African violets

                        AFRICAN VIOLETS                             (Saintpaulia)

Flowers have five petals with yellow centers.

African Violets have long been the most popular flowering houseplants in the country and will continue to maintain this distinction far into the future. African Violets are not  "true" violets but are a genus "Saintpaulia"  related 

to Gloxinia, originally from Kenya and Tanzania, Africa.

New varieties have flowers that can be ruffled or multi-colored.

One reason for its popularity is its ability to flower in indirect light and easy care. African violets are short plants with rounded or slightly pointed leaves with flower  stalks emerging from the center. Flower colors range from white, pink, red, purple and blue with a yellow center. There is also a trailing variety which is less well known. Flowers have five single petals although now double flower are available as well as fringed and multi-colors varieties which seem to be created every day. Even variegated leaves of white and green can easily be found.

 With short periods of rest, Africans violets flower throughout the year.

The abundant flowers bloom well with indirect sunlight all year long which help make African violets as popular as they are. They also prefer modern indoor temperatures of around sixty five degrees which is ideal. Most houseplants prefer cooler temps at night. Additionally a fully mature plant only requires a three to six inch pot making them ideal for window ledges, shelves or coffee tables. All these traits make African violets perfect flowering houseplants for almost everywhere in an apartment or house with enough indirect sunlight or  artificial fluorescent light.

Use the correct size pots as plants grow to help the roots to adjust.

Considered an easy to care for plant, it is important to remember that African violets come from a warm climate. Water them with room temperature water. Cold water causes yellow spotting on the leaves . Also avoid wetting the leaves when watering. Watering plants from the bottom is a good practice and lets them dry out between watering. Over-watering can cause root rot, the most common cause of death of all houseplants. Also avoid drafts. Move away from cold drafty windows and air conditioners.

Easy and fun to propagate, you can take a leaf with the stem from the center of the plant and root it in water or potting soil. The outer leaves are too thick and do not root easily. Once rooted African violets grow quickly to flowering size.

Once plants have rooted it's time to move them into the soil. 

Off shoots from the main plant are best removed and to their own pots.

Requiring a rich soil mixture, you can purchase African violet soil premixed or you can *blend your own, but they will not grow well in regular potting mix.

As the new plants grow you can add them to your collection or give them to friends as gifts.
African violets are excellent Mothers Day gifts. 

           For more information on African violets visit the website of the                            'African Violet Society of American' 

www.avsa.org 

Happy Indoor Gardening, 

James 

Wreaths

THE HISTORY OF WREATHS

Wreaths have been a part of human civilization for thousands of years going back as far as the ancient Persian empire.  As decoration, wreaths appear on the ceiling tiles of 'Dura Europus', a 2000 year old synagogue in Syria. They were commonly used by Hebrews and Ancient Greeks.

Wreaths first appeared in history as crowns for royalty. Made by twisting branches into a circle and decorating them with flowers, pine cones and colorful ribbons which were worn on their heads. Later crowns evolved into the hat style made of gold and gems which kings and queens still wear during state ceremonies.

In many cultures young maidens would adorn themselves with headdress wreaths decorated with  seasonal flowers and worn during festive celebrations until their wedding day. This practice is still popular in many counties around the world.

Pagans  made wreaths of evergreen branches with four candles representing the elements of Earth, wind, fire and water which were lit during pagan religious gatherings.  This custom was adopted by Christians, the Advent Wreath with three purple candles for penance and one pink for 'the coming  joy'. One advent candle is lighted on successive Friday evenings during the four weeks of advent and all are blown out on Christmas eve.

In Rome, wreaths made of laurel leaves were awarded to victors in athletic games, who would then hang them on their wall as a souvenir. Later many rich Romans hung wreaths on their door as a status symbol.  This tradition was adopted by early Christians and became the popular Christmas wreaths we now enjoy.  

In Christian tradition, the Christmas wreath symbolizes the circle of life and eternal life promised by Jesus Christ as well as God's strength.  Today Christmas wreaths are highly decorated with brightly colored ornaments and lights. 

In modern culture, welcome wreaths are hung on front doors and can be used to celebrate every holiday throughout the year.

