Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima)

Image Source: Wikipedia

Now that Christmas is over, I have two or more of these pretty plants hanging around my home.

Here are some links for those who would like to keep their plants alive for next year:

The Poinsettia Pages at University of Illinois Extension
Beginner-Gardening.com
Poinsettia Care in the Home
The Helpful Gardener

Search: How to prepare for a freeze warning

Someone in Florida wanted to know. We deliver.

According to the National Weather Service (apologies for the caps--its the NWS, not me!),

A FREEZE WARNING MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE IMMINENT OR
HIGHLY LIKELY. THESE CONDITIONS WILL KILL CROPS AND OTHER
SENSITIVE VEGETATION. MEASURES SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PROTECT TENDER
VEGETATION...PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT HAVE BLOOMED OUT OF SEASON.
BRING POTTED PLANTS INDOORS OR COVER WITH A BLANKET OR PROTECTIVE
COVERING.

It is good to know the cold hardiness of your various plants, so you know what to bring in, what to cover, and what to leave alone. If you can, find out roughly how cold it will get and for how long. Some plants can tolerate light, short freezes without a lot of help, while others are more fastidious.

I have been keeping some of my tender sub-tropicals in a temporary greenhouse, which I heat on chilly nights with a couple of strands of Christmas lights. While this looks pretty, and so far has been sufficient for keeping the greenhouse 5-10 degrees warmer than the surrounding air, I will need to have some more effective heating methods on hand when the lows begin to drop into the 20's here. So far, all of the plants I have been sheltering managed to survive our first frost quite admirably (click here for online news coverage of that). In fact, my Lipstick hibiscus continues to bloom happily as if nothing was happening.

I have done nothing to my Double Knockout Roses, and they continue to appear quite happy, even producing the occasional blossom here and there. I expect they'll last the winter here, as they're very cold hardy. But if you want some links to information on protecting your roses this winter, click here.

By the way, tonight is supposed to get close to freezing, so you may want to bring in your most sensitive plants.


For the shorter freezes that we get here in the greater Houston area and other mild gulf-coast regions, the brief guidelines provided at this website or at this one should be sufficient for most occasions.  If you want to be extra prepared, or live someplace where snowshovels might be needed, you'll probably want to take your advice from someone who hasn't spent her whole life living in coastal California and southeast Texas!

The bottom line with a freeze warning is this: keep your pets, sensitive plants, and family from freezing!

If you are a dill lover...

...and you aren't planning to do so already, you might want to think about planting some dill seeds next fall.

A friend was recently telling me how she'd love to grow dill in her little containerized herb garden. Naturally, this made me curious, so I had to look it up.

According to the books I have looked in, the best time to plant dill seeds in the Houston area is from late August through the end of October. If I were to guess, that probably means that you might still be able to find dill plants at a local nursery or feed store (some feed stores sell plants--who knew?) in November and maybe December , if seeds aren't your thing.

I wouldn't try any national chains if you are trying to find something out of the "typical" season. (Just try to find strawberries at Home Depot in November. Ha!).


Oh yes, and Dill can get up to 4 feet tall if placed in good soil and full sun. :)

Blackspot resistant roses.

Here is a list from a Purdue University website. It includes hybrid tea, florubunda, grandiflora, climbing, Rugosa hybrid, shrub, and miniature rose cultivars (including Knock-out). Some of the shrub roses listed I recognize from Antique rose lists I have seen.

Surinam Cherry (Eugenia uniflora) Profile and links

Photo Source: Australian-Insects.com

Common Names: Brazil/Brazilian cherry, Cayenne cherry, pitanga, Florida cherry
Nativity: Introduced to US from Brazil
Category: Subtropical/Tropical/Tender perennial
Landscape uses: bush, hedge
Height: to 25 feet
Spacing: 10-12 feet
Habit: Tree/Shrub
Growth Rate: Slow
Duration: Perennial
Flowers: White, spring to early summer, depending on climate
Fruit: Red, sweet, edible, approx 3 weeks after flowers
Soil: acidic-neutral. Tolerates most soils and textures. Does not tolerate salt.
Light: Full sun to part shade
Water Needs: Average. Do not over or under water.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 10-11 (to 30 °F) (established plants known to survive temps to 22°F with minor damage)
Propagation: From seed in spring. Collect from overripe fruit.
Toxicity: Seeds should not be eaten. Odor of pruned plants may irritate lungs of sensitive individuals.

This plant is listed as invasive in the state of Florida, and is known to set seed in areas where the climate is friendly to young plants.

These can be grown in 5 gal or larger containers in areas where it will be necessary to move them to shelter during a freeze.

A close relative of Eugenia Aggregata.

Links:
From Purdue University
Dave's Garden
USDA Plants Database
Plants of Hawaii

First freeze of the year?

According to AccuWeather.com, the National weather service has issued a freeze warning for the inland areas of Southeast Texas.

Click here for more info.

Protect your tender plants tonight!

My bougainvilleas and my Hass avocado seedling are all tucked in for the night. I threw in my lipstick hibiscus and a containerized plumbago for good measure. Texas A&M says my satsuma orange tree should be okay, down to around 26 degrees or so, so it stays out tonight, as does the Meyer Lemon. My spineless prickly pear cactus is on our covered back porch near the house, which I hope will be enough. They're supposed to be tough.

So much for Albizia Julibrissin

I have been wondering why I only see these trees in older neighborhoods. It turns out they are categorized as invasive plants here in Texas. I'm glad I found this out before I did anything stupid...like planting one.

Just one more reason to check your state's list of invasive plants. Some specimens are hard to come by for a reason.

For a profile of A. julibrissin and alternatives, click the link above, which gives a list as follows:

Resembles/Alternatives:

* Chilopsis linearis (desert willow)
* Prosopis glandulosa (honey mesquite)

Many other small to medium-sized trees make excellent alternatives including:

* Calliandra eriophylla (fairyduster)
* Calliandra conferta (Rio Grande stickpea)
* Amelanchier arborea (common serviceberry)
* Cercis canadensis (eastern redbud)
* Cornus florida (flowering dogwood)
* Betula nigra (river birch)
* Chionanthus virginicus (white fringetree)

Other alternatives include serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), river birch (Betula nigra), redbud (Cercis canadensis), fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua).

Source: TexasInvasives.org

Search: "Planting trees in Black Gumbo"

Someone was looking for information on planting trees in our "Black Gumbo" soil. I have been wondering about this as well, as many of the native trees listed in the books I read are marked as requiring "good drainage". Good drainage just doesn't happen in heavy clay soils, and in an area as moist as this one, I was concerned that I would be limited in my tree options, so I started asking questions too.

My nurseryman says that trees grow ok in black gumbo if you plant them with the top of the root ball 2-4 inches above the surrounding ground level. He advises digging a hole, putting the tree in it, and filling it back in with the original soil, using what is left to create a mound shaped area around the sides of the root ball. He also says to avoid adding soil amendments below the surrounding ground level. Rather, add any compost and mulch by layering them over the top of the mound, and letting them work their way into the soil gradually. This keeps water from collecting around the roots, and encouraging root rot.

