I have been
getting seed/nursery catalogs for 2020 already and it does help to look at
pretty plants and dream about spring planting when you have cold, gray gloomy
weather outside. I also have houseplants blooming inside, which helps. The
bright grow lights and greenery are soothing and uplifting.
I have a
beautiful peace lily flower sitting in front of me right now. I have a fondness
for my peace lily plant, she has a prominent place in my living room, and you
notice, I speak of her as “she”. I don’t
really have a name for her though, like some people name plants.
A peace lily
bloom is simple, but so beautiful in that simplicity and its strong lines. The shiny, white, large, oval, “spath” is etched with deep veins.
Up the back is a single deep green line cumulating at the tip in a slight
twist. A spath is actually a leaf bract and it clasps the flower stem below the
flower.
The spadix,
the actual flower, is a creamy colored, rod shape, plant organ, partially surrounded by
the spath. It is covered in cone shaped bumps, each with a dark tip. It is.
Each cone is an individual flower. The flowers are on long stems held above the
plant.
The peace
lily is an easy to care for houseplant, which does well in medium light
conditions. There are small varieties, but many will get quite large. If you want to know more about the peace
lily, here’s a link to an article
If you don’t
have houseplants, I strongly suggest you get some. Do take care where you buy
them, however. I don’t have a big issue with buying houseplants at “big box”
stores. Sometimes they don’t label plants very well, just labeling them “foliage
plants” for example. This makes it hard for people to look up the needs of the
plants. But at least you can see and handle the plants, to see how healthy they
are and what they actually look like.
I also don’t
have an issue with buying houseplants from established online nurseries. You
can get some unusual and exotic plants this way, as well as more common plants.
But I do have issues with plants and seeds, being sold on places like Amazon, Ebay
and Etsy. Far too often I spot photos of plants that have been altered to make
them seem something they are not. I see
things offered I know don’t exist, like blue strawberries. And often these
places aren’t clear on sizes or guarantees.
I recommend
sticking with established nurseries, based in the US (or your country), with
clearly stated sizes and labeled and shown accurately if you buy online. They
should also state their guarantee.
Bulb planting note
If you got
caught by the snow and cold and didn’t get your purchased bulbs planted, you
may have an opportunity in the next few days. As long as you can dig deep
enough to plant the bulbs you can still do so, and they will be fine. Many
places are having a thaw right now and the ground was never frozen very deeply.
Do not try to
hold bulbs over and plant them next spring or next fall. Bulbs need a cold
period to initiate bloom. But even if you held them in the refrigerator until
spring or next fall, they would probably dry out and not be viable. You could
plant them in pots if you can’t get them in the ground. The pots need to be
stored in a cold area, shed, garage, barn or refrigerator. They will need to be
watered from time to time. The pots could be buried in mulch and left outside
also.
After 10-12
weeks of cold the pots with bulbs could be brought inside to a warm bright
place and the bulbs will bloom in 4-6 weeks. You could store the pots
until bulbs are coming up outside and then move your pots to spots outside
where you want color. You could also transplant them into the ground then. Do plant them in the ground before spring is
over and some may return the following year.
Emerald Ash borer news
Since Emerald
Ash borer crept into our country in 2002, (possibly earlier), near Detroit
Michigan, the beetle has slowly spread across the United States and Canada,
destroying several iconic native ash species. By 2018, 35 states and most of
Eastern Canada had EAB outbreaks. Sixteen counties in Missouri have recently
reported infestations of EAB. As an Extension employee in Michigan I was in on
that initial battle with the beetle. Nothing worked to contain it and eventually most ash trees in Michigan
died.
We now know
that white fringe tree, (Chionanthus virginicus), a native relative of
ash is also attacked by EAB. This tree with pretty white flowers and purple
fruits, is widely planted as an ornamental in the southeast. It may be a reservoir of EAB or indicated in its
spread.
Over the
years many methods of controlling EAB have been tried. Only moderate success has
been achieved and the threat of the beetle still remains. It was hoped that
after all the ash trees died in a large area, the beetles would also die, and
that maybe new ash trees could be planted or would sprout from seeds in the
soil. I know that in my woods right now I have young ash trees growing.
It isn’t
likely that ash sprouting on their own will be successful in recolonizing
America because people just won’t stop moving ash wood from place to place.
When firewood is moved from a place with EAB to a place without, we have a new
outbreak. But there is hope we may some day have ash growing in our woodlands
again.
Way back in
the 70’s a plantation of various species of ash was established on Penn State's
University Park campus for genetic studies. When EAB hit the plantation in 2012
there were 1,762 ash trees. This year
only 13 trees remained. But those 13 trees and trees scattered through the
country that were left after an invasion may lead to producing ash trees that
can survive EAB attack.
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| Emerald Ash borer beetle Dr. James E. Zablotny, USDA picture |
Research has
shown that the trees have various ways to survive EAB. Some may produce chemicals that repel the
beetles or that turn off scents that attract them. Some may simply be vigorous enough,
especially in ideal conditions to survive attack. By selectively breeding those
trees, which will take many years, we may eventually have native ash species
that will survive EAB.
