XPost: news.groups, misc.rural   
   From: firstnamelastinitial@peaksky.com   
      
   In article ,   
   dchadduck@comcast.net (Doug Chadduck) says...   
   > So when's the best time to apply the bone meal? I've never had the best   
   > of luck with Peonies, thought CA Bay Area is not the best local. I do   
   > keep trying. Grew up with peonies with dozens of 6" blossoms on every   
   > plant. Fragrance heavenly. Can still smell them 40 years later.   
      
   Early spring (March), before new growth starts.  Peonies get a lot of   
   benefit from the phosphate in the bone meal.  Also, make sure they are   
   not planted too deep.  Peonies are like gladiolus, the corm needs to be   
   very close to the surface.   
      
   You should be able to grow peonies nicely in the Bay Area.  They should   
   flower sometime around mid-May.  Don't let them get water stressed until   
   after bloom, then drop back on the water and let them work the roots a   
   little.  During the summer, only water when the leaves show water   
   stress, then give them a 12 hour slow irrigation set that will soak the   
   soil deeply.   
      
   It's rhubarb and strawberry time in Oregon right now.  I just made a   
   batch of strawberry-rhubarb jam last Thursday after work.  I had to buy   
   the strawberries, but I have a couple big rhubarb plants that are really   
   pretty in the landscaping.  I cut about 20 lbs. of rhubarb, so I ended   
   up spreading it around to my co-workers Friday.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)