As is plain to anyone who views the natural landscape in this region, and even most of the more established residential subdivisions, it is possible for trees to grow quite happily around here in our local soil---even trees that are supposed to need "good drainage" can grow well if planted on a slope or in a mound, as outlined above.

In any region with unique climate or soil issues, native plants are often the easiest to maintain. Here is a list of native trees that do well in our soil.

Temporary shelter for Tender plants

A week or two ago, when our evening lows dipped briefly into the 30's, I sheltered my more tender plants in one corner of my back porch under a makeshift lean-to, involving a frost cloth and plenty of duct tape. Though it had the advantage of keeping my plants about 10 degrees warmer than the outside world, this proved to be a very impractical solution for any long term sheltering needs, especially since there is too much shade on the porch for most of these plants. Add to that the aesthetic issues and the fact that duct taping one side of a frost cloth to the house and lugging plants around to put underneath it is a rather time-consuming process, and the makeshift lean-to becomes quite unappealing, despite its effectiveness.

Because my garage hasn't got any extra space for dormant container plants, and because I'd like a sunny place to keep my tender plants during the winter, I splurged on a pop-out greenhouse , which I ordered online from Home Depot. It arrived yesterday. From the looks of things, it pops out about as easily as certain kinds of car shades, children's play products, and laundry hampers, and is supported by poles and stakes, much the way a camping tent would be. It even has a shade cover for its little roof, to keep things from getting too hot in the greenhouse, and it came with a zip-up bag to put it into, when it is not in use. It appears the manufacturers built it so that it could be used year round, if the customer desires. I think I'll probably use it just during the winter, though. While flimsier than the real thing, this little temporary greenhouse should serve my purposes during our brief spells of cold. The Texas gulf coast is essentially one great big greenhouse about 8 months out of the year, so I am reluctant to put up anything permanent.

Photo Source: FlowerHouse Greenhouses

So, now the 'Blue Northers' can blow when they will, and my containerized hibiscus, bougainvillea, plumbago, and avocado plants will have a warm, cozy place to ride out the winter. Call it an early Christmas present for my plants. :)

Native Shrubs for Black Gumbo Soil

I recently posted a list of Native Trees that do well in the "Black Gumbo" soil we have here.

Here is the companion list of native shrubs that thrive in the same poorly drained conditions.

As was the case with the tree list, I have a list of shrubs that I printed out from the Native Plant Society of Houston website back in July, which has now disappeared from the web.

Fortunately, someone else has posted the same lists on Livejournal--with pictures.

But, just in case that vanishes too, I include the names of the shrubs here. I have no idea who the original author is, or I would be sure to list his or her name.

Strawberry Bush (Euonymus americana) is named after its fruit which resemble strawberries (not edible). the 1" scarlet fruits remain through fall, splitting open to show orange-red seeds. this upright shrub has green stems and deciduous leaves that turn bright red in the fall.


Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera) is an evergreen shrub or small tree to 18'. it is extremely tolerant after getting established. the leaves have a pleasant scent when brushed against. the tiney 1/8" gray berries are eaten by 40 different species of birds. there is a dwarf wax myrtle (myrica pusilla) which gets six feet tall or less and only tolerates dry soil.


Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is a deciduous shrub that lives in in shallow water (up to 6") or plant in the ground. if you want butterflies get buttonbush. the late may to fall repeat blooms are perfectly round white balls with a heavy perfume. the bark has a speckled appearance and the fall nutlets are a favorite of waterfowl.


Virginia Sweetspire (Itlea virginica) has fragrant drooping white spires in spring. this 5' shrub has fall color ranging from yellow, orange, red and purple; in mild winters you get to enjoy these changing colors until spring.


Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) is an area-native evergreen shrub or small tree to 25' with stiff branches that make a dense cover that birds like to nest in. the birds like to eat the translucent red berries which are hard so they leave them on the tree all winter. yaupon is so adaptable it tolerates sun or shade and wet or dry soil.


Possumhaw Holly (Ilex decidua) loses its leavfes and is bare all winter. however, the female shurb or small tree is loaded with red berries all winter and is a standout.


Ti-ti ("tye-tye") or Leatherwood (Cyrilla racemiflora) is an outstanding semi-evergreen shrub that will grow in standing water (up to 6") or planted in the ground. in late may the fragrant white flower spikes look like petticoats. in summer the fruits turn rust color or ivory. in fall some of the leaves turn bright red and stay on the bush making a colorful picture.


Dwarf Palmetto (sabal minor) is a hardy, evergreen, fan-shaped palm. the stems are underground and the large leaves can reach 5'. it sends up a long bloom stalk to 6', with a spray of fragrant whitish blooms then it has fruit like black grapes which birds devour.


Possumhaw Viburnum (Viburnum nudum) has white flower clusters in march which turn into clusters of tiny pink, then blue-black fruit which taste like raisins. birds love the fruits too. possumhaw has outstanding wine-red fall color.


Salt Marsh Mallow (Kosteletzkya virginica) upright, branching shrub to 6 feet; grows in wet, often saline soils. the mallow forms dense showy clumps and the gray-green pointed leaves are fuzzy. 2 to 3" pink hibiscus-like flowers bloom from june - november and attract hummingbirds and swallowtail butterflies.

Bougainvillea

Bougainvilleas are wonderful because they look their best when they are abused.. These South American natives bloom the most when they are hot, underwatered, and their roots are constricted--which is why around here it is best to keep them in containers. They can be trained as just about anything from groundcover, to shrub, to tree (If they are properly supported), to climbing vine. Woohoo! My kind of plant.

They are pretty thorny, though, so make sure your hands and arms are properly protected when you handle them.

Bougainvillea "La Jolla". Photo Source: Desert-Tropicals.com

I recently got a "Sundown" and a "San Diego Red" (a.k.a. "La Jolla"). Both are pretty, but with the weather cooling down, it's time to think about protecting them.

For the time being, during the last two cold nights we have had, I have put them under a kind of temporary lean-to shelter against the house on my back porch, involving a frost cloth purchased at my local nursery and plenty of duct tape. While this kept my more tender plants about 10 degrees warmer than the open air, it will become impractical in the middle of winter, and as there is no room in my garage, I have had to look for other options. This means, of course that I have been spending a lot of time with Google.

From what I have seen, the universal bottom line is don't let them freeze. They sometimes die back or go dormant during colder months, but usually bounce back later if their roots are properly protected.

Phil and Jean Hovey recommend sheltering them fron any temperatures below 40 degrees, hence the little makeshift lean-to mentioned above. This Southeast Texas gardening website recommends protecting them from temps 50 degrees or below. Some people suggest leaving them in the garage or in the house one freezing temperatures begin, and only watering them once per month, before returning them to the outdoors after all danger of frost is past. Greenhouses can be handy too. I plan to keep mine in a temporary pop-out greenhouse, once I get my hands on one.

As they are only hardy to zones 9-11, plants in colder regions need to be especially well protected.


I couldn't possibly cover everything in a single blog post, so here, then, are some bougainvillea links for your perusal.

Plant Profiles:
Floridata
Wikipedia


General Care Tips:
Southeast Texas Gardening: Growing Bougainvillea
PlantAnswers.com
Texas A&M Plant Answers
Plant-Care.com

Brugmansia (a.k.a. Angel's Trumpet, Tree Datura)

I saw one of these blooming in a garden the other day. They look pretty cool. The one I saw was not quite as leafy as this one, but its branches still added interest to the garden it was in.

