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Part VIII - Living Walls - Rhododendrons & AzaleasRead the article this discussion is about
This archived discussion is "read only". « Previous 1 2 3 4 Next » » Marge_Talt - Hi Cathy, Glad I could set your mind at ease. You will proba Hi Cathy,Glad I could set your mind at ease. You will probably have to continue patrolling and picking right through the season this year...so you can use as many of "those words" as you want! You will have earned them :-) Marge -- posted by Marge_Talt » Gay_Klok - Marge, the other plus is the colouring leaves in Autumn that man Marge, the other plus is the colouring leaves in Autumn that many dec. Azaleas display. Our Autumn colours this year are fantastic, some azaleas that haven't coloured before are showing orange, deep red and yellow and just to make you jealous, especially the schlippenbachii :-] I had a chance to buy 5 of these cheaply a few years ago [I was glad to find one, they are not commonly found in the nurseries] and one did die. They are all fairly close together and certainly in the same conditions, so I don't know why. They do vary but I was lucky enough to buy a great shade of pale pink and reliably colour in Fall.I think that if you asked for a deciduous Rhodo at a nursery here, they would just stare at you. I used to ask for Mollis Azaleas until I learnt that there were other varieties! Tasmanian Garden Journal Come for a stroll in my garden, great photos -- posted by Gay_Klok » JohnS_38 - John Sullivan Dear Marge, I live in northern Maryland (Zone John SullivanDear Marge, I live in northern -- posted by JohnS_38 » Gay_Klok - Marge, You are welcome at any time but when we get a lot of mone Marge, You are welcome at any time but when we get a lot of money the garden group are all coming to Tasmania for a Roman orgy and eat up all the surplus peafowl [= approx.40] and I will send you home with primulas galore!Only this morning splitting up Prim plants, I got 23 new, healthy plants from one last split two year old. So, yes, I reckon we do have pretty good conditions for the Asiatics. Looking at your lovely photos, I am sure they would grow well in your garden Tasmanian Garden Journal Come for a stroll in my garden, great photos -- posted by Gay_Klok » Marge_Talt - Hi John, and welcome to Gardening in Shade...always glad to hear Hi John, and welcome to Gardening in Shade...always glad to hear from another Marylander!I think it's a case of the buds coming on too early, rather than too late. We had such a mild winter and then, remember in March we had a few really cold nights... I was very worried about my guys, but was just south enough so it didn't really get me. But, it sounds to me as though your poor plants did get frosted. There's a point in bud development, past which they are very vulnerable to late frosts. Mild winters fool the plants into thinking they can safely open their buds too early. So, it is really better if it stays good and cold right up until Spring decides to come for good. That way, the plants stay dormant and we get a really grand show of flowers. Last year, my earliest Azalea was just about to burst bud when we had that late frost...that was the end of flowers from it and I was just sick. I was out trying to cover this huge plant with remay - to no avail. That's when I shake my fist in the air and call Mother Nature a few choice names! There's nothing you can do but hope for no late frosts next spring, I'm afraid. Marge -- posted by Marge_Talt » JohnS_38 - Hi Marge, Thanks for your quick reply. I agree with your dia Hi Marge,Thanks for your quick reply. I agree with your diagnosis of my azalea bud problem. I am just really getting started with my Azalea and Rhodie garden and still fit in the novice category. Do you know the genetic heritage of the Robin Hill Azaleas? I just bought three plants of "Gillie" and they are just spectacular, but deep down I question their hardiness in my Zone 6 "frost bottom", but I would hate to have to resort to just planting Poukanense!!! Some years even my Glenn Dales get frosted. John -- posted by JohnS_38 » MaryS_10 - Mary Stamper I just planted a 4 ft Catawba Rhodie. I figured Mary StamperI just planted a 4 ft Catawba Rhodie. I figured it would be a good risk because everyone around me grows them and they get HUGE around here. I have tons of azaleas growing successfully. Now about a month after planting it, it has lovely new growth from all of its growth points, but the leaves on the inside of the plant are getting some sort of fungus. They get yellow and spotted and drop off. What could be causing this? I wondered if perhaps because the root ball has been so unnatually cut back (it was balled and burlapped, and about an 18 inch ball), and therefore I have to water close up to the trunk, that it could be making the inside of the plant