Waiting for my orchids to spike (couple have started) and keep everything alive indoors until March.

Rebecca

I am just trying to keep everything alive till spring. I do think I am going to try my hand at winter sowing this year, this will be new to me. Anybody have any good remedies for mealy bugs? Or how to destroy a 16 foot tall variegated privot? (no lectures please it came with the house) I cant dig cause it was planted to hide a underground electrical box.

Mary

Orchids.....that reminds me how badly I wish I had a greenhouse.

Mary, is your mealy bug problem on outside plants or houseplants?

I'd probably wait until the weather warms up to get rid of the privet. A chainsaw and a little roundup on the freshly cut stump should take care of it.

Brandon, just on my Tropicals they were outside but now they are either inside or in the garage. But I know they will spread.

I cut the privot way back in the spring and this year I have the mindset to tackle the entire thing. I don't have big yard and this thing is a monster. There were 3 others when I moved in but they were babies and I was able to get them out, thank goodness.

Mary

Mary, for mealy bugs, straight rubbing alcohol and a q-tip is the only remedy I found that works. It's tedious, but take the q-tip and dip it in the alcohol and touch each mealy bug and it kills them on contact. So far, I haven't had any this year. (knock on wood)

Rebecca

Brandon, I can tell by the way you answered my questions on the persimmons that you are more than just a casual gardener. Maybe you should brag a little bit and let us newbies know about you. Now don't go getting a big head, there are others who have responded whose knowledge I envy. I can hardly wait to get to a swap. I love to learn. I just received a couple new seed catalogs that I didn't know existed. I am busy planning my vegetable garden and getting over a partial hip replacement. Gotta take care so I can be in prime shape for spring. I am also interested in getting some trees on this acreage. With the economy like it is, It will have to be a couple at a time. Any suggestions on trees that are durable and evergreen? Cedar and white pine are more the type I am interested in. I am also wanting to get a rain barrel and get my compost pile up to par.

Hoarding milk jugs and stockpiling seeds for winter sowing. This will be my third year. The tree seeds and some of the shrub seeds will go in Dec. 21, most everything else will be planted the first part of February.
I'm still planting bulbs. I couldn't resist the half price rack at Lowe's today, picked up more daffodils even though I have 80 on order (another bargain I couldn't resist).
Mary, there is a great product Wal-mart sells called Green Light Cut Vine and Stump Killer that will take care of your privet. Just squirt a little on the stump. Only takes one treatment.

LOL. Thanks for the compliment, but there are plenty of people on Gardenweb that make me look like one of those elementary school kids planting bean seeds for the first time in little plastic cups on the classroom windowseal.

I've been interested in plants for a long time. I'm seriously addicted to horticulture and nature to the point that I have my own arboretum. Im also on various boards/committees at the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge and am a member of various plant/gardening groups (American Conifer Society, Holly Society of America, East Tennessee Iris Society, East Tennessee Daylily Society, Species Iris Group of North America, etc.). I'm also partly responsible (Laura does most of the work) for coordinating the East Tennessee Plant Swaps.

What am I doing? For starters I'm exploring L-theonine supplements which my sister recommends to keep me from having the short-days of winter heebie jeebies. So far I'm coping LOL! I sleep better anyways. I'm currently babying a lot of tender perennials indoors aka angel wing begonias, various geraniums and some confederate rose sticks which actually have rooted in water. Along with the winter standards of forced amaryllis and paperwhites. I go outside and wistfully look at the "few" things that are still green like my lenten roses and candleflower. In desperation I bought a 6 pack of purple petunias for .10 and put them in a pot on a protected porch. I just can't seem to accept winter this year. I made an exciting discovery yesterday (I may be slower than some). My DH showed me a bushlike tree growing in a field near our property along a fenceline. It looked just like a winterberry with the bare limbs and tons of bright red berries. After some searching on the net I think I have a possumhaw tree which is a native type of holly. Who knew such a beautiful thing existed as a native?? I didn't at least. Anyone know about propagating this? If not I will scout native nurseries till I find one. It really made me happy to see it so bright red and cheerful when the rest of the woods was dull gray and brown. I'm also having fun birdwatching. I agree with Brandon...it's really a time that I miss garden chatter on here.
Jen

Thanks for the advice on the mealy bugs, someone had told me to dilute 2:1 water and alcohol, it has been working ok but I just seem to be keeping them at bay...... I think I will get the q tips out next. As for the privot I wonder if I can find a cheap teenager come spring.