Photo Source: Iowa State University Extension

I may try to get my hands on some cuttings next spring.


Some of them are fairly cold hardy. For instance, 'Frosty Pink' is hardy to zone 7b (5 °F). However, others are not. 'Charles Grimaldi' is only hardy to zone 10b (35 °F). The less hardy ones die back to the ground each year in areas that freeze, and are not as long-lived, according to Floridata. But, since they look cool, they can be worthwhile plants.


Just don't eat or smoke them. They are known to be highly toxic.



Interestingly, hyoscyamine, one of the compounds found in this plant, is used in a prescription drug for certain gastrointestinal problems. There must be some processing involved there. :)



Brugmansia Links:
American Brugmansia and Datura Society, Inc.
Brugmansia Growers International
Brugmansia Cultivar Finder (Dave's Garden)
Dave's Garden Profile (B. candida)
Wikipedia Profile
USDA Plants Profile (B. Candida)
Floridata Profile (B. suaveolens)



Books:
Brugmansia and Datura: Angel's Trumpets and Thorn Apples (I haven't read it, but it looks interesting!)

Speaking of Catnip...

To see how far some cats will go to get their catnip "fix", have a look at this.

Is Catnip Cold Hardy?

Someone was searching for "catnip is hardy down to degrees"

According to Dave's Garden, Catnip is hardy to USDA Zone 3, which gets as cold as -40 °F!

Yikes.

Now, the website does not specify whether it will die back a little in those extreme temperatures.

I think it is safe to say, however, that if catnip can handle Zone 3, the kind of cold we get in Zones 8 and 9 should be no problem.

Around here, I would worry more about heat and drainage, when considering where to put my catnip.



See my other catnip posts.

Search: Pruning Jasmine

Someone was looking for info on pruning jasmine, so I'll offer my two cents, for what they're worth.

The star jasmine I have growing in my garden has a tendency to twine itself around my trees, if left alone long enough (about 2-3 weeks) during its summer and fall growing season. The pruning process usually involves 3 basic steps:

1. Get hedge clippers
2. Chop off what I don't want.
3. Dispose of clippings.

Given our generally warm climate, whatever I cut off grows back fairly quickly. This vine is evergreen thorughout the winter, so in my region it requires no winter pruning. In fact, the above process I have described and an occasional treatment for powdery mildew is pretty much the only work I put into this plant at all. I mostly ignore it the rest of the time, except in spring when I admire the beauty of its flowers.

Update: Keeping Plumbagos Pretty

Hooray! They're reviving!
(See my previous plumbago post)

Stinging Caterpillars

I've been getting more hits from people looking for "poisonous caterpillars". Hopefully, they're looking for information before they encounter them.

If you think you have had contact with a venomous insect or animal, it is best to do first aid and seek prompt advice from a competent medical professional.

If you want to know what these things look like before you have a close encounter, the web is probably the place for you.

Here are some useful links with information on caterpillar hazards:

Stinging Caterpillars--Bexar County Extension (TX)
Stinging Caterpillars found on Alabama Trees
Texas Entomology--Stinging Caterpillars of Texas (Useful link list)
Stinging and Venomous Caterpillars (University of Florida Extension)
Take care around stinging caterpillars (Houston Chronicle)

Google search for "stinging caterpillars"

For first aid after a sting, this University of Oklahoma site and this University of Kentucky site have brief recommendations. When in doubt, seek qualified medical advice.

Native trees for Black Gumbo Soil

I have a list that I printed out from the Native Plant Society of Houston website back in July, which has now disappeared from the web.

Fortunately, someone else has posted the same list on Livejournal--with pictures.

But, just in case that vanishes too, I'll list the names of the trees here. I have no idea who the original author is, or I would be sure to list his or her name here.

Trees:

Bald Cypress (taxodium distichum) is a long lived shade tree (to 100") with feathery leaves. it has yellow-to-rust fall color then the leaves fall and its bald for the winter. the fruit is a 1" round cone.


Swamp Chestnut Oak (quercus michauxii) leaves turn bright red in the fall. this long lived shade tree can grow to 80 feet. it can take standing water for up to a week.


Water Oak (quercus nigra) is semi-evergreen which means that the leaves stay on in warm winters and fall of in cold. this shade tree grows rapidly to 30' (and usually gets taller) with three different leaf shapes.


Willow Oak (quercus phellos) has long, narrow willow-like leaves so theres not much to rake in fall.


River Birch (betula nigra) is a lovely shade tree which grows to a height of 90 ft. and has triangular leaves rounded on the bottom which turn yellow in the fall. the flaking bark is outstanding. saplings have red cherry-like bark and later peachy-white flaking to reveal darker peach-colored bark.


Black Gum (nyssa sylvatica) is a large shade tree to 100 feet with short crooked branches which come off the trunk at right angles. it turns bright red in early fall (sometimes even in august). the females have 1/2 inch black berries which birds relish.


Drummond Red Maple (acer rubrum variety drummondii) is a large shade tree to 90 feet tall. it grows fast but can live 50 years and features red flowers in january on males, and red winged fruits on females in spring called samuras. if the winter weather is cold enough, drummond red maple turns yellow then red before losing leaves.


Green Ash (fraxinus pennsylvanica) is a fast growing shade tree to 50' with yellow fall color. female green ashes have bunches of green matchstick-sized fruit which birds love.


Fringe Tree (chiocanthus virginicus) is an understory tree that blooms in spring with fragrant long-petaled white flowers that look like fringe all over the tree. the leaves are 4 to 8 inches long.


Parsley Hawthorn (crataegus marshallii) is an understory tree to 20 feet whose leaves look like parsley. this thorny tree has sparkling white flowers in spring with pink stamens, followed by red 1/3 inch fruit in the fall which birds and small mammals love, and yellow fall color. the gray bark flakes to reveal the orange inner bark. butterfly larva eat the foliage and birds like to nest in the tree.


Rough-Leaf Dogwood (cornus drummondii) is very different from its "cousin" the showy flowring dogwood (conus florida). the rough-leaf dogwood has clusters of small white blooms in spring rather than the showy white bracts of its cousin. it has white berries in the fall.


Snowbell (styrax americana) is a small ornamental tree with oval leaves that only gets 10 feet high. it has white blooms all over the tree in spring that hang downward showing the yellow stamens.


Indigo-Bush Amorpha or False Indigo (amorpha fruticosa) is an understory tree with small compound leaves and 4-8 inch spikes of purple flowers with electric orange anthers in spring. it gets 5 to 10 feet high and is good for erosion control.


Sweetbay Magnolia (magnolia virginiana) is much smaller than the southern magnolia and likes swampy places. it has the same fragrant flowers in spring but smaller (1"-3"). this understory tree is semi-evergreen, the leaves have white undersides. it has 2" brown cones with many compartments which split open and the 1/2 inch red seeds dangle by a thread-like structure.

For more listings of native plants for this region, I recommend Habitat Gardening for Houston and Southeast Texas by Mark and Mary Bowen. I purchased my copy at Urban Harvest. There are other good books out there too, which I have not yet had the opportunity to look at.

