Storing soil, sand and peat for the winter – Before frost gets into the ground, dig a bushel or two of soil for use during the winter. And don’t forget to have on hand a bushel of sand and another of peat or humus.
Planting roses – Fall planting of roses is a risky business in parts of the Middle West north of the latitude of Springfield, Illinois, and Columbus, Ohio. South of this line planting has more chance of success; but the sooner it’s done, the better.
Providing surface drainage for the Power beds – Now, while the ground is still workable, is the time to provide surface drainage for the perennial and bulb beds. Dig shallow trenches along the beds to carry away surface water.
Protecting plants in the coldframe – For pansies, forget-me-nots, English daisies and other plants now is a critical time for wintering in the coldframe. Do not put the sash on the frame until average temperatures stay below freezing. And cover the glass so that temperatures don’t rise excessively in the frame.
Planting peonies – Although it is late, peonies can still be planted during the first two weeks of the month.
Forcing bulbs for Christmas bloom – As soon as possible bulbs for Christmas flowering should be planted. The one exception is paper-white narcissus, which should be started about eight weeks before it is to flower.
Top-dressing lilies-of-the-valley – All too often lilies-of-the-valley are left to run wild. Top-dress the planting now with old manure, leafmold or well-rotted compost.
Sowing rye in the vegetable garden – As each row in the vegetable garden is harvested, sow seed of winter rye. It will grow in near-freezing weather and will take up plant food in the soil that would otherwise be lost through leaching. In the spring the rye can be turned under.
Spraying house plants – Before bringing in house plants like rhoeo plant from the garden, spray them with a good all-purpose insecticide to kill aphids, mealy bugs arid other pests.
Storing four-o’clocks – Old-fashioned four-o’clocks can be stored for the winter. The lifted roots are handled as dahlias are. After being reset in spring, the plants will grow larger and flower earlier than those grown the same season from seed.
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October 26 2009 | Gardening | No Comments »
by Kent Higgins
When you walk into a home, office or indoor space and its filled with healthy, lush plants, I am sure you would agree with me: Nothing else is quite as appealing, refreshing and uplifting. Indoor plants serve many purposes. They clean the air in the home, provide lovely decorating statements, and they give us a calm and invigorating feeling that does a great job of uplifting our spirits.
For all of these reasons, everyone should have at least one houseplant. When you are ready to begin including plants in your home, there are things you need to know prior to choosing which kind of plants you will have.
The first thing to remember is safety. Many of the common indoor plants though beautiful and easily grown, can be quite toxic to children and animals. Different species of ivy are a good example of a poisonous plans, while a philodendron is another popular indoor plant that can be very deadly if consumed.
If you have kids of pets in your home or visiting frequently, you need to do some research on the types of plants you can grow first. Be sure you carefully explore and learn as much as you can about your potential choices. If you want certain types of plants in your home, in spite of the danger, then you need to get educated about the symptoms that occur if the plant is ingested by a child or pet.
Try to put the dangerous house plants high up and out of the reach of pets and children. Be on the side of safety and make sure you have marked the dangerous and the best plants with their name, in the event you have to identify your house plants for emergency purposes.
Another thing to think about when getting houseplants is how much lighting is available for them. If your home does not have windows in an area that gets enough sunlight every day, then you may not have good luck trying to grow plants that require direct sunlight exposure. Instead you may want to get plants that do well with minimal light or in full shade.
The temperature of the house is an issue as well. Most plants need moderate temps consistent all year to survive and grow. You need to chose a in your home that allows for summer heat to filter in and the winter cold to come blowing in, then you will not have any luck with a plant in that location.
A flowering plant will need more sunlight than one that is only produce foliage. Tropical plants need to be in a home that has moisturized air, while desert plants like a cactus will be divine in a drier home.
About the Author:
Find out more as Kent Higgins shares his experiences on house plants, landscaping and lawns at http://www.plant-care.com. The time has come to gain a clearer understanding on the topic of
best house plants.
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March 21 2009 | Gardening | No Comments »