Houseplants as gifts

HOUSEPLANTS AS GIFTS

If you are searching for a houseplant to give as a gift this season you can't go wrong with a 'croton'.

Crotons (Codiaeum) have very colorful leaves which can brighten any winter day. With basic care these colorful  houseplants will easily survive for years in a sunny window.  A few hours of sunlight is the key to maintaining the best color on the leaves.  Red, yellow, pink and green are often on the same leaf with no two leaves identical.

When giving a houseplant as a gift it is important to consider its new home.  If the recipient often says "I kill every plant I get" give them a plant that is easy to care for such as a Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera).  Blooming during the holiday season these tropical plants are very easy to keep alive. The key to bringing this plant into flower every year is natural sunlight. As the days get shorter it triggers these plants to develop their flowers.

Proper care and natural sunlight are all  the Christmas cactus require to trigger its annual bloom cycle.

Orchids and Poinsettia, both popular gifts are very sensitive to drafts and temperature fluctuations.



The decorative foil on this poinsettia will not permit water to drain away. Sadly this is a major cause of  death of this popular flowering plant. Remove the foil and put the pot in the sink while watering. After it has drained, it is safe to put the foil back on. Let the soil slightly dry out before watering again.

It is important to get your plant home from the shop without damaging it. Cover the plant with plastic or a paper bag, then move it from the store to a warm spot in your car, not the cold car trunk. Once home remove it immediately from the wrapping (which will now hold the cold)  and check the soil for moisture. When taking your gifts to their new home repeat the process.



Orchids make wonderful gifts. Now with modern propagation techniques they are more affordable

and popular than ever.

 This care will prevent your orchids from dropping unopened blooms or your poinsettia from wilting away in just a few days.  If the cashier is busy, step to the side and properly  cover the plants before leaving the store.

After being hit by a blast of cold air these orchids blossoms are wilting
and will drop off before opening.

Finally find the care instructions for your plant in a book or on the internet, make a copy and give this with the plant.  It will help answer any questions, ensure proper care and give the plant a better chance for survival.

Merry Holidays,

James

Winter Bird Feeding- Gleaning

EASY WINTER BIRD FEEDING: GLEANING




Cardinals are attracted to gray striped and black-oil sunflower seeds  

 

Many people would like to help feed birds during the winter but for various reasons do not want to get involved with tending bird feeders.  When the ground is frozen or covered with snow there is a simple technique you will appreciate and birds will love. Simply sprinkle seed on the ground.

 

White Crowned Sparrows prefer millet, black-oil sunflower seeds & peanut hearts

Gleaning is a type of foraging during which a bird will deliberately and methodically pick over an area to collect food; typically insects or seeds.  Many species that overwinter in our area use this method of feeding for at least part of their diet.  Dark-eyed Juncos, White-crowned sparrows, Mourning Doves and even Cardinals will frequent your garden to glean seeds off the ground.



Mourning Doves love Millet and Black-oil sunflower seeds 

 

The best seed for this type of feeding are black oil sunflower seeds or finch mix, without corn. The popular wild bird mixes contain a lot of corn which attracts many larger aggressive birds such as Starlings and Grackles which will chase your smaller, and more colorful birds away. 



Dark-eyed and Slate-colored Junco's like many types of seeds and products like pie crust.



Keep it as simple as possible. Scatter a cup or two of seed in the same area and birds will come back when they need to. I don't sprinkle too much at once because I don't want unnecessary and expensive waste. That will also help avoid left overs at night which will attract mice.



Give your birds an escape route from hawks and other predators

If you have an easily assessable area with a view from a window, that is perfect. Even if you are a devoted back yard bird watcher, tossing some seed on the ground will give your feathered friends more of a choice of areas in which to feed.

Enjoy your garden all year all.
James

Lady beetles

HOME INVADERS #1
LADYBUGS

 

All of us have childhood memories of catching ladybugs, letting them crawl up our arms and then releasing them; often with the flick of a finger to watch them fly away.

 

 

During the autumn, lady beetles crawl to overwintering sites where a few to several hundred will gather in an 'aggregation' (gathering together into a dense mass). The aggregation site might be located at the base of a tree, along a fence, or under a rock. Beetles are usually found under leaves which protect them from cold winter temperatures.