Mary

You may find that the straight alcohol doesn't work any better than the diluted mixture. I use straight alcohol and, like you, I have found that alcohol only keeps them at bay. Another issue is that there are more than one type of mealybug. Some spend much to all of their time in the soil, not on the plant leaves. These soil-borne mealybugs couldn't be controlled with alcohol swaps. I've found insecticidal soap to work as well as alcohol for me and often much easier to apply. I still haven't found the perfect solution.

One thing I have considered trying is a Bayer Advanced systemic insecticide. I am slightly hesitant to try it on some plants because it's not labeled for houseplants and many plants that we would move indoors for the winter. My guess is that, with a conservative application, it would be perfectly fine, but I just haven't tried it yet. I also haven't seen an answer about how much would be appropriate for a potted plant. I have posted questions about its use on Gardenweb, but have had very limited response. I've heard of it's use, but can't really find anyone to discuss their results. Has anyone in this forum ever tried it?

Thanks Brandon, I may have to look into that. I just need to check the ingredient list before I go buy. I just found out that I am allergic it thiuram and carba mix. As long as it doesn't also have a fungicide in it I should be ok. There is no way to completely get away from these two chemicals, they are everywhere but I am trying to minimize my exposure as much as possible. Most of my plants are fairly easily obtainable so I could experiment with a few and see how they do.

Mary

Mary, there are multiple types of the Bayer Advanced product. I haven't researched the differences, but if you find the ingredients in one unacceptable, you might want to check the other types out. If you find out anything, please let me know!

I'm up to about 185 but with a bad case of the crud and low appetite I may get down to 175 by next week.

Just in case anyone is wondering the MTPS is only 161 days, 19 hours, 40 minutes and 57 seconds away.

What is the exact date? I think I may need a road trip by then. My daughter graduates from high school in May so I am torn between kicking her out of the door and locking her in her room. A nice relaxing trip may calm my nerves. I should be studying for my finals but I keep finding my self right here, should have gotten up and gone to the library, less temptation, but oh so cold!!!

Mary

I just potted up a rooted jasmine cutting and prepped a pot to stratify some Japanese maple seeds. We'll see what happens in the spring!

Trying to propagate(not to kill) fig cuttings.

Other than that Karen and the 2 girls have been keeping me busy w. indoor archery league shooting... All 3 are going on to State Championships and most likely Nationals as well.

Propagation propagation (plants that is ) lots of cuttings for plants, next spring. Have some crown of thorns potted, and the cuttings are all blooming, don't know if that is good or bad. Sure looks crazy.
Jeff if I was at that weight I would think, I had won the biggest loser, without the money.

What am I doing? More like what am I "not doing"...

I am not quite done with shredding leaves. I need a little bit warmer weather to run the mower on them.

I am biting my nails about the evergreens I planted this fall. Their color sure looks poor. Maybe I will be replanting in spring.

I am contemplating rebuilding my front porch. That means removing some mature shrubs and lots of monkey grass.

Mary the date for the spring Middle Tennessee Plant Swap is Saturday, May 16th. You can visit our website at http://www.midtnplantswap.com/.

Norm you better keep the weight off! You know what the alternative is.

Kathy, unless your evergreens turn a nice shade of brown, I wouldn't let the color bother me too much. Most evergreens change color in the winter, and many turn a bronzy color. Also, needle loss is a normal part of evergreen existence. Frequently people notice this only when they are worried about the plant in the first place, and freak out. Just be sure to keep them properly watered. Use the old finger-in-the-soil test to make sure the ground around and in the rootball stays moist but not wet. Dehydration is the biggest issue when planting evergreens in winter months. Mulch will also help to maintain soil moisture.

Trying to overwinter hardy oleander (again). How are people doing it here in Knoxville? I've seen several around. Am I misunderstanding the whole process? Is it expected that the plant will turn brown the first winter, then a hard cutback in spring? Or do brown leaves=toast?

