As I read about how to take care of my post-holiday poinsettia, I see that I am doing some things wrong! That's no surprise, though. I have been working to get the watering right - not too dry or too wet and not sitting in water. However, the environmental temperature seems to be not so good in my house. According to a Yard & Garden Brief produced by the University of Minnesota Extension (http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h102poinsettia.html), poinsettias should get at least six hours of bright sunny natural daylight and stay between 65 and 70 degrees. I can get the sunlight for the plant, however we keep our house primarily at 65 degrees during the day, but let the indoor temperature fall at night. In order to resolve this problem, I may need to move the plant between day and night locations. I may need to put it on an inside wall near my aquariums at night - this may be the place where the temperature drops the least at night. And during the day, it should be close to the windows in the southeast room in my house.
For additional optimal care of poinsettias, the Yard & Garden Brief recommends fertilizing the plant 6-8 weeks after acquiring it. This will help maintain the nice foliage and allow for new growth. As with all potted plants, follow the directions on the label of the houseplant fertilizer but mix to half-strength. This will help prevent over fertilization - the symptoms of which cannot be reversed. According to the Yard & Garden Brief referenced above, repeat again in another 6-8 weeks.
By the time summer rolls around, you can re-pot and prune the plant back, allowing for further growth. And for those who are most ambitious, check back to the Yard & Garden Brief to understand the process for making it bloom again for the next holiday season!
For now, I will use this information to try to keep my poinsettia nice for as long as possible. I wish you luck in doing the same!
By the way, while I lived in northeast Florida, we would often take holiday poinsettias and plant them in the ground. They made a very interesting bush that would easily grow to five feet tall. Every few years, a killing frost would cut it back to the ground, but it would survive and grow again.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Holiday And Houseplant Care
Happy New Year! Now that the holidays are winding up, what do we do with these holiday plants? We might have poinsettias, amaryllis, holiday cacti, and the likes sitting around the house. And with these, I really don't want to throw them out - I'd almost rather slowly kill them in my dry, winter indoor climate, than just throw them out! But, in trying to be a better plant-owner, I thought it would be good to review some basics on houseplant care and specific care for these plants.
Basically, houseplants need adequate light, water, and food in the proper amount and quality. Too little or too much of any of these things can cause stress on houseplants. Other factors include humidity, ventilation, and temperature.
Light is usually a challenge with indoor plants. Most plants struggle to get enough light indoors. My best spot for sun in my house is a room situated on the southeast corner of my house. It is the brightest room for the longest time of the day. For these most common holiday plants, they will need as much quality light as possible. Regarding other common houseplants, it is almost impossible for a plant to get too much light inside a home or other building.
Watering is another essential in caring for indoor plants. According to the University of Minnesota Extension, houseplants are most commonly over watered. And this is the opposite of my problem - under watering. Some houseplants do better slightly with slightly drier conditions, where others do better with a little more water. The best advice I can give is to regularly check on all houseplants. As a general rule, if you push your finger into the soil by about one to one-and-a-half inches and you don't feel moisture, it's time to water. If you do feel some moisture, let the plant go another day and check it again. In our northern heated houses, it is very important to keep in mind that the indoor humidity is very low. Therefore, plants will dry out quickly.
I had a visitor on New Year's Eve who noted that my plants were very dry. I hadn't checked on them for two days and they seemed like they hadn't been watered for weeks! (Please note here that I am a recovering plant torturer and killer. I am really trying to do better, but need to change old habits!)
One problem with over watering, is that if a plant's roots stay wet all the time, most plants will develop root rot. This will lead to certain death of the plant. Poinsettias are especially prone to this problem. If left in the common decorative foil pot covering, make sure to remove it for watering purposes. Saturate the soil and allow it to totally drain out before returning the plant to the foil. This practice is a good rule of thumb for all houseplants. Water thoroughly and allow to drain out. If pots are set in saucers, empty the saucers after 10 or 15 minutes or the soil may draw the water back up, thus over saturating the plant.
