“A Seed is a Wish About to Come True. . .”™ Summer Rayne
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“A Seed is a Wish About to Come True. . .”™ Summer Rayne
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September 2000 Newsletters September 2 Volume 2 issue 35 On fertilizing Part 1 by Dale Johnson When it comes to Tropical plants I am often asked, “when is the best time to fertilize and how much?” Of course there is no one single perfect answer, but we can come close. A lot depends on the plant variety itself. Is it citrus? Is it a flowering plant? And so forth. Most have their own unique nutritional requirements, but the following basics will do for most of the plants you have. I have divided the categories into three basic groups, flowering, fruiting and leafy plants, but first lets look at what is in a basic fertilizer. For those that are organic, really good, screened compost could be used. Compost generally has all of the major nutrients a plant needs as well as some of the minor elements. But for most us, good compost is hard to come by unless we make it ourselves, so a supplemental fertilizer should be used. I like a combination of both. Start out with a blend of compost and soil less mix and supplement later on, when the plant looks “hungry,” with a household fertilizer. This gives the plant a great foundation in which to develop a healthy root system. But remember, don’t fertilize too much, especially with seedlings, or they may develop too fast or the new root system may get burned. Before purchasing a commercial fertilizer you will need to know what it is and how much is in it. On the box or bag you will find a ratio listing they amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in that order. So, a 10-10-20 will have ten percent nitrogen and phosphorus and 20% potassium. As long as the ratios stay the same for your needs, the higher the numbers the better. For example a 1-1-2 is the same ratio as 10-10-20, however, you will get more for your money with the 10-10-20 because the percent of the actual product is higher. The rest is called “inert ingredients” of filler. We have found the following ratios to be the best for Tropicals in general. For fruiting plants use 15-15-30 ratio, for Flowering use a 15-30-15 and for leafy or foliage specific plants use a 15-15-15 ratio. Next week we will discuss what each nutrient does and what to look for when your plant shows signs of deficiency. _____________________________________________________ Garden tip of the week: It’s time to fertilize your lawn and if you have poor drainage and clay soils it’s a good idea to aerate the lawn at this time. Aeration helps oxygenate the soil and lets water and nutrients get to the roots easier. ________________________________________________________________ As with all safety issues we need to be careful with children around. You don’t leave open cans of paint or cleaner lying about and so on. And plants are no different. It is important to know which are safe and which have the potential for harm. I don’t mean a thorny rose bush, but I am talking about the everyday common plants we all have, that if ingested are quite poisonous. Here are a few. · The leaves of rhubarb. · The entire plant of Lily-of-the Valley. · The entire plant of Lobelia. · All parts of Datura or Angel’s Trumpet. Happy Gardening! Dale _____________________________________________________ Copyright © [Driftwood Gardens] September 2, 2000. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without the written consent of the owner/publisher. It may, however, be forwarded, in its entirety, to whom you choose as a referral. September 9 Volume 2 issue 36 In this issue: · Fertilizing Part 2 · Garden tip of the week. · The Banana _________________________________________________ On fertilizing Part 2 by Dale Johnson Last week we looked at fertilizing ratios and what to use, so this week we will look at what each major nutrient does and what to look for when your plant shows signs of deficiency. We will also look briefly at the role of micronutrients or trace elements. There are three major nutrients, the first of which is nitrogen. Nitrogen stimulates leaf growth and is necessary for protein production. It is found in manures, fishmeal, sea kelp, blood meal, guano and commercial fertilizer. Too much nitrogen produces leggy stalks; lack of blooms and your plant may have leaf tip browning. It could also lead to an excess of whitefly and aphids as they thrive on this “food.” The lack of nitrogen produces yellowing of leaves, especially the lower ones, slow growth and possible leaf loss. Try to avoid over-fertilization with commercial products, as these will tend to leave salty residues. The second major nutrient is phosphorus. Phosphorus promotes root growth and disease resistance. It is found in rock phosphate, composts, super phosphate, bone meal, as well as commercial fertilizer. It is hard to get an overdose of phosphate, but if so it will hinder the plants ability to absorb micronutrients. Signs of a deficiency are purple colored leaves that should be green, leaf dropping and lack of fruit production. For optimum phosphorus utilization the soil should be as close to neutral ph as possible. The third major nutrient is potassium. Potassium regulates water movement throughout the plants system, sugar production and heat/cold tolerance. It also helps the plant absorb necessary micronutrients. It is found in wood ashes, granite, manure, sea kelp