Q. Are you able to inform me about this plant that grew in my yard?
My mom planted some bulbs for spring onions, after which these unidentified vegetation began rising. I pulled a number of out, considering it was some type of weed, however a pair have been left and the following factor we knew, they produced a good looking flower, which at all times was closed by the point I acquired dwelling within the night.
Not too long ago, I used to be dwelling, and I acquired to witness it.
Danguole, Dublin, Eire
A. The flowers your mum by accident grew within the onion patch are tiger flowers (Tigridia pavonia). They’re native to Mexico, however are cultivated all through the world. They’re a part of the iris household, they usually usually are mistaken for gladiolas due to their sparse, sword-like foliage.
The tri-petal blooms are open for under a day, however the plant produces a number of flowers — and what superb flowers they’re.
I’m undecided how the tiger flower bulbs acquired combined in with onion bulbs, however until your mom or a really shut neighbor has others rising shut by, it’s possible these have been mislabeled. The flower bulbs — for those who’re maintaining them — must be dug up and divided each three years. Should you stay in a zone with notably chilly winters, you would possibly have to dig them up and retailer them indoors till spring.
Don’t prune the tiger flower till the foliage dies and turns brown within the autumn. Permitting the foliage to proceed to develop after the flowers have light will assist replenish the bulb and enhance the probabilities they are going to bloom once more in spring.
Q. I stay in an older house constructing, and there’s a lengthy driveway resulting in the rear with double curbs about 18 inches aside, stuffed with small rocks. There are not any vegetation or shrubbery, however there’s one peach tree close to the tip.
The tree isn’t pruned or watered, however annually bears a lot fruit that lots of the branches actually snap. This 12 months, nevertheless, one thing very unusual occurred.
The tree produced a few quarter of its normal yield, and the peaches are the dimensions of grapefruit. The fruit is as candy and attractive as ever, however only one is sufficient for 2 meals.
Oops, what occurred right here? What message is Mom Nature sending? My neighbors and I are confused.
Joe Hargrove, Santa Clara
A. A few issues could also be accountable. The peach tree could have discovered simply the correct climate situations to supply scrumptious fruit, and somebody or one thing appears to have thinned the fruit early within the season.
Gardeners battle with the thought of eradicating — or thinning — what appears like completely good fruit with a view to produce fewer, however tastier and bigger ones. Thinning means the fruit has much less competitors for a tree’s sources, and fruit grows bigger when it isn’t crowded on the tree. An excessive amount of fruit, as you’ve seen, can break and harm limbs, so thinning helps on the market, too.
Whether or not a gardener took pity on the tree and thinned the crop, the wind knocked some off or animals helped themselves at an important time, I can’t say. However one thing labored this 12 months.
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Use this kind to submit questions. Pictures must be mailed individually to jmorris@bayareanewsgroup.com.