Enjoy your garden all year long,

James

Ticks

TICKS IN NEW JERSEY

In New Jersey we have four hard bodied ticks.
For proper ID they should be seen under a microscope. 

October is an active time for adult ticks and it is important that we stay diligent with their detection. Even an Indian Summer can cause these tiny creatures to become active when we often let our guard down. 

In New Jersey we have four hard body ticks; The American Dog tick, the Brown Dog tick, the Lone Star tick and Deer ticks. It is the Deer tick, also known as the 'Black legged tick' that causes humans in our area the most concern due to the transmission of 'LYME DISEASE'. 

Knowing which tick you have will help your doctor decide on a course of treatment.
Call you local Cooperative Extension Service for information.

Throughout the country ticks transmit different diseases including 'Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever', so always be aware of the ticks in your area and the problems they can cause.

If you find a tick outside of NJ the same suggestion applies.
Have your tick identified and inform your doctor. 

Early tick detection is the surest way to avoid problems. This simply means taking a visual exam of yourself  and your children every day. Deer ticks need 24-36 hours to transmit the Lyme Disease bacteria. An adult Deer tick is about the size of a sesame seed. Now with more and more deer roaming though our area we need to increase our guard.

When in tick habitat wear long pants and tuck them in your socks

Since ticks cannot fly or jump they have developed an ingenious way to get on their host.  Tick crawl up a blade of grass and wait for a host animal or human to brush by and give them a ride. This is know as 'questing'. The best place for this to happen is in parks where the field meets the tree lines. Avoid this area whenever possible, especially while wearing short pants. 

In this incredible photograph a tick is 'QUESTING' ready to take a ride on a
passing animal or human.   

If you do find a tick correct removal is very important. Remove the tick carefully with tweezers and put it into a container with a moist cotton ball (an old prescription bottle works best). A good tick specimen is essential if your doctor decides to have it tested. Do not put rubbing alcohol on the tick as it will kill the bacteria and that tick will no longer be viable for  testing.

When removing a tick don't use Vaseline and be sure to carefully remove the entire tick, especially
the head and mouth.
NEVER TRY TO BURN OFF A TICK AS IT WILL INJECT ITS SALIVA\ WHICH WE WANT TO AVOID.

Your local Cooperative Extensive service will either identify your tick or tell where to take it. Here in New Jersey call your local county 'Rutgers Cooperative Extension Garden Helpline' 

Rutgers suggest you always call your doctor when you are bitten by any tick. They will know the best course of action to be taken.

Keep Safe, James

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Chemical Weed Control

USING WEED CONTROL CHEMICALS WISELY

Take a ride around your neighborhood on a hot summers day and it won't take long to see someone spraying weed control on their lawn wearing short pants and sandals.  I have seen this happen while the children were playing  just a few feet away.

Chemicals are so available is easy to forget they are all toxic.
Read and follow the directions on the label.


 Chemicals are so readily available and abundant in America we take them for granted. This is as true for the sellers as it is for us, the consumers. We are encouraged by the manufacturers to use their chemicals as often as possible.  

Caution is the least dangerous, escalating to Warning and then Danger.
No weed killers are labeled 'safe'.
  

Sadly many people use these chemicals without taking the time to read the label.  If they did read the label they would know that these weed control chemicals become less effective as the temperatures get higher.  The grass and weeds undergo stress and stop absorbing the chemicals.  The toxins slowly evaporate creating a mist over your lawn where your children are playing.  By the time the temperature reaches 90 you might as well throw your money away.

These chemicals work by attaching themselves to the weeds and then become absorbed into the  cell tissues, working their way into the plant and finally the root system. When you apply them in short pants you are exposing  your leg's cell tissue to the same chemicals.

Deep rooted weeds may take more than one treatment.
To use less chemicals remove all but 2 leaves and spray only them. You will get the same result.
If they grow back repeat the same process. 

Removing weeds from your garden beds has multiple benefits. Weeds compete  with garden plants and vegetables for space, nutrients, sunlight and water.  

