Tag Archives: flowerpics

Staking Corn

Question: Why does my corn keep flopping over?

Google’s answer:

Corn plants with floppy corn syndrome often have visible seminal roots but poorly developed or no nodal roots. When exposed to strong winds, these plants can fall over because they lack the support of nodal roots. The wind can also break off nodal roots, making it difficult for the plant to establish a permanent root system.
To diagnose floppy corn, you can dig up a plant that isn’t standing upright and gently remove the soil to examine the roots. If your corn is leaning, you can try staking it up temporarily. You can also try tamping down around the roots or watering at the base of the plant to fill in air pockets and push loose soil around the roots. Corn stalks often straighten themselves out within a week, especially if they aren’t too heavy and haven’t tasseled yet.

Another possible solution here.

I thought I had planted my corn deep enough but I will have to try planting deeper next time, water deeply, as well as pack the soil.

Shade Improvements on the Growbag Garden

With June around the corner and triple digit temperatures looming, I decided to reconfigure the trellis next to the grow bag garden into a roof for shade cloth.

I had been looking to repurpose an old bedsheet abused by a half dozen cats into sun protection for my veggies. I hastily installed it before the next storm rolled in.

It surprisingly withstood high winds that knocked down a portion of the side yard fence.

I promptly trashed the bedsheet as it got weighed down and ripped to shreds by the excessive rain we experienced throughout the week. After shopping for a substitute on Amazon, I erected a 3×6 foot section of 40% shade cloth over the cattle panel, and attached it with carabiners.

Looking forward to seeing if it endures bad storms and offers the right amount of shade for my veggies

Variegated Turks Caps

My wishlist item has arrived, one of several purchases I recently ordered off Etsy.

Colors are stunning. I’m excited to place these variegated Turks Caps somewhere soon. I’m considering training them into tree form.

Packed well for shipping
Variegated Turks Cap already budded

The challenge now is determining if I should pot these or squeezing them into a flower beds, if I have room.

Hostas on Display

Spring hostas are in their broadleafed prime now mid-May, with some sending out buds and blooms.

Dancing Darling is of course a beast, overflowing the shade bed.

Monstrous Dancing Darling
Dancing Darling Bloom

Color Glory is a step down in size but no less robust.

Color Glory
Color Glory Budst

Island Breeze is a nice glowing addition to the shade bed.

Island Breeze

Hans is always an eye catcher, but the creamy white leaves will start frying from the occasional sun.

Creamy leaves margined with blue green
Hans showing some scorching

The only failed start this year is Fire and Ice, which appeared to be the breakfast of champions. Not sure if it was slugs or insects but it got eaten to the ground. Hoping it’ll come back stronger and sooner.

Fire and Ice delicate…
…and delicacy

The shade bed still receives a blast of morning sun which tends to dry the hostas. Still developing a solution to this

Shade bed, mid afternoon sun during May

Plant Wishlist Spring 2024

My plant wishlist for 2024 stayed surprisingly modest. I still had some plants from previous years that definitely stayed in my plant shopping consciousness early this spring.

I pulled the trigger on one of those wishlist items in March when I attended Rose Weekend at North Haven Gardens.

My Rock N Roll rose now sits in a spot vacated by previous rose tenants. It displayed some new leaf growth and as of today is tipped with rosebuds.

In a previous post, I lamented the lack of volunteer basils this year. So I added African blue basils to my wish, which I will likely have to shop for to obtain the sterile version.

My stock tank garden is sparsely populated with green onions. I got a heads up that there may be some heat tolerant romaine lettuces in the market that I can try to grow. However, I need to figure out what’s been grazing on the plants in one of my stock tanks. The green onions and chives that I planted in it have been razed to the ground. I may have to drop some marigolds in there just to deter pests.

This past weekend on May 11th, I attended the Denton County Master Gardener garden tour. It was an opportunity to see how Denton county gardeners beautified their outdoor spaces. I enjoyed walking through four yards and a community garden, got to talk to homeowners as well as docents who volunteered their time to manage this tour.

I got really excited when I spotted some must-haves for my wish list at the tour. Flame Thrower redbuds, purple coneflowers, Egyptian walking onions, and a variegated Turks cap won my attention.

As soon as I got home, I shopped Etsy and found variegated Turks caps for sale at a vendor in South Carolina. Sold!!!

A couple of homes heavily featured native plantings which made me appreciate more the Texas tough perennials and annuals that thrive in our climate.

Overall, it was a great tour and we enjoyed mild weather to walk through all the beautiful yardscapes.