Is yours already totally brown? This will be my first winter with one, so I don't have past experience. Mine is still green right now. It may have a few brown leaves; I haven't checked it in a couple of days. I mulched mine well, but it has no protection from wind and nothing like a rock or a wall near it to hold heat.

No its still very green but I'm on my second one. Do you have hardy red or white? There's someone on here that knows more that I am looking for. Cannahavana(sp?) (I think) are you there?

I had a few different ones and gave all of them away but one. I think the one I ended up with is 'Hardy Red' but I'm not home to look at the record. I think I remember Amazindirt having oleander too.

I'm here! I have the hardy pink and it stays green year round, no protection and no mulch. I had the red and it lived about two years and gave up the ghost last spring. It completely died back the first winter and came back from the roots, then the second winter got it. I thought I planted a white one in the spring that I bought from Kmart, but it ended up being another pink.

If yours has lost it's leaves, I would leave it alone and not cut it back until spring and see if it comes back. I would wait well into June before determining if it is dead. I made a mistake thinking it was dead in May, but when I dug it up, it was sprouting from the roots.

Hope this helps.

Rebecca

I ain't got no steenkin oleander. Too poisonous for me to want to have around.

I bought the red and it was toast last year, too. I got the white this year because I read somewhere that it may be the hardiest. Maybe I should have gotten the pink...We'll see

Do be careful if you (general you) have small children or pets that like to chew things. Oleanders are EXTREMELY toxic.

I dont have any oleander either :( but if it weren't for poisonous plants I probably would not have any plants.

Mary

Yeah, but there's poisonous and then there's POISONOUS.

"Oleander is one of the most poisonous plants in the world and contains numerous toxic compounds, many of which can be deadly to people, especially young children. The toxicity of Oleander is considered extremely high and it has been reported that in some cases only a small amount had lethal or near lethal effects [2]. "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleander

I've got too many dogs who like to chew on things to take that risk.

Wow!! Good thing the kitty isn't a plant chewer!!

Someone at work cleaned out their iris bed and gave tons away. I've kept them dried out and in a bag and now that I've gotten a new yard I will be planting those. Should they be planted in my full sun front yard or full shade back yard? Should I plant them in a built up bed so they'll drain nicely or will that cause them to dry up and die in the heat of the summer?

Katie~

There are many species of iris. Some prefer full sun while others prefer shade or aren't picky. There are irises that grow best on rocky, extremely quickly-draining soil while others are mainly found in swamps and bogs or just enjoy plain fertile well-drained garden soil. Assuming that the irises you have are Iris germanica (bearded irises), they will do best in fertile well-drained soil and exposed to full sun.

The worst enemy of most garden irises (the bearded irises included) is being planted too deeply or being planted in poorly draining soil. Once established, bearded irises are fairly drought resistant and should do well in a raised bed. If we have another drought, you may have to water them, but they won't need to be babied. Good gardening hygiene (removing dead foliage and being on the lookout for iris borers) will help reduce the chances of borer problems. Irises are one of the easiest plant so grow and care for.

Well, in that case, I'll probably try making an iris bed on the front side yard. Since I have no experience with Chattanooga area soil, it will be best to just build them up so that I know they'll drain. From the looks, I have a rocky soil that breaks up into a soft powder, but I haven't even been able to get into it just yet. That impression came from climbing back up the cliff after trying to find my back post marker. Do you think they'll be okay even planting in January because I won't be able to get them in the ground until then.
Thanks!

Katie,

I just reread your post above where you said you've "kept them dried out and in a bag." If these are bearded irises, they have rhizomes that shouldn't completely dry out. If the rhizomes shrivel up much, they are probably goners. You may have to lightly spritz them about every month or two to keep them from drying out too much.

