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calpat_gw

Procrastination! My new name!

calpat
16 years ago

Kind of getting the hang of toting this portable oxygen bottle around, but I'm still making boo-boos when I'm out in the back gardens. Noticed that the Hollyhocks were all setting seed, looking good to harvest. I got the stalks cut down and so neatly stacked so that I could keep the different colors separated. Had to go inside as it was just peaking over 100 degrees and that's a no no for me! Next a.m. went out early to finish up the harvest, all set with plastic envelopes, labels, etc. Guess what!....some critters got into the stacks, looks like they tossed everything in the air and just let 'er rip! There are stalks all over the back area, that's not so bad, but the seed pods have split and I've got Hollyhock seeds from one end of the back yard to the other. I can sweep some of them up o.k. but will have no idea what color is what! I think I'd better start reading my daily horoscope to see if I'm encountering adverse conditions before I get started, maybe I can save myself some effort, lol...what a life! Pat

Comments (5)

  • lesdvs9
    16 years ago

    What kind of critters would be foraging in the Hollyhock seeds you think? Curious squirrels?

    Oh wow, here you were all neat and tidy and color coordinated and they went and messed you up! Not funny but you can now blame it on nature because there goes your color scheme for next year:)

    Geez Pat, what are you doing out there that late in the day?? Even I'm inside before it hits 90! I know you're up early in the morning, if nothing else you should clock watch then:) Inside by 10am or so.

    I wonder if your horoscope would cover nature being against your harvesting seeds:)

    Here's what's in my garden:(
    {{gwi:496633}}
    I've got budworms that will become moths all through my roses and catepillars eating up a lot of my roses.

  • calpat
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Leslie, I've never heard of budworms before and that guy looks nasty! Just hope they don't get to anymore of your gorgeous roses. Isn't there anything you can spray or something to get rid of them?

  • lesdvs9
    16 years ago

    Not without killing a lot of beneficial bugs and bees I can't. I talked to someone who maintains a site in Sac who told me what I had. Initially I tried spraying something on the buds and blooms that was supposed to be organic and I found a dead bee in a bloom. I quit after that. Now I go searching through the roses for these and start squishing them when I find them which is 4 or 5 twice a day. It's a loosing battle on my end. Most of my roses have holes all through them now in just a week. I keep seeing more moths visiting the blooms leaving eggs is what a site tells me they're doing, which will develop into more budworms, which will become more moths. I hope the cycle finishes soon. Only good part is that it mostly involves the large roses and a couple of the minis. The bulk of my roses are minis which is about 30 bushes or so, I haven't counted lately:)

    Once the toads showed up I really quit spraying at all except that once, they pretty much eat everything for me, they just don't seem to climb the roses to eat these. The budworms start out really tiny, once they eat holes all through my rose petals they grow larger.

    How are your roses doing in the heat?

  • calpat
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    During those several 114 deg. days, my roses got fried!The dead blooms were so dry that I just had to barely touch them and they fell off. It has been recommended by several posters here & on the rose forum to just leave everything alone for now till we start into cooler fall months. They don't look so pretty now, but I am leaving them be as suggested. I do keep them watered so that the bush doesn't die.

  • youreit
    16 years ago

    Oh, Pat!! LOL Sorry to laugh, but being somewhat *bleep*-retentive, I would have had a fit if I found my hollyhocks "blended" like that. LOL I've been so careful with my own seeds, putting them on paper plates around my house, trying to keep track of who gets what color (if they even come true, but...). My house looks like we just had a weird party. :D

    Geez, Leslie, just when you think you can sit back and enjoy all of your hard work! Not sure how long you'll have to wait for those blasted critters to move on, but if you're as impatient as I am, you could try finding a place that offers Trichogramma wasps or green lacewings (according to Sunset). Those 2 critters like to snack on caterpillars.

    There's also some stuff called Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), maybe you've heard of it. It's VERY safe for all (pets, people, kids) but mosquitos and, apparently, caterpillars (the bad kind).

    My mom's roses got fried, too. It's been so hot up there for you guys, Pat! Almost 10 degrees difference from us down here near Sac! Ugh.

    Brenda

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