Keeping Plumbagos Pretty

I have a little Plumbago auriculata (a.k.a Cape Leadwort) in a pot that I bought earlier in the fall, but it became a little neglected last month while I was ill, and went on a kind of blooming strike due to lack of water. I have been watering it faithfully for weeks, but it is only now showing signs of revival, despite the relatively warm weather.


So I did a little looking for things to do for a plumbago that is not blooming. One suggestion was to

Fertilize with milk--1 Tablespoon per gallon every two weeks. (Tried this today; we'll see if it helps.). The other idea I saw was avoiding over fertilizing by using half of the fertilizer recommended by package instructions. One also needs to avoid overwatering as well as underwatering.

Beyond that, I have no further ideas at this time. I miss those little blue flowers. :(

Photo Source: Texas Cooperative Extension: Perennials for Texas Landscapes

More Plumbago Links:

Texas A&M University: Blue-Blooming Vitex and Plumbago: Butterflies Love 'Em, Deer Don't
Dave's Garden plant profile
USDA Plant profile
Floridata Profile

Garlic Chives

I never heard of these until I started looking for ideas for my herb garden. Being a lover of garlicky foods, how could I resist these?

I planted some seeds earlier this month, and they finally sprouted a few days ago. I also got a plant from the nursery, just in case the seeds didn't work. Oh boy, this stuff smells good.

I did the same with onion chives. So far, no luck with the seeds.

Search: Drying rose seeds

I've never done this myself, but an inquiring mind wanted to know.

Here was the most succinct information I saw.

Fire ants and Containerized plants.

It seems like every time place another potted plant outdoors, it gets invaded by fire ants, despite the fact that we broadcast fire-ant granules around our entire property--which hasn't been as effective this year, as it was last year. We still get the occasional mound here and there, and even my indoor potted plants have been invaded on occasion.

The trouble with fire ants in plant containers is that they aren't always visible until I repot the plant. Talk about a good reason to wear gloves!

For my outdoor, non-edible container plants, I have tried using the same granules we use for spot-treating mounds. So far, this seems to work.

The question is, what to do about indoor containers, and containers with edible plants--especially those herbs and veggies? I have used fire ant granules in small amounts in my indoor containers, but I dont' know if that's really even a good idea, and I'd certainly prefer to try something less toxic.

A friend of mine says that she has had good success using cornmeal in her vegetable garden. She gets it in bulk at her local feed store. The advantage here is that it is cheap and non-toxic. The disadvantage is that it does not always work instantly. I have yet to try this method for myself.

On this gardenweb.com discussion forum, other suggestions include molasses, instant grits, orange oil, diatomaceous earth, and even coffee grounds. One person suggests a Green Light product that contains spinosad. I have no idea if that is safe for use in indoor pots.

Here is another forum, with a discussion of containerized fire ant situations.


More on this issue as it develops...


--------------------------------------

A note for those Central and South Coast Californians who drop by this blog occasionally:

Imported fire ants appear to be gaining a foothold in parts of your region as well, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Quarantine areas include parts of Orange, Los Angeles, and Riverside Counties. A friend of mine says that she has seen them active in San Luis Obispo County as well. For more information on fire ant quarantine areas in Calfornia, go to the CDFA website.

Search: Pruning roses

With cold weather approaching, several people have dropped by searching for information on pruning knockout and double knockout roses. Many of them end up at my post "Double Knockout Roses Kick Lantanas' Butt", which does not have specific information on when and how to prune knockout and other roses.


The good people at the nursery where I purchased my plants indicated that they handle pruning (and just about everything else) very well.

With any rose, it is a good idea to cut off any diseased or dead canes. It is also a good idea to make sure no canes are rubbing against one another. This light cutting can be done any time of year.

If you feel like dead heading (not required for knockout roses to perform), they way my mother taught me was to cut the stem above the first set of five leaves, at a 45 degree angle, with the lower edge of the cut on the same side as the leaves. When I lived in coastal California, this was most of what I did with my roses. Heavy pruning never really entered into the picture because of the mildness of the climate.

Around here, the traditional time for yearly rose pruning is around mid-February, usually on or near Valentine's Day. This way, any new growth isn't as likely to be zapped by excessive cold. For colder regions, this might vary. In general, it is my understanding that roses do not need to be pruned in preparation for winter, unless this will help you shelter them more effectively.

I have heard that heavy pruning of knockouts or any other shrub rose for the first two years after they have been planted is generally not recommended. This gives your shrub rose time to mature. Mine are still new and very short, so I don't think I'll be doing much in the pruning department this year.

As far as how to go about it, that's up to you. Some people just take an electric hedge trimmer and prune their roses into shapes. I have seen some used as box hedges around town. Since I personally prefer my roses to be in a more natural shape, I will not be doing that.

This page suggests pruning knockouts in the same way as other shrub roses. For spring pruning of most roses, the Houston Garden Book also recommends thinning the small branches out until there are three to five hardy main stems left. It also suggests using directional pruning techniques to encourage a vase-like growth habit. This means cutting canes down just above a bud that is pointing in the direction in which you want the stem of the plant to grow. For more on what that is, and for step-by-step spring pruning directions click here.

For those interested in pruning your knockouts back for the winter, here is a short article on winterizing roses in Southern climates.

I like to use shears like this when I cut my roses:

Photo Source

Shears such as those shown above are easy to get at most hardware stores.

I also recommend wearing some good sturdy gardening gloves to protect your hands and arms from thorns. I have a long pair, specifically made for handling roses and other thorny plants. They have thick leather palms, and they go up to my elbows. I have even used these while handling bougainvilleas, which have thorns up to an inch long, and also while playing with a visiting cat who dropped by while I was planting my roses, and they have protected me well against thorns, claws and teeth. :) I could not find any at the larger home and garden centers where I live (Lowe's, Home Depot). I ended up going to a local nursery.


Here is a post with links to more information on winterizing your roses.

Read my other posts on Double Knockout roses.

Protecting roses from freezing winter temperatures

Here are some websites with information that will help you prepare your roses for winter freezes:

Freeze protection for roses in Houston, by Donald Burger
University of Illinois Extension

Planting Knockouts

Somebody from Missouri was searching for information about how to plant double knockout roses.

As with any rose, if it is in a container, the basic procedure is to dig a hole a little bigger than the root ball, and put the rose in it. The top of the root ball should be an inch or two above the surrounding bed. Water it in, and add a layer of mulch.

For Double Knockout roses, the label recommends spacing of 3-4 feet.

Even though Knockouts in their various forms are supposed to be able to take any kind of soil conditions, I did amend the soil in my bed a bit with some organic planting mix and a little leaf mold compost. Because of the drainage issues in this area though, I did not dig my amendments in too deep. I also added a little bone meal to the bottom of the holes I dug for them, to encourage root growth. As this bed had been mulched last spring, I moved the mulch layer out of the way before planting, and put it back afterward. I may add a new layer of mulch before the cold weather really gets going. Time will tell us if they happy in their new location.

For bare root roses, which were what I preferred when I lived in California, the planting is a little more complicated, though it is not difficult. It requires that one make a cone-shaped mound of soil in the bottom of the hole, which is used to give the roots proper structure, so they can grow in the right direction after planting.

