Homesteaders

[rancher hicks]

Do we have some zone 5 people here who have "butterfly bushes"? Can you give me some advice on how you care for yours? Do you have pics?

 

[duluthralphie]

Do we have some zone 5 people here who have "butterfly bushes"? Can you give me some advice on how you care for yours? Do you have pics?

Some of us wish we were as high a zone as 5......Geesch you southerners!!

BTW My BIL lives in Syracuse, I am always ribbing him about being a southerner and losing his winter hardiness he was raised with.

 

[Woodsdweller]

Do we have some zone 5 people here who have "butterfly bushes"?   Can you give me some advice on how you care for yours?  Do you have pics?  

I basically ignore mine... that is until I have to chop them back....... with a chainsaw.

 

[duluthralphie]

OK, I am confused is butterfly bush the name of a bush or just a bush butterflies hang out on?


I was thinking it was like Milkweeds are for Monarch's.

 

[rancher hicks]

It is the name of the bush because it attracts butterflies. I will be happy if mine gets to look like this.

 

[rancher hicks]

 

[rancher hicks]

WHAT HAPPENED TO MY POTATOES?

I planted them in towers just like the article said. I did add some more soil too. I watered too. But just now when I pulled the towers there was nothing. The potatoes I planted were gone with the exception of about five little marble sized ones.

They grew just like the picture said but no potatoes.

When potatoes flower are the flowers supposed to be left on? The first two towers got flowers but I cut them off thinking they like Tulips would use up the food from the potato bulb. Was that a mistake?

The others did not flower that I saw.

What did I do wrong?

 

[Beekissed]

Mine did the same thing this season...all tops, very little bloom, no tubers. I had taters planted in the compost bin, three other places in the compost around my apple tree saplings and three rows in the garden and all turned out the same. All tops, no bottoms and what small spuds there were growing, were all scabby and misshapen. Some of my tater vines were 5 ft long and very thick circumference.

 

[rancher hicks]

I have some in the compost and I have been tilling them up but we shall see.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

I planted 1 row (30 feet or so long) with seed spuds. I did ok but not great. I got a plastic sled full from my row.