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Plants of the Week
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Taken from the B.Y.G.L. (Buckeye Yard and Garden Online) Newsletter
Contributing Authors: Pam Bennett, Joe Boggs, Cindy Meyer, Jim Chatfield, Erik Draper, Dave Dyke, Gary Gao, David Goerig, Tim Malinich, Becky McCann, Bridget Meiring, Amy Stone and Curtis Young |
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ANNUAL - GLADIOLUS (Gladiolus x. hortulanus). Gladiolus or glads grow from corms produced by the food storage at the base of the leaves. Unlike bulbs, which are layered, corms are solid masses of tissue at the base of the current year's stem. Each year after the foliage appears, a new corm (daughter corm) develops on top of the old one (mother corm). Cormels (young corms) may form around the base of the corm. The cormels are often used to propagate glads; cormels do not flower until they are mature (full size). Gladioli can be planted in many different soil types but prefer loam or sandy loam. A sunny site with little competition from other plants should be selected for the plants. Glads may be planted at two-week successions to have a series of glad blooms through mid- to late summer. |
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| Glads need plenty of water. Lack of water inhibits flower and corm growth. Keeping the plants watered with approximately 1" of water a week will help encourage proper growth. Each fall dig corms approximately 6-8 weeks after blooming or when the foliage starts to yellow and die back. It is best to store glad corms in a cool, dark, well-ventilated location for the winter. |
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| PERENNIAL - RUSSIAN SAGE (Perovskia atriplicifolia). Russian sage blooms from June to July and is a nice backdrop for perennial gardens. Russian sage grows as a many stemmed clump with flower panicles at the ends of each stem. The foliage is finely cut gray-green leaves that are slightly scented. When fully in bloom it looks like a purple haze. These are very easy to grow. They tolerate poor soil, a range of pH and drought conditions. Prune back to about 6" in the spring, before new growth starts. Otherwise, leave the flower heads for winter interest. |
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| WOODY - DAWN REDWOOD (Metasequoia glyptostroboides). Dawn redwood, when grown in the open as a specimen tree, has a broader pyramidal shape as compared to its close relative, baldcypress. The fernlike, fine-textured leaves of dawn redwood occur on deciduous branchlets that are oppositely arranged along the stems of this tree. This tree can reach 100' in height and close to a 25' spread. Dawn redwood is a good specimen tree for use in parks, golf courses or as a screen along streets and long drives. This tree cannot take hard freezes and does better in zones 7-8 but is labeled for 5-8 with some exceptions growing well in zone 4. It prefers well-drained, slightly acidic soils. Some cultivars to check out are: 'Jack Frost' (leaves are white and green), 'Emerald Feathers' (bright-green foliage) and 'White Spot' (splashes of white scattered among the green leaves). |
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