LSU AgCenter Ornamental Horticulture E-News & Trial Garden Notes Early / Mid June 2015 Nursery, Landscape & Garden Center Updates

Compiled by Allen Owings, Professor (Horticulture), Hammond Research Station, LSU AgCenter Edited by Rick Bogren, Professor (Communications), LSU AgCenter Phone 985-543-4125; Email aowings@agcenter.lsu.edu; www.lsuagcenter.com/hammond

Landscape News Articles (from Allen Owings and Rick Bogren) SunPatiens – May 29 http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communications/news/headline_news/SunPatiens-produce-great-flowers-for-Louisiana-summers-.htm Crape Myrtles Highlight Summer Landscapes – June 5 http://www.lsuagcenter.com/news_archive/2015/June/headline_news/Crape-myrtles-highlight-summer-landscapes-.htm Hibiscus Choices – June 12 http://www.lsuagcenter.com/news_archive/2015/June/headline_news/Louisiana-gardeners-have-many-hibiscus-choices-.htm

Other Recent LSU AgCenter Horticulture Headline News Controlling Snails and Slugs – June 6 http://www.lsuagcenter.com/news_archive/2015/june/headline_news/control-slugs-snails-in-the-landscape.htm Landscape Problems with Vinca – June 2 http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communications/news/headline_news/Problems-appearing-in-Louisiana-vincas-.htm Classic and New Caladium Variety Research Recommendations – June 4 http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communications/news/headline_news/Classic-new-caladiums-recommended-for-Louisiana-gardens-.htm Two New LSU AgCenter Gardening Publications – June 4 http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communications/news/headline_news/AgCenter-has-two-new-gardening-publications-for-sale.htm

Ornamental Plants of the Week – June 2015 (from Allen Owings and Rick Bogren) Sun Coleus – June 1 It is not too late in the warm season to add coleus to the Louisiana landscape. Most of the new coleuses on the market are "sun types." These include a nice collection from Ball FloraPlant (Henna, Mint Mocha, Indian Summer, Redhead, Trusty Rusty, Wasabi

and Honey Crisp). Another great newer variety is Golden Dream from Proven Winners. The newer coleuses are less prone to early-season flowering and have even more enhanced foliage colors. Plants last until killing frost. Pinch once or twice early in the year to encourage lateral branching and aid in minimizing flower production. We grow coleus for foliage, not flowers. Minimum fertilization and irrigation are needed. Scarlet Sage – June 8 Scarlet sage is scientifically known as Salvia coccinea. This is a species of salvia that looks like a perennial but is generally not cold hardy in Louisiana. It is a re-seeding annual in the majority of the state but can be an “in-ground” perennial in warmer summer locations. All salvias do best in full sun. They prefer well-drained soil and can be planted spring through mid-to-late summer. Flowering is abundant during the summer and fall months. Plants attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Pinch occasionally to control height and encourage more bloom formation. Varieties include the popular Lady in Red, Snow Nymph (white flowers) and Coral Nymph (coral, pink flowers). A new group is the Summer Jewel varieties in white, red and pink forms. Summer Jewel varieties grow 18-24 inches compared to heights of 30-36 inches for the other varieties. These plants are easy to grow from seed and many varieties are All-America Selection winners. Cora and Nirvana Vinca – June 15 Vinca is the most popular, most sold and most planted warm-season bedding plant in Louisiana. We sometimes call this plant periwinkle.

Vinca (Catharanthus roseus) is highly drought-tolerant and has a long blooming season. It also can tolerate the highest temperatures we face during the summer growing season. For success, plant vinca May 1 or later. The soil needs to be acid for best results. Limit the amount of overhead irrigation and plant in full sun. Top varieties to plant are the seed-propagated Cora and the vegetatively propagated Nirvana. Both are available in upright and cascading growth forms. Plants last in the landscape until first frost in the fall. Bandana Lantanas – June 22 The Bandana series of lantanas have now been on the market for a number of years. They were the first group of smaller-growing, smaller-mounding varieties. These are attractive plants and offer new options in lantana selection for the Louisiana landscape. The Bandana series offers a few new colors in lantana flowers. In addition, the growth habit is restrained, and mounding makes for an attractive appearance. Plants grow 16-18 inches tall with an equal width. Varieties include Cherry, Cherry Sunrise, Orange Sunrise, Trailing Gold, Red, Rose, Peach, Light Yellow and Lemon Zest. Lantanas need full sun and are very drought tolerant. Bandana lantanas are LSU AgCenter Louisiana Super Plants. Ornamental Sweet Potatoes – June 29 Ornamental sweet potatoes are popular warm-season annuals for adding foliage color to the summer landscape. The original varieties include plants with leaves that are chartreuse-lime green (Marguerite), blackish purple (Blackie, Black Beauty, Ace of Spades) and tricolored (Pink Frost). Now we have bronze and red foliaged varieties. New ornamental sweet potato varieties recently introduced have various leaf shapes and growth habits, too. These sweet potatoes have been selected for shorter stems between the leaves and smaller roots. They are more compact than most other ornamental sweet potato varieties.

Some of the new sweet potatoes are more conducive to trellising and for being “spiller” or “filler” plants in containers when compared with older varieties. Some of these new varieties may produce significant flowering during summer through fall, while others seldom flower. New varieties at the garden centers include Sweet Caroline, Sidekick, Desana, South of the Border, Bright Ideas, Sweet Georgia and Illusion. Ornamental sweet potatoes in the landscape are easy to plant and care for. Plants prefer full to partial sun landscapes. Plant anytime through midsummer. Ornamental sweet potatoes seldom need irrigation – just during 1-to-2-week dry spells. Lightly prune the more vigorous growers during the season to manage growth.

Mid South Green Industry Conference – June 2015

Mid South Green Industry Conference – we skipped a year. We are now northbound

and down to Starkville. Hotel accommodations (Cutoff June 8): Comfort Suites, 801

Russell St., Starkville, Mississippi. Mention Green Industry Conference ($89 king nightly

rate) 662-324-9595

http://msnla.org/msnla/green-industry-conf/

Louisiana Super Plants – Listing of All Plants

LSU AgCenter Plant Diagnostic Clinic

LSU AgCenter Soil Testing and Plant Analysis Lab