Gardening disasters...

[norbert]

O.K......ive seen all these pretty pictures....now it is time for you folks to come clean.... its now gardening nightmare time, as we all know , not evryone starts out with a green thumb..... and ill be the first to start this thread... some years ago i took an interest in growing herbs....one of the herbs i bought was a dastardly plant called lemon balm...it got established and became sooo invasive and spread everywhere... i even heard neighbors cursing who ever the person was that planted it it encroaches everywhere... and is hardy to -20 F...its makes a nice tea and even sells at the health food store for about 3 bucks an ounce... a plant that is not wanted is always a WEED......tell me about yours...
norby

[maxandgeorgia]

Norby, I hear you, loud and clear. Yep, some flowers become personal weeds! My lemon balm, like yours, is alive and well despite all the wild ripping out I've dealt it. And here's another one: purple basil. It's everywhere! Spearmint:get out of the way! Here it comes! Yellow sedum? Purple wandering Jew? Marsh Marigold? So, why can't I get a simple little poppy to grow?

[wahoonc]

Always liked fresh horseradish, got the bright idea to plant some, I know it will take over so I planted it in a half barrel to keep it under control. After harvesting it one year, someone kindly dumped the wheel barrow full of dirt in the regular garden. Never did get it to stop growing. Another plant that will take over in this part of the country is Wisteria. Parked my truck by the wisteria covered fence for about a week while I was on vacation, came back got in the truck and drove off, heard a ripping metal sound, the wisteria had removed my right side mirror for me! I used an average of 5 gallons a year of Round up herbicide just to keep it more or less under control. I have seen wisteria vines that at trunk level are more than 18" across.

Aaron

[norbert]

i planted some horseradish one year....it was so strong, that when i ground it up in a blender, it actually frosted the plastic
norby

[Edie]

I used an average of 5 gallons a year of Round up herbicide just to keep it more or less under control.

But how do I get it to BLOOM?!?

I planted my wisteria six years ago. My husband and father built a large arbor outside our bedroom sliding glass doors for it. I wallpapered our bedroom with wisteria wallpaper to coordinate.

I've fertilized. I've starved. I've tried levels of moisture from desert to mud. The foliage covers 1/3 of the roof on our house, and stands about 6' above the arbor. I like the foliage, but I WANT blooms.

IT WON'T BLOOM! Now that's a disaster.

[maxandgeorgia]

Edie, in the OGT (other gardening thread!), I described my wisteria, covered with long buds just ready to open. My best blooming years always follow a late summer pre-fall hacking of the beast. My wisteria and I are engaged in a continuing battle: I am determined it will grace my deck ONLY, while it is just as determined to take over my house, pull the deck railing to the ground, and climb sky high in the nearby locust tree. I win, but only after heated sessions with pruning shears and loppers. I used to be too hesitant for fear of injuring it. Ha! Not a chance! So I hack and cut back in the summer,and by fall, it is trimmed back so that it just covers the deck railing with new growth coming out on the thick old vines. That I guess is what all the spring blooms appear on, and it blooms profusely. I haven't checked a gardening manual, so I don't know how right or wrong my method is according to the professionals, but my yearly battle to contain it always results in fabulous spring bloom. Just a suggestion, you might try battle with yours. The pruning seems to stimulate lots of late new growth and spring blooms. Good luck with yours!

[maxandgeorgia]

Edie, another suggestion. You mentioned that your wisteria covers a portion of the roof of your house. For real? Just a bit of warning--you may wake one day to find it curling through the wall paper of your bedroom or sending tendrils down and out the fireplace chimney. This is the strongest, most persistent plant I know, and truly, I would be alarmed about having it actually on the house. It can grow into, through, and pull down. While beautiful, it is a threat to be managed if close to or on a house, I believe. Just a caution, though you probably already know all this and, like me, want it anyway!

[Gwen]

My companion likes to hunt and sometimes tries to do laundry ...after picking burrs out of my underwears one too many times, I insisted that he remove all the burrs before coming in the house. Needless to say, the following spring I had these pretty little plants all aroung the front porch. Yep, they were pretty... till they sprouted those dang burrs.