This also brings us to a side topic of soil. It's important to have proper exposure to air, nutrients, and water. Also, the soil should drain well, but also retain some water for use by the plant. It's easiest for me to simply find a good potting soil at a garden center. Those more discerning can put together a custom blend of garden loam, organic matter, and sand. The North Dakota State University Extension Service has a great publication on houseplants, including details about building and pasteurizing your own potting soil. The web address is: http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/landscap/pp744.pdf.
And finally, it's good to give your houseplants some food once in a while, too. Plants do make their own food through the process of photosynthesis. Supplemental food can be given through use of a fertilizer. Fertilize only during the time when the plant is actively growing and not under stress. When using a commercial fertilizer, read all the label instructions, then mix the fertilizer to half-strength and feed. This information is recommended by the University of Minnesota Extension to help avoid overfeeding a plant. Symptoms of over-fertilization are not reversible.
Use these general guidelines for caring for those holiday plants and all houseplants. As time goes, I hope to post more about specific plants and customized care for them! Good luck and enjoy the new year!
Basically, houseplants need adequate light, water, and food in the proper amount and quality. Too little or too much of any of these things can cause stress on houseplants. Other factors include humidity, ventilation, and temperature.
Light is usually a challenge with indoor plants. Most plants struggle to get enough light indoors. My best spot for sun in my house is a room situated on the southeast corner of my house. It is the brightest room for the longest time of the day. For these most common holiday plants, they will need as much quality light as possible. Regarding other common houseplants, it is almost impossible for a plant to get too much light inside a home or other building.
Watering is another essential in caring for indoor plants. According to the University of Minnesota Extension, houseplants are most commonly over watered. And this is the opposite of my problem - under watering. Some houseplants do better slightly with slightly drier conditions, where others do better with a little more water. The best advice I can give is to regularly check on all houseplants. As a general rule, if you push your finger into the soil by about one to one-and-a-half inches and you don't feel moisture, it's time to water. If you do feel some moisture, let the plant go another day and check it again. In our northern heated houses, it is very important to keep in mind that the indoor humidity is very low. Therefore, plants will dry out quickly.
I had a visitor on New Year's Eve who noted that my plants were very dry. I hadn't checked on them for two days and they seemed like they hadn't been watered for weeks! (Please note here that I am a recovering plant torturer and killer. I am really trying to do better, but need to change old habits!)
One problem with over watering, is that if a plant's roots stay wet all the time, most plants will develop root rot. This will lead to certain death of the plant. Poinsettias are especially prone to this problem. If left in the common decorative foil pot covering, make sure to remove it for watering purposes. Saturate the soil and allow it to totally drain out before returning the plant to the foil. This practice is a good rule of thumb for all houseplants. Water thoroughly and allow to drain out. If pots are set in saucers, empty the saucers after 10 or 15 minutes or the soil may draw the water back up, thus over saturating the plant.
This also brings us to a side topic of soil. It's important to have proper exposure to air, nutrients, and water. Also, the soil should drain well, but also retain some water for use by the plant. It's easiest for me to simply find a good potting soil at a garden center. Those more discerning can put together a custom blend of garden loam, organic matter, and sand. The North Dakota State University Extension Service has a great publication on houseplants, including details about building and pasteurizing your own potting soil. The web address is: http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/landscap/pp744.pdf.
And finally, it's good to give your houseplants some food once in a while, too. Plants do make their own food through the process of photosynthesis. Supplemental food can be given through use of a fertilizer. Fertilize only during the time when the plant is actively growing and not under stress. When using a commercial fertilizer, read all the label instructions, then mix the fertilizer to half-strength and feed. This information is recommended by the University of Minnesota Extension to help avoid overfeeding a plant. Symptoms of over-fertilization are not reversible.
Use these general guidelines for caring for those holiday plants and all houseplants. As time goes, I hope to post more about specific plants and customized care for them! Good luck and enjoy the new year!
Friday, December 31, 2010
General Vegetable Favorite and More Space
As part of my garden-planning activity, I find it necessary to consider what I will be growing. This really is first priority - from there, I will be able to figure out what I can do with my space and if I really need additional garden space outside of my property.
