How to Start New Rhododendrons from Your Plants
Cuttings from rhododendrons aren't the easiest to get going, however you can layer
your rhododendron to get new plants, and here's how you do it. The best time to start is late spring or early
summer.
1. Find a branch thats close to the ground, that will touch the ground without breaking
if pushed down.
2. Remove the leaves from this stem except for the top leaves.
3. Using a sharp knife, cut the stem 1/4 to 1/2 through about 6 to 8 inches below the end of the branch.
4. Sprinkle rooting hormone in this cut area.
5. Bend this branch to the ground and
lay the cut area on the ground.
6. Cover the branch with soil or compost.
7. Place a stone on top of the branch to hold it down so it stays in contact with
the soil.
8. In the fall this branch should have roots where the branch has been
cut. You can remove this now by cutting the branch just below where you made the cut. It is best however to wait till spring
and let the new plant develop better roots over the winter.
Making Decorative Pots with Plants
A trick when planting a container
combination: Pick a main plant and then go wandering around holding it up against other plants until you find plants you would
like to put with it.
In
fall, change the look by trying to decide what to do for winter. Remove non hardy plants and replace with evergreen
boughs, branches or even cut grasses to give some interest. Many ornaments are made of plastic and can be added to your pots.
Seed heads of plants can be spray painted and added to your pots for even more interest.
A few spring flowering
bulbs added to the pot, such as daffodil, tulips, snow drops or crocous can make a nice surprise for spring.
Remember its important to do what you like, go ahead and make a statement.
Animal Chewing in Winter
Watch out for mouse or rabbit damage around trees and shrubs. This is the time when animal
damage is at its highest. Food is scarce and animals will girdle the stems of many small trees and shrubs. Girdling,
is eating the bark off the tree or shrub all the way around the plant. This causes the plant to not be able
to transport nutrients from the roots to the top of the plant, thus killing the plant.
If its mice doing
the damage, mouse baits may be placed out to help elimanate the problem. However put these where other non targeted animals
will not get into them. A cat can help keep the mouse population in check also.
If its rabbits, wire to keep them
away from the base of the tree can help or they make a hard plastic wrap that can go around the tree to help protect it. Works
great to keep the weed whacker from hitting the trunk also.
Fall and Winter Tips
There are several reasons why you
should not cut your perennials back in the winter. First, many of them are attractive to look at even after they have turned
brown. Birds often will use the seed from flower heads to survive the winter. Some foliage from perennials also makes a nice
cover for birds in the winter. Winter winds can be harsh and this can be much needed protection.
With some
marginally hardy perennials such as Mums the foliage seems to protect the crowns of the plant. Some plants don't die back
to the ground and cutting them will cut back next years growth if cut to short. Leaving foliage also allows you to find your
plants in the spring. Some plants are late to come up, Butterfly Weed is one, and the foliage is a great indicator to
prevent you from digging up or digging to close to the plant.
One reason to cut back foliage
is if you have been having disease problems. Cutting back the foliage and destroying it, do not put it in the compost, may
help in preventing the disease the following year or spreading it to other plants.
If you don't like
the look and you feel the need to cut back your plants in the fall, wait till they are dormant, usually after several hard
frosts.Cut the plant back to 2 to 3 inches from the ground to prevent damage to the crown.
Just remember
to cut any foliage back in early spring before new growth starts on any plants that were not cut back in the fall.
