Herself’s Houston Garden

A recent incident in my garden in which a lemon tree received a concentrated does of orange oil because I did not read the label was still fresh in my mind when I saw these stories. The lemon tree dropped most of its leaves, but is recovering nicely.

Do you know where your chemicals went?

. . .Problems with the herbicide emerged late last year, when some commercial potato growers reported damaged crops. In response, Dow launched a campaign within the agriculture industry to ensure that farmers were aware of how the products should be used. Nevertheless, the herbicide has now entered the food chain. Those affected are demanding an investigation and a ban on the product. They say they have been given no definitive answer as to whether other produce on their gardens and allotments is safe to eat.

It appears that the contamination came from grass treated 12 months ago. Experts say the grass was probably made into silage, then fed to cattle during the winter months. The herbicide remained present in the silage, passed through the animal and into manure that was later sold. Horses fed on hay that had been treated could also be a channel. . . [read more Home grown veg ruined by toxic fertilizer]

Did you know temperature greatly effects many chemicals you use?

. . .Up to 10 per cent of New Zealand’s export cymbidium orchids worth several million dollars and bound for Asia, Europe and the United States have been destroyed by a new insecticide imported last September.
. . .
Failure to provide adequate spraying instructions appears to be the problem, rather than the insecticide itself, which is widely used in Europe.

It is understood growers were not told the spray should be used only in cool months nor the impact of dense spraying, particularly in hot temperatures. Crops most severely affected were sprayed in summer.

Though the amount of millilitres per 100 litres on the insecticide label is 20 per cent higher than recommended in the Netherlands, the main issues were the hot temperatures and the density of spray per square metre. . . .
[ read more Millions of orchids lost in spray botch]

And sometimes it is an evil plot

Sir Richard Tucker, for years one of the country’s most senior judges, is heading for court in a row with his former gardener over poisoned plants.

The retired High Court judge, who presided over famous cases including the Polly Peck fraud trial, became embroiled in controversy after a verge and flower borders were allegedly sabotaged at his Cotswolds home.

Police charged his former gardener with causing £500 worth of criminal damage to the garden, with the case set for full trial in August. . . .[ read more Gardener accused of poisoning former judges plants ]

Read the label. Even if you are busy and think you know what you are using. Then do a bit of extra research. Some times not everything is on the label, as the Dutch orchid growers will tell you.

I first happened across plants with thorns on the leaves in a botanical garden in Hawaii. I never thought I’d be able to grow one here. But as luck would have it, I found this plant at a Jerry’s Jungle plant sale July 4th.

This can reach about 8′ in height but will likely top out at about 4′ here. Stems will become more woody with age. Right now the stems are soft and also covered in thorns. Leaves can reach 2′ in length and are somewhat fuzzy. Typically fuzzy leaved plants are things to avoid in Houston. The fuzz means they are meant for drier, less humid climates.

They love the sun, go ahead and plant them in full sun.

They are cold sensitive and will need protection over the colder winter nights. They should come back in warmer weather if they do get cold damage in the winter. Heat can also be a problem for them. They prefer a more moderate climate than we have here in Houston.

Water frequently, especially in our warmer months.

The hairs and thorns are purple, the colors in the images are true.

This plant is a member of the nightshade family, just like tomatoes, potatoes etc. The fruit of this plant is orange and small. Fruit takes about 2 months to ripen. I haven’t had any yet.

Native to northern south America.

Problems:
Nematodes, grow them in pots if nematodes are a problem in your garden.
White flies also like this plant.

Propagate by seeds.

More information:
Naranjilla

I thought I had already covered this plant or I would’ve gotten pictures before everything else grew up around it. This is one of my favorite plants. I had it out front in the swale garden but when ever it got windy I’d lose several spikes. So now it is protected by the fence and other plants.

While young you’ll want to stake this plant, and plant it somewhere it will get some wind protection.

Papyrus is a water plant. Plant it in a bog, shallow pond or area that stays wet.

It’s not mentioned in any of my garden books and that’s a shame. It is totally cool looking, grows where nothing else will, in wet clay and has been pain free. Other than cutting back broken stalks after windy days I’ve done nothing to it. And no stalks have broken since I moved it near the fence.

The stalks are about 10′ in height. Each year the new ones are taller than the previous years stalks. The heads are about 12″ across on the taller stalks. The umbles ( flower heads ) on the end of the stalks turn brown in the winter, but most re-green up when the weather breaks.

Keep it wet and it will thrive and spread. I find it tolerates occasional dry spells.

Around 4000 bce it was used to make a paper like substance and one of Egypt’s main exports.

It’s hard to find at the nurseries, if you are looking for a plant try the online pond plant stores.

We certainly know about hot weather down here in Houston. This is the first year I’ve lost plants to the heat, and they were lost early on.

Leaf scorch can be bacterial or it can be caused by dry windy conditions. There is no hope for plants with the bacterial leaf scorch. For those with it caused by windy, dry conditions you can help. Plants take up moisture through the roots and disperse it to the leaves where some of it is evaporated to cool the plant. On windy days more moisture is lost from the leaves. Plants need to be able to take up more moisture faster to replace it. You’ll see leaf tips turn brown and it can progress turning all the leaves all brown before stems wilt and the plant dies. More water is the answer to this. Water regularly and deeply so plants can reach water deep down in the soil.

Too much sunlight will turn your leaves from green to white. If you see leaves bleaching out provide those plants with more shade.

Fertilize less in July and Aug. The plant can’t handle the heat and new, rapid growth. I fertilize heaviest in the spring and the fall and not at all in the summer and winter. But summer thunderstorms can rapidly deplete what little nutrients we have in our soil. If you see yellow leaves with green veins add some iron and nitrogen to your soil. Half the recommended strength is best for summer fertilizing.

Mulch. Mulch greatly cuts down on water loss and it helps keep those roots just a little bit cooler. In time it will break down and add badly needed organic matter to the soil.

If plants are wilted in the afternoon and the ground is not damp, give those particular plans a deep watering with your garden hose. Let it trickle out slowly for a long time.

No matter where you live, your trees are trying to maintain a leaf temperature of about 70′F. There is every reason to think that other plants do the same. This is the temperature at which photosynthesis takes place. The control of the temperature is done through water uptake. So give your plants the water they need and keep things well mulched.

See also:
How hot weather effects plants
From Canada to Caribbean: Tree leaves control their temperature