horticulture notes of the day

[quietann]

1. If you grow paperwhites or related narcissus in pebble-filled bowls during the winter, adding a teaspoon or so of gin to the water each time you top it off, starting when the shoots are about 4 inches tall, inhibits the stem growth, resulting in less "floppy" plants. I read about this on the net, and tried it in a controlled experiment (with a gin-free control bowl), and it worked!

2. Black raspberries: once again, I am ordering raspberry plants this spring, but black ones this time. Given last years' failure rate, I'd be happy to "reimburse" people for the red ones that didn't make it. I'm ordering five different kinds of black raspberries. May also go for Polana (an early fall-bearing red) and/or a yellow variety. Let me know if you are interested (Boston-area only please!)

Comments

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

i believe none of my three raspberries made it. i would like to try again...

Re:

[quietann.livejournal.com]

Given that you are interested, I am more inclined to order yellows :) I have made inquiries about a yellow variety that is supposed to be excellent and hardy.

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

But can you do something to the paperwhites to make them stop smelling bad? :-}

Re:

[quietann.livejournal.com]

There are other varieties of narcissus that don't have the awful smell. I have tried a few this winter and some are quite nice; they don't smell and have bigger and prettier flowers than the standard paperwhites.

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

I like the way paperwhites smell!

and, I'm game for trying the raspberries again.

[tb]

I'd be interested in black raspberries. What sort of units do they come in? I think I could do with about a half-dozen but can adjust up or down a bit to make things work out.

Re:

[quietann.livejournal.com]

If I order from Nourse Farms (which is where I got last year's batch, and they supply many of the other places you can order raspberries from), they come in lots of 5 plants. I hope to order 5 of each of the 3 varieties they sell. Are you interested in yellows or reds at all?

Re:

[tb]

You can put me down for two plants of each of the three black varieties if that works for you. I don't have a lot of suitable sunny space so I'll pass on the reds and yellows.

[halleyscomet.livejournal.com]

So, getting paperwhites drunk keeps them from being floppy...