Vine pruning and support

I arrived by bicycle again today. The weather was cool - low 60s F- and almost drizzling. But, the bike ride was pleasant enough to enjoy.

Al... was the only person in the workroom when I arrived at 10a. She had finished watering all of the rooms. She suggested I could work on vine maintenance in room 3c, which I did.

I first inspected the low table holding the vining plants in 3C. I decided what tools I’d need, and returned to the workroom to gather the supplies: pail, clippers, green tape, latex gloves, bucket of soapy water.

I started by cleaning the soot from a “scrambling” hydrangea (Hydrangea obtusifolia, scrambling shrub, native of China) sitting next to a small wood trellis. Next, I selected the longest tendrils on the hydrangea plant and attached them to the trellis using the green stretchy tape. I was careful to attach the vine tendrils on one side of the trellis only because there was another different vining on the opposite side of the trellis. Later, I read the plant is not considered a climbing hydrangea, but rather a scrambling hydrangea. The two most common species of climbing hydrangeas are H. integrifolia and H. serratifolia (both are evergreen). H. seemannii is a climber, but not evergreen.

Having finished the side with the hydrangea, I went to the opposite side of the trellis to take down and reattach the Delavay honeysuckle (Lonicera similis, from Asia). The vine had a fragrant and showy spray of white and yellow tubular blossoms at the end of one of the main branches. As I left the building for the day I told Curator J... what I had done to the hydrangea and honeysuckle vines. He is doubtful the hydrangea will act like a climbing plant. He is likely correct.

Finally, I washed sooty mold off the leaves of 3 other vining plants on the same bench as the two vines mentioned already.

B... introduced me to Intern D..., who is a new intern at the Greenhouse.

September 7th, 2023 (photos above)

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