. One waay is to cut the main trunk to 30"~36" tall. The limbs can be cut to two or three nodes. These nodes on the libs.stems will branch out in spring and bear fruit. When these branches start growing, pinch each branch after 6 leaves. This helps in fruit embryo formation. Any sub-branch on these neew branches can be pruned after 6 leaves). 6.A chicago hardy can die back and send up new shoots the following spring from its roots that is supposed to produce fruit. Some have said it took 3 years of die back to get fruit. Does anyone have experience with die back? (- - -) I called the nursery and surprisingly they can only tell me what it says on their site. I would greatly appreciate any advice you can give- or anyone that has experience with a Chicago hardy. Please provide details. Thanks so much! ------------------------- I hope it helps somewhat (no time for spellcheck)...See Morequestion for experienced growers
Comments (8)thanks for your input. I will see if I can't freshen things up at the base of the plants, and will hope for the best with the rest (as advised, I placed a grass/mulch compost at the base of the plants to prevent weeds & keep moist, but I think this may be the root of the evil) Regarding your questions: - the seeds were planted in peat pots. Some I left in the pots (to not disturb roots) and some were removed from those pots and placed in larger ones, so that doesn't really help your query. But I don't think I will use these again because if not monitored carefully they seem to take water for themselves and away from the plants. I will pull out the dead ones and see if they are in their pots or not. -the soil seeded in was a soil/sand/manure/fertilizer, a store brand, but I'm in Belgium so that won't be of much use to you either (sorry). -The plants that died were 4 & 8-10 inches, respectively. They had been planted in full soil just at their starter leaves (I forget the name), with true leaves 2 & 4 inches above ground. Thanks again. Chris...See Morejanice8bcharlestonsc
7 years agojanice8bcharlestonsc
7 years agojanice8bcharlestonsc
7 years ago- janice8bcharlestonsc thanked daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
janice8bcharlestonsc
7 years agosubdood_ky
7 years agojanice8bcharlestonsc
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agojanice8bcharlestonsc
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agosubdood_ky
7 years ago
Related Stories
FARM YOUR YARDAdvice on Canyon Farming From L.A.'s Vegetable Whisperer
See how a screened garden house and raised beds help an edible garden in a Los Angeles canyon thrive
Full StoryKITCHEN STORAGEKnife Shopping and Storage: Advice From a Kitchen Pro
Get your kitchen holiday ready by choosing the right knives and storing them safely and efficiently
Full StoryHOUSEPLANTSOutsmart Winter — Make Houseplants of Your Garden Growers
No need to watch Jack Frost play Wreck the Rosemary. Bring your garden inside for the winter, using containers and these guidelines
Full StoryMOST POPULAR12 Key Decorating Tips to Make Any Room Better
Get a great result even without an experienced touch by following these basic design guidelines
Full StoryINSPIRING GARDENSFrom Concrete Lot to Gracious Organic Garden in Seattle
Plants, pests and even weeds have a place in this landscape, which offers an edible bounty and a feast for the eyes
Full StoryMOST POPULARSummer Crops: How to Grow Sunflowers
Savor snack-tastic sunflower seeds once the radiant blooms have faded — if the birds have saved you any, that is
Full StoryLIFE10 Ways to Cope With Grief During the Holidays
If you are experiencing loss, take it from an experienced griever — life has changed forever, but it does get better
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNWorld of Design: Favorite Recipes From Food Lovers Around the Globe
Travel with your tastebuds and experience for yourself these international foodies' favorite dishes
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDES6 Must-Know Lessons From a Serial Renovator
Get your remodel right the first time, with this insight from an architect who's been there too many times to count
Full Story
digdirt2