[05ModPod]

gardening dis-ass-ters...

Okay these are mine..... (I know should be on the pet thread really but could qualify???)

Seriously I found some "Blue Carpet" and wanted a nice ground cover at the edge of one of my gardens - by the end of the summer it had completely taken over the garden!

My problem is that I have so many garden beds around the house that I don't have time to check on every one and keep them nice and groomed - so something could take over pretty quick without me noticing.

I am looking for something that is invasive though that is a low walkable ground cover that does well under Maple and Hemlock trees/shade - any suggestions? We have grass but after two years the forest has taken it back and turned it into a mud floor. I would like something more than wood chips.

[53flyingcloud]

Originally Posted by Edie G

But how do I get it to BLOOM?!?

I planted my wisteria six years ago. My husband and father built a large arbor outside our bedroom sliding glass doors for it. I wallpapered our bedroom with wisteria wallpaper to coordinate.

I've fertilized. I've starved. I've tried levels of moisture from desert to mud. The foliage covers 1/3 of the roof on our house, and stands about 6' above the arbor. I like the foliage, but I WANT blooms.

IT WON'T BLOOM! Now that's a disaster.

I had the very same experience that you're currently undergoing~
Built a beautiful Redwood Arbor for it to climb/cling to and, then nice slate walkway toped with a fancy marble bench. All for the waiting and enjoyment of this plant to show it's flowers bloom. Well, it was YEARS before the day finally arrived~! I had, maybe, 4 clusters that first year. They were talked about, photographed, sniffed at ...you name it. lol
Year before last, we had an early thaw period and the flowers were just about ready to open when a deep frost hit~!! THAT WAS Cruel~!! Last year, another early sign of flowers and, the weatherman forecast was over night deep frost. I cover the whole darn thing with a green sheet of plastic. . Lit the Coleman lantern and turned on several outdoor lights~!! Well, that worked...lol...
So, Just to let you know, "You are not the only one whose Wisteria refuse to behave according to plans".
Now this I've heard but haven't tried. To help force the plant to flower, besides pruning, take a garden spade, drive it into the ground all around the roots of the plant.
When I get some flowers to show, I'll post the picture.
Additional thought; on this same Arbor, I have climbing a huge, winding vine of Honey Suckles. This plant has been a consistent performer~!!
ciao
53FC

[MikenLora]

Wisteria typically does better the less attention it gets. The pruning and I use the word loosley is always a mandatory thing with wisteria. But leave the fertilizer out of your program. Root pruning seems to work well, so the spading idea is a great one. They really do well with cramped root space. I read a story about a lady with a long (years) history of trying to get hers to bloom. Mine gets NO attention and is always covered semi shade too. Good luck! Lora

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by GT6921

Okay these are mine..... (I know should be on the pet thread really but could qualify???)

I am looking for something that is invasive though that is a low walkable ground cover that does well under Maple and Hemlock trees/shade - any suggestions? We have grass but after two years the forest has taken it back and turned it into a mud floor. I would like something more than wood chips.

Have you considered Kudzu? I am sure Aaron (wahoonc) would be happy to send you some!
Terry

[thenewkid64]

Originally Posted by maxandgeorgia

You mentioned that your wisteria covers a portion of the roof of your house. For real?

As Edie's other half I am the one tasked each year to trim it back. I seem to do it twice a year. Normally I know I need to do it when I can see the tendrils peeking over the peak of the roof from the back of the house as I pull into the drive. I get it cut back to the Arbor and have a few hundred pounds of Wisteria to chuck off the roof on to the drive

[Edie]

And the best news of all is that it has never sent its tendrils under any shingles. (KNOCK ON WOOD)

[Edie]

Originally Posted by 53FlyingCloud

Additional thought; on this same Arbor, I have climbing a huge, winding vine of Honey Suckles. This plant has been a consistent performer~!!