The American Rose Society has a collection of articles on planting roses that can be worth reading.

My St. Louis, Missouri visitor might want to consule the Rose Society of St. Louis Missouri or the Central District of the American Rose Society for regional information.

Houston area rose-lovers can get their regional information from the South Central District of the American Rose Society, or from the Houston Rose Society. Donald Burger also has a page on planting container roses in this region. If antique roses and organic methods are more your cup of tea, have a look at the website for the Vintage Rosery in Needville, TX.


___________________________________
Read my other posts on Double Knockout roses.

Should have done this six months ago!

I got those double knockout roses in the ground this week. Definitely an improvement over the lantanas!

The dark green foliage of the roses works much better with the variegated foliage of the shrub behind them, and also balances the darker plants in that same bed. The red flowers ad punch that the purple flowers of the lantana never did. The tangled wildness of the lantanas never made much sense with formal box hedges anyway.

That's the nice thing about roses. They can be formal or casual, it's just a question of how they are dressed up!

Still seeking strawberries!

I spoke to a very friendly and knowledgeable person at my nearest nursery. He says that although now is the time to plant them here, many growers do not produce them at this time of the year, because the demand is so low. (apparently, many in this region still try to plant them in spring). He said to check back in about a week.

Cool...

Somebody over at the Houston Chronicle's Houston Gardening site has added my humble little blog to their list of local gardening blogs. Nifty.

Check out the other links on there--there is plenty of good stuff to look at!

Search: When to plant catnip in Texas

Someone found my site while searching for information on when to plant catnip here.

As far as when to plant seeds, Maas Nursery recommends springtime. I have some seeds that I'll probably plant right after this next Easter.

As I noted in previous posts, I planted some catnip (Nepeta cataria) plants late last spring--they were easy to get at Home Depot. These did pretty well, until heavy rains and poor drainage took their toll. The plants appear to be barely clinging to life at this point, with the occasional green leaf here and there. Containers or raised beds are strongly recommended. Chances are, spring would have worked out great, if I had provided better drainage for my plants.

Also, according to this, catnip likes slightly alkaline soil.

Come cats enjoy catmint (Nepeta mussinii) as well. :)

Click here to see my catnip posts so far.

Avocado Searches.

I'm getting a lot of hits from people with avocado (Persea americana) questions. Here's some of what I've seen so far, including what little information I can provide, being a person with lots of questions about Houston avocado growing, myself.

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Hass Avocado Hardiness Zone
According to Floridata, the Hass avocado is a Guatemalan variety, and "Guatemalan types are intermediate, hardy to 24 F (-5 C) or so." That would put it roughly in USDA zone 9b. To find your USDA hardiness zone by your zip code, click here.

To give you an idea of the ideal conditions are for this Avocado, this variety is frequently grown in California. Many of the ones I buy from my local grocer are grown in Michoacan, Mexico.

Young and/or unestablished Haas avocado trees need to be sheltered well during freezing temperatures. See this page at Purdue University for a chart that includes cold hardiness information for various Avocado "races" Other avocados, usually Mexican varieties, can be hardy to zone 8.

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Growing an avocado tree blogs
Hello and welcome. Here are all of my avocado posts so far.

Also, check to see what Google BlogSearch has to offer. Avocado growing was the most useful query of the several I tried.

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Growing an avocado tree fantastic
"Fantastic" Avocado
Yes, avocados are fantastic.

Oh, you meant the cultivar. :)

Urban Harvest lists this one as particularly cold hardy, and also particularly tasty! Unfortunately, I can't seem to find anything else on the internet about this variety. It is not listed in my copy of the Western Garden Book. However, as it is a Mexican variety, as are Wilma and Opal, it would probably have plenty in common with others from the same part of the world.

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Hass Avocado blooming season

According to my copy of the Western Garden book, the fruiting season is April-October. This can vary, of course, depending on the exact climate conditions in one's region.

This Purdue University page states that Guatemalan varieties of avocado such as Hass bloom from March-April, with fruit maturing from September-January. The Purdue page is worth looking at, because it lists other differences among the three "horticultural races" of avocado.

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Hass Avocado growing Texas
It's not easy, with the blasts of arctic air we get down here during the winter. See my link above to my posts on Avocados. I also highly recommend seeking out locally published gardening books for your region of Texas.

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Nursery Houston Avocado trees

I don't know of any particular nurseries myself. However, if I wanted to find out, I would call or go to the nearest good local nursery available (I mean the mom-and-pop type places where the people working there know everything about plants and love to talk about them all day long) and ask. If they don't have them, they will probably be willing to point you in the right direction. Also, watch local fruit tree sales.

This website lists current grower inventories of many trees, including the Avocado. At the time of this post, they list Brazos Citrus nursery In West Colombia, TX as a grower of three avocado varieties. They are a wholesale seller only. Click here for a list of retail nurseries that sell their products.

In Year Round Vegetables, Fruits, and Flowers for Metro Houston, Dr. Bob Randall recommends purchasing trees from nurseries that stock plants from Treesearch Farms.

November is for Strawberry planting!

Get those strawberry plants ready! It's time to put them in the ground! (Or the pot, in my case).

Urban Harvest recommends planting strawberry plants from late October through the end of November, with early November being the ideal Time.

Texas A&M Extension recommends planting them between late September and the end of October. They do not specify whether they prefer seeds or plants at that time of year.

I also spoke to a fellow over at my local nursery a few days before Halloween, and he said this is indeed a good time to plant them, but noted that they are difficult to find at this time of year. That particular nursery did not have them in stock at the time, but he said the might be able to obtain them.

Whatever fall month you plant them in, strawberries appear to be high-maintenance annuals around here, requiring vigilance when it comes to watering, fertilizing, and pest control. I figure I'll try anyway. :)



The question is, what type to plant?

Dr. Bob Randall recommends Sunrise, Sweet Charlie, and Earlibelle varieties for their high quality flavor. He recommends mail-ordering plants, if you can. For more of his tips on strawberry cultivation, see his book.

Dr. Larry Stein recommends Chandler and Sequoia. Chandler is sold commercially, so expect flavor similar to grocery store strawberries. Sequoia, he says, is more readily available in nurseries.



For growing, Brenda Beust Smith recommends hanging baskets in her Lazy Gardener's Guide. I may try these, as well as the strawberry jar I recently obtained, depending on how many plants I decide to grow.

To find plants locally, start by going to a good local nursery. If they don't have them, they may be able to point you to someone who does.



For a little bit of Houston area history involving the strawberry, read this article from the Houston Chronicle, which explains why Pasadena, TX has a strawberry festival every spring.

Related Links:
Fruit Gardening in Texas (Texas A&M Extension)
Fall Planted Strawberries by Dr. Larry Stein.
Chronology of Strawberry Varieties in the United States
Fragaria species native to North America
Strawberry Pest Management Guidlelines (University of California, Davis)

Double Knockout Roses kick Lantanas' butt!

So when we moved into our home, there was a lot of landscaping already in place, most of which appeared to have been there since the house was built.

This included a little patch of rambling dwarf lantanas.

I eventually discovered that these things die back in the winter to the point of extreme ugliness. They would need to be pruned back almost to the ground in the spring.