Why is it important to consider space? Proper spacing of plants - vegetable, flowers, trees and shrubs included - is important to allow allow air circulation, light penetration and room for growth.
The first consideration is to allow enough room for the plant at maturity. Generally speaking, follow directions that come with the seed or plant. This will help ensure that there is plenty of space for the full-grown plant and fruit. Some seeds allow for planting densely, but thinning after sprouts emerge from the soil. Some of the vining plants take up a lot of space at maturity. I really enjoyed growing my watermelons this past year, but they required more space than I actually allowed for. If I were to plant multiple watermelon hills next year, I believe I would allow for a circle extending five feet outward from each plant. As I recall, the package stated three feet between plants, but it seems that ten feet between plants would have been appropriate. As you may have seen with my watermelon post, the vines were prolific and took over other areas of the garden!
I love veggies and especially from my own garden. And I have my favorites both to grow and to eat. But also there are various new things I will want to try. My favorite eating vegetable is the tomato. I love most varieties and enjoy growing them, as well. But the most fun I have had actually growing a vegetable was this past season when I had watermelons that took over a lot of my garden space. In August, they were increasing in size daily and almost as I watched! To me, zucchini is also fun to grow because they are such prolific producers. Other veggies I might want to grow next year include garlic, herbs, carrots, pumpkins, sweet corn, lettuce, spinach, snow peas, peppers, potatoes, and radishes. Probably I will discover others that I want to try, as well.
From one of my previous posts, I had to figure out what space I would have available for this coming growing season. I have decided to add to my garden space in our yard, thus sacrificing some of the kids' grassy open back yard. I am adding about 300 square feet by turning over a space of about 10 feet by 30 feet. I went to the Gopher State One Call website (http://gopherstateonecall.org/) to submit a plan and they efficiently coordinated marking of all utilities in the area. I may still look for additional garden space, but this will at least allow for some vining crops (only three of those watermelon vines, though!)
So, in planning my garden, I know the importance of space and so far some favorites that I want to grow. Now the detailed planning can begin - I'll browse some seed catalogs and make my specific plan.
Why is it important to consider space? Proper spacing of plants - vegetable, flowers, trees and shrubs included - is important to allow allow air circulation, light penetration and room for growth.
The first consideration is to allow enough room for the plant at maturity. Generally speaking, follow directions that come with the seed or plant. This will help ensure that there is plenty of space for the full-grown plant and fruit. Some seeds allow for planting densely, but thinning after sprouts emerge from the soil. Some of the vining plants take up a lot of space at maturity. I really enjoyed growing my watermelons this past year, but they required more space than I actually allowed for. If I were to plant multiple watermelon hills next year, I believe I would allow for a circle extending five feet outward from each plant. As I recall, the package stated three feet between plants, but it seems that ten feet between plants would have been appropriate. As you may have seen with my watermelon post, the vines were prolific and took over other areas of the garden!
I love veggies and especially from my own garden. And I have my favorites both to grow and to eat. But also there are various new things I will want to try. My favorite eating vegetable is the tomato. I love most varieties and enjoy growing them, as well. But the most fun I have had actually growing a vegetable was this past season when I had watermelons that took over a lot of my garden space. In August, they were increasing in size daily and almost as I watched! To me, zucchini is also fun to grow because they are such prolific producers. Other veggies I might want to grow next year include garlic, herbs, carrots, pumpkins, sweet corn, lettuce, spinach, snow peas, peppers, potatoes, and radishes. Probably I will discover others that I want to try, as well.
From one of my previous posts, I had to figure out what space I would have available for this coming growing season. I have decided to add to my garden space in our yard, thus sacrificing some of the kids' grassy open back yard. I am adding about 300 square feet by turning over a space of about 10 feet by 30 feet. I went to the Gopher State One Call website (http://gopherstateonecall.org/) to submit a plan and they efficiently coordinated marking of all utilities in the area. I may still look for additional garden space, but this will at least allow for some vining crops (only three of those watermelon vines, though!)