and commercial fertilizer. Too much potassium will cause magnesium deficiencies. Signs of deficiencies are weak stems that may fall over in the middle, yellowing of the leaves starting at the outer edge and progressing inward and dead areas in the leaf. Sulfur, Calcium and Magnesium are also necessary major nutrients. Micronutrients are also as important to plant health as major nutrients. It is much like taking added vitamin supplements for our own health and well-being. Iron, boron, zinc and manganese are a few nutrients that are usually added to commercial fertilizers and can also be found in composts, sea kelp and organic matter. Boron promotes cell-wall formation and the lack of it could cause hollow stems or deformed leaves. Iron promotes chlorophyll production and you would see yellow-veined leaves when there is a deficiency. Zinc promotes the formation of flower buds and when it is deficient you would see blotchy yellowing of the leaves as well as stunted growth. Manganese is vital for respiration a sign that it is lacking is the new growth is yellow in color to white while the old growth remains green. We fertilize once a month but some gardeners like to dilute by half and fertilize once every two weeks. And don’t forget to have good drainage. _______________________________________________________________ Garden tip of the week: It’s time to start thinking fall and ponder blooms in the spring. Go to you local nursery and pick out some of those colorful spring bulbs to plant now. It will be worth it and you will thank yourself next spring when you see all of that extraordinary color popping up before anything else. ________________________________________________________________ Bananas: by Dale Johnson The other day we asked the three year old what she would like to do before summer ends and she replied “botanical garden.” We had taken her there when she was two and she remembered the “big giant corn” growing in the vegetable beds. I was elated a three year old would pick the Denver Botanical Garden over the zoo so off we went. As luck would have it, they had spent the summer developing a “Gardens Around the World” theme. We walked all over taking pictures, but her favorite part was the various water features with brilliantly colored lily’s floating about. It was hot and when we finished looking at those she couldn’t wait to get inside to see the tropicals. I think she thought the air conditioner would be on, but it wasn’t. After all, it was supposed to be the tropics. She still loved the big Papayas (with fruit), Palms and ferns and of course the Bananas. They were twenty feet tall and loaded with “real” Bananas. They had many different varieties even the smaller Purple Banana (Musa Velutina) that we have in our own greenhouse. The purple banana is a plant with a purple-green, to yellow-green, narrow trunk that can grow to about five feet. It has long green-purple leaves and produces white flowers with purple bracts, which is followed by pink to purple fruit. They can be grown from seed but you must pre-soak the seed and sow at 70-75° F. Grow in full light and shade from hot suns and water freely during growing season, but keep just moist in the winter months. There is no plant more Tropical in appearance than this one. Bananas or Musa belong to the Musaceae family with about 40 species belonging to this genus. They are becoming extremely popular among Tropical plant enthusiasts mainly because they are so easy to grow and they grow fast. In the Tropics some have been know to grow up to a foot in one day! Another reason is that there are miniature varieties, (Musa nana), that stay around five to six feet in height, which allows this plant to reside in the average sized house. The plant rises up out of the soil on a single trunk, out of which its beautiful, large leaves emerge and slightly feather down. There are a multitude of colors to choose from. You can have the bold green look or go with a variegated variety (Zebra Banana) or even a red leaved one. You will even find that some will bloom and even bear fruit. If you intend to grow them outside, you will need to reside in at least a zone 9 environment although some varieties are known to grow in zone 8. For the houseplant lover, you will want this plant indoors or possibly out on the deck or patio during the warm summer months. One must beware that the leaves are somewhat delicate and may become torn in winds and they are prone to aphids. They best solution for this is to rinse the leaves off periodically and for really bad infestations use a mild solution of soap and gently wash the leaves. Flowering depends not on the size of the plant, so much, or the season, but on how old the stem or trunk is. (The trunk is actually a compact collection of leaf bases.) It will usually take two years for the plant to flower and sometimes three if grown indoors in containers. For the impatient gardener who loves to propagate your favorite plants, this one is perfect. Just wait for a “sucker” to form at the base and cut it off from the main plant once it has developed some roots. Plant as you would a small houseplant. Grow in full light, but not in a hot sun as the leaves can burn easily. Shade or partial shade is perfect for out door growing. Water frequently and fertilize once a month. Cut off old leaves when they have worn out and discolored. Bananas have a shallow root base and are perfect for container growing. If you are looking for live plants, check your local nursery. Some varieties are now pretty common and can be bought for around $50.00. For pictures of a flower and the baby shoot click here. www.driftwoodgardens.com/rainforestseedbananas.htm Happy Gardening! Dale _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © [Driftwood Gardens] September 9, 2000. