A few concerns from a new gardener

[blaugranamd]

Hey folks! I really just started gardening last year and decided I would seek out some thoughts on how to improve what I'm doing this year and hopefully I've come to the right place. Here's my concerns:

-I have an asiatic lily area and some of them are absolutely thriving already around 2 feet tall. Others, particularly my stargazers, are only 3-6" tall. They were first planted last spring, grew up about a foot (again, the stargazers were much shorter) and then died off without bloom. Is there any way to help the ones that are struggling peak up? They get direct sun from about 11am til about or 7.

-Put down begonias on the inside of my small fenced in yard, in the shade about a month ago as well as pendula begonias in baskets around the same time. None of them are showing me signs of life yet... should I be concerned?

-I put down a group of acidantheria bulbs out in the full sun side of my apartment about a month ago as well, no signs of life. The gladiolus planted nearby at the same time are nearly a foot tall now! Again, is there cause for concern here?

Potentially pertinent information: The begonias, acidantheria, and gladiolus are all predominantly in clay soil. We live in an apartment with adjoining garden areas, so I'm not apt to do a lot of soil renovation. We're in zone 5 in Ohio. Thanks in advance for any help!

[bullthistle]

If you will not amend the soil don't expect much. Might as well flush the money down the toilet.

[blaugranamd]

If you will not amend the soil don't expect much. Might as well flush the money down the toilet.

I also neglected to mention I have begonias in hanging baskets in potting soil that have not sprouted either. Any suggestions there?

[applestar]

I think overall, the weather conditions are still a little cold and early (despite the unseasonable heat waves). I really suspect that's the reason for the bulbs not sprouting yet.

I have severe clay soil too and I think the Asiatic lilies are a little more tolerant of clay soil than Oriental lilies. Also was the Stargazer you purchased supposed to be the standard tall-growing kind? They should grow to 5-6 feet, but there ARE dwarf varieties that only grow to 2-3ft.

Try giving them organic bulb fertilizer like Espoma Bulb-tone or Dr. Earth, applied in a circle around where they are planted. A layer of good compost and -- after they start growing and the soil has warmed up -- a heavy organic mulch like leaves or straw (or newspaper/shredded office paper) and grass clippings would help improve the soil even if you don't do much digging.

[blaugranamd]

I don't believe they were supposed to be dwarfs. They also died off earlier last season than the rest. Would you recommend digging any of the bulbs up to see how they are doing?

[applestar]

That's certainly an option. Like tulips, lily bulbs are prone to predation by rodents, my oriental lilies were decimated by chipmunks and next summer a huge cluster of sunflower seedlings grew in the place the lilies used to be. I didn't think it was a fair trade especially considering the sunflower seeds were the ones I set out for the birds.

[blaugranamd]

Oh I didn't mean dig up the lillies. They're growing pretty well, save the stargazers. All the lilies were planted in a hole I filled with cheap top soil that our apartment complex provides. Given the previous advice about improving the soil, I grabbed a few bags, dug up the begonia bulbs (all of which showed no signs of growth) and dug up a large area and filled it with top soil then replanted them, watered in, and mulched over the whole bed. We'll see how they come up!

But that still leaves me wondering about the pendula begonias in the baskets as I hoped they'd be sprouting by now in the miracle gro potting soil...

[mizmegz]

I had the same problem with my stargazer the first year I planted it here. I have noticed in the last couple of years up here that a little fretilizer and water they seem to do ok . that and the oreintal(stargazer) grows at a slower rate them the asiactics. I wish you luck.