 

 

Sometimes lady beetles can become a nuisance to humans. Some congregate in large numbers on the sunny side of the house. Occasionally  they invade homes in huge numbers. Since lady beetles are beneficial, insecticide treatments are not suggested. Physically remove lady beetles by using a clean vacuum bag and then release them out doors at the base of a tree or shrub. Caulk and seal spaces and gaps around your house to prevent them from coming inside again.

 

 

 

Ladybugs are considered beneficial because they eat large numbers of insects which do damage to plants, flowers and food crops. Among these pests are aphids, soft scales, mealy bugs and spider mites. Ladybugs do not  harm humans or our pets in any way. Most people consider them pretty little creatures.

Although they look nothing like the adults, ladybugs nymphs do a fantastic job of keeping your garden free of many destructive insects.  You may spot them in your yard in late spring and during the  summer.

 

 

 

 

Happy Gardening,
James

 

Planting Spring Flowering Blubs

IT'S TIME TO PLANT SPRING FLOWERING BLUBS

A glorious bed of spring bulbs brightens the garden like little else can; well worth the time and energy you put into it now.

Leading the pack are the showstoppers, *tulips and daffodils, followed by a long list of spectacular flowers: crocus, snowdrops, muscari and allium to name a few. By planting clusters of different blubs around your garden you will enjoy flowers for many weeks.

Daffodils and tulips have hybrids that bloom at slightly different times: early, mid or late spring. The time is listed on the package or in the catalog. You can easily prolong the blooming period by planting some of all three.  For nice punches of color avoid blending all three together. For example, I plant separate clusters, 13 early bloomers, then a splash of  19 late and a bed of 17 mid-blooming bulbs. As the first bed fades away, eyes are drawn to the mid and then the late blooming bulbs.  Another "technique used by the Japanese",  is to plant odd numbers of bulbs. It flows more naturally on the eye. Landscapers do this with everything from flowers to shrubs.

Tulips and daffodils are planted 6 to 8 inches deep. As you are filling  the holes consider planting smaller flowers such as crocus over them around 2 or 3 inches, thereby including an earlier spring display in the same place with the same amount of work.

As with all flowers planting correctly will extend your display for years. Add a handful of chopped leaves at the bottom of the hole and sprinkle in some bone meal for a strong root system.  

Should you water after planting blubs? YES.  Watering your blubs encourages them establish roots before the ground freezes. This will give your plants a strong head start when the ground warms up in early spring.

If you love to herald the end of winter, plant snowdrops by your front door. A small simple white flower, snowdrops are the first to bloom in the spring. They even  go dormant if it snows and then bounce back as good as new. The snowdrop blubs I planted twenty years ago still bloom strong every March. I love that.

*Tulips have been an all time favorite since the days of 'Tulipmania' which peaked in the 1630's. Tulips have two drawbacks. First is that they can only be depended on for a few years before they begin to dwindle away and need replanting. To make this easier do not plant smaller blubs over them and keep tulips in an area all their own. Secondly,  many critters think tulips taste as good as they look.

Keep them behind fencing and away from deer if possible. Squirrels, groundhogs and rabbits also line up at your 'tulip salad bar'.  None of the animals listed above snack on daffodils or the later blooming allium.

 Happy Gardening,
James

Chrysanthemums

CHRYSANTHEMUMS

 

Originally from China and cultivated for centauries in Japan, chrysanthemums remain a very popular autumn flower. Commonly called mums, these delightful plants can be easily found at your *local garden centers as well as grocery and even hardware stores.

Mums are available in many colors from white, pink and purples to my favorites the yellow and gold and orange.  I love the way they blend with changing hues of the trees.  There are even varieties with multi-colored flowers. Whichever color you choose you will be rewarded with weeks of additional color in your garden.

 

 

Like all flowering plants, mums need a good amount of water to stay healthy; more than most. If planted in the ground they need water every other day. In pots on your front steps they do best if watered every day. If you can store a gallon of water within arm’s reach, this task will be much easier.  The easier I can make a job the more likely I am to do it. The Japanese claim the success to great flowering mums is watering twice a day; once in morning and then again in the late afternoon. The popular soilless potting mixtures dry out incredibly fast.