I have honeysuckle and jasmine in other areas. I love purple though, and am (obviously) desperate for the wisteria blooms.

I will whack it back hard early this fall and stab its roots while I'm at it. Do you think it needs to be hit with a chain? I know people who've done that to get fruit trees to bear.

[53flyingcloud]

Originally Posted by Edie G

I have honeysuckle and jasmine in other areas. I love purple though, and am (obviously) desperate for the wisteria blooms.

I will whack it back hard early this fall and stab its roots while I'm at it. Do you think it needs to be hit with a chain? I know people who've done that to get fruit trees to bear.

Whooa, not unless you think it'll make "you" feel better...lol
Try this at Fall; Instead of heavy prunning, do it lightly. Lookout for the signs of next years's flower buds and take a stab at the roots.
Just curious, how big around is your wisteria? I have several additional wisteria species from the Oriental (Japan and China) and, neither of these have grown to the massive proportions compared to the "purple" one.
Btw, the ones from the Oriental also climb opposite from each other.
It's amazing to me..to what extend we'll go to try and force these things to flower when, last Spring I was driving down the Eastrern Shores and saw a mess of these vines growing wild in the median strip..loaded with heavey blooms. Go figure`~
I will be checking those Wisteria out this coming weekend as I'm planning on driving down that way again and, attending the "Tidewater Rally" at Va. Beach.
ciao
53FC

[AirHog]

Originally Posted by norbert

O.K......ive seen all these pretty pictures....now it is time for you folks to come clean.... its now gardening nightmare time, as we all know , not evryone starts out with a green thumb..... and ill be the first to start this thread... some years ago i took an interest in growing herbs....one of the herbs i bought was a dastardly plant called lemon balm...it got established and became sooo invasive and spread everywhere... i even heard neighbors cursing who ever the person was that planted it it encroaches everywhere... and is hardy to -20 F...its makes a nice tea and even sells at the health food store for about 3 bucks an ounce... a plant that is not wanted is always a WEED......tell me about yours...
norby

Norbert,

The best bet is too either dig up your plant and put it in a large pot to keep it contained, or dig a trench around your plant and put a plastic edging below the ground to prevent the roots from spreading.

Subscribe to Birds & Bloom magazine, they have a lot of great gardening tips. Plus beautiful pictures to look at and dream about.

Good luck,
Gail

[summerkid]

... and not content to hijack all available growing space, wisteria has now colonized cyberspace and taken over the "disaster" thread. But at the risk of raising the wrath of the resident wisteria (... could threads & tendrils of cyberWisteria take down a whole Web site unless very sturdily built?) this is my disaster story for which the scab is still tender: Four years ago, I rototilled & fertilized two 150-by-4-foot beds, then planted and shoveled dirt over $3,000 worth of tulip bulbs (and that was at wholesale prices) in two long borders out back. Exactly how many bulbs, I don't remember--it's the frightening dollar amount that sticks in my mind). The next spring we had some freak monsoon on top of frozen ground, causing extensive flooding that didn't dissipate for WEEKS. Every single tulip bulb rotted. Somewhat daunted but determined to throw good money after bad, I built up the beds several inches and tried again the next fall with pretty much the same amount of tulips. The next spring it flooded even worse. That one was supposedly a "30-year flood."

If your gardening budget is only $4,000 a year to start with, having most of it rot in the ground two years running is a real killer ... I'll take rampant horseradish over that anytime.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by argosy20

Have you considered Kudzu? I am sure Aaron (wahoonc) would be happy to send you some!
Terry

Terry,
Kudzu won't survive that far north...the below zero temps in the winter kill the roots BTW I know how to get rid of Kudzu and it doesn't require chemicals or pyromania

Aaron

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by wahoonc

Terry,
Kudzu won't survive that far north...the below zero temps in the winter kill the roots BTW I know how to get rid of Kudzu and it doesn't require chemicals or pyromania

Aaron

Oh, well. I was trying to help you get rid of the mid-south's number one non-cash crop.
Terry