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Table of Contents
1) Editor's Comments:This week we continue the topic of watering house plants which we started a few weeks ago. You'll also find some more timely articles for the holiday season. (Tom) About a week ago, I screwed up on one of our website links while working on a design change. I mistakenly changed the link on the order page so people couldn't access it. Sorry about that. If you tried to place an order and were not able too do so, everything is now fixed. As always, if you do have questions, suggestions or ideas, do not hesitate to drop us a note. Rex Gregor Tom Krueger 2) Watering House Plants: Part Two
If you recall, there is simply no hard and fast rule on how often to water because plant's requirements vary; some plants require dormant period; and the surrounding environment for even an identical plant can demand different water schedules. One thing we didn't cover was drainage. Improper drainage may well be a major factor in over-watering. Excess water can cause roots to rot - the lack of drainage will give your roots wet feet all the time. You just can't tell how much water is collecting at the bottom of the pot. If you have a pot without drainage holes, consider carefully drilling through the pot. Granted, a hole-less pot will be more likely to keep your shelves and furniture from getting wet, but it will also make it more likely for your plant to be over watered. Now, if you want to use a hole-less pot, consider lining the bottom of the container with a generous layer of broken clay flowerpots, or pebbles, or even coarse gravel. By doing this, you'll create a cavity for excess water to collect, keeping the soil ball dryer. The larger the pot (circumference), the deeper the reservoir layer you'll need. For a 10-12 inch pot - 2 inches of drainage; 15-18 inch pot - 3 to 4 inches. You can cover the drainage area with sphagnum moss to keep the soil from working its way into the reservoir. We've also heard of people using used dryer sheets or coffee filters above the drainage area. And remember, using a clay pot or a plastic pot will make a big difference on how much moisture is 'lost' to evaporation. Clay pots have walls that are porous and will have moisture evaporate about three times as fast as in plastic ones. You'll want to check soil moisture more often with a clay pot. Of course, this means you'll have to water plants in plastic containers less often. Gosh, we even have more on watering. We'll share it in a future issues. Give the gift that will be treasured for generations. 3) Humor for Today:A little boy returned from Sunday School with a new perspective on the Christmas story. He had learned all about the Wise Men from the East who brought gifts to the Baby Jesus. He was so excited he just had to tell his parents: "I learned in Sunday School today all about the very first Christmas! There wasn't a Santa Claus way back then, so these three skinny guys on camels had to deliver all the toys! And Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with his nose so bright wasn't there yet, so they had to have this big spotlight in the sky to find their way around." 4) Alaska Reindeer
Now therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, from Rudolf to Blitzen, they all had to be female. We should have known that only women would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night, and never get lost. Of course, they do this while they are pregnant!! 5) Make Your Decorative Trimmings Last Longer:Do you have hollies, boxwood, or cedars growing in your yard? If so, you're lucky to be able to cut some greens for your holiday and winter decorating. To help make the cuttings last longer, as in our tip about wreaths, soak them in water for about 24 hours. You can then dip the ends in candle wax to seal them. Sealing will add to their longevity. Click Image for Our Waterfall
Gallery 6) Quotes for Today:"Humility is the most difficult of all virtues to achieve; nothing
dies harder than the desire to think well of oneself." "It is after you have lost your teeth that you can afford to buy
steaks." 7) Putting Up Your Cut Christmas Tree:Fill the reservoir in your tree stand with the following solution:
8) Holiday Candy Making:
In case anyone is interested, Tom is a big fudge fan. 9) Subscribe/UnsubscribeThis newsletter, the Green Thumb Times, is sent out only to those who have requested a FREE subscription by signing up at http://rexseedco.com or specifically asked to be added PRIVACY: Your email address is held in the strictest of privacy. It is never traded or sold to anyone else. To subscribe to The Green Thumb Times To unsubscribe Rex Gregor, Editor Tom Krueger, Publisher Please feel free to forward The Green Thumb Times to a friend. Rex’s Seedco has searched the world for quality
growers of garden seeds. Many of these farmers bring together ancient
wisdom and modern science so people everywhere may have good health
and enjoyment in life. We are dedicated to providing the best wherever
they are found.
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In
Issue 46 (
According
to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, both male and female reindeer
grow antlers in the summer each year. Male members drop their antlers
in November or December. Female reindeer retain their antlers until
after they give birth in the spring.
Many
families have a tradition of making candy around the holidays. Most
recipes are fairly simple and don't require a lot of specialized equipment,
other than perhaps a candy thermometer. How'd you like to find a place
for a collection of over 1000 recipes for everything from taffy to caramels?
Well, here it is -- 