Worst of all for many gardeners, weeds make your beds look messy and untended.  Basically weeds are plants growing where you don't want them. This can apply to wildflowers, shrubs and even trees, such as the Norway Maple.

The beautiful Norway Maple is so successful it is now labeled a weed tree.
Manual removal with a pick ax is quick and dependable.

Whenever possible use safer weed control practices such as hand weeding and mulching in the spring.

USE AND STORAGE OF GARDEN CHEMICALS

Never buy chemicals that are stored wrong, such as these kept out in the sun.
The price remains the same but the effectiveness is greatly diminished.  

Read and follow the directions on the label.  

Store all chemicals properly as directed on the label.  

Don’t let liquids freeze or get too hot and don’t allow dried chemicals get moist.

If you go to a store and their chemicals are sitting in the sun or are not properly stored,  go to another store.

Keep gardening safe,

Happy summer,

James

Earthworms in the Garden

       EARTHWORMS

         (Lumbricus terrestri)

Good garden soil should have ten earthworms per square foot.

The reddish-gray colored common earthworm, often called a night crawler in the United States, is familiar to anyone with a fishing rod or a garden. They are indigenous to Europe, but are now abundant in North America and western Asia.



Earthworms are vital to soil health because they transport nutrients and minerals from below the surface via their waste.  Their tunnels aerate the ground. An earthworm can eat up to one third its body weight in a day. A 'healthy' garden soil should have approximately ten earthworms per square foot.



Although not native to North America, earthworms are sign of healthy garden soil. 

Earthworms  burrow during the day, typically keeping close to the surface, but are capable of digging down as deep as 6.5 feet.



An earthworm can live six years in the wild.

Contrary to playground legend, if a worm is cut in half, two will not grow.  Therefore you are better off leaving your earthworm undisturbed to get the best results.  Amazingly earthworms can live up to six years in the wild.

Worm castings, also called ’vermicast', worm humus or worm manure, is the end-product of the breakdown of organic matter by an earthworm. These castings have been shown to contain reduced levels of contaminants and a higher saturation of nutrients than do organic materials before vermicomposting.

You can purchase worm castings or let your worms make it for you. 

To encourage as many earthworms in your garden as possible, add organic materials such as compost to your 
soil.  Scatter it on top or rake it in and the worms will do 
the rest.  This practice adds nutrients to your garden which 
is as good for your plants as it is for your worms. 

Earthworms help water move into the soil closer to the root systems of your plants. 

Most importantly limit the use of pesticides and insecticides as they can harm or kill your earthworms as well as your intended targets.

Although not the cutest critter on the planet, earthworms are worth their weight in gold. 

 The next time you dig up an earthworm while gardening
remember how essential they are and rather than just
tossing it to the side - cover it back up.  Earthworms 
wither and die quickly when left in the sun.

 Happy Gardening,

James

For more information on earthworms and other amazing creatures visit the National Geographic website

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

Caring for Poinsettia

Tis the season. Garden shops and department stores are full of Poinsettias for sale. It is hard to go anywhere without passing a bright display of this holiday favorite.

With tender loving care this tropical plant, native to Mexico,  will thrive well past 'Three Kings Day', January 6th.

First choose a healthy plant. Drooping leaves can be a sign of problems: exposure to cold, overwatering or lack of sunlight. The small yellow 'flowers' in the center should be bright and closed or partly opened. Dropped yellow 'flowers' indicate over-maturity and should be avoided.

Poinsettia are very sensitive to drafts and temperature fluctuations, therefore 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 trunk. Once home remove it immediately from the wrapping and check the soil for moisture. 

Over-watering is a major problem for Poinsettia causing leaves to droop and roots to rot. Sticking your finger into the top inch of soil is the best way to tell if it needs watering.  If dry to touch, water the plant. If soil sticks to your finger, do not water. The colorful foil doesn't allow water to drain out. Poke a few holes in the bottom to permit drainage.

Poinsettia like bright light. If you have it displayed in a shady area, move it to a bright spot whenever possible, but not direct sunlight.

Keep your new plant safe from children & pets as the leaves are toxic. For more information see Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Fact Sheet #449 "Caring for your Poinsettia" 

Happy Gardening.