What's Growing in the Garden

However, to salve my nerves - I do have these two! Although with the cold temps coming this weekend - they will not last and there will be no pears this year for the squirrels to eat.

Star Magnolia
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Edible Pear

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I wish I knew! They are in sun, in the yard - but I mow around them until the right time. But they will come up and send up a few buds and the buds will brown out and wither before they get this far. I thought they might be cold sensitive and get nipped by a late freeze, but there have been years that is not a problem and still no bloom. I wish I remembered the variety - I think it had Spanish in the name - but not sure.
 
Probably one of two things, or maybe a combination of the two. First is possibly too much nitrogen from lawn fertilizer (if you fertilize lawn), or they are over crowded.

If you think it might be nitrogen, cut back fertilizing near them, and add some bulb fertilizer (high phosphorus) around the flowers when you are expecting some rains to help wash the fertilizer into the soil. Best timing is early when the daffodils just start emerging, but won't hurt now, and will be good for them if you think it might be part of the problem.

My best guess is they are over crowded, especially if they have never been divided. Wait until foliage turns yellow and the leaves start to droop, then dig them up and divide them. Put some bulb fertilizer in each hole, a couple inches deeper than the bulb. Don't put the fertilizer in contact with the bulbs. Plant bulbs individually, and give them room to grow. Somewhere around a 12" inch spacing is good, any closer and you may have to divide them again in a few years. Around 6" depth. May not see a lot of blooms next year, but if you fertilize now and divide later this summer, might just be surprised next spring.
 
2feathers Creative Making said:
Put a milk jug top over them when it frosts?
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Probably not necessary. They are very hardy. We had some peeking up around Christmas and between then and now we have had below zero temps. The tips will discolor, but won't hurt the bulbs or flowering. A hard frost when buds are present can affect bloom, but usually not a problem. If it is, just throw a bed sheet over them at night.
 
I don't fertilize that part of the yard - so probably not a nitrogen problem, Overcrowding could be a problem, but they also did not bloom when they were young. They were actually part of a bed then, but did away with that bed. Maybe I will dig some up and replant to see what they look like if they don't bloom in the next day or two.
 
Mike Hill said:
I don't fertilize that part of the yard - so probably not a nitrogen problem, Overcrowding could be a problem, but they also did not bloom when they were young. They were actually part of a bed then, but did away with that bed. Maybe I will dig some up and replant to see what they look like if they don't bloom in the next day or two.
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Might be planted too deep. I've had daffodils not bloom due to that before. It's actually a really common problem. You need to re-dig them every 3/4 years to divide them too.
 
Mike Hill said:
I wish I knew! They are in sun, in the yard - but I mow around them until the right time. But they will come up and send up a few buds and the buds will brown out and wither before they get this far. I thought they might be cold sensitive and get nipped by a late freeze, but there have been years that is not a problem and still no bloom. I wish I remembered the variety - I think it had Spanish in the name - but not sure.
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Soil PH? Or lack of some nutrient...
 
You mean 35 years is too long? :sofa: :sofa::sofa: At the time the were planted - they were good. For a couple of years I bought quite the number of varieties - pink corollas, split corollas, picotee, Alfreds, etc......probably 30 to 40 total. All others up and bloomed and some have survived. But not this patch! It's obstinate and opposite - survived but not bloomed. But now you got my curiosity up and I'll have to dig some up and transplant. Its been very cool and they have not opened up yet.
 
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My wife's got a couple things blooming behind the house! These pics are a couple days old, so they're pretty open now.

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I dug up the last of the turnips yesterday. Still some spinach and lettuce hanging on and trying to keep a few carrots in the ground until Easter for the kids. I planted tomato plants, and seeded green beans (Blue lake and Roma II), Squash (Yellow, zucchini, acorn), cucumbers (pickling and slicing), Purple Hull peas, and another kind of field pea, and okra (cow horn). Supposed to rain tomorrow..... hope so...

Alan
 
It just a wee bit early to plant anything outside yet for us. Our last frost free date is mid April. My tomatoes are just starting to put out first true leaf in the basement.
 
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