Doug Canan/Master Gardener
| Special to The Times
Bhutanese community garden expands to feature other nationalities
Okra, beans, pumpkins and more: Bhutanese community expands huge community garden on Northeast side in lawn of North YMCA. Gardeners from 10 nations work the soil there.
So, have you drowned from all the rain earlier this season, or have you melted from the recent heat dome? Just think of your poor plants that can’t escape the downpours or have the option of ducking into an air-conditioned building!
I have had many clients at the local greenhouse and nursery where I work struggling to keep their normally hardy plantings healthy, let alone thriving, in this challenging weather. It has indeed taken a bit more effort to keep plants moving forward this summer.
Here are some hot questions clients have had this season:
Dear Doug – I have lots of posts and hooks on my patio from where I like to suspend hanging baskets. I pay attention to my sun versus shade situation so my baskets are hung in areas where they will get the light that they need. My problem is that no matter what I do, many of the flowers are flagging, and some are near death. Can you suggest some possible reasons for their untimely demise? – Signed, All Hung Up.
Dear All Hung Up – Two possible reasons for your issues quickly come to mind. When hanging baskets are planted, vendors normally use potting soil as the growth medium. While that is appropriate, potting soils do not hold moisture very long, so plantings can dry out quickly, especially in the hot weather we have been having. Always water until moisture seeps out of the bottom holes of your baskets. Push your finger into the potting soil approximately one inch to determine when watering is necessary. If your finger is wet, hold off watering until it comes out mostly dry. Don’t wait too long, however, as totally desiccated potting soil is very difficult to rehydrate. The second, and in my experience, the most frequent problem, is that your hanging baskets need food. Most nurseries recommend using a quality water-soluble fertilizer every 7-10 days. Since the water flows through potting soil quickly, many nutrients your flowers need to thrive flow out with it. Since it appears you have the sun versus shade requirement met, following these two tips will likely be your best strategy at extending the life of your hanging baskets.
Hey Doug – I know you grow hydrangeas in your garden. I simply love hydrangeas, and I love gardening! If I could change my middle name to Hydrangea, I would. Anyway, my hydrangeas are not blooming at all – I just have a bunch of beautiful leaves! I planted them several years ago in an area that gets lots of sun, but I miss the purple and blue flowers that were prevalent when I bought them. Is my problem due to the wet, hot weather we experienced earlier this growing season? What am I doing wrong? – Signed, Megan Thee Hydrangea.
Dear Megan – This is a quite common question and one that is not always easily answered. My best guess is that you are having the same problem that I have encountered in my garden, and it’s not due to either wet or hot weather. We always say to ensure you plant the right plant in the right place. While I do not know the hydrangea cultivar you have, in most cases, hydrangeas with flower colors other than white need some shade, especially protection from the hot afternoon sun. This fall, I will be transplanting a couple of my hydrangeas to areas that will provide this protection. I am glad you like gardening, because transplanting your hydrangeas this fall to an area that provides some shade should go a long way to getting your blooms back next season! I also suggest using a quality slow-release fertilizer in the spring. If you want hydrangeas with white flowers that will do better in your sunny area, select panicle cultivars. Here are a few suggestions of panicle hydrangeas, ranging in size from bigger to smaller: Limelight (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’); Little Lime (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Little Lime’); and Bobo, considered a dwarf plant (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Bobo’).
Dear Doug – I have an area beneath an oak tree where I have been unable to grow grass, no matter how hard I try. It has become an eyesore in my yard, which is adorned with various types of perennials. This area only gets a few hours of sunlight each day, so I guess I can understand why grass doesn’t grow there. Do you have any suggestions for some shade-loving plants that will eliminate the desert under my tree? – Signed, Dry and Dusty.
Dear Dry and Dusty – There are a number of perennials that will not only survive but will thrive under your oak tree. Since I have had a similar situation under my Pin Oak tree (Quercus palustris), I can share several suggestions based on my experience. First, select plants labeled with a tolerance for part shade, meaning that no more than three to four hours of sunlight is all they need, with none of that being the hot afternoon sun. I started with Bowman’s Root (Porteranthus trifoliatus ‘Pink Profusion’), a native plant which displays clear pink flowers above reddish leaves on deep red stems. Provided it has a nice layer of organic mulch, it tolerates tree root competition and is drought-tolerant once established. Since I like variegated leaves, I added Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans ‘Stairway to Heaven’) and Variegated Lilyturf (Liriope muscari ‘Silver Sunproof’). Jacob’s Ladder sports violet-blue flowers in late spring, plus it adds new leaves until fall, keeping the plant fresh-looking. It is very cold-hardy and does well under high heat and humidity conditions. Lilyturf is a clumping grass that is one of the few grass-type plants that thrive in shady conditions and does not actively spread as many other turf plants do. To add bright colors, I favor different cultivars of Coral Bells (Heuchera spp.), semi-evergreen plants that come in several colors. Coral Bells have small flowers on stalks mostly during the spring, but their bright leaf colors are the big selling point for most gardeners. As an added attraction, all the plants I have included here are considered deer non-preferred.
Hey Doug – I see that many garden centers are now offering big bargains on their annual plants, and in some cases, sales on their trees and some shrubs. I love bargains and am considering picking up some. If I buy a plant labeled as an annual, does that mean it will come back every year? – Signed, The Price Is Right.
Dear Price – You are correct about the sales now ongoing. However, a plant labelled as an annual means that it lives for a one-year period, and it will only last through this growing season and will die off as cold weather comes back around. If you have a special event coming up, such as a wedding or a graduation, picking up colorful annuals that are usually half-price or BOGO (Buy One Get One Free) is a great bargain that will enhance your special event. Sale prices on trees and shrubs are a bargain if you have a need in your landscape. Most nurseries plant trees and shrubs through late fall and early winter, so taking advantage of these sales at this time of year is still a good option. Realize, however, that you will need to water more often until the weather begins to cool and rainfall is more frequent, especially as some of these discounted items may have spent the summer languishing in the hot, far reaches of the garden center and need some TLC to get established.
Well, all of you plant lovers out there, that’s it for another session. Keep those questions coming. When you need research-based answers to your gardening questions, contact the Master Gardener hotline at beavermg@psu.edu. Until next time, don’t let your plants dry out.
Doug Canan is a Penn State Master Gardener in Beaver County.
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