July 14 , 2022
Orchids & Sunflowers & Sun Shades
We broke another record ! On July 14 , the past seven days were the hot low and highs in Austin ’s chronicle . Yep , on our thirty-fifth twenty-four hours over 100 degrees , and the 13th consecutive one , thing are sizzling outside . From its comfy spot inside , my Phalaenopsis orchidaceous plant watches the thermometer soar upwards as it celebrates its fourth blooming year . Now , this industrial plant usually flowers in January . In 2021 , it did n’t set out until March , possibly set back from the handsome February freeze when the windows even frost over indoors ( almost sounds refreshing right now , right ? ) . It started flower in March and hold back move until later July . When it outgrew its first two starter container , I repotted it into an orchid pot in August 2020 and planned to do it again this summertime . The pot is still fine , but it ’s good to replace the bark pot mix every 18 - 24 months . It ’s also a good opportunity to check the roots . Cut off any that are brown or bootleg . Unwrap snowy roots that are circle the root ball ( as you would with a garden plant life ) . Move it to a shadowed spot for a few days and hold off on watering for a few day , too . Even helianthus are looking a little stressed . Still , bees of all sort , let in this fuzzy bumblebee , are grabbing the gold while they can . hoot flock to efflorescence that have already place seeds . ( These pop every year from snort food that “ some - birdy ” dropped years ago ) . Sunflowers are also a larval host plant for Bordered Patch butterflies , along with Painted Lady , Silvery Checkerspot , and Gorgone Checkerspot . OnCTG ’s Facebook page , watcher shared their love of these plants that go to great acme for our wildlife . Shweta Singh jazz her huge - bloom sort , planning to get more plants for bees . Bees are all over Emlynn Crisostomo ’s plant that hulk over the fence . She ’s growing many varieties , admit flame ‘ Velvet Queen’ . And ‘ Chocolate Cherry . ’Cindy Riley wrote , “ After the first twelvemonth of implant just three ejaculate , this class I have this ! ” She ’s also growing zinnias for bees and butterflies . Heather Barber ’s also get a lovely collection ! I ’ve tried the signally beautiful assortment with no luck , so I ’ll hit up our viewers up for advice !
Here ’s a veryenlightening article about sunflowersfrom the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center . To take the heat off this class ’s newcomer , vegetable , and stressed smaller industrial plant , nuance textile is a great help . It ’s valuable for succulent , too , that can suffer from sun scald . There are many people of colour , cloth character and weaves for grade of protection . I ca n’t curate all the articles about this , but basically , anything you’re able to do will help : even an umbrella , erstwhile windowpane CRT screen , or lightweight row cover . These gardeners stretched ghost material over PVC hoop to shield spring - planted native plant life that are still getting their etymon in . I happened to have some burlap shade cloth stuck in the shed that I ’ve used to shade new plantings in spring when temps go dotty mellow : even a hebdomad helps while they get used to their new domicile . I cut some and clipped over a tomato plant John Milton Cage Jr. to protect a springiness - planted Salvia guaranitica that ’s wrawl in distress .
I adhere a situation in the primer to drape it over a young and very unquiet American beautyberry . I ’m giving them a very dim hose drench every few days which helps . Honestly , I guess they got enough shade , but the rules alter this year , so I believe I ’ll move them more into shade in late fall / wintertime . On our May sojourn toAndrew Ong and Jared Goza ’s garden , they show us how they framed a ghost cloth to protect their roses and various perennials and herbs from too much sun .
Thanks for stopping by , Linda Lehmusvirta
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