So, in planning my garden, I know the importance of space and so far some favorites that I want to grow. Now the detailed planning can begin - I'll browse some seed catalogs and make my specific plan.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Houseplants, Procrastination, and Repotting
Okay, I think it's past time to prepare the houseplants for winter. Actually, if I was up on things, I would have started preparing and acclimating my plants many weeks ago. As it is now, when the forecast is for frost, I put plants into the garage or bring them into the house. I was prompted to think more about this after some fellow master gardeners had a conversation about Gerber daisies and wintering them indoors. I have a number of houseplants that I sent outside for the summer and would like to keep them over the winter. Bringing them back inside, however, poses a few potential problems. Previously mentioned is the fact that sometimes plants do better if gradually acclimatized to the indoor conditions or they will go through somewhat of a shock period. This is similar to taking them out in the spring - they have to adjust. Differing from the spring procedure, the fall indoor migration must also consider pests. I think we don't care about taking any extra pests outside in the spring, but most would agree that we don't want to provide winter shelter for these unwanted hitch hikers!
From what I understand, the most prolific pests on houseplants are mites and aphids. The first thing to do in looking for any pests is to visually inspect plants. In our area of southeast Minnesota, we had an early-season problem with earwigs - and they were everywhere! I was barely aware of this insect until this season. Fortunately, as the summer progressed, I noticed fewer of them around. And as I now inspect my potted plants, I have yet to see even one. In looking at my plants, I see some damage that was caused when I allowed some of my plants to dry out too much. Most plants look okay, except for my Christmas cactus. These plants have obvious signs of having been on the dinner buffet of some insect. I hope they left a good tip! Other than outright damage, some pests leave clues to their presence. The clues can include small spider-like webs, honey dew (sticky drops on plant surfaces), and blemishes to the plant foliage. And the scariest (to me) sign I found was when I was putting a hosta in the ground in September and found a webby mass in the bottom of the pot. Assuming these were spider eggs, I was happy to leave them outside.
Whatever the pest, I want to be sure to not host them in the house this winter. Also, I want to try to care for my houseplants better than I have done in the past. So, I first inspected the plants for signs that any pest was still in the plants that I brought in. I did see some mealybugs, as well as a few stray webs on another plant. But most looked pretty good. And these pests and signs can be easily removed by running water over the foliage or wiping with a cloth or sponge.
As I brought the plants indoors, I also realized that there were some that needed to be repotted. And this would help me to be sure there were no more of those hidden treasures, in the form of spider eggs, in the bottom of the pots! I also had a few geraniums that were still resting comfortably in the small plastic pots in which I had purchased them. So, there was work to do.
I had no idea the plant was so root bound. I knew there were at least three plants in the pot, but assumed they were doing okay. With that, I knew I had to split at least the two main clumps apart.
The first step was to make sure I had pots to put them into. My original thought was to simply clean the pot and put it back in the same one. I could still do this, but now had to have a second pot. I used a 1:9 ratio of bleach to water and cleaned the original. I scrubbed it with a wire brush and a toothbrush (retired from teeth work, of course!). After rinsing, the pot looked pretty good.
Although I really don't like cutting roots, it is one way to stimulate new growth and had to be done to get these plants apart. And this potted group of plants would probably have started to suffer, as a result of being so bound. After splitting, I potted the parts into to pots using fresh potting soil.
I also potted others, but still have some to do. As the winter progresses, I hope to work on my houseplants more and have them a bit happier when spring comes around. Of course, these winters can be rather long with cool temperatures, dry conditions and less-than-idea light, so this will be a major feat to accomplish! I hope this helps and good luck to all you working to achieve the same!