 

If the winter is mild mums can come back for years. This is not dependable and is a major reason why chrysanthemums are so inexpensive compared to other garden perennials. They are generally considered an annual.

 

At the end of the season cut your mums down to the ground and cover them with mulch, in the spring pull the mulch away to see if your plants have survived. If they have come back, give them a good feeding and cut back at least twice, late spring and mid-summer to encourage them to become bushy. Bushy mums will produce many more flower heads. You will have better luck if you plant young mums in the spring so they have a few months to adjust and root in.

*Although you can easily buy mums everywhere, our local garden centers offer the best selection of plants maintained with the finest care. Garden Centers depend on this seasonal business. Please support them.

 

Happy Gardening,
James

 

  

Hummingbird feeders

ATTRACTING HUMMINGBIRDS

 

 

 

Hummingbirds have amazed humans for thousands of years, darting though the air so fast it's hard to spot them before they disappear. Now with hummingbird feeders it is easier than ever to attract these delightful birds into our own gardens.

Following the flowers as they bloom though the seasons, hummingbirds journey from Central America as far north as Alaska and Canada every year. Acrobats of the air, they are able to hover and stop in midair as they scout out the environment. Feeding five to eight times an hour, it isn't long before they are off in search of fresh flowers and their next meal. Hummingbirds have the greatest energy output, gram for gram, of any known warm-blooded animal.

 

The recipe for the syrup is simple. Bring one cup sugar and four cups spring water to a boil for one minute. Let it cool to room temp before filling feeders and store extra nectar in the refrigerator. Keep your feeders clean and the sugar water fresh, replacing it every three or four days.

 

Hummingbirds rely on established food supplies, so once you have attracted them they will become a welcomed repeat visitor.

 

One of the great benefits of a feeding station is that hummingbirds often take a short rest, allowing time to observe them up close. Keep your binoculars close by and you might even see it's tongue, twice as long as its beak dip into the feeder to  lap up nectar.

 

In addition to a feeder you can help attract hummingbirds by planting flowers, especially red as well as tubular shaped such as salvias which these little critters love to visit. Besides nectar, hummingbirds consume protein in the form of insects which they find inside flowers, on plants and in trees, in spider webs and in midair as they travel through your yard. Consider that when using pesticides in your yard and gardens. Hummingbirds also drink plenty of  water.

 

Due to our depleting forest and wild spaces, hummingbirds have less natural places to live and feed.  Your hummingbird feeder will not only bring you years of enjoyment, but you will be helping these beautiful creatures survive for future  generations to enjoy.

 

Happy Gardening,
James

 

 

 

Organic Garden "Tea'

ORGANIC &  COMPOST 'TEAS'

 

Most gardeners know the advantages of adding compost to the soil when planting. We mix the ingredients, heat up, turn and tend the pile until we are rewarded with the beautiful rich compost, ‘garden gold’.

 

 

At this time of year we can still take advantage of this valuable amendment by making a bucket of ‘compost tea’. This can be as simple as soaking a few handfuls of compost in a bucket of water for a few days and then using it to fertilize your plants. Stir the tea once a day to blend. Teas are organic so they are healthy for the plants, the soil, and most importantly you, though we shouldn't drink it.

 

 Compost tea can be strained and sprayed onto your plants. This is a practice used by many organic gardeners.

Dried cow manure can also be used to make ‘manure tea’.  Before commercial fertilizers, it was common for New Jersey gardeners to use this on tomatoes. When I make this tea, I put a handful of the dried cow manure in an old sock  knotted at the end. When the tea is done, I toss the sock away and manure tea is ready to use. Feed this into the soil and avoid splashing it on the leaves to prevent burning.

When applying any fertilizer, lightly soak the ground first. This will avoid run off and permit the fertilizer to easily move deep in the soil to the root system of your plants.

 

To prevent a breeding ground for mosquitoes brew these teas for only a few days and avoid letting them stand for very long. Once I got too busy so I had to knock over the bucket.  Better than hosting a mosquito breeding ground. If you can see mosquito 'swimmers' on top.....use it or lose it.*

For gardeners with little time or space to blend your own teas 'Liquid Seaweed' is an alterative organic you can easily purchase in most garden centers. This is sold commercially as a liquid concentrate which is then diluted in your water bucket. You can also put this in a spray bottle to use on the leaves. 

