OT: perennials in hot, dry climate? Your opinions ,please!
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7 years ago
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Pretty in Pink or Apricot: Exceptional Roses for Hot Dry Climate
Comments (40)Thanks so much, Kippy. I look forward to checking these out this weekend. But I'm not so much looking for pink, as apricot, preferably with somewhat flexible stems. Diane and ingrid, Austin touts Evelyn as a 6' climber, and my memory is that several Californians on this forum have claimed 20' long Evelyns. Ingrid, I always check out the photos on HMF, but I never trust that as much as a person-to-person opinion here. Is there an apricotish version of SdlM, or Duchesse de Brabant, or the Tantau rose you just linked on the Austin thread? Also, seeds of the somniferous poppies can be purchased at One Stop Poppy Shoppe and several other smaller seed companies. Burpee has a double peony type called Venus. These poppies are supposed to be out of their element in our climate, but I planted last autumn to take advantage of the cold, and so far all but the darkest color are holding their own and stopping visitors in their tracks. -jannike...See MoreCan You Please Suggest Roses for a Hot and Dry Garden?
Comments (60)Yikes! Be careful with *fresh* chicken/bird manure. Dunno about emus but chicken manure is HOT and should be composted first. This is because of the concentrated ammonia compared to other manure. Ingrid, re: drip... I think drip is a solution of circumstance in each location: water thriftiness, time, location in the yard vs closeness to a water bib, etc. For us, since we are not full time at the mountain weekend/retirement place it started as a necessity, so unlike my old pre-marriage house I couldn't procrastinate until I had planned it ever just so. Also, it sounds like we may have less property, just 1/4 acre in all. *As far as unsightliness*, almost all of the 1/2" line is run either along the fence line, or under the rocks defining pathways or garden plots and doesn't show. The 1/4" line on the roses on the fence don't show at all because of the bushes, the rest where it shows now, the bushes are either growing to cover soon or I guess I can't care cause it's not much. *As far as clogged drippers*, I'm with you on that one, but that's an easy one to fix at least for me and a time trade-off with watering, but I think I come out ahead. Have you tried 'FLAG DRIPPERS'? As I've mentioned umpteen times here on the forum our WW water you can 'bout stand a spoon in it is so hard. Flag drippers are great because the end (flag) can be either twisted or removed. Twisting usually releases the mineral buildup, if not or if there is debris in the line, you can take the end off to clear the line. The latter mostly happens on drippers to the end of the line. In the summer I do this when the drip is running ;-) The ones that I get aren't anything special, I get them at Lowe's. For roses, with the hard water, I usually use two 2gal drippers per plant (none are more than 6x10'). Since, ad nauseum, we are so hard, I check to see if they are running well every couple of weeks, but still, this is less time than watering. This last year, after oh, 3 years I guess, I got another set of drippers to change out so I could soak the existing ones in hot vinegar to clean them. I'll swap them out as I prune/fertilize again in a year or two now that I've had this idea (saves time on the knees/back to do it all at once). *Re our environments* Well, I think I can top you on dryness, it was 9% 'humidity' when we came up on Friday morning, BUT only 70deg. In the heat of our summer we only get a month hovering around 90+. When the daytime gets warm enough, I switch the drip over from morning to evenings so the plants have more access to the water. This is a foreign idea for me growing up by the coast as evening watering of anything only promotes fungus; however, someone up here suggested it and since we are so dry it made a lot of sense and I could see the improvement. *Re since you asked for opinions* Ok, since you asked (and just my opinion, you know how I love to share ;-) so not a judgment) but based on a small slice of similar weather, humidity, and as I recall you also have decomposing granite soil as a base, a couple of thoughts... You said your roses get enough water, but it would seem not the case if they wilt so quickly, right? - OR, so to speak maybe the *AVAILABLE* water could be improved (???), which is where I *subjectively* anyway think that the drip gives me an advantage, at least on my weather/dirt - more water gets to the *deep* roots, less to evaporate, and better still, less weeds. Otoh, I do still need to hose water to work in fertilizer, alfalfa, etc. All that said as I contemplate, I DO have an advantage of our pines that filter here and there a little bit during the day. Otoh, I do have more UV radiation at my elevation. TOO MANY VARIABLES!!! ;-) I may have inferred that you had drip at a former house? If that is the case, it would be a really interesting experiment in your current location if you ran a short drip line off from your hose bib (you could put in a Y so you could still use your hose) and see if the dripped roses do better than before. That would be really interesting!!! As for mulch, I keep adding over time and as everyone says, it just keeps improving, I've now actually found earthworms so I guess it's working ;-) My very best to you, I hope you get this figured out so it best suits you and your garden! Kerin...See MoreGriffith Buck Roses for a Hot, Dry Climate?
Comments (31)I live in Zone 10 southern California, but within the coastal zone which has misty conditions spring-earkt summer, then settles into a true Mediterranean climate by August which continues till December when the rains start. Many roses will mildew, ball and sulk here during spring - early summer, and then after the dry weather takes over in August, the same sulky roses will bloom beautifully and have clean foliage till December. I tried growing Carefree Beauty last year - probably planted it in June - a nice healthy ownroot rose from ARE with really strong roots. After the first few weeks in the ground and a promising initial burst of growth, CB just sulked and mildewed. It did not improve after the dry sunny late summer settled in, so I shovelpruned it in December. I sometimes gift unhappy roses to a friend's garden in Topanga Canyon which tho inland from Malibu has 100+ temps in the summer, and these roses are often very happy there as long as they get enough water. So maybe CB would do better in a more classic southern California climate than my microclimate provides....See MoreWhich Austin roses are real successes in a hot mediterranean climate?
Comments (30)So far, Darcey Bussell has been my best DA performer. She’s not a favorite, only because I prefer softer colors. She remains “fairly” compact, relative to most DA’s here. She never seems to mind pruning, no matter when or how often. She blooms all the time and makes a better cut flower than most DA’s. I don’t get any disease on her here, although Embothrium has big problems with something like downey mildew on Darcey Bussell. I don’t think that’s in a dry Mediterranean climate, though. Mine is always healthy and happy. She’s in a rather small bed, so she’s cut back often. She doesn’t receive more water than anything else does, and doesn’t seem to need it. My soil is clay, so it does retain water well and is full of nutrients. Abraham Darby on the other hand, DOES want extra water here. I have never experienced rust(other than on hollyhocks), until recently. I’d been very busy over the past month or so, and must have slacked off on watering, just a little. Nobody minded except for AD. This, combined with the wind and 3-5% humidity produced a spectacular case of rust on Abraham Darby. Even though I’ve never seen rust on my roses before, it’s so bad that there’s no mistaking what it is. I’m not even sure what to do about it. I’m giving him lots of extra water, and thinking of pruning him down to almost the ground. I’m worried about spreading the rust, even while pruning. Last night, I went out late to move the hose with my headlamp on. I removed a spent bloom from AD, and in the light beam I could see tiny dust like particles floating off. I can only assume they were rust particles. I fear that while pruning the rust will blow everywhere. So AD definitely wants extra water. He’s brought me my first case of rust on a rose bush. And oh yes, of course, he grows huge in our kind of climate. Lisa...See Morecatspa_zone9sunset14
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoUser
7 years agonanadollZ7 SWIdaho
7 years agofduk_gw UK zone 3 (US zone 8)
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7 years agoJasminerose, California, USDA 9b/Sunset 18
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7 years agodaisyincrete Z10? 905feet/275 metres
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