too humid. Perhaps I've been TOO religous about watering it? I've noticed that a young leucothoe, that I planted at the same time, about 8 feet from the Rhodie, is doing fine (beautifully in fact) in spite of the fact that I've forgotten to water it. Our soil around here is pretty clayey (there seems to be no escaping it in this area). In short, could this be something that is happening because the plant going through a rather unnatural time here (root pruning, transplanting, water other than rain, etc), or am I stuck with it? I have no such problem with my azaleas, and my neighbors don't seem to have fungus on their Rhodies. I'm panicing because the thing cost 85 bucks. Thanks -- posted by MaryS_10 » Marge_Talt - Hi John, You're very welcome! We all have to start somewhere Hi John,You're very welcome! We all have to start somewhere, you know, and it sounds like you're making a good beginning with this genera. Well, I've got 'Nancy', a Robin Hill, and she's been bone hardy for me for over ten years. Somewhere, in the dim recesses of my brain, I know I've got some information on the Robin Hill Azaleas, but I'll be jiggered if I can put my hands on it and the references I keep handy don't mention them. If I remember correctly, they were bred to be cold hardy. But frost pockets can be treacherous, so I really can't say how they'll do for you. It might help if you can put a screen of evergreens up hill from your Azaleas and Rhodies to sort of make frost go out and around them as it travels downhill...that is, if you've got a hill. I assumed you have as most of MD north and west of me is hilly. I'll keep mulling this over and rooting around and if I can put my hands on that info., I'll post what I find. Marge -- posted by Marge_Talt » Marge_Talt - Hi Mary, welcome to Gardening in Shade. If you're getting goo Hi Mary, welcome to Gardening in Shade.If you're getting good new growth, this yellowing and spotting could just be the older leaves getting ready to drop. This is the time of year when they drop their oldest leaves. If this is happening to leaves that don't look all that old, it could also be poor drainage. Rhodies are even more sensitive to good drainage than Azaleas, IMO. Does your soil drain quickly? I've got clay soil and I don't dig holes for my rhodies. I plant them high, sometimes by just placing the rootball on top of the natural grade and filling in around it with a good mix of rotted woodchips, sand and peat or pine bark fines, sand and peat. If you dug a hole, it might be suffering from the "bath tub" syndrome, especially since you've been so good about watering it. I don't think your watering has made the inside of the plant too humid - they like it humid. But, if your soil isn't draining quickly enough, that could cause leaf yellowing and drop. Most of the hideous fungal diseases that rhodies are prone to manifest themselves by browning and curling leaves, not yellowing and dropping ones. Before you assume a fungal disease, check on the soil drainage and planting depth and, if in doubt, dig it up and replant. I doubt if it really liked getting root pruned, but that probably isn't the problem, either. If the soil/mix around the roots is high enough in humus and loose, the plant should put out new roots fairly quickly, especially if you keep the roots moist. These guys absolutely require a fast draining soil that stays continually moist - something that can be a challenge to create and maintain. This species is pretty tough. I've got some, now nearing 20 feet in height - been there for maybe 15 years. They do tend to lose their inner leaves when they get big; they shade them out. But on your new baby, this shouldn't be a problem. So, check on the roots / soil/ drainage and let me know what you find. If that is in order, I will do some looking in my big plant disease book and see what I can find that may fit the bill. Marge
-- posted by Marge_Talt » Marge_Talt - Gay, I think that's a marvelous idea...when is the money "boat" Gay, I think that's a marvelous idea...when is the money "boat" coming in so we can all afford to decend on you? :-)I love primula and can keep some going, but have difficulty with others because of our heat and humidity and the fact that I don't really have a nice bit of bog...yet! My soil tends to get quite dry during the dog days of summer, especially when we can go for a month without rain and temps. in the high 90sF! All the trees just suck the moisture out of the soil and continual watering with a hose doesn't seem to be able to provide the moisture that many of the primulas want. But, I keep trying and one of these days, I'm gonna build a bog! Marge -- posted by Marge_Talt « Previous 1 2 3 4 Next » Please follow the guidelines set forth in the Suite101 Posting Etiquette when adding to the discussion. |
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