*Remember to clean your bird bath twice a week to avoid mosquitos from breeding in it.

Happy Gardening,
James



 
 

What happened to Impatiens?

IMPATIENS PROBLEM /  DOWNEY MILDEW DISEASE

IMPATIENS WALLERIANA

In mid-summer of 2012 gardeners across New Jersey helplessly watched as our beloved impatiens, the colorful backbone of shade gardens, weakened, turned yellow, dropped their leaves, wilted and died.

By October it was confirmed that DOWNY MILDEW disease had been confirmed in our landscapes. From Massachusetts to Florida; New Jersey to Missouri and even Southern California impatiens failed. By the end of last year 32 states reported Downey Mildew.

This disease, known as a "water mold" (formerly called a fungus)  was quickly spread by  two types of spores.  One air borne with a short life span and the other, incased in water which can remain viable for years. Unfortunately these spores overwinter in garden bed soil . Many countries in Europe have not been unable to plant impatiens for many years.

IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED WE PLANT IMPATIENS AGAIN THIS YEAR.

A few garden centers and big chain stores plan to grow and sell impatiens this year. They were able in past years to control the disease with fungicides in greenhouses and plan to do so again.  This protection wears off quickly once moved into our gardens where the plants lack a controlled environment. Even potted plants are not safe from the air-born spores. The best we can hope for is a 30% success rate.  Sadly this collapse takes place at the peak of the season when there is no time to replace them.

 

The first sign of Downy mildew is a white film on the underside of the leaves. Within days total collapse of the plant will occur.  Immediately remove the plant. Put it in a sealed plastic bag and place it in the trash; not the compost bin.

 

Cooperative Extensions suggest folks find an alternative to plant in their garden. New Guinea impatiens and Sunpatiens  (Hybrid of regular & New Guinea) have a higher resistance to downy  mildew.

Coleus with colorful leaves

 

Begonias

or Caladium would be a few good choices. 

 

 

 

Beautiful new Hosta hybrids can add light to shaded areas that will last for years to come.

 

Although this is very disappointing to gardeners, this is a disaster to landscapers, greenhouses and seed companies.  Researchers across the country and the Department of Agriculture are working to solve this problem as quickly as possible.

When we planted impatiens we never thought we were part of a multi-million dollar industry, but we were.

Happy Gardening,
James

 

Poison Ivy Identification

'Leaves of three, let it be'

 

 

Poison ivy is a toxic vine which brings misery to millions of people that come in contact with it every year. Although we are most concerned during the summer, every part of this plant is toxic at all times of the year. Even bare stalks are poisonous in the dead of winter. Therefore if you have poison ivy in your area it is important to safely eradicate it.

Native to the eastern United States the vines can be found everywhere in local parks and forest, rambling though bushes and shrubs or climbing trees in the best of gardens. It grows at the seashore where the salt water spray kills most other plants.

 

In the spring small bright red to reddish purple leaflets appear first. These leaflets turn a glossy green by mid-summer. Each leaf consists of three leaflets that are two to four inches long.

 As summer turns to autumn this vine is often the first plant to change color. Bright orange, red and yellow leaves make poison ivy easy to spot.  These bright colors makes September a perfect time to scan your property and area for Poison Ivy. 

 

 

A mature vine is easy to ID at any time of the year. Often as thick as a mans wrist, the vines are covered with thousands of tiny hairs with allows it to cling to trees, growing as high as 50 to 75 feet. Look but don't touch as this will also cause a nasty rash. 

 

 

Poison ivy has both male and female plants. The females produce clusters of white berries that hold on the vine throughout winter and are spread by birds who ingest the fruit.  

 

Do not burn poison ivy to control it. The fumes are very toxic when inhaled into your lungs.  This is a danger to firemen who might breath the fumes in heavily infested areas like beach towns.

 If you believe you do have poison ivy keep a safe distance. Contact your local County Cooperative Extension for information on control and eradication. See Rutgers fact sheet  (#1019)
'Poison Ivy and Its Control'* for additional information. 

 *Whenever using chemical control take proper precautions. Wear protection, cover your nose and eyes and follow the directions on the label.