Comments on: hot plant: stewartia, an ideal small tree http://awaytogarden.com/hot-plant-stewartia-an-ideal-small-tree Organic gardening inspiration from Margaret Roach Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:28:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Margaret http://awaytogarden.com/hot-plant-stewartia-an-ideal-small-tree/comment-page-3#comment-292719 Margaret Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:58:03 +0000 http://awaytogarden.com/?p=608#comment-292719 Hi, Joyce. Squirrels! No telling if they'll even take interest in the same tree next year, but as for what to do to deter them wherever they are, I am not aware of any secrets. They really have minds of their own. Short of hiring a licensed nuisance wildlife control operator (in the yellow pages) -- but that really seems extreme. :) Fingers crossed that they simply take interest in something else next year -- my local group seems to have some new obsession every year. By the way, I'm sure the flower buds "blasted" (failed to open) because of the stress of transplanting, and hopefully the plant starts to settle in over the spring and summer ahead. Sometimes even a year in the ground it can be a little sulky -- not just Stewartia, but any tree or shrub that has been through root disturbance -- so don't panic if it's less than full bloom in 2012, especially after a summer planting just he year before. It's worth the wait. Hi, Joyce. Squirrels! No telling if they’ll even take interest in the same tree next year, but as for what to do to deter them wherever they are, I am not aware of any secrets. They really have minds of their own. Short of hiring a licensed nuisance wildlife control operator (in the yellow pages) — but that really seems extreme. :) Fingers crossed that they simply take interest in something else next year — my local group seems to have some new obsession every year.

By the way, I’m sure the flower buds “blasted” (failed to open) because of the stress of transplanting, and hopefully the plant starts to settle in over the spring and summer ahead. Sometimes even a year in the ground it can be a little sulky — not just Stewartia, but any tree or shrub that has been through root disturbance — so don’t panic if it’s less than full bloom in 2012, especially after a summer planting just he year before. It’s worth the wait.

]]> By: Joyce Meckes http://awaytogarden.com/hot-plant-stewartia-an-ideal-small-tree/comment-page-3#comment-292158 Joyce Meckes Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:07:41 +0000 http://awaytogarden.com/?p=608#comment-292158 I purchased a Stewartia tree during the summer of 2011. It was about 5 ft. tall. It had many blossoms on it . I expected them to open in the fall. They didn't open and the squirrels invaded it and retreived the blossoms. I put a wind chime in the inner branches hoping to discourage them. The leaves turned a beautiful golden color as fall approached. I hope to get flowers next season. Is their any approach to discouraging the squirrels? I purchased a Stewartia tree during the summer of 2011. It was about 5 ft. tall. It had many blossoms on it . I expected them to open in the fall. They didn’t open and the squirrels invaded it and retreived the blossoms. I put a wind chime in the inner branches hoping to discourage them. The leaves turned a beautiful golden color as fall approached. I hope to get flowers next season. Is their any approach to discouraging the squirrels?

]]> By: Margaret http://awaytogarden.com/hot-plant-stewartia-an-ideal-small-tree/comment-page-3#comment-143327 Margaret Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:19:02 +0000 http://awaytogarden.com/?p=608#comment-143327 Hi, Catherine. I have always selected from among the plants at the nursery for one with the basic structure I prefer. I like ones that "break low" rather than having a single trunk with branches that start higher up it. I have never tried to train or otherwise correctively prune a Stewartia myself, so I don't know if the 3-footer you have is already off to a strong start as a single-stem (whether someone has directed its form or not already, or whether it is the shape it is naturally) or has the potential to train from this point onward. Basically the idea is that the dominant vertical leader is cut out or reduced to encourage other trunks, and they are spaced well apart, not all bunched up; this is usually started from a very young age. I would NOT recommend trying this without advice from someone who can a) see your plant and its potential, and b) has experience doing such pruning. I don't have a book here with a good diagram to take you through the steps, and again, I suspect with your 3-foot tree may already be well along in showing its habit, no? Hi, Catherine. I have always selected from among the plants at the nursery for one with the basic structure I prefer. I like ones that “break low” rather than having a single trunk with branches that start higher up it. I have never tried to train or otherwise correctively prune a Stewartia myself, so I don’t know if the 3-footer you have is already off to a strong start as a single-stem (whether someone has directed its form or not already, or whether it is the shape it is naturally) or has the potential to train from this point onward. Basically the idea is that the dominant vertical leader is cut out or reduced to encourage other trunks, and they are spaced well apart, not all bunched up; this is usually started from a very young age. I would NOT recommend trying this without advice from someone who can a) see your plant and its potential, and b) has experience doing such pruning. I don’t have a book here with a good diagram to take you through the steps, and again, I suspect with your 3-foot tree may already be well along in showing its habit, no?

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