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1) Editor's Comments:Here in Minnesota our real winter weather was slow to arrive. In fact, until the past week we had very little snowfall. There is even fear that we might lose many perennials that were not mulched. Other parts of the US that normally get little snowfall have gotten quite a bit. What a good time to think about cacti. Maybe talking about some seed planting tips for cacti will make us feel warmer. And don't forget that we are a week away from Valentine's Day. We've included a couple of related articles. As always, if you do have questions, suggestions or ideas, do not hesitate to drop us a note. Tom Krueger Rex Gregor 2) Cactus Care: Planting Your Seeds
Bottom heat will help speed the germination process, but this is not absolutely necessary. For sowing, I suggest you use a shallow pan that can be covered with plastic. The container should be deep enough to allow for a base of up to two inches of crushed gravel or sharp sand (aquarium sand works very well). This base will facilitate good drainage.
After your soil is sterilized soak it with water that has been mixed with a fungicide. This will prevent damping-off later on. Damping-off generally refers to sudden plant death in the seedling stage due to the attack of fungi.
After the seeds have begun to sprout, leave the glass or plastic in place for about another two weeks. Make sure the seeds do not receive any direct sunlight because bright sunlight may kill the tender new plants. When the cover is removed from the plants, do not allow any strong drafts or sudden temperature changes to affect your tender seedlings. It will generally take about three days after you remove the cover for the seedlings to become hardy. A Few Tips About Caring for Your New Plants:
Have you considered the needs of your backyard friends 3) Humor for Today:Two old men were sitting on a park bench outside the local town hall where a flower show was in progress. One leaned over the other and said, "Cripes! Life is boring, we never have any fun these days. For $5.00, I'd take my clothes off and streak through the flower show!" "You're on!" said the other old fellow, holding up five dollars. As fast as he could, the first old man fumbled his way out of his clothes and completely naked, streaked through the front door of the town hall. His friend heard a huge commotion inside the hall, followed by loud applause. The streaker burst out through the door surrounded by a cheering crowd. "Wow, what happened?" asked his friend. "It was great!" he said, "I won first prize for dried arrangements!" 4) Branching Your Plants Horizons:How would you like to have your plants branching to new horizons? Well, at least having plants that are compact and bushy with many flowers? Simply pinch off the ends of new stems, using your thumbnail as a tiny scissor if you have too. You'll want to pinch as close to the top leaves as you can without injuring the tiny buds below. The energy that would have gone into the tip for flowering will now go into the buds. This will give you new branches from which you'll get even more flowers. You can simply continue this process to control the plant's shape. 5) Valentine's Day:Lupercalia
As the Roman Empire grew, so did the celebration of Lupercalia. The first Valentine-like cards were exchanged when the Romans conquered France. Women placed their names in a hat in order to have them drawn by the young men. Saint Valentines's Day The legend of St. Valentine stems from real-life martyrs who were known as Valentines during the time of the the Roman Empire. It is unclear who the real St. Valentine was, but there are two possible candidates. One of these Valentines is believed to have been a Roman priest and physician. He was killed in the third century during the persecutions by Emperor Claudius II. After his death, Valentine was buried in the Roman road Via Flaminia. Pope Julius I is said to have build a basilica above his grave. The second Saint Valentine candidate was believed to be the Bishop of Teni (Teni is a province in central Italy). He was executed in Rome. These martyrs and the link to the eventual Valentine's Day sprouted from legends about their life for such things as harboring Christians from persecution, curing blindness of a cell keeper's daughter, and for conducting marriages which were forbidden during times of war. From these legends St. Valentine became known as the patron saint of lovers. Eros-Cupid-Amor It is believed that the two origins above led Saint Valentines enthusiasts to appoint the Roman god Cupid as the patron of Valentine's day -- that is the story of Lupercalia and the love and romance associatied with the St. Valentine's legends. Cupid is also known as Armor or Eros in Greek mythology. The ancient Greeks believed Aros was the force of "love" and they believed this force was behind all creation. Click Image for Our New Palm Tree
Gallery 6) Quote for Today:"I keep the telephone of my mind open to peace, harmony,
health, love and abundance. Then, whenever doubt, anxiety or fear try
to call me, they keep getting a busy signal - and soon they'll forget
my number." 7) Plant Provenance Follow-up:Last time we talked about plant provenance. If you recall, plant provenance refers to the place where a plant evolved and had its genetic makeup determined. It is important to help determine whether a tree or shrub will survive in your neck of the woods. Interestingly, Rex just found out that Texas Rose Grower's Association had entered into a contract with a number upper midwest nursery markets last year to supply them with bare-root roses. The local flower grower's association received many reports about poor quality of these roses. Their research indicates that many varities of these rose bushes grown in Texas do not make it through the winter. The conclusion by most specialists indicate that "Plant Provenance" has more of a meaning then simply the "word." Thus, when considering live trees and shrubs, your local grown product might be a better selection. 8) Roses for Valentine's Day?Are you thinking of getting your sweetheart roses? Here are some tips.
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 Tom Krueger, Editor and Publisher Rex Gregor, Contributing Editor 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
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With
a little patience and effort you should have no problem in raising beautiful
cacti from the seeds you obtain from Rex’s Seedco. Cacti seeds
are sometimes slow in germinating, so don't be discouraged if it takes
longer than most seeds for them to pop out of the soil. It is not unusual
for most cacti seeds to take up to three and even ten weeks to germinate.
On
top of the gravel or sand, place about two inches of sterilized soil.
I recommend a mixture of equal parts of aquarium sand and peat humus.
It is very important that the soil be sterilized. Sterilizing is easy,
simply heat the soil in your oven at 200° for 15 minutes.
Next,
allow the excess water to drain off, then press the seeds lightly into
the soil - cover them with about 1/8 inch of the soil. Cover the pan
with glass or plastic and place in a warm location. Be sure to keep
the soil moist, but NOT wet. A cloths mister works very well at keeping
the soil moist. I suggest misting the surface regularly.
Valentine's
Day has its origins in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, which was observed
on February 15th (according to Roman Calendar). Lupercalia was a celebration
of the coming of spring and was associated with the two Roman gods Lupercus
and Faunus. Lupercus was believed to watch over the shepherds and their
flocks, thus, the festival of Lupercalia became a celebration intended
to insure the fertility of the flocks.
Hopefully
you can trust your florist to give you fresh roses in the right stage
of development. This means that they've been standing in water with
floral preservative long enough (the roses, that is and not the florist)
so they are firm so they can open fully. You certainly don't want roses
that have all petals loosened, opened, and past their prime. You also
want to avoid roses that have no petals loosened, with short and fat
buds - these are young and may never open.