Rose of Sharon - Nyboy

[GardenGeisha]

Nyboy,

Good news! I checked our old PMs in this group, because I could not remember where I planted the ROSs you sent me last fall, and sure enough I had said in the message where I planted them-- in the raised bed! My memory must be going, because that was only back in October, and I didn't remember having planted them there.

I was sad earlier today because the smaller ROS starts others gave me to plant last year have disappeared, totally. One was snapped off on the kitten's grave, perhaps broken by neighborhood cats rolling in the nearby catmint?, or could I have snapped it accidentally while investigating the dead catmint branches?, and others are just nowhere to be found. It is possible they came out with the mulch I removed atop them, but I don't see them in it. And I had planted several.

I had forgotten that you had sent me some GIANT starts. I just now went out to the raised bed, and there they are, and they look very alive and green!!! I am so very pleased. The starts you sent are so nice and big that they can't be mistaken for dead catmint branches or mauled by the cat (who is currently sleeping atop something in the raised bed that resembles a lily sprout).

After the iris tragedy of earlier today, these giant Rose of Sharons are lifting my spirits. :>)

 

[Nyboy]

Great!!! They leaf out much later then other things in the garden. Because they flower on new wood you might get flowers this year!! They flower very late Aug, if they flower let me know what colors and I will send you colors you don't have.Ps now that you have them they will selfseed everywhere !! Enjoy alex

 

[Nyboy]

They break dormancy much later then everything else, don't think they are dead and rip them out. They also flower late for a bush.

 

[GardenGeisha]

Don't worry, Nyboy! I won't rip them out... Jack Frost ripped out all my other ones, the little ones, it seems. I am so glad I have your nice big ones, or I'd be heartbroken, for the 2d year in a row. Yours look good! The stalks/stems are olive green and healthy looking! So cool that they self-seed.

 

[GardenGeisha]

Nyboy,

Your Roses of Sharon are still looking great!

However, I remembered recently that I put them in my raised bed for the winter, since the soil is fine there, better than that of the ground.

However, once it warms up, say in late May/June, that raised bed has problems. Something is wrong then, tied in with the heat and organisms in the soil-- probably a fungus of some sort that causes damping off syndrome in many plants, failure to thrive. The only thing that grows well then are parsnip type plants, and carrots. Cool weather plants do great in the raised bed until the heat takes over.

So I am thinking I need to move your Rose of Sharon trees before that takes effect.

Is it safe to do so when they are still somewhat small like they are now? Did you say they are one of the last plants to leaf out? How late do they do that?

When could I safely transplant them, do you think? I think I will try putting them around the chicken run, to shade it on hot summer days. Would it be better to transplant them to a pot that has good soil in it, rather than directly into the ground?

 

[897tgigvib]

I wonder if you should do a PH test in your raised bed.

 

[Nyboy]

I find them almost impossable to kill. You might loose this years flowers. I move them anytime just made sure they are well watered.

 

[GardenGeisha]

I called the Extension Agency a while back and tried to get a soil test. They said there are so many pathogens in the soil that they can't tease apart the problems, so they don't recommend them. A Ph test might be a good idea, though.

My guess is that we should not have left plastic under the raised bed. We put a sheet of it with lots of holes on the bottom of the bed, because I read it is important to do so if you don't want to lose all of your expensive soil.

But I think it prevented adequate drainage and caused the Rhi (something) solani pathogen to flourish. when it heats up.

 

[897tgigvib]

Oh. Sounds like anaerobic bacteria. May have to replace the soil, especially on the bottom.

 

[GardenGeisha]

Too much work. I'll just continue to grow the umbelliferae there.