The Plant Thread

[Ponyfan]

Mint 2 is growing nicely although it is growing crooked instead of straight up and down.  I'm thinking about adding a ruler or something to the pot to make it a little stand up a little more, but I don't want to discourage the growth.

I'm not sure how Mint 1 is doing.    I think some parts of it are dead but a lot of it still has leaves or leaf buds. Maybe it's just growing more slowly than Mint 2 since Mint 2 was bigger to start with.  I almost want to go out and cut off the parts of the plant that are dead but I don't want to do Mint 1 more harm than good.


Ponyfan 

[Taffeta]

@Ponyfan, maybe mint 2 needs a cane of some kind? I have some proper canes, but I've used things like doll stands, empty pens and other thin long things to hold up plants before.

I would leave mint 1 for the time being. If there are still buds then it's probably fine. Plants are individuals, like humans. They don't always behave the same.

My two rescued delphiniums are a good example. One has nineteen shoots and the other has 2. I took them out and potted them at the same time and they are in the same place. Just one has done better than the other.

If those bits go completely brown, then clipping them off is a good idea, though - they can't rot on the plant that way. Cutting can stimulate new growth but yeah, carefully.

The red petunia I thought the sun had killed is not dead! Most of its leaves are gone, but its stem is fine and it still wants to flower. So, I guess it's ok?

The baby birds have been all over my tubs, and have broken one fucshia stem, one begonia leaf and probably bounced all over the middle of the calibrachoa. Sigh. Plants are surviving though.

[pinkkittywinks]

Had a plague of blackfly on my nasturtiums they were all clustered on the odd leaf rather than spread over the plant, so I picked the leaf. Also I am having to keep a close eye on my sunflowers as they get eaten by snails at night, one has had half its flower bud eaten. I have been "snailing" and removing the ones I find. I also sprinkled cat litter around the base of the stems and canes, which seems to discourage them.

In the happy news my nasturtiums are coming into flower and I ordered myself a butterwort, I plan on keeping it in the conservatory as a form of pest control AND after following the advice in a FB group my Echevaria has started to grow pups 

Love pkw xxx

[Ponyfan]

Thanks, Taffeta.   I broke the spindle off a DVD holder that wasn't being used and put in the pot with Mint 2.  It's a little shorter than I thought it would be but maybe it will be enough for now to encourage Mint 2 to grow a bit straighter.

Here's what the mint plants look like a week after being repotted.

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Mint 1
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Mint 2


Ponyfan

[BlackCurtains]

They look good, Ponyfan

Ben is getting so big! I need to look up recipes that use basil so I can take some leaves off.

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The catnip hasn't sprouted yet, or at least hasn't broken through the soil. I was reading the reviews for it and a lot of people had to wait a month before they saw growth. I guess I need more patience 

[Ponyfan]

Thanks, Black Curtains.   Ben looks great too. 

I had told my mom about the DVD spindle, and she didn't say anything.   Today when I went in the backyard to look at the plants she came out to tell me that my dad wanted me to put a DVD he just got in a player to make that it would work.  Then she told me the DVD spindle was no good and I needed something else as a plant support.  I had already told her I was using the spindle because I couldn't find anything else like a dowel rod or bbq skwewer yet she told me that a dowel rod would be better (I did find a yardstick but I didn't think I should use it)  Right now I'm using a straw and a twist tie trying to encourage Mint 2 to grow straighter.


Ponyfan

[Taffeta]

The dowel rod probably would work, if your mother can spare it. Especially if #2 gets bigger.

[BlackCurtains]

There are tiny sprouts in the catnip pot 

[pinkkittywinks]

Nice BC!

Seeing those mint plants belong to Ponyfan has got me to sort my mints out, well I have sorted one out and repotted it. I have two more that need looking at.

My Butterwort has arrived

The Venus Fly Trap has obviously alive and well as it has CAUGHT SOMETHING! There are legs sticking out of a shut trap, it is a little gruesome, but I am pleased it is feeling well.

Love pkw xxx

[brightberry]

I have lots of plants growing outside.  But its 100+ out so I'm always struggling to keep them alive.

[BlackCurtains]

Brightberry, you probably already know this but you should water them at dusk so they won't burn during the day.

[Artemesia's Garden]

The Venus Fly Trap has obviously alive and well as it has CAUGHT SOMETHING! There are legs sticking out of a shut trap, it is a little gruesome, but I am pleased it is feeling well.

That really is excellent news! How exciting!

[Ponyfan]

I found a package of bbq skewers at Walmart for a $1. They're longer in the pots than I thought they would be but maybe they will work for a while for plant supports.


Ponyfan

[invaderhorizongreen]

I have a super happy wild catnip in a planter.  glad one of the seeds took. 

[Taffeta]

One of my garden delphiniums is flowering! We're on the fence as to whether it is pink or lavender, it's on the fence. I also found a large caterpillar on it yesterday so that's been relocated to the local forest.

I put canes in for the delphies yesterday and I'm glad I did because it's been so windy today.

My apricot begonias are flowering