If you know
of a large, healthy ash tree in an area where other ash have died, let your
Extension office or a college with an entomology or botany know. Otherwise do
not move firewood from your county to any other place and don’t move ash trees
or fringe trees from one place to another.
More reading
The Monsanto boycott list thing
There are
several memes on-line that give a list of anywhere from 20-68 companies and/ or
brands of food that Monsanto supposedly owns and that you are supposed to
boycott. Some of the memes say Monsanto owns the companies, some say it supports
the companies, some are more truthful and say the companies use Monsanto
products. These lists are ridiculous and unfairly target the companies listed
and here’s why.
Monsanto is a
company that produces various chemical products including pesticides and it
also develops and sells genetically modified seeds for food crops like soy and
corn. There are many other companies that produce pesticides and some that
produce GMO seeds, but as a large dominant player in the market Monsanto gets
most of the hate. Some people can’t
articulate why they dislike Monsanto they just go along with the crowd.
Whether
Monsanto has done anything wrong is a matter of perspective. And whether you
believe Monsanto is evil or just another big company monopolizing a market is immaterial
to the “lists of companies to boycott” thing. First, Monsanto does not own the
companies/brands on the lists and sites that make that claim are just wrong. It’s
very easy to check this fact because companies like Monsanto are required to
disclose their holdings.
Second, while
it is true that those companies/brands on the list probably use some product
Monsanto produces, or they use food produced from GMO seeds, so do almost every
food producer. Brands not on the lists, store brands and generic brands all use
the same sources for ingredients. So, to
call out and boycott certain brands/companies is just unfair. I don’t
understand why it is necessary to list companies and brands using things even vaguely
tied to Monsanto and call for a boycott when almost all food producers use the
same ingredients sourced from the same places.
Unless a product
is labeled organic it probably contains genetically modified or chemical
ingredients. If you want to avoid those things check the label and don’t use
any products with corn, corn starch, corn syrup, soy, soy oil or chemicals. The
new fake meats for example, are highly processed, contain GMO ingredients and
lots and lots of chemicals, some undoubtably produced by Monsanto. You may want
to avoid them.
Healthy houseplants need proper watering
It’s about
this time of year that houseplants begin showing some stress and it’s usually
because of improper watering. Eighty percent of houseplant problems can be
traced back to watering mistakes. As the
seasons change, the water needs of houseplants can change too. Sometimes they
need more water, other times less, in winter than in other seasons.
Don’t water
on a schedule. I schedule a day to check the plants to see if they need water,
but I don’t just automatically go around and water each pot. Some plants won’t need water on the same day
each week, and some may need it more often than once a week to remain
healthy.
 |
| Blooming houseplants |
The need for
water can vary tremendously from house to house and week to week. On the gray,
gloomy winter days when the house is cool plants may need less water. Or they
may need more water if the furnace has been running constantly and the outside
and inside humidity is low. They may need more water in a week when it’s been
sunny and cold- since sun dries out soil in pots and the furnace dries out the
air. They may need less water if it’s been warmer but very humid.
Plants may
need less water in the winter because plants slow down their growth at this
time. When warm weather arrives, and the
light is strong and growth vigorous they will need additional water. Plants in plastic or metal pots usually need
less water than those in porous clay or ceramic pots. A single isolated plant
dries out more quickly than plants in large groups.
Symptoms of watering problems
The symptoms
of over watering and under watering are often the same – wilting and browning. Wilting can happen because the soil is dry,
and the top parts of the plant don’t get enough water. Or it can mean that the soil in the pot is
saturated with water, the plant’s roots have rotted, and the top of the plant
isn’t getting any water through those rotted roots.
When a plant
looks wilted you should immediately feel the planting soil to see if it feels
dry. Don’t just touch the top- push your finger in the soil about an inch- or
more for deep pots. If you touch the soil and it feels very wet, then the pot
needs draining and drying, not more water, even if the plant is wilted.
If you don’t
trust your sense of touch to let you know if a plant needs water, there are
many inexpensive tools on the market that will tell you if the soil is too dry.
And remember that each species of plant has a different requirement for water. Some
like to dry out between watering or even prefer to remain on the dry side. And there are plants who won’t do well unless
the potting medium is always moist. You need to do your homework to see what
your plant prefers.
Experienced
plant owners can often look at a plant and know when it needs water. I can look
at my lemon tree and if I see the slightest roll of the leaves, exposing the
lighter underside, I check to see if it needs water. Some plants wilt dramatically,
collapsing in a heap, but others are more subtle. Don’t let plants wilt on a
regular basis just so you know when they need water. Some plants recover pretty
well each time, but it takes a toll on the plant’s health and disease and
insect resistance will be reduced.
Signs that
the plant is suffering from dry soil other than wilting include yellowing and
dropping leaves, dry leaf tips and poor flowering. The soil may look hard and
crusty and be drawn away from the sides of the pot. This creates a small gap
between the soil and the pot and when you water the water goes right through
the pot without soaking the soil. If you notice water pouring out the drainage
holes as soon as you pour water on the plant that is usually what is happening.
