Gardening question

[alexmaddy]

To all you gardeners out there....

I did not do any landscaping/planting around the house this year, but DID do a lot of potted plants (almost all annuals) that are still out on my deck and looking pretty sickly. What do I do with them??? The pots are all nice terra cotta and other ceramic materials. Since they are annuals, do I dig them up, dump the dirt and then store them in the garage until next year??? I have no ideawhat to do.

Also - I do have two Rhodedendrons. Originally, I bought them for inside the house (I know very little about plants.) They did not do well at all, so I got direction from the gardening lady at Menards and she said they would do better outside, but would prob not flower this year. Well, she was right on both counts. They grew very healthy and green, but did not flower this year. Now Rhodedendrons are perennials, right? But mine are still in pots out on the deck. Is it too late for me to plant them in the garden to weather the winter? If so, what should I do with them???They are starting to brown. Do I cover them with something for the winter???

Thanks for any advice you can give me.


MJ - who is very new to gardening.

 

[darkwingnut]

No advice on those plants (not too tasty), but a nice oak tree is always a great idea...(hint...hint)

 

[Angela]

With the annuals, throw them out, wash all your pots and store the pots somewhere for the winter.
The Rhodos, I hope someone else answers that one as where I live they survive perfectly all winter with no attention, but it's almost a snow free zone here.
If no one else gives you advice, I'd say cover the ground with some sort of mulch thickly, as Rhodos roots are fairly near the ground surface and would need to be protected from snow.

 

[swigginton]

MJ

Go ahead and plant them now. Prior to planting prepare the ground by adding some peat moss and cow manure. Prior to planting gently separate the root ball. Water well and add a couple of inches of mulch. Azaleas prefer well drained soil, but don't like to dry out, especially after transplanting. You may need to water everyday for about a month depending on your area. Also they don't take well to full sun. Morning sun is OK, and they do great under oak trees as the leaves are acidic in nature.

Hope this helps.

 

[ina/puusty]

If the rhodys were here..I'd 'temper them' (not certain I am using a legit. term here)..by putting them ..out of the house now..but perhaps a garage or porch-like-area..where they are not just dumped from house temps..into winter temps..as would be a shock to their systems. When you give them a couple of weeks there..then transplant into an area where they will get good amts of sun during the day, decent amt. of water(for Spring and beyond) and give them a good, rhick mulch of leaves or something..so they can snuggle down UNDER protection..until the Spring weather rolls around. Here in our area..I use no fert. as the soil is fantastic..but for many areas..you will want to follow advice from the nursery folks..as to what will strengthen..and bring on..nice blooms. Have fun, ina n HB

 

[Nasus]

Yeah what Ina said.. I would not worry about your Rhodedendrons, they grow very well here in Norway. Store your pots where they won't freeze and crack, unless there frost proof pots. And remember to wash them out like Scott said.

Susan
I'm ready for spring and it didn't even snow yet

 

[Newfs Forever]

Nasus,

Me, too! I'm ready for spring and we haven't had our usual several feet of snow yet! YUCK!!!

How much snow do you get in Oslo?

 

[Nasus]

Newfs Forever.. Last year was great.. it didn't start snowing till Jan here in Oslo but once it started we got about 2 feet in total, but u see it keeps snowing and when they clean the sidewalks they don't clean down to the cement they leave around an inch of snow on the sidewalk.. it will warm up during the day then freeze at night, the buildup all winter leaves about a 6 inch thick sheet of ice on the sidewalks where they throw some stones,, not gravel but stones so u better have some thick soled shoes. Trond loves when it snows.. he says it's much brighter out.. well yeah since it dark by 3 in the afternoon YUCK! But here is a useless fact.. in January there is 6 mins more light each day and by march we are caught up with the rest of the world.. but then we spring ahead with the light till by june the sun don't set and the Norwegians are out like flowers turning towards the sun and burning themselves to a crisp for that "healthy" look LOL... me.. i'm wearing SPF 40.. the blue kids stuff because i'm not going to be some old leather bag. LOL
I have no clue what is called for this year.. each year seems to be different in Oslo, but in the burbs or the hills about Oslo there is always snow come Nov.. when it's raining in the city it's snow everywhere else, and that is so nice for all the crazy cross country skiers here because they just can't wait for the white stuff to fall.. and i can't wait till we buy a winter home in Florida! LOL

 

[Garden_girl]

Can't add anything much to what's been said here.

Now Rhodedendrons are perennials, right?

Actually they are hardy shrubs.

I imagine that you live in USDA (growing)zone 5 or 6. Your temps. are probably 10 to 15 degrees warmer than central WI. We are averaging mid-40's to low 50's during the day. I would have no problem planting Rhododendrons now. They like acidic soil, it's best to plant them on the east side of the house and they bloom very early in the spring. You can use a commercial product like Miracid for fertilizer. I use organic fertilizers like Cottonseed Meal or Aluminum Sulfate. They are usually marketed under the name Hi-Yield and come in bags. Cow manure/peat moss/Oak leaves as someone suggested are very good soil amendments. Oh yeah, all Azaleas are in the Rhododendron family, but not all Rhododendrons are Azaleas. I'm curious if you have azaleas. The kind of "hothouse" Azaleas that are sold for houseplants/gifts could have difficulty surviving in colder climates. Generally speaking, Azaleas are more tender than most Rhododendrons. There is a variety of Azaleas that we can grow in WI called "Northern Lights Azaleas." They are very fragrant and extremely hardy. I think I have every color of "Lights".
I said I didn't have much to add,
didn't I?