Oh, yes, and they give me a rash when they touch my forearms.

So I started looking for something to replace them. Something with pretty dark green foliage that would keep its looks in wintertime.

Something with a long blooming season, and a profusion bright, red flowers

Something that could handle soil that stays wet for along time after it rains, but wouldn't shrivel up if things got a bit dry.

Something that wouldn't catch some nasty plant disease and die while I wasn't looking.

I finally settled on some Double Knockout roses. They are not antiques, but they are bred to be tough, even in lousy clay soils, and since I can't raise this existing bed to a height that would be good for an antique rose, Double Knockouts seem to be the best option in the rose department. They are supposed to be resistant to blackspot (unlike the Martha Gonzales roses I previously considered for this same location), and also tolerant of a wide range of temperatures and soil conditions. Being more compact than their sister, the original Knockout rose, these were appropriate for the limited space I have in this particular bed.

They will require significant pruning eventually, to keep them down to the size I want, but from what I have read, and from what I am told, they can handle that, too.

Oh yes, and did I mention that they are suitable for places as cold as USDA zone 4? That means they can survive temperatures down to -30 degrees Farenheit! (Though they need protection below 20 degrees, according to Floridata).

And the flowers are beautiful.

Those lantanas are toast.


Related:
An online fact sheet from the company that breeds these roses. Includes information on growth habits, height, width, water and soil requirements, blooming, hardiness zones, and so on. They have a downloadable fact sheet available as well.


Didn't find what you needed? Try my other posts on Double Knockout roses, or use the search box in my sidebar.

Basil Update

My basil is still growing rapidly. It is in great need of thinning. Hmm.

I guess I'll have to do lots of cooking with it this week!

And I'll still have plenty left to use for Thanksgiving cooking!

Minimal pest trouble so far, though I'm starting to notice brown spots on some of the lower leaves of the larger plants.

Occasionally I'll find a clear, watery, mucous-like mass around the central stem, underneath leaves. I have no idea what that might be, and my Google searches have revealed nothing. It doesn't look like the typical snail trail I'm used to seeing (or was used to seeing in California).

To be honest, I don't think I've seen any actual live snails since I moved here. I have been told there are snails in Houston, though.

Strawberry Jars

November, according to the newsletter I get from Urban Harvest, is the ideal month for planting strawberry plants in the Houston area. Accordingly, I went out and prepared myself by obtaining a strawberry jar.

Then I stopped and said to myself, I've never actually used one of these before.

Thanks to the wonders of Google, I have rectified my ignorance. Here is a webpage with step-by-step directions for filling one of these things.

Strawberry jars can also be used for other plants with shallow root structures.

For pictures of how these can look when they are full, see this post by Angela at Plants Bulbs and Garden, who put together a strawberry jar with her 2 1/2 -year-old son. Apparently, this is a fun gardening activity that kids can do too!

Incidentallly, for you who love trivia: the strawberry is actually, technically a vegetable, not a fruit. (But tomatoes are fruit!) Don't believe me? Click here.

Preparing for cooler weather:

As I have mentioned before, my grandfather is a tropcial plant lover. Even though he lives in Southern California, he still has to contend with temperatures that many tropical plants aren't too crazy about--even the occasional frost.

Here in Southeast Texas, we also have to shelter some of our more tender plants. As the nighttime temperatures start to cool down, we start to think about possible methods.

Here is a relatively inexpensive idea from my grandpa for how to do this:


I took this picture last June when we went out for a visit.

If you like to drink juice, save those big plastic jugs, wash them out, fill them with water, and use them to insulate smaller plants from frigid temperatures.

Catnip as Mosquito Repellent?

I found an article from 2001 on ScienceDaily.com describing a study that suggested that Catnip oil works as a mosquito repellent--allegedly even better than DEET-based repellents.

My question... if you smell like catnip, what is your cat going to do? (Assuming your cat is one of the 50% of cats that react to the stuff).

Another article from 2002 on the same site discusses tomato-based repellents, which again appear to be more effective than DEET

I myself have tried using a lemon-Eucalyptus repellent when in the garden. It seems to work. At least, I haven't been bitten yet while using it. I can say it definitely smells better than DEET or Picaridin. (By the way, there is some kind of little biting gnat or something around here that responds better to DEET than to Picaridin, in my experience.) However, since the label does not say anything about its effectiveness on chiggers or ticks, I probably won't use it if I am going someplace where I should be concerned about either of those.

But, don't get too excited. Another 2002 study suggests that DEET is better than plant-based repellents.

Whatever.

I guess I'll just have to stick to what seems to work for me.

Seasonal Allegy notice:

My doctor tells me that Ragweed (ambrosia artemisiifolia) is really bad right now.

Keep those antihistamines handy!


Informational websites:

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
USDA Plants profile for ambrosia artemisiifolia

Growing Avocados in Houston

It's a lot easier to grow Avocados in Coastal California. The winter temperatures are generally milder. That might explain why some commercial growers choose to produce their crops there. It would probably also explain why so many of the varieties listed at this Purdue University website originate in California. Perhaps not surprisingly, the other state that shows up frequently in the list is Florida.

Despite the challenges this region's climate presents, when I had a seed from a store-bought avocado (presumably Haas variety) volunteer in my kitchen sink some months back, I figured I might as well plant it in a pot, keep it watered, and see what happened.

And it grew.

Now I have this cute little avocado seedling. It's getting so big, I think I'll need to find a larger pot for it soon. The good news is, it's small enough that I'll be able to keep it indoors during the winter. Haas avocados (especially when young and tender) do not appear to have a reputation for doing well around here.

So, just in case something happens to this one (or I feel like getting a second Avocado tree), I've been looking around for infomation on growing Avocados around here.

Being in Zone 8b, I would probably have an easier time with a more cold hardy variety, ideally one that can handle temperatures as low as 15 degrees F.

Urban Harvest recommends the following varieties of avocados for our region:

Opal Avocado Originated in Uvalde, Texas. The medium size pear-shaped fruit is very rich tasting. The skin is green in color.

Wilma Avocado Originated near Pearsall, Texas. The fruit is large in shape and has a good flavor. The skin is black in color.

Fantastic Avocado Green, paper thin skin, most cold hardy of all the Mexican avocados. The fruit has a creamy texture with fantastic flavors. Eat skin and all. It is a vigorous growing beautiful tree.

Their website also has tips for caring for your tree. Apparently the little ones can get sunburn! Rumor also has it that Wilma and Opal avocado trees have been known to survive temperatures as low as 14 degrees Farenheit!




Harris County Cooperative Extension has a fact sheet available online which recommends these varieties (in addition to those suggested by Urban Harvest:

Joey. Found in Uvalde County where it has been producing for more than 25 years; medium
size black fruit; ripens in late September.

Pryor. Original tree is in Uvalde and is very old; smaller size green fruit; good flavor.

Pancho. Cold tolerant; may be difficult to find, but worth having if available.

The Pine Island Nursery website (Which I found using Google) lists the following cold-hardy varieties, with temperatures they tolerate:

Brogdon (22-25 F)

Hall (24-26 F)

Lula (24-26 F)

Monroe (24-26 F)

The links will take you to profiles of each of these avocados on the Pine Island Nursery website. This nursery appears to be located in the Miami area.



