Cultural Problems

Description

a place to ask others about plant problems

Anemonopsis macrophylla - foliage collapse

Submitted by Mark McD on Mon, 05/28/2012 - 14:00

I noticed today that 3 out of about 10 main foliage stems have collapsed, pulling on them shows that they have detached and are blacked at the base. Other stems also look like they are wilting a bit. Weather has been sufficiently moist, and not overly hot, but it looks like the whole thing is rotting. Any suggestions? Thank goodness I have a whole crop of seedlings coming along, as I fear this plant is on its way out for some reason.

extreme spring -- ending?

Submitted by externmed on Sun, 03/25/2012 - 15:43

OK, we've had several weeks without frost and plant growth is advanced to April 20-30. Now it's going to be down to 25F. Any ideas which plants need to be protected more and which less. I know the magnolia flowers are going to be toast, but I'm not so sure how various bulbs and perennials are going to do. Any thoughts?
Charles Swanson
NE Massachusetts USA 6A (7 this year)

Asclepias variegata -- culture?

Submitted by externmed on Sat, 02/25/2012 - 15:39

Aesclepias variegata (photo:) http://www.pbase.com/birddan/image/79043529

This very pretty dry woodland milkweed is native as far north as Connecticut USA; but is very seldom offered for sale. It's been suggested that it might be marginally hardy in the north, but may vary with source? Senica Hills did offer, but mine in a cool partially shady spot, did not make it through the first winter.

Apparently it's a difficult plant to cultivate.

Any success stories out there?

Charles Swanson MA USA

Major renovations

Submitted by Tim Ingram on Sun, 06/05/2011 - 05:28

Major renovations in the garden! After putting it off as long as I could I have looked more closely at the damage wreaked by this winter on the 'Southern Hemisphere' part of the garden. A lot of plants have been killed which have been happy for many years - Thus Acacia pravissima, Myrtus luma, Pseudopanax ferox (I'm really sad about this, it was some 8 or 9ft high; another species, crassifolius is sprouting new buds all the way up the stem) and Grevillea 'Canberra Gem' (this has been in the garden for probably 20 years and was huge - its going to be uncomfortable to remove).

Strange iris flowers

Submitted by Cockcroft on Tue, 05/31/2011 - 11:50

This Iris setosa grows well but the flower falls never expand to give a good show. There are plenty of flowers, but they're curled up. Is this a normal form for this iris? Is it a cultural problem, like needing more sun? Or just this clone?