Author Topic: Calgon take me away...... (Read 1877 times)

Bonnie · « **on:** October 30, 2007, 06:21:50 PM »

Tropicals are taking a long bath before they go away for the winter... :'(

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #1 on:** October 30, 2007, 06:24:42 PM »

If my trops see how you treat yours they would probably pay their own postage to your house! Do you repot them or are do they sleep in the buff

tranquility · « **Reply #2 on:** October 31, 2007, 07:34:26 AM »

OMG.... Bonnie that must have made your hubby happy

....mine wasn't so amuzed when he walked into the bathroom and I had a lotus dumped out in the shower dividing it

for some reason he didn't understand that it was too cold outside to do it out there

.....He no longer allows me to do that

Lawanna

Bonnie · « **Reply #3 on:** October 31, 2007, 07:55:16 AM »

Actually DH just laughed and asked me if I was giving my plants a bath!

And Yes I use bleach and clean well after....

tinkster · « **Reply #4 on:** October 31, 2007, 03:08:54 PM »

ROFL!!! I am so glad I am not the only one that uses tubs, sinks etc for plants. I have often wondered when I am deviding etc how others do it and if they could see the messes I make in my house

I gotta ask to what you do with them after you bath them.. your winterover process

tinkster

Esther · « **Reply #5 on:** October 31, 2007, 05:45:22 PM »

About 20 years ago, my DH turned a bedroom into a nice upstairs laundry room. I now have a utility/laundry tub along with the washer and drier up. We mostly use it for the suds saver cycle on the washer.

There was a cement laundry tub in the basement. He asked me if I wanted him to bust it up and get it out of there seeing we have the upstairs one. WHAAAAAT

ARE you KIDDING???

NO WAY!!! Boy does it come in handy for cleaning paint brushes, muddy shoes and boots, washing Smokey, cleaning my submersible pond pump, cleaning waste baskets and many other things that make a big mess. Just so glad to have two tubs. The one upstairs works well for more minor stuff but I must admit I have used it for pond related things too. But usually I clean it real well and wax it every so often so it has kept it's shine.

Wish I had taken a picture but before we got our 55 gallon aquarium, I kept several goldfish and small koi in the bubbler tub for a couple of months. I even rigged up a Skippy with a 5 gallon bucket hanging from a faucet handle. LOL. But then I began to realize I was scratching the tub with various things and decided that had to stop.

Bonnie · « **Reply #6 on:** October 31, 2007, 07:23:42 PM »

Tink sent them to Florida and Hawaii today for a vacation!

I always clean good with the hose outside before I bring them in the house but I am guilty of using the kitchen sink and bathtub to keep the plants while I'm packing to ship!
I have long folding tables in the basement but always use the kitchen counters for packing...

Kitchen and Bath got a thorough cleaning today though.. this is one way to get me on the ball to clean!

Whatever works huh Esther!
Whenver we remodel our bathroom and replace our tub I definately won't be throwing it away!

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #7 on:** November 01, 2007, 04:33:46 AM »

At the risk of sounding really stupid,

even tho I belive no question is stupid. I was tought to only devide lillies in the spring? Is it ok in the late fall to do this then put them safly in the bottom? Oh I''m talking hardies? My tropicals are on my table in two pots and sooo tiny. My DDH would have blown a fuse if I did that. I have a big old old meatal set of sinks out side and I use the hose. Then catch the water in a bucket for the flower beds.

Bonnie · « **Reply #8 on:** November 01, 2007, 07:34:58 AM »

Debbie,

This comes down to personal preference basically.. some feel that if they repot in the fall that the lilies will not have to go thru the shock of replanting in the Spring.

I usually repot in the Spring because of withdraws and Spring Fever plus a great time to add fertilizer and clean the ponds... do what is best for you.

Desertponder · « **Reply #9 on:** November 01, 2007, 09:13:15 AM »

Yes, you can divide them in the fall too. I prefer to do mine in the fall and in fact, I'm still trying to get them all done.

