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WEIRD DUDE'S  Philosophy on Growing Plants

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Weird Dude's Plant Zoo, L.L.C., 1164 Frog Pond Road, Staunton, Virginia 24401. Telephone 540-886-6364. Fax 540-885-8223. E-mail us at info@weirddudesplantzoo.com

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PLANTS ACT VERY MUCH like people. All go through certain daily activities that are necessary to live. Some tolerate a wide range of temperature change and others do not. Some deal better with adversity than others. Some just flake out under stress and go south. All plants, like all people, thrive when they are situated in the conditions they love best. We at Weird Dude's Plant Zoo will do our very best to help you choose the best plants for your conditions, so that your new plants can thrive.

SUNLIGHT is the least understood aspect of gardening. Morning sun, from sunrise until noon, is by far the most beneficial light for optimum plant growth and inflorescence (bloom production). As temperatures increase with the afternoon sun, many plants tend to conserve their energy, which causes temporary wilting, decreased leaf size, and/or decreased or nonexistent blooms. Some plants will not bloom at all without morning sun. Some plants require all day sun to be at their best. However, morning shade and afternoon sun is the most inefficient light for plant growth. When in doubt, morning sun is the best light. If you have morning shade/afternoon sun, do not let this prevent you from trying to grow plants in that spot. Plants actually are more adaptable than most people. Keep an open mind, be observant, and be willing to move plants that are not thriving in the spot you chose for them.

BESIDES PROPER SUNLIGHT, the key to success in growing is providing proper soil texture and drainage. Most of our offerings prefer, and many require, well-drained soil. Well-drained soil means that water never stands in that soil. Poorly draining soil, like heavy clay soil, will allow water to puddle. This means certain death for some plants, especially in the winter. For most plants, heavy clay soil must be amended to provide sufficient water runoff and oxygen to the root zone. Organic materials, such as compost, peat moss, or well-aged manure, are the best ways to improve the texture of a heavy clay soil. On the other hand, extremely sandy soils are excessively drained and for most plants should be augmented with the addition of the same organic materials to hold more water.

WE OFTEN PUSH THE ZONES on growing plants. In other words, we grow plants in our zone 6b climate that are hardiness-rated for anywhere from one to two zones warmer. Your hardiness zone is an expression of the average low temperature in your area. This is a guideline and is not written in stone. Most properties have microclimates that can vary as much as a full zone from your general area on the hardiness zone map. Some plants can be planted deeper and will thus survive a colder zone.

PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUSHING THE ZONES: To plant deeper, dig a hole 3 to 6 inches deeper than the depth of the root ball. The depth is dictated by the difference between the hardiness rating for your plant and your zone. Be sure the soil at the bottom of the hole is well drained. Plant the top of the root ball 3 to 6 inches deeper than the ground level, but do not fill in the hole the first growing season. (To gain the satisfaction and rewards of successfully pushing the zones, you must be willing to put up with a little inconvenience.) In the fall after frost has killed the foliage back, cut the plant off at ground level and fill in the open hole with loose, organic soil. Mulch with a 4- to 6-inch layer of pine needles. Remove the pine needle mulch in spring after danger of frost. Be patient, as this planting technique will mean that your plant will emerge from the ground later than your hardy perennials. Remember, the key to successfully growing plants in zones colder than their normal limits is always to provide excellent winter drainage. If we have found that one of our plants can be grown successfully in zones colder than its normal rating, we will refer you to these instructions in the on-line catalogue description for that plant.

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