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without the written consent of the owner/publisher. It may, however, be forwarded, in its entirety, to whom you choose as a referral. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ September 16 Volume 2 issue 37 In this issue: · Bird of Paradise · Garden tip of the week. · Origin of the Houseplant Idea · Reflections from the Garden _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ Bird of Paradise Do you have a favorite annual or perennial or even a vegetable or herb that you wish you could bring inside for a winter houseplant? Most plants that grow outdoors can be brought inside, for the winter, to be enjoyed as a houseplant. I usually bring in a couple of Impatiens baskets for color. But, most houseplants, especially the more exotic ones, originated from different parts of the tropical world and one of my favorites is the Bird of Paradise (strelitzia) a small evergreen native to the sub-tropical region of southern Africa. The plant is named for George III wife Charlotte of Mecklenberg-Strelitz. There are only about 5 species and they have palm-like, rich green foliage with a woody base, but are prized more for their unique flowers. The exotic blooms spring forth, usually in the spring with boat shaped orange inflorescent flowers. They are very long lasting and make a great cut flower. This plant can be grown outdoors in summer and loves a warm house or greenhouse through the winter. Shade from hot suns and protect from wind. Bring indoors when the nighttime temperature gets down to about 50° F. Grow in a standard potting mix, water freely during the growing season and feed once a month with a 15-30-15 ratio. You should repot every other year, in early spring, at which time you may be able to divide the plant into two or more plants. (Don’t repot when in flower) You can also grow from seed. The seed germinates best with a temperature range of 64-70° F, but seed sown plants may take up to three years to flower for the first time. So isn’t it time to bring a little Paradise inside? ______________________________________________________________________ Origins of the Houseplant Idea · The introduction of houseplants is thought to have originated in ancient Egypt. It began with the desire to move small trees from outdoors into courtyards and then on into large open rooms. · The Chinese furthered the idea of bringing plants indoors further and developed the idea of miniature trees, which was perfected by the Japanese as Bonsai and Seikei. · The Moors, while occupying Spain, brought unique indoor plant ideas with them, which in turn spread throughout Europe. _____________________________________________________________________ Garden tip of the week: By now a lot of the perennials are played out and the leaves are turning all shades of brown and yellow. It’s time to cut them back and remove all the dead and dying foliage. ______________________________________________________________________ Reflections From the Garden by Dale Johnson Gardens can be amazing things sometimes, even after 30 plus years of gardening. And it’s not just the plants and spectacular flowers that can be so wonderful. It’s dry and hot along the foothills this year. Dryer than I can remember in a long time. I was visiting a client and looking over the gardens and checking the irrigation system to make sure all was running well. The rock wall gardens are in the final stages of bloom and as I made my way to the control box I noticed a small winged creature lying flat on the ground. I thought at first it was a butterfly, with its tiny green body, no bigger than my thumb, but its wings were clear. I bent down and picked it up and realized that it was alive and wasn’t a butterfly at all. The long needle-like nose told me right away it was a hummingbird. It rested in the palm of my hand with its mouth open looking kind of tired and hot. I took it over to the rose garden where I hoped to leave it among some open flowers when I noticed water sitting in the petals of an open rose. I held the hummingbird down to the water and it drank it right up, rested a second or two on my palm, and then flew away, leaving me to wonder about the interconnectedness of gardens and the things of nature. Happy Gardening! Dale _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © [Driftwood Gardens] September 15, 2000. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without the written consent of the owner/publisher. It may, however, be forwarded, in its entirety, to whom you choose as a referral. ______________________________________________________________________ September 24
_________________________________________________ Mealy
Bugs by
