Storing Boston Ferns

How can you store Boston Ferns for winter?

Boston Fern - Nephrolepis exaltata

Boston ferns cannot be stored for winter like you would store a dahlia tuber, for example, at least not to my knowledge. To overwinter the plants, bring them into the home and place them in a brightly lit spot, not direct sun nor a very dark corner. Placing the plant from 3 to 4 feet from a south window or near an east window is good. Average room temperatures are fine with night temperatures no lower than 55 degrees F. Ferns require moist soil, so just let the soil approach dryness before watering the plant again. Do not let the soil become soggy, or the plant root may rot. Humidity levels should be kept rather high, so mist the ferns in the morning or set the pots on a pebble tray filled with water. Enjoy those beautiful plants all winter.

Wintering Gerbera Daisies

I try to bring in my Gerberas each winter but manage to kill them one after another. I think root/crown rot or some kind of mold. Is there anything I can do to prevent this? Thank you.

Gerbera daisies

If you want to save seeds, be sure your daisies are not hybrids. Only save seed from those of the species, such as Gerbera jamesonii. The seeds from hybrid plants will revert back to the parent plants and the flowers will not come true to seed. In other words, you could end up with same pretty awful looking flowers. To grow hybrid plants, you must purchase seed from a seed company.

Productive or viable seeds are those which have fully matured and ripened. These seeds are usually plump and hard. The flower seed heads that have naturally dried up on the plant are usually viable seeds (will germinate and grow when sown). A good way to collect seeds from the plant is to tie a small plastic bag over the flower head once the flower has withered. When the seeds have ripened, they will fall into the bag, or they can be shaken loose from the flower head without spilling unto the ground. The dried up flower heads can also be gathered and the seed extracted. Either way, be sure to pick alot of seed. If alot are sown, some are sure to germinate and grow. You need only prick out the ones you want to keep and then discard the rest.

The seeds should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place until they are sown, at which time they are sown in flats or pots of moist sandy soil, or a commercial media prepared for starting seeds. Cover the flats with a pane of glass to keep the media moist. As soon as some of the seeds have germinated and are noticeable, remove the glass. When the seedlings are 1 inch in height, prick them out and pot them up individually in small pots to be grown on. Be sure to use a well drained soil and keep the crowns high. Gerbera daisies usually require from 5 to 6 months to flower from seed, so they can be started as early as January in the home or greenhouse. Some growers start them outside in June and then pot them up in the fall and bring them into tlhe home.

As for the water, Calcium in itself will not become toxic to plant growth, but high levels may lead to other nutrient deficiencies. High calcium levels, for example, may combine with phosphorous to form calcium phosphates, which are then less available for plant use. Provide your plants with a fertilizer that is higher in phosphorous. Mix bonemeal in the soil prior to planting or water the plants with a water soluble fertilizer like 5-10-10, for example. You can also add sphagnum peat moss to the soil to lower the pH or acidity of the soil which is what these daisies prefer.

As for most other minerals in water, it is very rare that they are toxic to plants. The only way to improve the water is to install a filtration or reverse osmosis system. but this can be costly. If your daisies appear healthy (other then when crown rot occurs), your water is probably ok. Just be sure your pots have good drainage holes and the soil has good porosity so soluble salts can be leached from the media when it is watered. These salts appear as a white crust on the soil surface or near the drainage holes of the pots. I wish you luck with these beautiful flowers.

Pyramidal Arborvitae Dying Leaves

I have Pyramidal Arborvitae's and have noticed the leaves look like they are dying (Golden Brown). I trimmed the tops off in September to make them fill out in width. Do I need to fertilize them before winter?

Arborvitae

Firstly, you should never prune your Arborvitae in the fall. To shape the tree, pruning the plants lightly early in the spring before new growth begins is the proper time. Touch up pruning should be after spring growth begins until early summer. If you have sheared the trees, damaged foliage will die and turn brown. Pruning or triming evergreens is best done with a handheld secateur, hiding the pruning cuts, unless of course the trees or shrubs are used for a formal hedge.

If the leaves are turning golden brown in areas other than that you trimed, then there could be several reasons causing this browing. Some varieties or cultivars naturally turn a golden bronze color in late fall and hold this color throughout the winter. If you have had your trees for several years now, and they have never turned golden brown before, rule this one out than.

Arborvitae have a very shallow root system. If your region has experienced an exceptionally dry period and you have not been watering, the leaves can become dessicated and eventually turn brown. The soil around these evergreens should be constantly moist and the soil should be thoroughly soaked prior to winter. Mulching the soil with a 4 to 6 inch layer of organic matter will help conserve soil moisture.

Red spider mites and spruce mites can cause yellowing and browning of the leaves. These very tiny insects (can only be seen by using a hand held magnifying glass) suck the sap from the needles.

Evergreens rarely require fertilizing. I never fertilize mine, and yet they need yearly pruning to keep them in bounds. In very cold and windy areas, however, a feeding late in the year after growth stops, but before the ground freezes is suppose to help prevent the needles from turning brown from sun and wind dessication. The fertilizer should be higher in nitrogen, like 10-6-4, for example. One must be careful not to fertilize too early though, as this can result in a flush of young, tender growth which will surely suffer from winter damage, especially in cold regions. In any case, if the tree is dormant, it is not using any fertilizer, so feeding the plants in the fall is not necessary.

Poinsettia Bract Development

How do you get a poinsettia from last year to turn red for the holidays?

Poinsetta

This operation is usually started about September 21st, however, the colorful bracts will still develop, just a bit later. Here's what to do. You must follow this routine carefully and dilegently.

