DIGGIN鈥� IN
Pansies need a cooler locale with warm weather鈥檚 return
Q: I purchased and planted a boatload of pansies this past fall to plant in big pots that line our front walkway. They鈥檝e done pretty well for the late fall and winter season, but with that spat of warm weather we had a few weeks ago, they are starting to look puny. Is there a way to save them, or are they toast? 鈥� E.C., sa国际传媒官网网页入口
A: The only thing I can suggest is that you move the pots out of the sun. Do you have a north or northeastern exposure that won鈥檛 get nearly as hot and sunny as the walkway seems to be? You could try moving the pots, if that鈥檚 manageable weight-wise, to a spot under an established shade tree. The tree could also help keep them out of the baking sun which the pansies would appreciate.
If you have a garden area that is shaded and cool, you could transplant the pansies to an area like that. Just be aware that pansies are cool- and cold-weather lovers, so as the heat of the year comes on, you might lose them anyway.
If you are able to move the pots or decide to transplant, offer a wee trim to the plants to remove some of the old growth. That way the plants would be encouraged to set new growth in the new location, getting them ready for growing season with more ease, and they wouldn鈥檛 look so puny.
I鈥檝e seen plantings of pansies under the very edge of an established pine tree that did OK all through the summer months. Then as the temperatures cooled, they were transplanted to spend the winter in half barrels getting more sun.
If you have a couple of cooler spots that you can move the pansies to, then do it and do it soon. Good luck!
Q: I have fallen in love with cannas. I have a southeast-facing garden bed that I think would be a good spot to plant them in. They鈥檇 get full sun until about 11 a.m. and then be shaded by a wall coming off the garage. Would a space like that work? 鈥� C.C., sa国际传媒官网网页入口
A: To me, it sounds near perfect.
Cannas do grow well in a lot of sun, but if offered too much sun and radiant heat from a wall and they get too thirsty, the leaf edges sometimes get a crispy look to them. As long as you remember to water a bit extra while they are in bloom and aim to keep the finished flowers snipped off, I think you have a good spot picked out for those lovely plants.
If you鈥檝e already purchased or plan on buying the tubers soon I鈥檇 recommend waiting a smidgen longer to plant. Remember cannas like warm soil, and since the average last frost date here in the Metro is April 18 and we鈥檝e just barely passed that, I won鈥檛 be surprised if it doesn鈥檛 get chilly a time or two yet this spring season. I know that it does stay cooler longer in the valley area, so maybe aim for the first weekend of May to get them in the ground no matter where you live here in the city.
I learned that cannas grow best in well-turned soil that won鈥檛 compact too much, so add some compost to help keep the bed you鈥檙e going to plant in from compacting too much. The compost will offer some much-needed nutrient value, so that would be a win-win for the cannas. Enjoy the new canna bed you are about to create.
Dear readers: The city-offered spring green-cycle dates have been announced. From May 4 to May 15, the city of sa国际传媒官网网页入口 will pick up your collected green waste. On your regular trash day have your bagged collections of leaves, weeds, grass clippings and trimmings ready to be whisked away. I鈥檒l offer more about the rules next week, but here鈥檚 to starting this year鈥檚 outdoor season neat and tidy.
Happy Diggin鈥� In!
Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Diggin鈥� In, sa国际传媒官网网页入口, 7777 Jefferson NE, sa国际传媒官网网页入口, N.M. 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.