Dale Johnson The distressed voice on the phone detailed a sick looking Jade plant that had been growing in her house for over 25 years. Her voice reminded me of the hurt some feel when one of their plants is looking sick, lifeless and all hope is lost, and they’re looking to me for that one special, miracle answer that will bring the plant back to green again. She explained that the plant had been passes down to here from her mother and it was imperative that something be done right away. The symptoms ranged from that of a white cottony substance coming from the leaf base and loss of a great number of leaves. I knew right away the plant was probably infested with mealy bugs. We had lost some of our jade plants some time ago to the same thing and they are a little prone to the pest. “Could you come right away?” “Of course,” I said and knew she expected the miracle from me. After seeing the plant I resolved to do my best. I told her, in as much optimism as I could muster, that the outlook was 50/50. No use making promises I couldn’t keep, I told myself. Mealy bugs are a light colored, ovular shaped, pest about a quarter of inch or so. They literally suck the life out of a plant by feeding on plant fluid or sap. The first thing to do is mix up a 50% solution of water and rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. Spray a test spot on the plant to be sure this solution doesn’t burn the plant. Wait a couple days and if the plant is ok spray down all infected areas. If possible, rub down these areas with a cloth and solution, but some plants. Be consistent with this and try to get the infested areas only and not too much on the leaves. The alcohol didn’t work by itself. So, I also used a soap solution. A squirt of dish soap in a gallon of water sprayed two-three times a week should work. There are also commercial varieties of soap specially designed just for this that work great. If you are looking for a chemical to zap them away, Schultz makes a product called Expert for Houseplants and gardens. It contains pyrithrins and you should always spray a test area first and if it doesn’t burn the leaves spray only the visible plant infestations and not the whole plant. Another thing that works, if you have a greenhouse, is to release ladybugs or set out some lacewing larvae that love to feed on mealy bugs. Three months later this magnificent Jade is alive and well. It has retained its 4 and a half foot height and 3 foot width and is getting many new leaves. Maybe I should have had a better outlook from the beginning.
____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ Garden tip of the week It’s the time of year when the garden looks tired and played out and some people have turned off the irrigation systems and stopped watering by now, but don’t forget your perennials and trees still need regular water especially in the western states where the rainfall is extremely below normal. This will enable the root systems and plant to store enough energy for the winter months. ______________________________________________________________________ The Muses of Jon Valley by
Jon Valley Somewhere way back, in the far reaches of my mind, where thoughts tend to swirl around and merge with the dream world and the place where reality becomes awash with images of fantasy and all things incredible and unreal, a place existed with huge brightly colored flowers, of all colors imaginable, dangling from plants, clinging to the brown skin of tall trees, unlike anything I had ever seen before and they dripped with the sweet dew fallen from the heavens. A fantastic journey was under way, but it was not to be. As I wandered through the dense brush, I heard a crashing sound and it was coming right toward me . . . I jumped up, shaken from a rare, lazy afternoon nap and saw that Whiskers, my aging, long haired calico, had found herself tangled up in the miniature jungle I was growing on my extended windowsill. One of the pots had been knocked to the floor and shattered with dirt thrown everywhere. I realized, as I walked over to this plant, that it was the one I had nursed back from hard times and it was just now starting to take off. It’s such a common plant that most of us take it for grated and see it everywhere. I have walked by them many times without a second look. That is until I received the plant as a gift from a dying friend. It’s a legacy of sorts and to me, a symbol of life. My friend had reached a point where she couldn’t care for it anymore and it sat languishing untended, but still cared for. She knew me as a plant lover and told me to take it and “see what I could do with it. Maybe some day it will come to life.” It’s called a Croton (codiaeum variegatum pictum) and it had lost half of its leaves. The remaining, once beautiful multi-colored leaves of brilliant green, with pink veins and a few yellow spots here and there, looked dry and showed signs of falling off soon. I took the plant home and repotted it, giving it the best of soil, and set it in the window, hoping for the best. I thought, maybe, the brighter sun and company of other plants would help spring life back into it somehow. This plant loved the constant 75 degrees and moist soil that I gave it and a few months late when Spring came around the corner, I fertilized it, and pruned the top so it would grow outward and full. Months passed, and as I cared for it along with the other plants in the windowsill, little by little it seemed to come out of its slumber, and I felt relief as new leaves started to emerge. Whiskers rubbed his soft back up against the back my leg as if all was fine in the world and I picked the plant up once again, took it to the back yard where the potting bench resides and replaced the missing soil around the healthy white roots. After all that it had been through, this event would hardly phase it. The sun was still high in the sky when I set the Croton back to its place and headed back to the study and planted myself back on my soft sofa, and wondered if I could journey back to that jungle paradise again. This time maybe I would see the wonders I was meant to see the first time. After all, the afternoon was only just beginning. (Jon
