I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, and I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! Just don’t overdo it, and remember to bring ‘em back alive! In the meantime, here’s how to keep your holiday houseplants going and growing throughout the year.
Holiday Houseplant Tonic
To keep your holiday houseplants chipper long after the holidays are gone, feed ‘em with this power-packed potion.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of beer
1/2 tbsp. of unflavored gelatin
1/2 tbsp. of fish emulsion
1/2 tbsp. of vitamin B1 plant starter
1/2 tbsp. of ammonia
1/2 tbsp. of instant tea granules
1 gal. of water
Instructions:
Mix these ingredients together in a watering can, and use the solution every time you water your holiday plants to help keep them lush and lovely.
Don’t Get Foiled
If you were lucky enough to receive a beautiful potted plant as a holiday gift, keep in mind that the colorful foil wrapping that covers the pot is just for display. It can actually be harmful if it’s left on too long, so remove it after several days to prevent problems. In the meantime, poke your finger through the foil on the bottom of the pot; otherwise, excess water will have no way to drain out, and your plant will drown!
Q. How often should I water the potted plant I received as a gift during the holidays?
A. Most potted gift plants are as easy to water as common houseplants—water them well until the soil feels dry to the touch, then don’t water again until the soil feels dry. The exceptions are mums, cinerarias, and hydrangeas, all of which require a daily drink. Quench their thirst by filling a bucket about half full of tepid water and submerging the entire pot in the water. Let it sit for a few minutes, then remove and drain before returning the plant to its window seat.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Happy holidays to one and all!
This time of year, the Baker household is a-hustlin’ and a-bustlin’ with activity, getting things ready for our holiday celebrations. So I thought I’d share a few of my best houseplant tips, tricks, and tonics with you to keep them growing while you’re celebrating the season.
Winder Wonder Drug
To keep your indoor herbs, veggies, and citrus trees happy and healthy all winter long, douse them with this terrific tonic every now and again.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. of liquid kelp
1/8 tsp. of dishwashing liquid
1 gal. of water
Instructions:
Mix these ingredients in a hand-held sprayer, and mist-spray your plants every two to three weeks. It’ll feed ‘em AND help fight pests in one easy step!
The Old Brush-Off
Are your African violets, gloxinias, and other hairy-leaved plants looking a little dusty? Give them a gentle going-over with a soft baby’s hairbrush. Never, ever wash them off with water!
Cutting Remarks
Want to make more of your favorite houseplants? Some—such as African violets, gloxinias, rex begonias, and peperomia—root in a flash from leaf cuttings. Simply cut off the mature leaves with 2 or 3 inches of leafstalk, and insert them into the rooting medium until the leaf stands upright. (Make sure you insert the leaf stems far enough into the soil that the leaf blades are touching the soil.) An added benefit of leaf cuttings? Sometimes you get two or more new plants from a single leaf!
Q. The first year I had my amaryllis bulb, it had flowers, but last year, it only made leaves. Help!
A. I plant my amaryllis in pots, and sink them into the ground for the summer. Come fall, I cut the foliage back to 3 inches; set the plants in a cool, dry area; and keep them damp, not wet. Try this method with your bulb—it should do the trick!
Winder Wonder Drug
To keep your indoor herbs, veggies, and citrus trees happy and healthy all winter long, douse them with this terrific tonic every now and again.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. of liquid kelp
1/8 tsp. of dishwashing liquid
1 gal. of water
Instructions:
Mix these ingredients in a hand-held sprayer, and mist-spray your plants every two to three weeks. It’ll feed ‘em AND help fight pests in one easy step!
The Old Brush-Off
Are your African violets, gloxinias, and other hairy-leaved plants looking a little dusty? Give them a gentle going-over with a soft baby’s hairbrush. Never, ever wash them off with water!
Cutting Remarks
Want to make more of your favorite houseplants? Some—such as African violets, gloxinias, rex begonias, and peperomia—root in a flash from leaf cuttings. Simply cut off the mature leaves with 2 or 3 inches of leafstalk, and insert them into the rooting medium until the leaf stands upright. (Make sure you insert the leaf stems far enough into the soil that the leaf blades are touching the soil.) An added benefit of leaf cuttings? Sometimes you get two or more new plants from a single leaf!
Q. The first year I had my amaryllis bulb, it had flowers, but last year, it only made leaves. Help!
A. I plant my amaryllis in pots, and sink them into the ground for the summer. Come fall, I cut the foliage back to 3 inches; set the plants in a cool, dry area; and keep them damp, not wet. Try this method with your bulb—it should do the trick!
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Wiinter Walkway Protection
When it comes to lawn care this time of year, remember that it’s plain and simple—salt kills grass! It doesn’t matter whether the salt comes on costal breezes, or from a bag used to melt snow and ice on the driveway and sidewalk; either way, you get the same results. No matter how carefully you apply deicing salts, it’s highly likely that some salt will spill onto the turf.
So what do you do? Now’s the time to liberally sprinkle gypsum in a 5-foot-wide band all over any grass that’s within spittin’ distance of where you’re even thinking about using salt. Then, overspray the gypsum with a simple solution made of 1 cup of dishwashing liquid, 1/2 cup of ammonia, and 1/2 cup of beer in a 20 gallon hose-end sprayer, applied to the point of run-off. Your soil and turf will then be in great shape to survive the winter.
And while you’re thinking about slippery surfaces, why not try some terrific natural alternatives to melting the ice? Clean cat litter and sand both provide traction on slippery surfaces, and they’re cheap, effective, and lawn-friendly. There’s also a whole slew of new ice melters that are salt-free. Some even contain fertilizers that provide nutrients to your lawn as they wash away the ice—so check ‘em out!
So what do you do? Now’s the time to liberally sprinkle gypsum in a 5-foot-wide band all over any grass that’s within spittin’ distance of where you’re even thinking about using salt. Then, overspray the gypsum with a simple solution made of 1 cup of dishwashing liquid, 1/2 cup of ammonia, and 1/2 cup of beer in a 20 gallon hose-end sprayer, applied to the point of run-off. Your soil and turf will then be in great shape to survive the winter.
And while you’re thinking about slippery surfaces, why not try some terrific natural alternatives to melting the ice? Clean cat litter and sand both provide traction on slippery surfaces, and they’re cheap, effective, and lawn-friendly. There’s also a whole slew of new ice melters that are salt-free. Some even contain fertilizers that provide nutrients to your lawn as they wash away the ice—so check ‘em out!
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