open to ALL advice, suggestions and thoughts picture 1= a baby maple tree, coming from sordove under my porch, i figure it has a chance of survival, being surrounded my my porch when heavy winds come a blowin' picture 2=some shrub/tree, not sure what it is, wonderfing if i should prune it for the fall, and if so how much? picture 3= 2 rose bushes, and another shrub/tree thing, same question as #2 picture 4=another shrub, and even babier maple trees coming up, wonderinf if anything here has a chance of makin' it through the winter picture5= i just thought that was neat anything else i should be doing to take care of these?
Yea, but ... First - nice roses What you're calling "shrubs", look (to me) like some type of conifer. If that's so I wouldn't prune them, but if you do, do not cut the top, main trunk leader. What you're calling maple looks (to me) like sweet gum. If they are, they are very hardy. I've run over little ones with a lawnmower and they re-grew. If they are sweet gum, they'll grow very fast (a few feet per year) and get BIG (40 or 50 feet tall). I'd mark them with string or something and in the late winter move them to a spot where they'll get full sun and space to grow. If you don't have spots for them, move them to pots and give them to someone.
i am almost positive they are maple, the new leaves are allmost completley red and it slowly fades out as they come into maturity, it is rather big to be transferring now, but the ones in smaller baby ones probably arent too young, but it is october 2nd now i think and probably too late you also did not say if i should prune the roses
Wait until about February to move them. That way when they leaf out for the new year they'll be where you want them. As to roses, I' have no experience there but here's a link to people who do know: http://www.ars.org/explore.cfm/pruning/principles
i have a feeling they wont make it through the winter though, it can get pretty cold here in zone 8, which is why i was asking if there is anything i can do for any of these bad boys...do you still think they are sweet gum after i told you about the smaller red leaves???
here are some mums my mum got for her bday, but i want to know about them in order to plant them good and so they can make it through the winter hopefully... i would also like to plant them where they will conceal some -special plants- next year, posted a pic of my backyard, that is the safest place i have, the hole i started is where i was planning, but i dont know if that will be enough sunlight for either of them really, in between the big bushes on the other side and my big garage...
I'd move the mums to a location where they get midday sun then a bit of shade during the hottest part of the day and mulch them in with some cedar chips or shredded bark, this will prevent "heaving" if you do have a cold winter or extreme fluctuating temps. When spring comes pinch back just the tips (about 1/2 inch) of all stems up until july 4th, this will keep them very bushy and you will have tons of flowers for the fall. Those look like rugosa roses(the big one with arking branches), best time to prune is actually at the end of August for more fall bloom, cut back a third of the canes, right now just spray them with a foliar fertilizer and they will continue to bloom till hard frost.If you want to give them some protection for winter....1st week of Dec. wrap with burlap or sheets. Never wrap with plastic onless you can leave the top uncovered or things will rot.Also in Dec. you can get some dormant oil spray for your roses to protect from overwintering insects and eggs.But rugosa's are extremely hardy and I never wrapped them when I lived there. The other more compact ones look like hybrids. Go to a rose site..as posted above as these are a bit more involved and I'd be here all night rambling on about those. The trees will be fine, zone 8 usually never goes below 10' and whether those trees are gum or maple doesn't matter, both are hardy to the area. But as poor old dad said, move them where they can have plenty of room and away from the foundation of your house and not too near a sidewalk or over any septic lines in your yard. I would wait till its a bit colder to move them when they are dormant and they will be less likely to experience shock from the move. You could also get a book on bonsai and wow your mom and friends. The "shrub" is a conifer and as was said DO NOT prune the main stem, and take nothing off the top, these will shape themselves and be beautiful.Do not prune any part of a shrub right now...there are still too many warm days there, and if you prune they will start sending out new little shoots and when it does get cold you will see winter damage.If you must prune a shrub, wait till February there. Glad to see you having an interest in the nature around you, I miss gardening in Norfolk, I had a great job at a greenhouse there for a lot of years and my yard became a showplace. Here in Ohio the winters are a bit more severe. I've had some years in Norfolk where it stayed warm enough all winter that my mums never even died back, just kept being green all the way through. I am going to send you a gardening book. teepi