Valley is a writer of things western, a lover of life and a romancer of things
living and green.) Happy Gardening! Dale _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Want to make a comment about the newsletter? Too long? Too short? Want to see something covered in an article? Like it the way it is? Don’t like it? Tell us. Click here. www.driftwoodgardens.com/newslettercomments.htm _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © [Driftwood Gardens] September 22, 2000. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without the written consent of the owner/publisher. It may, however, be forwarded, in its entirety, to whom you choose as a referral. _________________________________________________________________ September 30,
2000 Volume
2 issue 39 In this issue:
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ The Coming Winter by Dale Johnson The sun sets earlier and the nights are longer. October looms so close on the horizon, just a little too soon, and winters cold arms will wrap around us in an icy grip long before we really want it. Corn stalks are dry, leaves are falling, pumpkins are big and orange and fall is surely here. But, deep down in most of us, a flickering flame burns inside. A flame that longs for the green of things growing and the color they produce either in flowers or foliage. A flame that desires the fresh fragrance of flowers forming natural bouquets on stems of green or brown huddled against a frosty window. Looking out of the window, huge puffs of snowflakes floated down to pile up on the yellowing leaves of the ash tree and the green grass below. By the end of the day five inches of snow fell, so I decided it’s time to refocus my attention to the sometimes-overlooked plants that faithfully grow season after season in the various rooms of the house. As our duties lighten and the outdoor chores lessen we can concentrate on the small gardens we have inside. Though smaller in size, and weeding is virtually non existent (yeah!), these small oasis inside our homes are no less important and need as much care if not more than their outdoor counterparts. Some of the smaller plants have been brought in from the deck after spending a couple of days in the garage to become adjusted to the lesser light and dryer air. This seems to lessen the shock and is just as important as the adjustment period when setting plants out in the spring. Since window space is at a premium, it was time for my annual ritual to set up a series of shelves and once again hang the florescent light fixtures. Trays are filled with small pebbles and water poured over them until it reaches the top of the gravel. The plants are set on top of the pebbles so the water in the tray can slowly evaporate into our dry indoor air and create a microclimate just right for a tropical plant. It must be my imagination, but the plants do seem happy placed on these small oases. I wonder if they know how far away their ancestors originated and the world they left behind so we could enjoy a little of the tropics in the middle of a semi-arid desert climate as the snow flies outside the window. Coming next week: An article on African Violets and the first in a series of propagating plants from seed. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ Garden tip of the week As fall has arrived and your perennials are being pruned, leave a few of the flower stalks to dry and remain on the plant to provide a true fall look to your garden and if your garden needs a few more plants this will allow some of the seeds to be naturally planted for next year. Good plants for this are Echinacea, Gaillardia, Status or strawflowers and of course your ornamental grasses. ____________________________________________________________________ Did
you know?
Happy Gardening! Dale _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Want to make a comment about the newsletter? Too long? Too short? Want to see something covered in an article? Like it the way it is? Don’t like it? Tell us. Click here. www.driftwoodgardens.com/newslettercomments.htm _________________________________________________________________ We are looking for article contributors. Put your plant growing experience to work! If you would like to contribute an occasional article please reply to this newsletter with contributor in the subject heading for guidelines. We would live to hear from you! _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © [Driftwood Gardens] September 29, 2000. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without the written consent of the owner/publisher. It may, however, be forwarded, in its entirety, to whom you choose as a referral. _________________________________________________________________ Thanks for reading!
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Copyright © [ Driftwood Gardens - ] May 1998-2008. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without the written consent of the owner/publisher. Unless otherwise noted all photos are taken by Dale Johnson or Jon Valley and are Copyright © [Dale Johnson - Driftwood Gardens - Summers Seeds] All rights reserved. No picture may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without the written consent of the owner/publisher. |