Hi. I'm new to gardening in this area, central Virginia, and this is my first summer here. I know this summer has been much drier as was the spring, and the summer has also been cooler (though still lots of days in the 90s.) So, not a typical season.

There is a dogwood tree in the front yard where I live whose leaves are beginning to turn red, here in early August. I seem to remember dogwoods do turn early but wanted to check if this might be a sign of soil deficiency ( which I suspect there is a lot of here, I've been working with the soil mainly in the back yard.)

Appreciate any dogwood wisdom.

Thanks!
Kyla

(sorry, not able to post a picture at this time.)

hi, Kyla, welcome! So glad to have you join us!

I just went out and checked my dogwood and found this--the first red leaves of the season!



It does seem early, doesn't it? I remember it was early last year too!

Hey, thanks, Catmint, I am somewhat reassured. Maybe it just seems early because time has been zooming by so fast?

(the pleasures of a new forum: learning the smilies. )

Anyway, I'm going to keep an eye out around here for others turning red, just for more reassurance.

I know--aren't the smilies great?

Kyla! I don't know why the dogwood leaves seem to be changing early but I have noticed it too. We've had several nights of fairly cool weather. Maybe the plants are getting confused and thinking it's Fall already.

Oh that might explain what I was seeing the other day.

I was driving on 95 and noticed red leaves on the side of the highway. I couldn't figure out what I was seeing and wanted to turn back around but obviously that wasn't possible.

@catmint20906, my redtwig dogwood leaves turning red. I thought maybe it was diseased! It's too early!

Hi Kyla! Is Richmond really 7a? I thought that part of VA was warmer...?

hi @Ssgardener ! You inspired me to go check my red twig dogwood and sure enough--leaves are turning orange here and there.

Here is what my pink dogwood looks like this morning. The leaves look rather dull and dark looking. I have no idea if they will turn red or just fall off as is. We have had plenty of rain but I still say the sun is burning here like I have never seen before. Mine look more like they are going to curl up and fall off. Good Grief.

It is only10:30 and the greenhouse is already in the 90s. Here I go , another day of greenhouse stress.

ssgardener said:

Hi Kyla! Is Richmond really 7a? I thought that part of VA was warmer...?

Hi there! and thanks for the welcome.

Near as I can tell, Richmond is 7a but I have a hard time with those maps! I'm happy to be corrected by any natives who know better.

@JB Yup! That's exactly what these look like, but I am inspired to investigate dogwood leaf times now because I do think generally they are early turners.... However, I have so many things I am suddenly investigating I'm not sure dogwood is going to get its turn very soon. Now I know this one here is not in trouble, that is.

We can only hope they turn. Is it true that every other year is dogwood year... by that I mean like lilacs and those other plants that seem to flurish every other year and bloom constantly one year then the next they seem to just have normal amounts of blooms. Am I saying that right? Oh well, I hope you know what I mean. I think this year the pink dogwood was not as pretty as last year and it is just outside my bedroom window and beside my south deck. I notice it since I see it daily.



This was taken April of 2013. I never even took pictures this year since it did not seem to be very pretty.

Kyla, I found this hardiness zone map which has Richmond as 7a, but it doesn't seem to reflect the rezoning we had a year or two ago. E.g., it still has my zip code down as 6b but I am now 7a. Maybe Richmond has been rezoned as 7b, since we are now 7a here?
http://www.plantmaps.com/inter...

JB, I'm not sure about the dogwood blooms. I know mine and others in my area were beautiful this year. Maybe it has to do with the weather?

kylaluaz said:@JB Yup! That's exactly what these look like, but I am inspired to investigate dogwood leaf times now because I do think generally they are early turners.... However, I have so many things I am suddenly investigating I'm not sure dogwood is going to get its turn very soon. Now I know this one here is not in trouble, that is.

hi, Kyla. Would love to hear more about all the things you're investigating right now!

Looks like you are a composter!

That's a good map -- that is, it's readable. And it shows Richmond as 7a.

I'm sure all the things I am investigating will make themselves known here. Probably not all in this thread, though.

And yes, composting is the first thing I do in any new garden, pretty much. Get that set up and then I feel I can operate.

PS HA! I checked the updated map and it looks like it splits Richmond into two thirds 7a, one third 7b. In any case, it's right on the boundary, and since I am in the northern part, I would still be 7a according to that.

what do you use as a container?

I'm 7a but lost a lot of my zone 7 plants this past winter.

Yeah, I heard it was a harsh winter here. Though one friend rolled her eyes when I said that and replied, "People always say that."



Compost I enclose in a wire fence cylinder. I like what they call "hog fence" because it isn't any stronger than it needs to be, and I can manipulate it just fine.

It keeps everything contained and provides for plenty of aeration. When I'm ready to harvest compost, I just lift off the cylinder, fork the top parts which are still working onto a tarp, removed the lower parts that are ready to use (and put them in some container like a Rubbermaid bin or the like), replace the cylinder and used the unfinished stuff to start the new pile. Easy peasy.

This is my previous compost you can sort of see in the center of the image. That wire fencing is a bit sturdier than what I have now but I was fortunate to live near a farm supply place that would cut me a length of it! The stuff I have now I had to scrounge. But scrounged fencing works just fine. (I'm sure I have better pictures somewhere, this one was just easy to find.)

That's pretty cool! About how long does it take before it's ready to harvest?

I have a large plastic thing with lots of holes that I got free from the County. I wanted to get out there and put my pile of plant trimmings and dried leaves into it but then sprained my ankle and so haven't been able to do much in the yard for the past month.

I've noticed there is no composting forum here (I think?) Maybe I should suggest one.

The length of time varies according to all the variable factors, can vary from a few weeks to several months.