Those freeway margins may be irrigated. I didn’t realize the suburban roadside trees got watered till a pipe burst and I called the city. Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 30, 2018, at 12:27 PM, Ken Traynham <ktraynham@gmail.com> wrote: > > On Dec 30, 2018 3:24 PM, "Ceridwen Lloyd" <ceridwen@internode.on.net> wrote: > > That’s interesting Mike because I’m in zone 9, you’d think similar enough > climate conditions, and Romneya for me, shown a little kindness, turned > into a thug! I’d put it into our rocky clay which I’d amended with cow poo > and pea straw. It got watered briefly on alternate days in summer > (automatic system.) it completely took over I ended up having to dig it > (and it’s legion of suckers) all out over several years. Next time I’ll put > it in the hellish dolomite that borders out driveway. > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On 31 Dec 2018, at 05:56, Michael Mace <michaelcmace@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> Leo wrote: >> >>>> As followup, the Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri) I wrote about in the >> fall died within days of being in the 110+ F / 43+C weather, even kept in >> the shade and not allowed to go dry. I don't think the Sunset book is >> accurate when it says it thrives in All Zones. >> >> For what it's worth, I live in the proper climate for Romneya and struggle >> to get it to grow. I think it's very sensitive to soil and watering times. >> >> I planted it in my heavy clay soil and treated like a California native > (no >> water in summer). It died within a year. >> >> So I planted it in an amended mound with good drainage, and pampered it > with >> some supplemental water in summer. It died within a year. >> >> Finally in desperation I planted it on a slope in unamended clay soil, > next >> to a native buckwheat that I planted at the same time. Both plants were >> given very occasional water in the first summer (maybe once a month). The >> buckwheat thrived, and the Romneya struggled through the first year. Since >> then it's been about three years and I haven't given either of them >> supplemental water at all. The buckwheat is very happy, and the Romneya is >> still alive. It puts up a couple of shoots a year that get about a foot >> (.3m) tall. No flowers yet. I figure if I leave it alone maybe it'll >> eventually establish itself and take off (I've had other plants do that). >> >> So, it can tolerate dryness all summer when in the ground. But getting it > to >> thrive, rather than just survive, can be tricky. >> >> I suspect those freeway margins with huge masses of Romneya (some of which >> are near my house) are gravelly soil where the plants can establish more >> easily. >> >> Mike >> San Jose, CA >> (Zone 9, min temp 20F / -7C) >> >> _______________________________________________ >> pbs mailing list >> pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net >> http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/…