Backyard Wisdom

Twitter Solves Plant Mystery

I suspect many of our Backyard Wisdom readers are Twitter users. For those of you who aren’t, Twitter is a microblogging service. People connect with others in messages less than 140 characters long. Recently, a Twitter buddy of mine posted an image of a plant she needed identified. Michelle_at_FG is an editor for Fine Gardening, and she posted this message.

Michelle_at_FG: Mystery plant from a reader. Anyone know what this is? I'm stumped. http://twitpic.com/mlbx0

After that a number of gardening and horticulture folks weighed in, including me. After some suggestions for smaller plants, we learn this.

Michelle_at_FG: @containergarden Problem is, that's a small plant (grows to 12"), & the mystery plant is 8 feet tall.

She also shares another photo that is a close-up of the leaves.

I jump in and tell Michelle that I will ask the Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s Home Grounds/Horticulture Team. Next, I fire off a quick e-mail to this hard working group of Extension professionals. In less than an hour, several of them have identified the mystery plant as Helianthus maximiliani.

Then this hits the Twitterverse.

Michelle_at_FG: @BackyardWisdom I think that's it! Helianthus maximiliani. You rock!

Michelle_at_FG: Mystery solved! Helianthus maximiliani: 10' tall & 3' wide, hardy Zones 4-9, flowers late summer to fall. http://twitpic.com/mlbx0

Now, I made sure to give credit where credit was due.

BackyardWisdom: Not me 3 hardworking Ala Coop Extension horticulture agents

But it is exciting to know Alabama Extension reached across the country to help someone all the way up in Connecticut. And it’s exciting to see how new avenues in social media can be used to transfer Extension professionals’ knowledge in new and wider reaching ways.

Is Charlotte Spinning in Your Garden?

Chances are if you have taken a stroll around your yard this fall, you have seen a large spider sitting in the middle of an impressive web. Now I don’t know if they are related to that most famous spider and friend of pigs, Charlotte, but I do know that both my daughter and I find them fascinating.

At our house, we have what I grew up calling a writing spider with a large web between two Knockout roses. My mama called them that because of the zigzag pattern in the center of their webs.

Check out this blog from my friend, Shane Harris, who is a regional horticulture agent with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

Now is the Time to Plant Spring Bulbs

If nothing says spring to you more than drifts of daffodils and other bulbs, now is the time to plant here in Alabama. Dr. Dave Williams, a horticulturist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, says the best display of flowers starts with buying and planting good quality bulbs.

He says the first big step is deciding which ones to plant. Daffodils or narcissus are favorites in the South because they thrive even in our warmer winters. He points out that people who plant tulips in Alabama should be prepared to treat them as an annual and replant them every fall.

Other good choices include grape hyacinths and crocuses. Scillas and galanthus are two of the minor spring flowering bulbs that do well in Alabama.

Williams adds that you may not have to buy bulbs. Bulbs are one of the easiest plants to share. He suggests next spring, you ask a friend or neighbor who is dividing their bulbs, especially daffodils, for one or two. Many multiply fairly quickly.

When buying bulbs, check their firmness. Buy early to get the best selections available. Another consideration is bulb size. Generally, the bigger the bulb is (for the species), the bigger the flower is. After you purchase bulbs, keep them cool until planting.

The best planting times are late October to late December for most Alabama. Good drainage is crucial to bulbs. You may need to add organic matter if you have a heavy clay soil. Even if you have a well draining sandy soil, you may need to add additional organic material to increase the soil’s ability to hold water and nutrients.

Plant small bulbs 4 to 5 inches deep in most Alabama soils. Large bulbs that are 2 or more inches in height should be planted 6 to 8 inches deep. A general rule of thumb is that you plant slightly shallower in a clay soil and slightly deeper in sandy soil. Cover the bed with 2 to 3 inches of mulch.

Name That Plant

Recently, I and a group of parents and other volunteers were working in the outdoor classroom and nature trail at my daughter’s elementary school in Auburn, Ala. I pointed out to the school counselor the nice clumps of pipsissewa, or striped wintergreen, I had found. He’s an outdoor enthusiast and had seen them as well.
I kept working, and the next thing I know he’s thrust a branch under my nose. “Do you know what this is?” I confessed that I didn’t. The most extraordinary thing about the branch were the deep red seed pods that had popped open revealing bright orange seeds.

