The Plant Thread

[Ponyfan]

Here's this week's pic of the mint plants. Please overlook all the stuff in the background.  This is their new winter home in the sunroom.


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Mint 1


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Mint 2

I'm still having problems with how much water to give them.  I'm trying to give them just enough so that they have enough, but not too much, but I still had to dump the saucers today.  Dumping the saucers is trickier in the sunroom because I have to take them outside.


Ponyfan

[BlackCurtains]

They both look great!

Ben perked up a little after another soak. He's still dropping a lot of leaves though. I planted some new cat grass for Aster. I have to hide it from her until the grass is 2-3 inches high. I'm not sure where to put it, it needs to be in sunlight now that it's sprouted. Maybe I can put it in front of Ben and she won't notice.

[Artemesia's Garden]

I did some weeding and trimming back today. Got attacked by my buddleia. I guess it was fighting back, since I was trying to persuade it its deep and loving relationship with the wisteria was not going to continue through the winter. Wisteria thinks Buddleia is a climbing frame, since it broke its own frame already two years ago and parents have not yet replaced it. Wisteria is not technically part of my section of garden although it is, because parents decided to plant it there despite having a lot of room elsewhere. I love the wisteria, don't get me wrong, but it does not understand personal space rules.

I cut my buddleias back a few weeks ago, I find they like to try and get stuck in my hair when I go out to the compost bin. I'm guessing Wysteria's Mother was very firm about that one.

[Ponyfan]

Mint 2 is losing several leaves.  Mint 1 is losing a few too, but not as many. 

One of the runners on Mint 2 had parts that were dying on it.   I pulled the dead parts off.


Ponyfan

[BlackCurtains]

I'm sorry, Ponyfan

I'm in the same boat, some of Ben's stems are turning brown.

[Ponyfan]

I'm sorry Ben's stems are turning brown.

I'm wondering if part of the reason the mints are losing leaves is because I moved them in from outside. I think they should be doing better inside because they aren't exposed to extreme range of temperatures we've been having.   Maybe they're just getting ready to go dormant.


Ponyfan

[Taffeta]

My two little baby fuchsia cuttings are trying to flower again, on my windowsill. Mother plant downstairs is always in full flower when inside, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

We took up the geraniums the other day. These were literally in the sale, they cost about £2 for 15, and they've done great. We're trying to winter them so that they can be replanted next year. We also took up the begonias for similar reasons. It is getting colder here, but still a long way off the coldest it can be in November.

Weather is making it hard to get to the buddleia though. Whenever we have a moment we could do it, it's either raining or it's just rained, meaning we'll get soaked if we try. My buddleia is 30+ years old and massive. It's a two person job at the best of times, and then wisteria is factored in as well.

At least my corydalis has perked up since it stopped being so hot and dry. It hated that, but it's coming back nicely now for the winter. And my alstromeria is flowering again

On the watering - do you have any stores nearby that sell things you can put in the soil to tell you if the plant is dry and needs watering? It's hit and miss how well they work but might help?

[Artemesia's Garden]

Corydalis is lovely - I've not yet tried to grow it but it's always been on my list of things to try. I imagine it would be a bit like Dicentra and maybe go semi-dormant in the summer if it's dry.

Some of my house plants have lost leaves due to being brought inside, partly due to the central heating I think. One Fuchsia and a purple Oxalis were quite unhappy but perked up when I moved them to a cooler corner. In other news, I thought my Kalanchoe houghtonii had got tall and thin because it wasn't getting enough light, but it just put out flower buds so I assume it will do something interesting. I'm quite excited, I've never seen one flower before.

[Taffeta]

Corydalis is lovely - I've not yet tried to grow it but it's always been on my list of things to try. I imagine it would be a bit like Dicentra and maybe go semi-dormant in the summer if it's dry.

This is my third Corydalis :/ The first one died within a week. The second one died over the winter. THIS one made it through last winter, and flowered in February (although they aren't meant to flower until May). It flowered through the spring, but I had to fit some kind of irrigation for it in the summer and it almost entirely died back. Now it is growing again though. I do have a bit of a problem in my garden with irrigation though, thanks to the aforementioned huge plants (Buddleia, wisteria) living there. I also have a fairly established rose at the other end, plus the Choisya, which has massively flourished since I planted it there but is also a big plant. I need to cut that back, too. BUT...it's flowering.

...It shouldn't be. It flowers in April/May usually. But the weather has everything confused.

[Artemesia's Garden]

Corydalis is lovely - I've not yet tried to grow it but it's always been on my list of things to try. I imagine it would be a bit like Dicentra and maybe go semi-dormant in the summer if it's dry.

This is my third Corydalis :/ The first one died within a week. The second one died over the winter. THIS one made it through last winter, and flowered in February (although they aren't meant to flower until May). It flowered through the spring, but I had to fit some kind of irrigation for it in the summer and it almost entirely died back. Now it is growing again though. I do have a bit of a problem in my garden with irrigation though, thanks to the aforementioned huge plants (Buddleia, wisteria) living there. I also have a fairly established rose at the other end, plus the Choisya, which has massively flourished since I planted it there but is also a big plant. I need to cut that back, too. BUT...it's flowering.

...It shouldn't be. It flowers in April/May usually. But the weather has everything confused.

Just wondering which Corydalis do you have? My Choisya is flowering too, I thought it was meant to cos the Fatsia also puts out a lovely flower at this time of year. Both very satisfying plants for me. The Magnolia also sometimes has a few flowers in Autumn. I agree the weather is confusing. Hopefully our Choisyas will have a big flush in the spring as well.

[Taffeta]

It's a blue shade, but I can't remember off the top of my head what it's formal name is.
Edit: Some googling and I'm pretty sure it's 'Blue Heron'.

My choisya was a sort of accident acquisition, it was a random lucky dip plant that just happened to end up with me about 8 years ago. We'd lost a conifer and so put it in the space and it's done amazingly. Orange scent But I think it's meant to flower in april/may time. It's a problem because I don't like to cut it back while in flower. Hopefully I can get to it soon. It's a very healthy plant though.

We also had flowers on our wisteria in august, mind you. :/

[Artemesia's Garden]

Oh wow she's lovely! Does she need acid soil? I had a large overgrown Choisya and I think I thinned out the longest branches right back to the main stem or the base to get it back under control. I only did it a bit at a time rather than all at once. So it may not matter too much when you do it as long as not too drastic.

[Ponyfan]

Here's this week's pics of the mints.  I'm also including a pic of some of the leaves that are falling off.  I've cut back to watering them every other day since they're in a controlled environment now instead of outside.

I hope the leaves falling off is normal.  I didn't feel any roots coming out of Mint 2's pot when I lifted it up.  I'm assuming they will still do dormant at some point in the sunroom.

I'm still finding dead mulberry leaves from the tree outside hidden in Mint 2. 

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Mint 1

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Mint 2

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I've been looking at soil monitors, but I haven't found any with a lot of good reviews yet.


Ponyfan

[BlackCurtains]

I think they still look good

Here's Ben and the cat grass (which is munched)

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There's a white mushroom growing in Ben's pot. Should I remove it?

[Taffeta]

I would remove it. It might interfere with the plant's health in the long run.