hostas, hydrangea, and update on sweet butter lettuce

[rachael simpson]

Hey Y'all,

Was wondering............

When is the best time to "break-apart" a cluster of hostas? I have two large clusters of them, and would like to thin them down some and spread them out.

Also, have a rose bush that has had the dreaded "black spot" for years now. No matter what I do, the black spot always comes back every summer. Now, a hydrangea is showing little black spots on the leaves with darker outer linings around the spots. It is planted about 7 feet away from the infected rose bush. Is it possible that the hydrangea has black spot now, or is it something else that I don't know about? Either way, what can I do to treat?

The update:

I did get the lettuce plants that I had previously asked about. Had my first salad from it yesterday with supper. Have enough out there, can possibly have another salad off of it Sunday. Taste great, other than the fact you can tell it's dry-weather lettuce. As a side note, the collards taste the same way................

Oh well,

Rain, rain, please come this way Leave my friends that are Texas way Oh Lord, let us pray... Rain, rain, please come this way!

Rae

[Ann]

rachael simpson expounded:

Mid-August for me around here. Although hostas are tough, you can pretty much split them anytime. But to be kind, wait til there's a bit more rain and a bit less sun.

snip

I had my first salad from my mesclun patch yesterday. I ran around the garden snipping herbs, too, like basil, parsley, salad burnet, and even a few sprigs of purslane. The D'Avignon radishes are fantastic right now, they went in, as well as some of the bunching onions I grew for whatever reason I'm not really sure Just to try, I guess. Very tasty, though, and not too hot. The only thing in that salad I didn't grow were cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. Maybe next week.....

Yes, I'd like a steady inch a week. Of course people in hell want ice water ;->

[Jim Kingdon]

I did it in the spring (not long after the leaves came up). They seemed to take it pretty well (they didn't droop as much as other plants like black eyed susans do when I divide/move them).

According to

you can divide hostas any time of the year, though.

Well, I'm sure it is heresy but our roses have it (or something which looks fairly similar), and we just ignored it. The diseased leaves fall off (either in the autumn, or early), and the new growth doesn't really have it bad until it has been there a while. We've only been through one season of the "ignore it" strategy, though.

Antique roses are said to be less susceptible, and keeping air circulation around the plant is said to help.

[Charlie]

I planted D'Avignon, as well as our usual French Breakfast. They were quite similar, but I think I liked the D'Avignon better. Fantastic is a proper description.

Have you ever tried any of the different japanese type cukes?

We are eating either Suyo or Japanese Long (got mixed up on the trellis) and they are quite likely the best cukes I have ever eaten. Burpless, for those to whom it matters (I always braaap cukes, but it is not a problem, these I don't). The skins are very dark green with absolutely no hint of bitterness. Small seeds Picking them at around

14" long and 1.5" in diameter.

If you are like us, your cherries will never make it to table until they really start bearing heavily! ;-)

Good Eats Charlie

[Charlie]

Hey you, where you been? Thought maybe you *had* dried up and blown away! :-)

Thought about you and yours the other day after talking with one of the boy's friends. The hay crop here is not too bad, but they are a cutting behind. Hay is going to be worth some serious money in some places this fall and winter.

It's looking serious on both ends of the rain guage, isn't it...depending upon where you are.

Care, and keep your eyes to the heavens Charlie

[rachael simpson]

Nah, the kids and hubby keeping me a bit busier these days. Went to the beach tuesday and wednesday. my folks have a place down there, so all it costed us was the gas to get there.

that's one thing that been keeping me busy, helping hubby move the equipment from one field to the other. picked up a couple of extra customers this week. a they cut, we bale deal. that's always good since that way we don't have to worry about selling the hay. lots of folks ran out of hay around here this past winter, this winter not looking much better in the hay department. everybody is behind what with the extra cold snap, and then the lack of rain. people are paying as much as 40 a bale (round) for hay as far away as montana, and that's not counting the cost of having it hauled here. had just enough for ourselves to get us thru last winter too. just didn't have extra for the customers who usually buy from us. we've done good with hay this week. had 200 acres overall to bale for other customers, and then about

80 acres for ourselves. all that work came just in time, thank god.

yeah, looks like a rough year starting out. well, it's past my bedtime. hubby probably fixing to come find me...........i put the kids to bed and was suppose to be picking up the toys.....

you too, catch ya later, rae

[Ann]

Charlie expounded:

Nope, I haven't. I'll have to do so. I've got a pickling cuke out there (don't know the variety, I bought plants) and Diva cukes I grew from seed. Diva has become my favorite.

Many do leap into my mouth from the garden to the kitchen!

[Cheryl Isaak]

I'll happily send some of my rain elsewhere. Lots of thunder storms with hail rolling through my next of the woods of late.

Cheryl

[rachael simpson]

Thanks!

Ok, I have long ago quit trying to treat the rose bush. my question is whether or not it is possible that my hydrangea has developed the black spot...........

Thanks, Rae

[rachael simpson]

snip

Thanks for the info!

[rachael simpson]

me neither. I have all pickling - last count had 27 plants, picking an average of a dozen cukes a day. never heard of diva cukes........

[rachael simpson]

*SNIP*

we've had some storms, all thunder and lots of lightening, even a bit of hail two weeks ago, but no rain, and what bit we have gotten, hasn't been enough. Last update was our area was 11 and half inches short on water. the south river by the house is almost non-existent, and it is a branch of the cape fear river......

[Ann]

rachael simpson expounded:

They're from Johnny's.

link is to the treated seeds, the organic seeds must be out of stock.

[Charlie]

I used to think Texas was mostly mesquite and jackrabbits. ;-)

Seems it is something else this year. Been catching on TWC and news some of the stuff you all have been expereincing all spring and it is not good. Makes gardening....uh....impossible someplaces.

Keep looking for clear blue and g'luck Charlie

[mleblanca]

Charlie Cheryl is in southern New Hampshire

Emilie in Northern Calif.

[Charlie]

Oh balls....uh.....yeah....I knew that!

Well, somebody here is from Texas......I thought!

Sorry Cheryl

Charlie, from Northern Mo......I think!

[rachael simpson]

thanks! requested a catalog to hang on to. might try them out next year. the garden is too full for anything else now..........

[Ann]

rachael simpson expounded:

Johnny's is a great seed company, I know you'll be pleased with whatever you buy from them. I trialed a couple squashes a few years ago, I've got Bonbon growing out there now, it was my favorite of the two - it's a winter keeper, sweet and meaty like buttercup. This season I've got Tomatoberry, a cherry that's shaped like a strawberry.

[Cheryl Isaak]

Our buddy Victoria! C

[rachael simpson]

ok, i think i may have figured it out..........

from my searches, i think my problem is either cercospora or anthracnose. not sure yet, as the spots on my plant are still quite small, but so far those two are the closest relation to my problem. time will tell i guess.

Rae