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Table of Contents
1) Editor's Comments:What can we say... You didn't lose last week's issue, we were simply unable to get one put together. It was such a busy week and with other computer problems, we just couldn't get it done. We think it was the first issue we missed since a vacation in May, 2002. This week we continue with our house plant series. We take a look at watering and other house plant issues. Not the first time on the topic, but one that is often asked. Also, it is not a reprinting of past material. We have many other items of interest, including a search for the name of a mystery flower. Hope you enjoy. As always, if you do have questions, suggestions or ideas, do not hesitate to drop us a note. Tom Krueger Rex Gregor "Exotic & Unusual Seeds from Around the World" 2) House Plants: Part Two
Some plants like drier conditions, while others never get enough moisture. There is a difference in potting mediums which sometimes dictates how much moisture your plant will need. Bottom line? Your plant will tell you when it is getting thirsty. First thing to look at is the leaves - when they begin to wilt, they are sending the message it is time to give it a drink. As a general rule, house plant roots are located near the bottom 2/3 of the pot. Thus, if you only feel the top crust of the soil and it feels dry and you water, chances are you will be over watering since the soil in the lower portion of the pot will likely be wet. The follow-up question is usually about the best method of watering. Again, there is no best method, but as a general rule, it is best to take the pot out of the saucer and place it in a sink or location you can allow the pot to drain well. First, don't use cold water; it should be at least room temperature. Then water until it runs out the bottom of the container. If your pot has a built in saucer, be sure to drain the excess water from it before you return the pot to its place of residence. As we said, do not over water your plants. Again, when the plant begins to wilt, it is time to water. Roots will most generally take up the moisture very quickly and the plant will immediately recover. Most house plants and/or office plants will tolerate normal house temperature fluctuations. In general, foliage house plants grow best at around 70° F. (21° C.) during the day and 60° F. (15.5° C.) (at night. If you are comfortable – your plants will be too. Another issue with house plants is humidity. Atmospheric humidity is expressed as a percentage of the moisture saturation of the air. In homes heated during the winter, forced air heat tends to keep the air dry. There are simple ways to provide increased moisture (this is assuming you do not humidify the air). You can place water filled gravel trays under your flower pots or containers. But be sure your pot does not sit in the water. This will increase the relative humidity in the vicinity of the container. Some folks will mist their plants. Misting your plants is a doubtful modification. But if you mist your plants, you'll want to do it early in the day – this will lessen the chance of disease, since the cool dampness at night provides an ideal environment for disease infection. Another problem in house plants is the over abundance of soluble salts in the soil. Soluble salts will reduce the growth of your plants. You can identify a problem if your plant has brown leaf tips; or there is a tendency to drop lower leaves and you will not get new growth, or if any new growth is at a minimum. Another sure sign of high soluble salts is that your plant will wilt for no apparent reason. These soluble salts are most often caused by over fertilizing. The top layers of soil will begin to form a white crust and a ring of salt deposits will be formed around the pot and around the drainage holes. Soluble salts are minerals dissolved in the water. When the water evaporates from the soil, the minerals or salts will stay behind. As the salts in the soil begin to get more concentrated, the plants will find it harder to take up the moisture and nutrients. If the salts build up to an extremely high level, the plant will be weakened or will die. Root rot is one of the most common problems associated with high salt levels. When you first see the white powder on the soil or around the edges of the pot, it is a good idea to leach your plants. You do this by watering the pot until the water runs clear or nearly clear. And finally, never use softened water on your plants. Next week we will talk about gift plants and their care. *** 15% savings until November 26, 2003 *** 15% off all items on our Unusual Garden Seeds page. The discount will not show up in your shopping cart -- we will take care of it for you before finalization of your order. (No other discounts apply.) 3) Humor for Today:After his usual, lengthy sermon, the minister announced that he wished to meet with the church board following the close of the service. The first man to arrive and greet the minister was a total stranger. "You misunderstood my announcement. This is a meeting of the board members," explained the minister. "I know," said the man, "but if there is anyone here more bored than I am, then I'd like to meet him." 4) Propagating Thick-leaved Plants:Did you know that you can propagate fleshy-leaved house plants by snapping off single leaves? Choose healthy, medium sized leaves and remove them at the point where they meet the stem. Place the leaf stem at an angle in a mixture of equal parts moistened peat moss and sharp sand. Then bury one edge of the leaf to lend support. Place the pot in indirect light until the new leaves are about 1/3 the parent. Lift it from the pot and separate the new growth and transplant the shoots to its new home in potting mixture. 5) Diva Hybrid Cucumber: (AAS Winner 2003)
The Diva Hybrid Cucumber was judged to be extra sweet and delicious with crisp flesh. The skin is thin and tender with a standout flavor and texture. The fruits are produced in abundance at each node on the vine. If you want to grow these for early production, you can start the seeds in a peat pot, covered with 1/4-inch of fine soil, or you may plant directly in your garden after all danger of frost has passed. The seeds will germinate in about one week if kept moist. It is best to plant your seedlings (or if directly sowing) in full sun in enriched well drained soil. This cucumber can also be container grown or grown in small space gardens. The vines can be trained to grow up a fence or trellis. If container grown, fertilize every 4 or 5 weeks and keep moist because the water and nutrients are depleted more rapidly in containers. Cold Climate Gardeners are passing
up an excellent resource if they don't take a look into the Minnesota
State Horticultural Society. Visit them today. We recommend them
highly. 6) Quote for Today:"The bond of our common humanity is stronger than the divisiveness
of our fears and prejudices. God gives us the capacity for choice.
We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together
for peace. We can make these changes - and we must." 7) Reader Mailbag: Need Help Identifying Plant"OK you green thumb experts, I hope you can tell me what this beautiful little plant is. I've scoured my garden books, asked friends, sent a picture to my Mother, who has been gardening all her life, and no one knows what it is. Our nurseries are all closed for the winter, so that’s no help until spring.It popped up in our perennial bed this year - just the one - and lasted longer than any of the other plants. It's so pretty and hardy (here in Colorado), that I think it must be a native wildflower, but it's not in my wildflower guide. I would like to plant more of them, and I don't even care if it's a weed! Also, if you do know what it is, do you have seeds? Thanks for any help you can give me." We agree, this indeed is a beautiful plant/flower. Unfortunately, it is not a plant we can immediately identify. Several plants have similar blooms but the leaf shape is puzzling. It is possible that the seed might have been deposited by a migrating bird and the seed might have originated in another environment hundreds of miles away. We hope you may have saved some seeds from the plant - if so please send us a few so we can grow a few plants in our greenhouse. This might help us identify the plant. In the meantime we will search our International Website in hopes that we can exactly identify the plant. We figured this would be a good opportunity to share the image with our readership in hopes someone might be able to identify the plant.
8) Sweeter Sweet Potatoes
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, or are a valued customer of Rex's Seedco. 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 Click Here or send email to subscribegtt@goalsmint.com To unsubscribe Click Here or send email to unsubscribegtt@goalsmint.com 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
they are found.
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“How
often should I water my house plants?” Easily the most common
question we get. Unfortunately, there is no good universal answer to
the question.
Every
year plant breeders and seed producers enter their most promising new
varieties in the All-American Selections judging competition. Vegetable
varieties are grown and evaluated at more than 25 trial vegetable gardens
all around the United States and Canada. Judges watch them throughout
the growing season. They evaluate the vegetables for flavor, yield,
appearance, texture, disease resistance, productivity, space efficiency,
nutrition and novelty value.
If you let your sweet potato tubers sit for two months before cooking
more of the starch will convert to sugar. Your sweet potatoes will
be all the more tasty.