I'm thinking that planting them outside this late (now or before next spring) might lead to a problem with frost heave. Here are some links about the subject that might help. I only quickly skimmed through most of these, but I think they may be helpful:

http://www.hort.net/lists/iris/nov08/msg00011.html

http://search.gardenweb.com/search/nph-ind.cgi?term=winter+storage&forum=iris&forum_name=Iris

http://search.gardenweb.com/search/nph-ind.cgi?term=winter+storing&forum=iris&forum_name=Iris

Thanks, Brandon7, it looks like I really messed up with the irises. I thought that the ladies in the Iris Society in Memphis had told me it was okay to store them in the bags. That is the way they were when I bought some from them a couple of years ago, but I guess they weren't in the bags for as long. These I have now were left outside for a long time so only dried out for the last month. Maybe some will survive.

Got on the WWW this morning looking for a place to get my soil tested, and I came across this site. It is nice to know there are other gardeners/plantsmen in the area.
I'm grateful for the rain we have received this fall/winter near Knoxville. It's really what winter here is.
I received a Burpee catalog in the mail yesterday, and will soon be ordering seed, although probably not from them. It got my juices flowing though.

Tom,

Welcome to Gardenweb and to the Tennessee Forum! Things are a little bit slow here compared to the warmer months, but stick around and I think you can get a lot out of this site. What kinds of stuff do you grow (vegetables, landscaping, houseplants, etc)?

Sometime this spring we'll have the East Tennessee Plant Swap. If you like all kinds of interesting plants and meeting the friendliest gardeners around, be sure to check the swap out. We'll make an announcement (probably in a few months) about the time and location.

Hey Brandon!

Long time, no see! To answer your question, I'm lusting over the many Clivia out there that I can't afford and probably would kill eventually anyway. LOL

Catalogs and Horticulture magazine have really made be long for Spring. It sounds like you and others here have some wonderful garden plans. I'd love to find some dwarf evergreen shrubs that didn't grown beyond about 30 inches and love neglect! It is so easy to pay attention to the flowers, but hard to get motivated about greenery. Anyway, that's about it. :-)

I got a beautiful large clivia at the Fall ETPS. It looked like a specimen they would have used in a catalog or something. Not a single blemish, and even the roots had been dug so that they were in pretty much ideal condition. It's my first clivia and so far is doing very well. It's put out quite a few new leaves. I haven't killed it yet!!!

So far as small evergreen shrubs, I've been working on a list of ones hardy in this area, so I'm going to use this post to post the preliminary version. If anyone can add to the list PLEASE DO! Also, if anyone sees any mistakes (spelling, etc), please let me know.

There are countless kinds of dwarf evergreen conifers. All of them will eventually either die or grow beyond 30", but some of them could take a lifetime to get that big. Many dwarf Buxus (boxwoods) and various smaller Ilex (hollies) could be kept under 30" with pruning. Again, some of the most dwarf varieties would take many years to get beyond the 30" size. Other types of dwarf evergreens can be found among various genera. Many of the listed genera include both evergreen and deciduous species, hybrids, and varieties. Most, if not all, of the listed genera will include members not hardy in this area as well as ones that are. The ones in bold are probably more common and easier to find.