From what I understand, the most prolific pests on houseplants are mites and aphids. The first thing to do in looking for any pests is to visually inspect plants. In our area of southeast Minnesota, we had an early-season problem with earwigs - and they were everywhere! I was barely aware of this insect until this season. Fortunately, as the summer progressed, I noticed fewer of them around. And as I now inspect my potted plants, I have yet to see even one. In looking at my plants, I see some damage that was caused when I allowed some of my plants to dry out too much. Most plants look okay, except for my Christmas cactus. These plants have obvious signs of having been on the dinner buffet of some insect. I hope they left a good tip! Other than outright damage, some pests leave clues to their presence. The clues can include small spider-like webs, honey dew (sticky drops on plant surfaces), and blemishes to the plant foliage. And the scariest (to me) sign I found was when I was putting a hosta in the ground in September and found a webby mass in the bottom of the pot. Assuming these were spider eggs, I was happy to leave them outside.
Whatever the pest, I want to be sure to not host them in the house this winter. Also, I want to try to care for my houseplants better than I have done in the past. So, I first inspected the plants for signs that any pest was still in the plants that I brought in. I did see some mealybugs, as well as a few stray webs on another plant. But most looked pretty good. And these pests and signs can be easily removed by running water over the foliage or wiping with a cloth or sponge.
As I brought the plants indoors, I also realized that there were some that needed to be repotted. And this would help me to be sure there were no more of those hidden treasures, in the form of spider eggs, in the bottom of the pots! I also had a few geraniums that were still resting comfortably in the small plastic pots in which I had purchased them. So, there was work to do.
In repotting, it is important to understand when to do it. My theory is to not waste the resources, if it's not necessary. Here's a picture of a spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) that had a few issues.
The pot was dirty and had a lot of salt deposits on it. So, I thought it best to clean it up. Then, when I took it out of the pot, here is what I found:
The first step was to make sure I had pots to put them into. My original thought was to simply clean the pot and put it back in the same one. I could still do this, but now had to have a second pot. I used a 1:9 ratio of bleach to water and cleaned the original. I scrubbed it with a wire brush and a toothbrush (retired from teeth work, of course!). After rinsing, the pot looked pretty good.
With that done and the second pot ready, I now had to split the plants.
Although I really don't like cutting roots, it is one way to stimulate new growth and had to be done to get these plants apart. And this potted group of plants would probably have started to suffer, as a result of being so bound. After splitting, I potted the parts into to pots using fresh potting soil.
I also potted others, but still have some to do. As the winter progresses, I hope to work on my houseplants more and have them a bit happier when spring comes around. Of course, these winters can be rather long with cool temperatures, dry conditions and less-than-idea light, so this will be a major feat to accomplish! I hope this helps and good luck to all you working to achieve the same!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Planning for Next Year
During this fall, there is much to do regarding gardening, not to mention all the other activities we seem to be involved in. I had hoped to have more posts here and see that I need to be more disciplined about getting it done. Hmmm...that sounds a bit like my gardening, too! With that in mind, I am creating a Vegetable garden plan for next year while this and other lessons are fresh in my mind.
For the first time this year, I rented a garden space in Preston. A few people stated that that seemed like a long way to go for gardening. I thought it wouldn't be a big deal to travel the 16 miles to the east to tend a garden. I have to confess that it was an utter failure! I became too busy and the time slipped away. If anyone visited the Preston community garden, you only had to look for the plot that was total weeds - that was mine!
So, without dwelling on that negativity too much longer, I now know that YES, it was too far to go. I have a few other options for the additional garden space I was looking for last year. A friend of mine has offered space at her rental property - only 1/2 block from our home. And the space is great! It gently slopes to the west and has great sun exposure. I would need to till up or chemically remove the grass/weeds that have grown there in the past few years since someone last worked the soil. With my general avoidance of chemicals, I'd opt to borrow a tiller to get it ready.
But before I do that, I want to carefully consider my own backyard. I've been hesitant in the past to add much garden space because I like the area as a grassy place for the kids. And there's that convenience thing. The stakes are higher if I am at someone else's property - it must not look like a weed bed! So, will this be motivation or embarrassment? If the additional garden is in my backyard, there SHOULD be no extra excuses of distance and time.
While pondering the location, I need to think about what I've grown in the past few years. Of the vegetables I've grown, I need to consider the space they will require and future rotation to help minimize diseases. I will think about this and post again soon. My purpose of this discussion with myself is to assist others in planning or modifying a garden. As always, I hope this helps!
