I have a big patch of wintergreen I discovered when I smelled
lifesavers when mowing my lawn. It used to grow in a shady spot near
lots of white pine. Once the EPA came in and cut down the trees, the
wintergreen has been fading and being taken over by some form of wild,
fruitless strawberry. I have another place under some white pines
where low-growth blueberries are growing wild. I've seen wintergreen
growing with low growth blueberries in the wild, so I'd like to
transplant my wintergreen to this more hospitable area.

When should I transplant?
Is there a fertilizer I can employ to hasten growth?
Does wintergreen like sompost and mulch?

I am in Massachusetts, near the border with New Hampshire and Vermont.


Thanks for your help!

expounded:

When should I transplant?

Now. Lift the sod and replant it under those pines you said you had.

Is there a fertilizer I can employ to hasten growth?

Not necessary. Just make sure to water until the ground freezes. They
like a moist, humusey root-run.

Does wintergreen like sompost and mulch?

Absolutely. They grow in the forest duff (what's always composting on
the forest floor). Give them the same and they'll be very happy.
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

being taken over by some form of wild, fruitless strawberry.

Fruitless or small fruits? Yellow or white flowers? (Not that it
really matters, I'm just curious whether it is the same one we have).

I have another place under some white pines where low-growth
blueberries are growing wild. I've seen wintergreen growing with low
growth blueberries in the wild, so I'd like to transplant my
wintergreen to this more hospitable area.

Yes, give this a try. They both like acid soil. The pine needles
probably make a better mulch than anything you would add (you *are*
leaving the pine needles there, I hope). If you want to add compost
or mulch, make sure it is acidic - such as pine bark or coffee grounds
- but if there seems to be a reasonably rich layer of organic matter I
might leave well enough alone.

I'm jealous. We've tried to grow wintergreen, but we're much more in
the situation of trying to manufacture a suitable place for them,
rather than having pine trees or anything similar. I think we've
killed 2 nursery plants so far, with one hanging on for dear life (and
probably doomed unless we can get the soil pH down and who knows what
else). At some point we may give up and pick plants to match our
soil, rather than trying to amend soil to match the plants.

Ann wrote:
expounded:

When should I transplant?

Now. Lift the sod and replant it under those pines you said you had.

Is there a fertilizer I can employ to hasten growth?

Not necessary. Just make sure to water until the ground freezes. They
like a moist, humusey root-run.

Does wintergreen like sompost and mulch?

Absolutely. They grow in the forest duff (what's always composting on
the forest floor). Give them the same and they'll be very happy.
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

Ann wrote:
expounded:

When should I transplant?

Now. Lift the sod and replant it under those pines you said you had.

Now?! In October? Seems strange.
Also, I don't want to transplane the sod, as it includes those nasty
strawberries.


Thanks again!

Jim Kingdon wrote:
being taken over by some form of wild, fruitless strawberry.

Fruitless or small fruits? Yellow or white flowers? (Not that it
really matters, I'm just curious whether it is the same one we have).

Fruitless with small white flowers in late spring to early summer.
Nasty stickery runnery things.

expounded:


Ann wrote:
expounded:

When should I transplant?

Now. Lift the sod and replant it under those pines you said you had.

Now?! In October? Seems strange.

How is the weather near you? If you can still work the soil and can
lift the sods you won't harm them moving them now.

Also, I don't want to transplane the sod, as it includes those nasty
strawberries.

Nasty strawberries - now there's a combo I don't often see. How can
strawberries be nasty?

Thanks again!

Good luck!
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

wrote in
ps.com:


Jim Kingdon wrote:
being taken over by some form of wild, fruitless
strawberry.

Fruitless or small fruits? Yellow or white flowers? (Not
that it really matters, I'm just curious whether it is the
same one we have).

Fruitless with small white flowers in late spring to early
summer. Nasty stickery runnery things.

stickery? as in small spines along/around the length of the
stem, which is prostrate?
those aren't strawberries. they are likely what we call
'dewberries', a prostrate & not very fruitful form of
blackberry. when they *do* bear fruit, it's really good, but
it doesn't happen very often.
lee and they like to trip you up, too

stickery? as in small spines along/around the length of the
stem, which is prostrate?
those aren't strawberries. they are likely what we call
'dewberries', a prostrate & not very fruitful form of
blackberry.

Ah, yes, seems likely: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewberry

My first guess was some kind of raspberry/blackberry, but I didn't
know that there are some which stay close to the ground. We have some
weedy raspberries (or such such) in our yard, which don't seem to
produce any fruit, but they are somewhat more upright.

Nasty strawberries - now there's a combo I don't often see. How can
strawberries be nasty?

Oh, I don't know. The Indian Strawberry (Potentilla indica, also known
as Duchesnea indica) has yellow flowers and small bad tasting fruit.
(whether you'd call it a strawberry is an open question, though, as it
is more closely related to cinquefoil than to a garden
strawberry). Although some people cultivate it as a ground cover, it
does spread quite readily and can be hard to contain (based on what
I've read, and experience here in the Washington, DC area), thus
putting it in the "weed" category for many.

In our yard, it is semi-tolerated. Certainly a step up from the
bindweed, broadleaf plantain, dandelion, and some of the other weeds,
but in the long term we'll probably replace it with something else.

enigma wrote:
wrote in

Fruitless or small fruits? Yellow or white flowers? (Not
that it really matters, I'm just curious whether it is the
same one we have).

Fruitless with small white flowers in late spring to early
summer. Nasty stickery runnery things.

stickery? as in small spines along/around the length of the
stem, which is prostrate?
those aren't strawberries. they are likely what we call
'dewberries', a prostrate & not very fruitful form of
blackberry. when they *do* bear fruit, it's really good, but
it doesn't happen very often.

Yes,
on closer examination, the prolific guys are a type of blackberry.
The vines ran so low to the ground they were covered by grass and
clover, so appeared like underground runners. Pulling them up reveals
long vines with blackberry like thorns.

On a pleasant note, the sunny patch of wintergreen has berries now, so
the plants are faring well enough in the sun, but are in danger of
being overgrown. In looking for the most pleasant place to enjoy a
new patch, I discovered more wintergreen growing in the woods. I
found a lovely place to transplant to in order to fill out existing
wintergreen growth, but there is a lot of brish piled up that I'll
have to remove first, so it may be too late to transplant after I
clear the brush away (mostly old dead white pine branches trimmed from
the lower trunk). Can I transplant in spring?

Another question,
I have some patches of moss growing in a sunny fiels. I had assumed
it to be sphnagum, but that is a shade/bog moss. I'd like to
encourage this as a ground-cover in the paths between my blackberry
bushes, Anyone know anything about moss and making it comfey?