oh hell yeah, thanx teepi... but how do i go about moving that one near the porch, it is rather big and just starting to develop a somewhat sturdy trunk, i want to say it around my stomach in height, which would be a good 3 and a half feet or so, or just move the smaller 4inchish ones growing near the conifers, i didnt think those would mkae it through the winter though
You might have to take the lattice down,then dig a root bal about 12" all the way around, wait till after a good rain to do this. If you break off some roots they will be hair roots(feeder roots) and it should be ok, just dig your hole as deep as you can to get any larger roots out as intact as possible. Prepare your new hole and have it ready before you did up the tree. Fill the new hole with water and let it soak in, this will prevent water being sucked away from the transplant. When you get it into the new hole crumble the soil up good and back fill, take your foot and press in the soil as you go to prevent air pockets. Water well again when you're done. and get a bag of mulch and lay it 2" thick around where you've dug. Prune off 1/4-1/3 of the top growth, the reduced foliage mass loses less moisture and places less demands on the shocked roots. It also promotes feeder root growth as the tree thinks it is threatened. I also "spank" my trees after transplanting. Take a shovel and spank the trunk of your tree, tap it with the handle of the shovel, not real hard but about how you would clap your hands, this gets its circulation going, I do it every day for about a week. But do all this after the leaves drop....the smaller ones too. Good Luck, teepi
Oh, the formula to use to measure out how far you should dig is...12 inches wide for every inch of trunk growth.So I figure yours is about 1-2 inches wide so go out about 8-12 inches on each side.
thanx teepi, i was just about to ask that... since it is so small, will i need to put one of those sticks i see to hold it up or should i just keep it somewhat close to something, like my garage, fence, or porch? i would rather put it somewhere around there, discreetly, as my neighbors already think i am strange enough...
Fractual_, you asked, "do you still think they are sweet gum after i told you about the smaller red leaves???" I didn't want you to think I'm ignored you. I'm sorry it has taken so long to answer you. This time of year is very busy here at my little farm. The summer garden is still going like crazy and I've got to keep working on getting the fall/winter garden going(it is my my most diverse). I also live in zone 8, 8b to be exact, but in a very different part. I don't have any maples, nor experience with them. But you've been getting as good of advice as you can get. As I'm sure you know, if the wise, kind, generous, artistic teepi says something you can bank on it. There isn't anything I could add to what she's been saying, but I will say this. If your neighbors think you're strange for planting what will turn out to be beautiful trees, then their opinion, I think, should be ignored. I've read some of your other posts in places like "Sam's place" and if people like teepi, Sam, and rubymontana say you're cool and have it together, what more do you need. I think they're right and you, and the few others like you, have given me hope for the future of Hippiedom. I guess that's the best thing I've gained since being around these forums. HEY - wait, this is the gardening section. Sorry, I do get carried away, and I do run on.
Yes Alex,stake your little tree, until it gets those roots going again it will need a little help. I will be mailing your book Sat. along with your other things.I only get to town on the weekend. Also as Dear Old Dad said....ignore what nay sayers don't understand. You are NEVER wrong to be in tune with nature. DAD....You make me blush, thank you so much for all your kindness. I too am very pleased to see young people or really anyone taking an interest in gardening and doing for themselves. Alex is very special to me,as are you and quite a few other friends I have made here. I enjoy your posts and please do "run on", when you get the chance, I know what a busy time this can be.Here's wishing for a good harvest and a kind winter. Love to you both, teepi
oh yeah, i didnt mean that in a bad way, i have a real admiration for old people, so much knowledge and wisdom to offer... i very much look forward to growing up, its a drag being young and waiting sometimes
I heard Whoopie Goldberg changed her last name when she got to Hollywood...it used to be 'Cushion". PHFFFFFTTTTT!!!!..... If you farted in the forrest and there was no one around...would it still smell????
Didn't take it bad. Believe me, getting old beats to alternative. But, young ain't bad either. If you farted in the forrest and there was no one around...would it still smell???? If I'm there, I must admit, the answer is yes.