The reason I prefer to repot in the fall is that I have a pretty short growing season. If I repot in the spring when its warm enough to do so it disturbs them too much and I won't have any blooms. If I do it in the fall when the weather is still somewhat decent, they establish over the winter months again and take off growing in the spring undisturbed and I will get blooms.

tinkster · « **Reply #10 on:** November 01, 2007, 03:17:50 PM »

I dont know if its cause almost all my lillies are the "walmart" common varieties that multiply like weeds but I honestly dont think there is anything you can do to kill them. At least thats been my experience. I believe that planting can make a huge difference in the growth/amount of flowering but as far as killing, not sure you can .... I always wonder when I see people stressing so much on deviding, planting etc if my experience is just because of the varieties I have or are all lillies basically unkillable weeds

opinions please as I do want to get more of the other varieties this coming year if they are not ones that have to be pampered

tinkster

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #11 on:** November 01, 2007, 06:44:08 PM »

Thanks for the help ladies. I was no way going to start ripping mine appart in late Sept. when they were still blooming so nicely, and Oct. hit and it got cold so darn fast, I guess it's just best if I wait tell spring even if it is the end of May before we are thawed out enough.
Bonnie, I'm sorry I didn't mean to steal your thread, I just wanted to know the facts, and thank you.
Tink, I know what ya mean mine too. but I still didn't want to stop them from blooming when they preformed for me so nicely in Sept.

Bonnie · « **Reply #12 on:** November 01, 2007, 07:06:29 PM »

Debbie.. I don't mind at all when we change the subject so nothing to be sorry about dear!

Tink, I've grown almost 100 different varieties of hardies and it doesn't seem to matter if one is a common variety vs. a rare one.
The only difference being that some can tolerate shade/sun more than others, have a larger spread and bloom more than another but as far as dividing and growing they are basically all the same.

Ky Kim · « **Reply #13 on:** November 04, 2007, 05:29:05 PM »

What no Mr. Bubbles?

, talk about pampered. No, if it was me I would do the same thing.

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #14 on:** November 05, 2007, 08:48:44 AM »

I have killed plenty of waterlilies

Two of the tropicals I bought for the greenhouse are dead this year already and winter hasn't even started. They just never did anything and rotted away.

I've had at least half a dozen hardies rot over the years too.

Raccoons are to blame for many of my losses though. Not me.

Jerry · « **Reply #15 on:** November 16, 2007, 06:14:59 AM »

Now I wonder if I've been doing it all wrong?
I do it on the patio and divide with a 1.00 serrated bread knife. It seems there is no problem cause it works.

CliffandJoann · « **Reply #16 on:** November 16, 2007, 08:46:16 AM »

LOL, Bonnie, I have the corner of our shower floor with a few taros and umbrella palm.
That's where I plan on over wintering them.
It's totally nuts!

Joann

EagleEye · « **Reply #17 on:** November 19, 2007, 06:17:23 PM »

Hey Bonnie,
that's pretty funny, tonight I had two new wide white wall motorcycle tires in my bathtub.

Wasn't pretty!

Steve

CoolShades · « **Reply #18 on:** November 21, 2007, 08:01:49 PM »

Bonnir:

My wife would shoot me if I even thought of dividing in the house, I set up a potting bench and shower head out back that seems to work fine. I agree with jerry I thought that was the only way to do it. Can I get some of you ladies to talk to my wife, cause it gets cold out there when I usually divide in early spring. I'm in the process of building our retirement house in Virgina on the Chesapeake and one of the things I designed was an outside shower/potting bench/fishgutting bench, etc. and it will have hot water...

. I'm still deciding on how I will put in a pond I have a circular drive with a 35' dimameter and I'm thinking of making the interior of the circle a pond (albeit I will have a 2' apron, because DW would probably hit it with her SUV!).

I'm sure that it is better to divide hardies in the Spring, which I learned from some hybridizing heavyweights such as Pat Nutt. The key is to get some root growth before the pond freezes. This will give the tuber more strength to survive the winter. I usually divide when the pond hits 50 F (BRRR) in the spring and they take off once the pond temp hits 65F.

I agree most water lilies are like weeds and you would be hard pressed to kill them. However, a few varieties that I have had over the years are pretty finicky.