I couldn’t get that plant out of my mind. So---obviously an Internet search was in order. I found my answer quickly at my own university’s library. Tucked within the Auburn University Digital Library is the Caroline Dean Wildflower Collection. Mrs. Dean is the recognized expert on wildflowers in our state.

Well, it turns out the plant is called strawberry bush or Hearts a Burstin’. Its Latin name is Euonymus americanus, making it a cousin to the more familiar winged euonymus.

Noted horticulturist Michael Dirr notes that it is particularly susceptible to Euonymus scale and says that its garden worthiness may be questionable. However, the writers and editors at Floridata.com think that this native has a place in gardens. I did find some online nurseries focusing on native plants have it available.

You may have to make your own determination. As for me, I think that I will look for other natives to add to my garden. The entry on strawberry bush at Floridata.com notes they are a favorite browsing food of white tail deer. With as many deer as I have roaming my property’s wooded edges, I don’t think it has much chance of surviving.

The above image is by Jack Scheper at Floridata.com

Step Away from the Fertilizer

As I was driving the other day, I heard a commercial on local radio proclaiming now is the time to fertilize your lawn. No, no, a thousand times no.

Experts with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System say fertilizing at this time of year is a bad idea for most of the state’s lawns.

Dr. David Han, an Extension turf specialist, says fall fertilization is not for bermuda, centipede, zoysia, and St. Augustine grasses. They are all warm-season grasses. The practice of winterizing lawns is strictly for cool-season grasses, such as those found in lawns from North Alabama northward.

Fescues and bluegrasses grow in cool weather and remain green through the winter. Dave says they thrive in the cool summers of New England and the Upper Midwest. To maintain these grasses through the harsh winters of New England and the Upper Midwest, fall fertilization or winterizing is definitely recommended.

Attempting to winterize a warm-season grass with fall fertilization may actually harm the grass.

He points out that warm-season grasses go dormant or semidormant during winter. They produce very little if any growth from October through April in central Alabama. A fall application of nitrogen may actually stimulate them into producing succulent growth, which will only set the grass up for severe damage when a frost or freeze does occur.

Dr. Charles Mitchell, an Extension soil scientist, agrees with Han.

He says that Auburn University’s Soil Testing Lab recommends that nitrogen should be applied up to September and no later for warm-season grasses. Charlie calls later applications risky.

He says that adding phosphorus or potassium to warm-season grasses in the fall is a wasted effort. A warm-season lawn establishes a healthy root system during the summer growing season. Charlie says adding more of these nutrients in the fall won’t make the grass healthier.

Dave and Charlie agree there are exceptions to every rule. They say that some lawns in north Alabama that are planted in cool-season grasses may be that exception.

Dave says because fescue, bluegrass, bentgrass and overseeded ryegrass grow rapidly during the cool days of autumn, these grasses can benefit from a fall fertilizer containing nitrogen. The Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory recommends a fall nitrogen application for these grasses.

Auburn University's Turfgrass Management Team has a great FAQ here. If you want to know more about selecting turfgrass for your lawn, check out this Extension publication.

Consider Adding Alabama’s State Flower to Your Landscape

The camellia is Alabama’s state flower. Both camellias and their earlier flowering cousins, sasanquas come in a wide range of colors and flower styles.
Pinks, reds, fuschia, bicolors—you bet. Singles, doubles, anemone types—sure thing. Just this year alone, the American Camellia Society has registered more than 30 new camellia varieties.

Some camellias can be grown in full sun, but most grow and produce better flowers in partial shade. However, camellias in dense shade can become spindly and produce fewer blooms. A site under pine trees is ideal because pines provide filtered light yearround for growth, winter protection and natural mulch from the pine needles. Do not plant camellias where hardwood shade trees with shallow root systems will compete with the camellias for nutrients and water. In general, sasanquas will tolerate more sun than camellias.

The wonderful thing about both camellias and sasanquas are their glorious blooms during the winter when so little else is blooming in the garden. On a recent visit to my childhood home, I noticed that the two double pink sasanquas my daddy planted about 50 years ago for my mama are loaded with flower buds. I expect by late November both will be covered in masses of flowers.
I have already added taking some cuttings of these and rooting them to my next summer in the garden to do list.

If you enjoy camellias and would like to add some to your landscape, check out this publication from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System—The Culture Of Camellias: The State Flower Of Alabama. The American Camellia Society has an excellent Web site here.