Abies (firs)
Andromeda polifolia (bog rosemary)
Arbutus (madrones and strawberry trees)
Arctostaphylos (manzanitas and bearberries)
Ardisia
Aspidistra elatior (cast iron plant) - not a shrub, but could be used in place of one in a shady area
Aucuba
Azara
Berberis (barberries) - thorny
Camellia
Ceanothus
Cedrus (cedars)
Chamaecyparis (false cypresses)
Chamaedaphne calyculata (leatherleaf)
Choisya (Mexican mock oranges)
Cistus (rock roses) - probably would be hard to grow here
Corokia
Cotoneaster
Cryptomeria - I'm in love with some of the Cryptomeria japonica cultivars!
Cunninghamia (China firs)
X Cupressocyparis leylandii (or whatever the correct name is this week)(Leyland Cypress) - yes there are dwarf forms of this monster
Cupressus (cypresses)
Cyrilla (contrary to wikipedia, there are multiple species)
Danae
Daphne
Daphniphyllum
Distylium (winter-hazels)
Drimys
Elaeagnus (silverberries or oleasters) - many are invasives
Erica, Calluna, Leucothoe, and related genera (heaths and heathers)
Eriobotrya - probably only marginally hardy here
Escallonia - there may not be any species/varieties totally hardy in this area
Eucalyptus
Eucryphia - there may not be any species/varieties totally hardy in this area
Euonymus - generally, sickly
Fatsia - there may not be any species/varieties totally hardy in this area
Gardenia
Garrya
Gaultheria
Gaylussacia (huckleberries)
Gelsemium (jessamines)
Hebe
Helleborus - not a shrub, but could be used in place of one in a shady area
Hypericum (St. Johnsworts)
Ilex (hollies) - countless species, hybrids, and cultivars
Ilex crenata (Japanese Holly) - listed separately because it's so different aesthetically than most of the rest of the genus
Illicium - have you smelled this stuff? I think I could get high on it.
Itea (sweetspires)
Jasminum (jasmines)
Juniperus (junipers)
Kalmia (mountain laurels)
Laurus (bay laurels)
Ledum - our climate is probably too warm for any of these
Leiophyllum (sandmyrtles)
Leptospermum (tea trees)
Leptospermum - not sure if there is an evergreen type totally hardy in this area
Leucothoe
Lingustrum (privets) - many are invasives
Lithocarpus
Lonicera (honeysuckle, yes there are honeysuckle shrubs)
Loropetalum
Lyonia
magnolia
X Mahoberberis (Mahonia X Berberis)
Mahonia
Metasequoia glyptostroboides (Dawn Redwood) - yes there are small ones too
Michelia - not sure if there are any dwarf varieties totally hardy in this area
Microbiota decussata (Russian Arborvitae)
Myrica (myrtles)
Nandina (heavenly bamboos)
Nerium oleander (oleander) - there may not be any cultivars totally hardy in this area
Osmanthus (false hollies)
Paxistima (or Pachystima)
Photinia
Picea (spruces)
Pieris
Pinus (pines)
Pittosporum
Podocarpus - don't know of any truly hardy in this area
Polygala (milkworts)
Prosanthera
Prunus
Pyracantha (firethorns) - thorny
Rhaphiolepis (or Raphiolepis)(Indian hawthorns)
Rhododendron (rhododendrons and azaleas)
Ribes (currants and gooseberries)
Rosa (roses) - not sure if there is an evergreen type totally hardy in this area
Rosmarinus (rosemary) - and if it gets too big, you can always eat some of it
Ruscus - I think all of the sucker and spread extensively
Santolina
Sarcococca (sweet boxes)
Sciadopitys (umbrella pines)
Sequoia sempervirens (Coast Redwood) - yes, there are dwarf cultivars
Sequoiadendron giganteum (Giant Sequoia)
Serissa
Skimmia
Sycopsis - not sure if there are any dwarf varieties totally hardy in this area
Taxus (yews)
Ternstroemia (cleyeras)
Teucrium (germanders)
Thuja (arborvitaes)
Thujopsis (false arborvitaes)
Torreya
Tsuga (hemlocks)
Umbellularia californica (Oregon Myrtle)
Vaccinium (blueberries, cranberries, etc.)
Viburnum
Yucca - not what many think of as a shrub

I don't think there are small shrub forms of these evergreen trees or vines that are hardy in this area, but maybe there are:
Aleurites
Araucaria
Desfontainia (contrary to wikipedia, there are multiple species) - not sure if there are any small varieties
Persea
Quercus (oaks)
Smilax (sarsaparillas, etc) - most or all are vines
Stranvaesia
Trachelospermum - most or all are vines
Vinca - most or all are vines or groundcovers

Here's a useful list that includes a few of the smaller evergreen shrubs:

Here's a nursery that I've bought quite a few dwarf conifers from. Bloom River sends unbelievably-well-established super-healthy dwarf conifers. They aren't cheap though. It might be worth a look.

Hey Mae Mae: I can certainly understand your wanting to rid yourself of the var. Privet. I had one when i moved into my home. It was so old and scraggly looking, and covered with White flies. Apparently it is one of thier favorite host plants. I cut mine to the ground and drenched it with RoundUp everytime it put out any new leaves. It finally died.

Brandon7, Fatsia japonica appears to be reliably hardy for me here in the metro area of west Knoxville (to 5 degrees). Appears to be no damage after Thursday night. May not work in outlying areas.