Here is another website that profiles several avocado varieties, the most cold hardy of which (Bacon) is supposed to survive temperatures as low as -5 degrees! Climate information for the others is vague at best, however, so it's worth doing research before selecting any of those.



Fuerte avocados are not recommended for regions with wet summers (I guess that's us!) because the summer moisture will cause the fruit to rot.



If you are interested in growing avocados from seed, but don't feel like leaving the seeds in the bottom of your sink for several days, here is a Google Search page, with several results that will help you.

Martha Gonzales Rose and Blackspot.

These are pretty plants, but they are VERY vulnerable to blackspot. I brought three of these home several weeks ago, and within days they were already showing signs of fungus. The plants are holding up relatively well, but the stress seems to be keeping them from blooming as well as they might.

I have tried using a sulfur-based Safer brand fungicide. No Dice. I guess neem oil is the next option, until I have a convenient opportunity to get my hands on some compost tea.

According to what I have read, most other antique rose varieties are resistant to fungus, which is why they generally survive pretty well in our humidity. It figures I'd pick one that isn't. I'm not giving up yet, though.

Oleander

Species: Nerium Oleander
Growth Habit: Large evergreen shrub--to 20 ft. Can be trained into tree form.
Soil: Tolerates many soil types
Moisture: Tolerant of drought and heavy rain
Light: Bright sun-part shade
USDA Hardiness Zone: 8-10
Nativity: North Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Mediterranean
Flowers: Summer. white, red, pink, salmon, light yellow
Propagation: Cuttings. Seed is difficult.

This plant is everywhere around here. Residential gardens, municipal gardens, neighborhood gardens. Not only is it everywhere around here, they are also quite common in Southern Calfiornia.

Now, any plant that can thrive with little maintenance in both semi-tropical and semi-arid climates must be pretty tough!

The pink specimen in the picture below is growing in my Grandfather's garden. My husband likes the white ones. So far, I like red best, and I'm hoping to integrate one of each color into our landscape someplace.


Please note that this plant is toxic when ingested by people and pets. Do not inhale the smoke from burning Oleander plants either.

For more information on these shrubs:
International Oleander Society

Elaeagnus Pungens

Light: Part to full sun.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 7-9.
Propagation: Propagated by softwood or hardwood cuttings and by seed.

This is one tough plant. There are a few on our property that came with the house. I don't do anything to them (in terms of water and fertilizer), and they grow just fine. It also appears that whoever planted the bed these plants are in did next to nothing to the native "gumbo" soil. This does not seem to prevent them from growing well.

This plant also appears to do well in the clay soils along the coast of Southern California. This is my grandfather's. He has allowed his to grow in its natural shape:


This one is mine.



When we moved into our house, it was shaped into a box hedge. This works ok, except in the summer, when the plant sends up long, vertical canes very rapidly. Last year, I pruned these off aggressively. Then I heard that these plants have fragrant flowers in the fall. Wondering if I had prevented it from blooming, I decided to let it go this year, and see what happens. So far, no blooming.

Star Jasmine

Star Jasmine (Jasminum multiflorum), also known as Confederate Jasmine, is another plant that seems to like it here on the Gulf-coast. This perennial vine has lovely green foliage all year round, and is covered in snowy white flowers in the spring. Here's a picture of how mine looked during its last blooming season.


It is relatively low-maintenance, assuming you don't plant it someplace where you'll have to trim it back all the time. During the summer and fall growing season, it grows very rapidly. I have one that was planted underneath some trees, before I moved into my house, and I have to frequently trim it back to keep it from climbing into them. Star Jasmine can also work as a rambling groundcover, if you have a large enough space for it.

Here, it blooms in the spring. In the milder climate of my native Southern California, the star jasmine blooms into summer.

The only other difficulty I have had with mine is the occasional bit of powdery mildew, when the humidity starts to go back up toward the end of Spring.

I find, however that this is relatively easy to cope with, using an organic fungicide spray.

What to do with that homegrown basil?

Last month, I planted some basil seeds in a container. It sprouted in two days. Now, I have lots of little basil plants on their way to becoming LOTS of basil. I love basil for cooking, so I have no doubt I'll have plenty of excuses to use it. The question is, what to do when I need to harvest it, but can't use it right away. It's a bad idea to let Basil flower and go to seed, as it diminishes the flavor.

Here are some links to interesting ideas for preserving extra basil:

Freeze it.

Dry it.

Make Pesto.

When to plant veggies.

Some resources:

Harris County Vegetable Gardening Guide (.pdf)

Lazy Gardener's Guide by Brenda Beust Smith.--Straightforward, simple, month-by month gardening tasks and planting tips. I bought my copy at the Urban Harvest office in Houston.

Year Round Vegetables, Fruits and Flowers for Metro Houston, by Bob Randall---If you are serious about having your own veggies, this book is AMAZING!

UrbanHarvest.org

A first time for everything.

The first tropical storm I have ever experienced is approaching. We'll see what happens. :)

"True love and Homegrown Tomatoes"

Homegrown Tomatoes
by Guy Clark (click here to hear him sing the entire song)



Ain't nothin' in the world that I like better
Than bacon & lettuce & homegrown tomatoes
Up in the mornin' out in the garden

Get you a ripe one don't get a hard one
Plant `em in the spring eat `em in the summer
All winter with out `em's a culinary bummer
I forget all about the sweatin' & diggin'
Everytime I go out & pick me a big one

Homegrown tomatoes homegrown tomatoes
What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can't buy
That's true love & homegrown tomatoes

You can go out to eat & that's for sure
But it's nothin' a homegrown tomato won't cure
Put `em in a salad, put `em in a stew
You can make your very own tomato juice
Eat `em with egss, eat `em with gravy
Eat `em with beans, pinto or navy
Put `em on the site put `em in the middle
Put a homegrown tomato on a hotcake griddle

If I's to change this life I lead
I'd be Johnny Tomato Seed
`Cause I know what this country needs
Homegrown tomatoes in every yard you see
When I die don't bury me
In a box in a cemetary
Out in the garden would be much better
I could be pushin' up homegrown tomatoes


To hear John Denver sing this song, check out the last two minutes of this YouTube video.

Cherimoya

Had a little discussion with my grandfather today about the two Cherimoya trees he has growing in his Southern California garden. He says he grew them from seeds he obtained from fruit purchased in a market.

It would seem that these may not be as hard to grow as some of my reading has led me to believe. I had heard that the only way to get these things to pollinate is to do it oneself.

Now, If I could just find someplace around here that sells cherimoyas, I could get myself some seeds and a little treat all in one!

Eugenia Aggregata--the saga continues

I spoke to somebody today who knows more about Eugenia aggregata (Cherry of the Rio Grande) than I do. She says the seeds I planted several weeks back may take up to a year to sprout. She says that she has found this to often be the case when she has tried to sprout woody, tropical seeds.

That would explain why nothing seems to have happened yet.


Read the rest of my Eugenia Aggregata posts.

Basil

I planted some of it this week in containers with organic potting soil, and kept them watered.

The seeds took only two days to start sprouting.

Wow.

I guess it's easy to grow basil in Houston if you plant your seeds in late August!

Opuntia update--Unexpected aquisition.