And I want to close with a quote that a fellow Master Gardener posted the other day. "The blood of our fallen heroes fertilized that dirt on your hands, to the keep the right to call it your own." Please always keep all of our U.S. military members in your thoughts and prayers. Be thankful for them, past and present, for they've sacrificed so much for our country.
For the first time this year, I rented a garden space in Preston. A few people stated that that seemed like a long way to go for gardening. I thought it wouldn't be a big deal to travel the 16 miles to the east to tend a garden. I have to confess that it was an utter failure! I became too busy and the time slipped away. If anyone visited the Preston community garden, you only had to look for the plot that was total weeds - that was mine!
So, without dwelling on that negativity too much longer, I now know that YES, it was too far to go. I have a few other options for the additional garden space I was looking for last year. A friend of mine has offered space at her rental property - only 1/2 block from our home. And the space is great! It gently slopes to the west and has great sun exposure. I would need to till up or chemically remove the grass/weeds that have grown there in the past few years since someone last worked the soil. With my general avoidance of chemicals, I'd opt to borrow a tiller to get it ready.
But before I do that, I want to carefully consider my own backyard. I've been hesitant in the past to add much garden space because I like the area as a grassy place for the kids. And there's that convenience thing. The stakes are higher if I am at someone else's property - it must not look like a weed bed! So, will this be motivation or embarrassment? If the additional garden is in my backyard, there SHOULD be no extra excuses of distance and time.
While pondering the location, I need to think about what I've grown in the past few years. Of the vegetables I've grown, I need to consider the space they will require and future rotation to help minimize diseases. I will think about this and post again soon. My purpose of this discussion with myself is to assist others in planning or modifying a garden. As always, I hope this helps!
And I want to close with a quote that a fellow Master Gardener posted the other day. "The blood of our fallen heroes fertilized that dirt on your hands, to the keep the right to call it your own." Please always keep all of our U.S. military members in your thoughts and prayers. Be thankful for them, past and present, for they've sacrificed so much for our country.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Master Gardener Recruitment
For anyone interested in becoming a master gardener, now is the time to think about it! The coordinator for Fillmore County just send out a notice regarding this. If you are interested, the first thing to do is to apply with your county coordinator. Once approved locally, you will be ready to go through the University of Minnesota's course online or at a class in Winona this spring. For further information, go to the University's master gardener website at www.mg.umn.edu. For any of you outside of Minnesota, most states have a master gardener program through an extension agency. If you live in Fillmore or Houston counties, you may also contact Jerrold Tessmer, Extension Educator, at tesme001@umn.edu.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Cucumbers
What should we do with all these cucumbers? That is the million-dollar question for cucumbers and other veggies this time of year. I actually did not grow cucumbers this year, but have been gifted with a bunch! Some have been turned to pickles, but others have ended up in the compost bin, as they were ready to use at the time I acquired them, but I didn't have the time to process before they started to liquefy.
So, with these gifts, I tried my hand at pickling. I am a lover of dill pickles - home made or not. My mom sent to me a few pickle recipes, including a dill recipe from my Great Grandma Caldwell. I'm sure I have eaten her pickles in the past and was pretty excited to recreate them. The process seemed straight-forward and visual outcome was very nice!
The recipe said the pickles would be good to eat in two weeks and better as time progressed. I was excited to open my first jar last Sunday, but disappointed to taste how salty they were. Now, I don't mind salt and don't consider myself sensitive to it. My husband and mother-in-law also tested and concluded the same thing. The good news, though, was that my friend Deb said they went well with their bloody Marys! I think I'll have to head out to Sol N Tyne and check them out!
However, since tasting them, I have been considering the recipe and how to adjust it. The first part of the recipe was to soak the cucumbers in salt water. At first I thought that was the problem, but then realized that the extra pickles that I put in the 'fridge did not have the excessive salt flavor. So, the issue must be the brine. I think my next shot at this recipe will be to lessen the salt in the brine.
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