The little bit of rain we had yesterday got rid of about 75% of the snow, but there’s a long way to go before it dries out back there. It’ll be in the 50’s & 60’s the rest of the week, so that’ll help.
I’ll have to do a little research on those Ice Plants. My guess is they don’t like having wet feet.
Well I hope this warm weather has Rockhill Furnace melted buy the 25th! I’d like to see ties on the way to York.
Ken,
My guess is they don’t like having wet feet.
Right! Ice plant is a drought tolerant succulent, perennial ground cover with daisy-like flowers but they really like a dry area (they do not tolerate wet soil). They are rated for Zones 5-9 (I’m in 9) and will bloom for most of the summer and early fall. On the plus side they grow great in poor soil. Wet soil in winter will kill them, dry soil encourages them to the point where they can be invasive so you have to keep them trimmed back to the boundaries you set for them.
They come in purple and yellow (both of which I’ve got and are shown in this thread) they also come in white and pink with white center variety.
Best,
TJ
Wet soil in winter is pretty hard to avoid here in the Northeast; especially when the big snows melt. There is a time we call Mud Season, which starts any day now, where the first 3-8 inches of soil have thawed and absorbed all the snow melt water, but because the deeper soil is still frozen, the water has no place to go.
Our yard basically stays mud all winter, well cept for the few days it’s frozen…
Tim Lee said:
Ken,
My guess is they don’t like having wet feet.
Right! Ice plant is a drought tolerant succulent, perennial ground cover with daisy-like flowers but they really like a dry area (they do not tolerate wet soil). They are rated for Zones 5-9 (I’m in 9) and will bloom for most of the summer and early fall. On the plus side they grow great in poor soil. Wet soil in winter will kill them, dry soil encourages them to the point where they can be invasive so you have to keep them trimmed back to the boundaries you set for them.
They come in purple and yellow (both of which I’ve got and are shown in this thread) they also come in white and pink with white center variety.
Best,
TJ
Thanks, Tim, that’s what I kinda figgered, so I guess I’ll leave them off the menu. Like Jon mentioned, around here with spring comes mud…though they sure are pretty…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
My Ice plant died back quite a bit this year.
I have them mounded on a slope with drainage on both sides.
I guess it still wasn’t dry enough for them to thrive.
Ralph
Iceplant seems to do a dieback for no particular reason every so often.
Greg
Phytopthora fungi is one of the major causes of die back in ice plant. It’s a water borne fungi that attacks the crown and root system. It’s been the demise of much of our Northern California ice plant.
I think Spring has Sproinged here. Or perhaps the drought broke.
Yes it has, judging by the additional debris that yesterday’s Spring windstorm dumped all over the layout. However more snow forecast starting tonight.
I also checked the garden, so far no flowers. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-undecided.gif)
Ice plants are really coming along…
I’m really liking the new orange ones (although I’d swear that the label said yellow when I purchased them and they are kind of yellow right in the center)…
The buds close up as the sun goes down. Be another few weeks before they are still fully displayed by the time I get home.
Best,
TJ
Thanks for the color(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif) Tim.
Ron Tremblay said:
Thanks for the color(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif) Tim.
Ditto!
Great shots TJ!
We might have another flurry on Saturday; in the 30’s tomorrow.
I keep thinking of that ol’ Crosby tune, “I’m Dreaming of a White Easter”.
(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
85 and I made 2 grades of sawdust!
Felt good after a long winter nap.
More tomorrow, if it’s not too hot.
Fred Mills, BSc, BS, SD (Hons) said:
I have a cactus plant growing here in Ottawa. It lives in a shallow oval bowl, with a base of earth, topped with course sand. It has been out there in full sun for over four years, but at this time every year it has at least two feet of snow over it. This summer we should see it flower, for the first time.
Yes…cactus does grow in the "Cold White North. I also know a couple in Montreal that have a proper Cactus garden, that survives Winter’s wintery blasts. We do get down below -30C…regularly.
Fr.Fred
I didn’t know that. Cool! I’ve only had them as house plants 'cause I thought they couldn’t deal with cold.
Finally seeing some signs of Spring here in Southern New England. I planted this Rock Cress late last spring and it died off in August and disappeared. I thought it was a gonner, but apparently it just didn’t like the heat and went dormant. Happy Happy (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif)