I was telling a plant-loving friend of mine that I was thinking of trying to grow a prickly pear, when she told me I was welcome to a lobe of the "spineless" one that she has. So I took her up on it.

The thing looks pretty cute in its container. No obvious signs of new growth yet, but it doesn't look like it is rotting, either. According to this it takes a month for the new roots to form, and I only planted it a couple of weeks ago.

Unfortunately, I do not know exactly which species I have. Maybe when (and if) it gets bigger, I'll take some pictures and post them. Who knows, maybe someone will stumble across the blog and give me some ideas. :)

I can personally recommend handling these with dainty fingers (and gloves, if available). They do not have obvious spines, but they do have tiny little ones that can cause pain, and which are difficult to get out of one's skin, especially if you can't see them very well! I got one in my thumb while transplanting the pad I got from my friend, and it took some careful looking and removing!

Catnip bites the dust. Or the Gumbo. Whatever.

I planted some catnip (Nepeta cataria) outside last spring for two reasons:

One, to encourage our neighbor's free-range cat to frolic in our yard. She likes to hunt.

Two, to see what would happen.

Well the cat disappeared, and the catnip flourished for awhile, even in the black gumbo soil, growing at a dizzying rate. "Hot dog!" I thought. "And without soil amendments or a raised bed or anything!"

Then July came. Rains got heavier, sun got hotter, and the catnip started to look a little peaked.

Now it is definitely on its last legs. It is dying from the roots up, instead of from the top down, like plants usually die (and I've killed my share, believe me). I'm thinking root rot may be the primary culprit, but I'm sure the heat isn't helping.

It'll be raised beds or containers (and hopefully better luck) next time.

Book Review: Botanica

Full Title: Botanica: The Illustrated A-Z of Over 10,000 Garden Plants

This is a massive, encyclopedic volume, containing brief descriptions of almost any plant you could ever want to look up. It also has photographs of most of them. It is highly useful as a reference, and sometimes fun to browse through. When I hear of a species that I think I might like to try out, I usually look it up in this book first.

Being short, the plant descriptions give you just enough information to determine whether or not a plant might be worth growing in your garden. However, if you want detailed information on any particular plant, you will need additional resources. Other downsides include the fact that not every plant is illustrated, and there are some Texas Natives that are not listed in this volume. The information is also very general, so it is worthwhile to cross-check with other resources, especially if you live in a climate as unique as the one we have here along the Texas Coast.

Dioscorea bulbifera

Update (3-1-08): Despite the fact that the Houston Garden book lists them as an option for the garden, I checked the Texas Invasive Plants database, and discovered that this plant is on the list. Apparently Florida and Alabama aren't the only places where this plant can take over. It is also known to spread underground as well as by the builbils. This information was not in the USDA plants database at the time of this original post. Oops. :) And I still have those builbils someone gave me last August!

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Common names: Air Potato, Air Yam.
Duration: Deciduous perennial. May freeze to the ground in winter.
Nativity: South America, Africa, Australia
Light: full Sun
Ideal planting time: April
Growth rate: Fast.
Growth Habit: Vine--requires wire or string trellis for maximum growth.
Soil preference: Acidic-neutral, rich, well drained.
USDA zones: 9-11


According to the Houston Garden Book, these deciduous, fast-growing vines are easy to cultivate. Judging by the fact that I see them frequently in this region, I would venture to guess that the book is correct. They are also supposed to be pest resistant.

This plant seems to be quite at home in the tropical and Sub-tropical regions of the United States with thriving naturalized populations in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida, as well as in Hawaii and Puerto Rico, according to the USDA Plants Database. In some places, it thrives too well, and is therefore considered a noxious and invasive weed in Florida and Alabama. It should not be planted in those states.

I recently acquired two bulbils from a very friendly person with an abundance of these (or something in the same genus) in her own Houston area garden. She likes them, and finds that they take little effort to grow. She just tosses the bulbils wherever she wants her plants to grow, and with watering, they will sprout. No digging, no burying.

I will probably start mine in containers, and find a place for them in my garden later.

See the profile and pictures at Dave's Garden.

Note: Dioscorea bulbifera is not edible!

Spiders are fine, but don't touch the caterpillars!

Speaking of Brazos Bend, here's another inhabitant of that particular area--the Golden Silk Spider. Harmless, but not altogether friendly-looking:

(Photo by Aaron.)

By contrast, there's a cute, fuzzy-looking variety of caterpillar out here that I have never personally encountered, which goes by the ominous nickname of "asp". It is so named because its "fuzz" is actually a collection of venomous spines. A close personal encounter with this little guy has the potential to send you to the emergency room.

The South is also home to other varieties of venomous caterpillars.

Being from a region where fuzzy caterpillars provide children with endless entertainment, this is all very strange to me. My rule of thumb while I'm still fairly new out here is not to touch any strange animals until I know exactly what they are. :)

Reptiles and Rain

If you live near a body of water out here, it is a good idea to keep your eyes open for reptilian visitors, especially snakes.

One family in our subdivision (which is located near a river) found a six foot long alligator on their front porch one morning recently.

Here's a picture of an American Alligator taken by my brother at Brazos Bend state park. (Yes, he has a telephoto lens. Gators have a thing about their personal space--don't ever get as close as this picture looks.)

To see more of my brother's photographic genius at work, visit his gallery at DeviantArt.com

Noxious Weeds and Invasive Plants

Before getting too excited about an introduced species, check your state's Noxious Weed list, to make sure you aren't planting anything you shouldn't.

Here is the list for Texas.

For other states, click here.

Opuntia (Prickly Pear Cactus)

Generally, the damp, muggy climate of this region would discourage me from growing cacti. But, I might make an exception for this one. I saw a fairly happy looking one growing in a large container in front of someone's house today, which makes me think it just may be possible.

Opuntia ficus-indica. Photo Source: Wikipedia

Why would I even bother?

It so happens that young prickly pear pads are a good, nutritious food, once you remove the spines. I learned this from my grandmother, who prepares a nopales salad from time to time. Being diabetic, my grandmother also appreciates the fact that nopales are good for her blood sugar levels. The fruits are edible as well (probably not for diabetics), but I have never personally tried them.

The two species that I most often hear of being used are Opuntia streptacantha and Opuntia ficus-indica, both natives of Mexico. The latter of these is supposed to taste better. I honestly have no idea which I have tried. My grandmother has a cactus growing in her garden which she occasionally uses for food, but I do not know which exact species it is. It does bear a strong resemblance to the one in the picture above.

Propogation of these from cuttings is fairly easy, from what my grandma tells me. She cut a lobe from another cactus, buried the bottom half in the ground with the top half sticking up, kept it watered for a little while, and just watched it grow. That was about 20 years ago, and it is well established, and (by my guess) at least six feet tall now. In her case, it probably helps that the soil she was dealing with is the sandy kind that this cactus enjoys best. If planted in a hot, sunny location that they like, these things will thrive with little to no maintenance. At least, they will in Southern California. I have yet to see what will happen in the wetter parts of Texas.

Worth trying? Yes. Do I have the slightest clue where to go to get one around here? Nope. Not without knocking on the doors of strangers' houses. Hm. Not quite desperate enough for that.