To fix this
super dry condition place the pot in a larger container of water and let it
soak or put it in the tub and let water drip on it for a couple of hours. The soil should saturate and expand. Make sure the pot drains well after a couple
of hours. Then try not to let the pot
get that dry again.
If you notice
a swampy smell from your flowerpots you are probably keeping them too wet. As mentioned before the signs of over
watering, or too wet soil are often the same as those plants which are too dry.
Plants wilt, turn yellow, brown or black and leaves and flowers fall off.
If you
suspect overwatering immediately check to see if the pot can drain. Dump the saucer if it has water in it. Sometimes that’s all that’s needed- just
don’t water the pot again until it feels dry. If the pot is extremely wet slide
the rootball out of the pot unto a piece of newspaper in the sink or in a
bucket and let it air dry for a day. Then re-pot it in fresh, only moderately
moist potting medium.
The type of
pot that you use for houseplants is crucial to their health. It must have good drainage. Do not use a pot without drainage holes
even if you add gravel or broken pot pieces to the bottom. What this does is
create what is known as a “perched” water level. Water builds up in the spaces around your
gravel and it doesn’t have much chance to evaporate. A saturated soil layer develops just above
the gravel. And soon your plant roots
are rotting.
Pots should
neither be too small or large for the plant.
Large pots are hard to water correctly, the water moves down out of the
reach of the plants roots or the top layer remains dry and the bottom is
saturated and damaging plant roots. Pots that are too small and are filled with
roots will need watering much more often than people realize and may be
impossible to keep them watered as often as they need it because they don’t
have enough soil to hold water. They
will need to be re-potted.
 |
| Streptocarpus |
Don’t power wash your tree trunks
There has
been a video circulating on Facebook garden pages that shows someone power
washing tree trunks. The man in the
video says they are washing “pollution” off the trunks of trees by the road to make
them healthier. Please do not power wash
your trees! Here’s why.
The bark of
trees protects the vital circulatory system and growth tissues in the inner
part of a tree trunk. Pollution is not likely to get through the bark layer –
unless you damage the trunk with a powerful stream of water. More importantly damaged trunks can let disease and insects get through to susceptible tree
parts. Even thin, soft bark is pretty
good protection for a tree and that bark is much easier to damage with water pressure.
Furthermore,
if you washed the pollution off the tree it would go on the ground by the tree
and might get taken up by the trees root system. This would make the pollution
much more damaging to the tree than leaving it on the bark. Even washing salt
spray off isn’t a good idea since it too would go into the soil.
So, if
someone wants to power wash your tree for cash or you think it might be a good
way to get some use out of that power washer you bought, stop and think. Don’t do it.
Three wonderful and easy cakes for the holidays
Ever need a
delicious dessert to take to a potluck or holiday meal that says homemade but
doesn’t take hours to prepare? You’ll
get rave reviews on these cake tricks that start with a cake mix. They are
great desserts for a family meal too and easy enough for kids to prepare.
Chocolate caramel cake
You’ll need:
Chocolate cake mix, plus the eggs, water and oil it calls for on the box
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 jar of caramel ice cream syrup
1- 16 oz tub of cool whip or similar
topping
1 cup of heath candy bar bits
Prepare and
bake the cake mix in a 9 x13 pan. When the cake is done poke holes in it about
every 2 inches, with a skewer or drink straw. While cake is still hot, pour the
sweetened condensed milk all over the cake and let it soak inside, then pour
the caramel syrup evenly over the cake.
Refrigerate until cool, then frost with thawed cool whip and dust with
heath bits.
Butterscotch cake
You’ll need:
Yellow cake mix, with the eggs, water
and oil called for on the box
1 3 oz package of instant butterscotch
pudding
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 jar of butterscotch ice cream topping
1 tub of cool whip
Add the
pudding mix to the cake mix and prepare and bake as directed on the cake mix
box. Use a 9 x13 inch pan. When the cake
is done poke holes all over it, every two inches, with a skewer or straw. While
cake is still hot, pour on the sweetened condensed milk, let it soak in, then
pour on the butterscotch topping and let it sink in. Refrigerate until cool then top with thawed
cool whip.
Very lemon cake
You’ll need:
1 white or lemon cake mix, with eggs, water and oil called for on the box
1 package of lemon flavored gelatin
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 package of lemon instant pudding mix
1 package of cream cheese, softened
Prepare the
lemon cake as directed on the box and bake in a 9 x 13 pan. Prepare the gelatin as directed on the package. Poke holes in the cake every two inches, with
a skewer or straw. Pour the gelatin over
it, then the can of sweetened condensed milk. Refrigerate until cool. Mix the
lemon pudding mix as directed on the package.
Blend in the cream cheese. Let thicken.
Spread over the cool cake.
Someday the earth will
weep, she will beg for her life, she will cry with tears of blood, you will
make a choice, if you will help her or let her die, and when she dies you too
will die.
-
John Hollow Horn
-
Oglala Lakota
Kim Willis
All parts of this blog are copyrighted and may not be used without
permission.
And So On….
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