13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

rogue21: Your link shows the straight species. It isn't too general; that is just the original plant that occurs in nature. All of the others, such as 'Sentimental Blue' and 'Astra Double Blue' are cultivars (cultivated varieties) of the original Platycodon grandiflorus species meaning that they were developed through selective breeding of P. grandiflorus. This is probably more detail than you care for, but I hope it helps.

rouge21 -- sorry for the misspell

there are no controls ... there are preventatives ...

at this time.. you plan on full fall cleanup.. get rid of all fallen leaves.. etc..

and perhaps spray everything down with a proper spray ...

and then in spring.. you prevent.. before it appears. ...

do you spray your plants down after work every night ... if so.. you are the problem.. get a breaker bar ... and water the soil.. and keep the plants dry going into dark ...

and if you can thin out the garden a bit .. so there is air movement.. that will help..

i used to do it all the time.. and when i quit watering the leaves.. 90% of the problem went away ... and the other 10%.. i jsut got rid of the plants ...

also look for PM resistant varieties ...

i have friends in the cleveland area.. you should not be having this problem any greater than anywhere else ... unless something is going on in your particular garden.. which is aggravating it ...

and no.. its ugly... but usually not harmful ....

and like any other garden plague.. we have bad years.. and good years ...

the simplest preventative is baking soda and water ...

ken

Jake, do us a favor and google powdery mildew images and let us know if that's what appears to be on your plants....or not.

The one thing that bothers me about your description is the mention of two or more different kinds of plants. PMs are very species specific; the strain that affects spirea (for example) can't also infect weigela...or anything else but other spirea.

If it is PM it can be one of the easiest of the fungal disorders to prevent and cure (if the infection is not too severe) . Minor problems can simply be sprayed away with plain water. This particular disease does not need water to germinate as do other fungi. Humidity, but not free water.

Neem oil is an excellent product to both protect and cure PM problems and is something I readily recommend for this purpose.
There are also a number of commercial fungicides labeled for this disease, but I've never found them necessary.

As others have mentioned, plain old housekeeping chores are really important...so after you determine for sure that this is the disease that's pestering your plants and then let us help.

Many nurseries are stocking fall annuals like pansies and mums now. You may want to wait around till Spring and see if it comes in or just ask people at the nursery whether they typically get Floss Flower (Ageratum) in Spring.

It is also ridiculously easy from seed and you are more likely to find it in that form (at least in the UK unless it is a very short form used a bedding plant).

campanula - that description doesn't sound like M moschata to me. I consider it a very pretty wild flower and in its white form a nice garden plant. I don't recognise the 'grey flowers' and 'big greyish felty leaves' at all. Are we talking about the same plant? Felty leaves sounds more like Marsh Mallow.

Oh yep, you are absolutely right, Flora - am confusing musk mallow (M.moschata) with marshmallow (althea officianalis). I have had them both but they were banished in favour of their more floriferous relatives (Sphaeralcea, Sidalcea, Malvastrum et al) And therein lies the clue to my dissatisfaction since I absolutely LOVE the mallow shape but was just disenchanted with the quantity of leafage to flower (and a slightly anaemic pink) and a horrid feeling that I was inviting more of the dreadful M.sylvestris anywhere near my allotment (my slacker neighbours are infested with it and it really has become my most hated weed by a long, long way).

Rouge, I have a long handled bulb planter (I use it for potatoes too). I usually corrall my oldest son (and keenest gardener) and we do it in pairs - one of us uses the bulb-planter while the other one places the bulbs in the nice deep hole. I emphasise here - it MUST be a long handled planter with good foot treads, a bit like a decent spade (what you guys refer to as a shovel, I think). A good tool is absolutely top tip for any gardening efforts, I think, and a decent bulbplanter will get into quite small spaces without wrecking existing planting.
Also, Rouge, I have planted between perennials many times and you are right, it is exhausting - the tulips are usually planted in the veggie beds (deep because I plant veggies on top of them when the leaves have gone over) or around the edges of beds. This year, I replaced a row of redcurrants on cordons so there is a space for a couple of hundred tulips along the cordon edge. Also, there are many between the autumn raspberries and between the roses - you get the picture - I tend to plant where there is enough space to do a whole drift without much effort.
Last year, I also renewed a lot of narcissus and I have to say, that exercise was a lot more tiring since they were planted in clumps between existing perennials...so I fully sympathise. Tulips are planted late here (November or even December) when much of the autumn clearance has been done so again, it is an easy job to tackle.
Don't be disheartened though, bulbs are the gardeners friends - so reliable, cheap and effective.

campanula wrote: you get the picture

And you promise to get that picture thing together by next spring...right? ;)

I'm the type of gardener that sees something I like, and plants it everywhere!
I received some Laura Bush petunia seeds a few yrs ago and poof! My yard is purple lol.
I still love the LB petunias but they attack my other plants.

this is a planter my daughter filled with snap dragons, lobelia, marigolds sweetpeas and one tiny LB petunia. I cut it back once to give the other plants a chance but she grew right back.

That's a beautiful petunia. If you gotta have an overly pushy plant, at least it's a pretty one!

Thank you, auntyara. That was the site where I found the size and zones listed in the original post.

Have you tried calling High Country Gardens? They grow what they sell, so they should be able to help you.

That is a beautiful plant, by the way.

campanula, it is 'Canary Feathers' (yellow flower) I am interested in saving. And from what I understand this particular Corydalis is *not* a spreader.

(I have a couple Corydalis 'Wildside' as my blue Corydalis. I was hoping that it wouldnt go dormant this summer but it did. It is only now when things have cooled off and we have got more rain that it is looking perkier and likely to bloom again.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Canary Feathers

I hope you can see a couple of maybe 3 of my 'Lutea' against the fence on the right side in our corner garden. They provide eye catching colour in a very shady area of this garden and seem to look good when wedged in next to other plants eg columbine and heuchera and hosta.

dcrosby, my recommendation was that you should add compost to the planting hole for aeration and soil conditioning, but for the particular plants you mention, there really isn't a pressing need for fertilizer. Gaillardia really needs drainage more than anything. Rudbeckia is pretty much bulletproof in my experience.

That said, for plants that could benefit from it, I mix some slow-release granular fertilizer (Osmocote) mixed with the soil at planting time. This won't hurt anything, but some plants actually resent rich soil so you have to amend the soil based on what particular plant you are planting.

I would do this whether planting in Fall (so the plant can get established before frost) or Spring.

well, the hardy geraniums are classic in front of roses. I have a rather lovely polemonium, Lambrooke Mauve which, being sterile, flowers throughout the season. Then there are smaller phlox such as P.carolina or even P.maculata and even asters may well do the trick.

(I have coneflowers coming out of my ears already)

==>> can we have a picture, please???

rotflmbo..

ken

Thank you so much those who replied! It is indeed Euphorbia/Spurge! i'm thrilled to know the name of my little spikey friend!

Here is a link that might be useful: My Website

you may well end up with rather a lot of your little spikey friend though! A terrific runner in my sandy soil.

Thank you, all, for taking the time to identify this plant. Much appreciated.

Now I want one too! It's adorable!