Garden Updates/Question

ScottyON · Post by **ScottyON** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 2:13 pm

Hey everyone.. Great weekend coming up here in S.Ontario. Over 70F!! Here are some of the new plants that will be going in the ground soon.

Two were bought back from Florida 3 weeks ago.

I'm really excited about this. These two crape myrtles I planted last year. They stayed in the palm hut all winter. Wasn't sure what would happen.. They have buds!!

Pond ready for fish..

Will new leaves come from these buds?? The Magnolia has defoliated a lot since unwrapping in March.

Sable looking shabby! Just kept in a leaf wrap this winter.

Thanks for looking and your imput!!

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 3:17 pm

Scotty- Turns out I'll be around all weekend. Just let me know when you'll be dropping by.

Those palms look great! Where did you get them?

Any idea how cold that Crape Myrtle got this winter? As for the MAgnolia, you really can't tell until the leaves start to form. If you really want to push your luck you can try bending the outer stems a little. If they've frozen back they'll snap quite easily (they'll snap anyway, so don't do this too hard). The traditional scratch test tends not to work for So. mag!

The Sabal looks pretty standard for a non-heated one in our climate. Mine froze back a little even with heat last winter... It looks better this spring...

ScottyON · Post by **ScottyON** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:02 pm

Cool Paul. How about Saturday around 11??

The crape myrtles were in the palm hut so never saw below freezing. I did pull on the stems and they didn't snap. Not too stiff as well.. Hope they turn out well.. Good to know about the Sable..

ScottyON · Post by **ScottyON** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:04 pm

By the way. The one larger Pindo is from Florida, the smaller one from SC. The med fan palm from Florida and the trachy from Niagara..

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 7:12 pm

Nice Scott,
Glad to see the palms you packed into your honda

Looking good in Ontario!

Have you dug out your basjoos yet?

Bill

ScottyON · Post by **ScottyON** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 7:32 pm

I think the Basjoos are toast!! I'll dig them up this weekend. Thinking about puting my trachy in the ground. Might as well, it looks awful right now!

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 7:33 pm

Scott,
those are some nice palms. I'll enjoy following them over the summer.
Your crape myrtles especially impress me. I put three small (1 gal.) in the ground last May. They did great all summer. I gave them no protection other than mulch this winter, expecting moderate temps.
They have not shown any sign of breaking dormancy, unlike the Spirea next to them (also small plants bought from the same store at the same time). I doubt they died, but they may have to regrow from the below-ground portion. In short, good thing you took such good care of yours!
--Erik

ScottyON · Post by **ScottyON** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 7:42 pm

Thanks Erik. Hope your's turn out well! Hopefully with the warm weather you should start to see something happening. I think mine have a head start since the palm hut didn't go below freezing and was usually around 45f. Everything in the palm hut looks amazing! Just like when I put it on! Honestly didn't even notice a change in my electric bill with the heater running. I am going to put that small pindo and med fan palm in that garden. Looking foward to your updated pics in the future!

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 7:57 pm

I bet you'll find your basjoos are alive and well with the protection you gave them. If there's a hole in the ground where
they where before you might have a problem. If you poke in there and there solid game on

Bill

ScottyON · Post by **ScottyON** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:01 pm

Not solid! Went right threw! Gameover..

ScottyON · Post by **ScottyON** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:03 pm

Is that how your one Mag we were talking about looks too???

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:04 pm

No crape myrtle buds here yet either Eric! Natchez & Tuscarora are very much alive and well here. No die back on Natchez and very little on Tuscarora
here. Yours will surely pop before mine here, mine are all over 8 feet tall with fat trunks 5 feet high though. Die back at 5 feet is welcomed! Bring on more
flowers.

Bill

PhilMusa · Post by **PhilMusa** » Sat Apr 17, 2010 7:30 am

Hey scotty,

I'm pretty sure your mag will recover. In the past mine (DD Blanchard) fully defoliated and then came back nicely. This is the first year that I didn't wrap them and they did much better with no defoliation. I'm hoping they will flower this year. What variety do you have?

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sat Apr 17, 2010 7:44 am

As far as your Sabal goes....like Paul said,pretty typical coming out of winter-
hopefully this year you'll have the warmth for recovery.
Mine always seem to grow after a rain,so with that in mind
after the soil warms up...........

ScottyON · Post by **ScottyON** » Sat Apr 17, 2010 3:27 pm

My Magnolia is a BBB. Hope it looks better soon!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Apr 17, 2010 4:18 pm

Scotty how can you buy ONLY ONE in each state?

Nice palms, your yard will be crowded in no time.

Putting the crape myrtles in the palm hut was a good idea.

My star magnolia is in bloom, but I'm not familiar with your type of magnolia.
Reminds me of my rubber tree, which defoliates from drought on a cool patio after spending a cold winter in the extra building.
Always takes a month or so for new leaves to pop out of "the sticks", as my daughter calls them.

Do your neighbor's cats sit around the pond at dawn waiting for breakfast to swim by?
My little pond's goldfish didn't make it this winter (first time in three years)...probably raccoons or herons. Damn!
I'll buy new fish and, each night, lay a frame of fencewire over the pond to deter the robbers.

Barb

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Sat Apr 17, 2010 6:01 pm

Barb,
my wife swears by .22 to help with racoons.
The last one took four of 'em before he figured out what he was supposed to do in response.
So, you might want to go up a bit.
Just a thought.
--Erik

ScottyON · Post by **ScottyON** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 4:29 am

Thanks Barb.. Not too much wildlife in my backyard so the fishys are fine.. Sounds like the weather out west is nice right now!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 10:05 am

Me shoot a gun? The racoon would be safe! or die laughing.
Think it may be a blue heron coz the big pond has about half the goldfish it had last fall.
or maybe they're still asleep in the bottom mud.

Scotty, good your neighborhood cats don't know you have fish.

Yup weather's finally nice and warm, cooling off again in a couple of days.
But the longjohns have finally been put away

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 10:36 am

I would never let my wife suspect there was a reason he laughed at her 4 rounds...not safe for me, but you might get the idea.
The barn walls are now better ventilated. Somehow.
----------------
I'm glad the long johns are put away for the season.
I need to find my rain coat. It has rained steadily for ~30 hours now....

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 11:10 am

Send some of that up here Erik

The humidity here was 15% over the weekend.

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 7:26 pm

I'll try, Jim. It was absolutely perfect: 1" evenly spread over ~48 hours. No wind, lightning, etc. Not at all what we expect down here in the Spring! I am used to 1" in an hour with strong winds, etc.
I was in the midst of planting palms. I gave up. The hole already dug for my largest new needle palm still has not drained, so I'm waiting a couple of days.
In short, if you can get some of this, wonderful. Fabulous Spring!

PalmsNorth.com

Garden Updates/Question

Garden Updates/Question

Crape Myrtle

Basjoos

Mag

Racoons

gentle rain