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#1
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Death and destruction
Back from a long weekend with my sister and her family
(celebrating my 42nd birthday). Not much more damage from deer or insects, but what there has been has come home to roost: I think I'm going to lose my R. sericea pteracantha (growing so nicely after I finally got a wee rooted cutting this spring -- nurserymen say that it is perhaps the hardest rose to propagate from cuttings) and my R. brunonii (and it was all leafy and blooming just a couple weeks ago!). Way thick grass, a creeping variety that spreads by stolons and perhaps rhizomes and is slightly blue-grey, is crowding out the cleared areas near the roses that are in the ground, and hand pulling (perhaps with a pair of good gloves) seems to be necessary. Another batch of the pepper and egg and garlic mix might be called for: bought 18 ounces of hot dried peppers, dozen and a half eggs... A nine-foot electric fence starts to look more and more appealing. Or a pack of vicious dogs, even though I'm much more of a cat man. How does one bounce back from gardening disaster? It's getting harder and harder as I get older and more cynical. Dead china firs, dead bamboos, live sweetgum and persimmon shoots everywhere...and I can't even get a big healthy thorny Mermaid that's too big for Bambi and his chums. Mark., feeling a bit blue |
#2
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Death and destruction
On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 14:54:30 GMT, "Mark. Gooley"
wrote: Back from a long weekend with my sister and her family (celebrating my 42nd birthday). Congrats! Men just begin to start getting good in their 40s! Not much more damage from deer or insects, but what there has been has come home to roost: I think I'm going to lose my R. sericea pteracantha (growing so nicely after I finally got a wee rooted cutting this spring -- nurserymen say that it is perhaps the hardest rose to propagate from cuttings) and my R. brunonii (and it was all leafy and blooming just a couple weeks ago!). I was not in on the deer deterrent discussion because I have no experience with deer, but the only thing I have heard people say consistently that works is a very tall fence, if you can do that. I am sorry, I imagine this has been heartbreaking. What a slap after you have worked so hard to nurture. Way thick grass, a creeping variety that spreads by stolons and perhaps rhizomes and is slightly blue-grey, is crowding out the cleared areas near the roses that are in the ground, and hand pulling (perhaps with a pair of good gloves) seems to be necessary. Sounds like a variety of crabgrass or something equally nasty. I have it really bad. Next year you can put down a good pre-emergent herbicide like CrabX. You do it in earliest spring. I got so far as to buy it but the bag never made it to the garden. You don't need to hand pull this stuff, it'll be a full time job! Best I can do is keep it away from the roots of my roses. I am too busy, that is why my garden suffers. And with what? Survival, bleah. No fun. Another batch of the pepper and egg and garlic mix might be called for: bought 18 ounces of hot dried peppers, dozen and a half eggs... Makes me hungry. :-) A nine-foot electric fence starts to look more and more appealing. Do it! It will solve your problem. Also, how about those motion detector sprinklers? Or a pack of vicious dogs, even though I'm much more of a cat man. You are sounding better every minute. G Dogs are great but they can also damage gardens, esp. puppies. How does one bounce back from gardening disaster? It's getting harder and harder as I get older and more cynical. Dead china firs, dead bamboos, live sweetgum and persimmon shoots everywhere...and I can't even get a big healthy thorny Mermaid that's too big for Bambi and his chums. Mark., feeling a bit blue Aww, poor thing, I do know how you feel. I lost many to different things this year, mostly a raging case of canker plus borers, and voles eating their roots. I get philosophical in the case of loss after I have done everything I can. I have just kept everyone watered and fed and kept the weeds away from them and otherwise have just disengaged somewhat. (It helps that most of mine were first year grafted bare roots I was not attached to.) It is too hot to be a pleasure to work in the garden now, and in the evening the mosquitos are so bad, and that "Off" stuff is so gross, I just don't want to do it. Once a week or so I survey the wreckage and note the survivors. A couple of the roses I thought were dead have put out new growth, not that they will ever be the same. Dead stumps in the ground: White Lightnin, Lover's Lane, Melody Parfume, Arizona, Mr. Lincoln, Antigua, Europeana, Simply Marvelous, Crystalline, Outta the Blue, Granada. All grafted, so next year I will do ownroots. Maybe try to think of the bad things about the ones you lost and what you will do with the space. And build that fence!! And, of course, come here for commiseration. |
#3
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Death and destruction
On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 14:54:30 GMT, "Mark. Gooley"
wrote: How does one bounce back from gardening disaster? It's getting harder and harder as I get older and more cynical. Dead china firs, dead bamboos, live sweetgum and persimmon shoots everywhere...and I can't even get a big healthy thorny Mermaid that's too big for Bambi and his chums. Mark., feeling a bit blue My suggestion? Fresh venison chops. Let 'em try to devour roses whilst being devoured themselves. PS, do I *really* need an emoticon here? |
#4
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Death and destruction
not a bad suggestion. while it might seem cruel, culling the herd actually
helps. since man thinned out the natural predators and provides so many delectable goodies, it now falls to him to keep the numbers down. other than that, I've heard pepper flakes and predator urine, including human, work. they have to be reapplied so if hunting is not an option for you, that electric fence and motion detector sprinklers sound like the way to go forthgb |
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