The plant requires 14 to 15 hours of total darkness every night for about 8 weeks. During this time the buds will develop. If the plant is exposed to any light at all during the dark period at night (even a sliver of light), or if you forget to cover it even once, buds may not form.

The poinsettia is extremely sensitive to photoperiodism (length of light and darkness) during bud formation. So, for an example, cover the plant with a black plastic bag or opaque black cloth each day at 5:00 p.m., and uncover it at 7:00 or 8:00 a.m. each morning. Some folks put it in a closet and cover it to ensure darkness, as long as the temperature remains around 65 degrees F. During the day, uncover the plant and set it in bright indirect light, not full sun, with average room temperatures around 70 degrees F.

When the plant needs watering, thoroughly soak the soil and then let the soil become moderately dry before watering it again. After the 8 week period of total darkness for 14 hours a day is over, the plant can be returned to its normal spot in the home and treated as a normal houseplant once again. So, the important thing to remember is, if you miss covering the plant on time or forget to cover it for even one day, it may fail to produce the beautiful bracts

Calla Lily Flowering Conditions

For 2 years I have planted calla lily bulbs that have grown beautiful leaves in 2 varieties but no flowers. They have been planted both in the ground and in a pot in partly sunny location with good soil and plant food. I kept them inside and dried them last winter but still no flowers. What can I do? I did grow some a few years ago when I lived in a different neighborhood that bloomed, but I don't know what I did that was different.

Calla Lily

Zantedeschia aethiopica, the common white calla lily, does not need a dormant period. It will continue blooming throughout the year if it is given good growing conditions. Full sunshine from September to June and light filtered shade only during the hottest part of the day in summer. It must be kept moist.

All other species need summer dormancy. They should be started into growth again in late August or September by potting them up in fresh soil and resuming watering. The pots should be kept dry and on their sides during the summer rest period which is usually from 2 to 3 months. At this time of the year, they miss the real hot, bright summer weather. Calla lilies need cool night temperatures (55 to 65 degrees F.) and daytime temmperatures in the mid 70's to perform well and flower. This time of the year gives the plant those conditions. They must also be kept moist while they are actively growing as dry spells can prevent blooming. Be sure not to give them to much shade, flowering plants need a fair amount of light. If your calla lilies are one of these varieties, you may have the resting period season in reverse.

I am just about to bring mine out of storage now for repotting and growing on. I have kept them dry since July 15th. They were a gift from my daughter this spring. I hope this will answer your question and good luck with those calla's!

Ponytail Plant Space Requirements

How close to my foundation can I plant Ponytails ? I need something to plant in a sunny corner of my house.

Ponytail Plant

Ponytail plants can reach an average height of 21 feet or more when grown out of doors. It is more difficult to give an exact figure in width or spread of a tree as they can vary considerably. In any case, as the ponytail tree can branch out significantly, I would suggest no closer than 10 feet from the foundation.

Wintering Boston Ferns

I have some Boston Ferns that i keep outside. Can you tell me what to do with these for the winter. Someone told me to put them in a warm dark place & they will go dormant for the winter.

Boston Fern

Personally, I have not heard of storing them in this manner. My boston ferns grow all year around. They are such a nice houseplant, I cannot imagine why anyone would want to hide them all winter.

For interest sake, as we are always learning, why not take one of your ferns and place it in a warm, dark place this winter to see if it will go dormant. In March or April, bring it out, set it in a bright spot out of direct sun and resume watering it. If the plant starts to grow, or it does not, then you will know the answer to your question.

For the remainder of the ferns, bring them inside for the winter. Place them in curtain-filtered sunlight (not direct sun nor heavy shade) and provide normal room temperatures (no lower than 55 degrees F.). Keep the soil moist and provide as much humidity as possible for them (misting, pebble tray, etc.). They do not need fertilizer in the winter months.

If the odd frond turns brown, just cut if off at the soil line. Once frost free weather returns in the spring, out of doors they may go.

Elephant Foot Plant Retailers

We want to buy a Elephant Foot Plant: (Beaucarnea Recurvata - Ponytail Plant). Where can we purchase one of these plants on the Isle of White?

Elephant Foot Plant

I have no possible way of knowing where you could purchase a ponytail plant on the Island. What you may want to do is find several floral shops that handle houseplants and ask if they have one for sale or if they could order one for you. These retailers probably have a permit for bringing in plants.

One mail order company in England that handles(ed) cacti and succulents is: Whitestone Gardens, Ltd.
The Cactus Houses
Sutton-under-Whitestonecliff
Thirsk, Yorkshire
England Y0 72PZ

In Canada:
Pike Lake Greenhouses, 1980
Box 72, R.R.#3
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
S7K 3J6
Canada
Phone (306) 868-4706

I'm not sure if the Canadian Greenhouse mentioned above will mail a plant such a distance, but they do handle the ponytail plant.

Transplant a Yucca

How do I transplant a yucca house plant? When is the best time to?

Yucca

The best time to transplant a yucca plant is in the spring (March or April), every two years.

If the plant is large, have someone help during the operation. Give the plant a new pot that is one or two sizes larger than the one it is presently in. Have the fresh soil ready to use. A commercial soil-based potting media with perlite added for good drainage is fine.

Carefully remove the plant from the old container and examine the rootball. If alot of large roots are wrapped around the bottom of the rootball, untangle them and cut the real long ones off with a sharp knife or pruning shears. Remove some of the old soil near the edges and bottom of the rootball. Put a layer of soil at the bottom of the new pot and place the rootball on top of this soil, spreading out bottom roots as best as possible. The top of the rootball should sit about 1 1/2 inches below the rim of the new container.

Now fill in the sides around the rootball with the new soil and gently firm it (do not pack it in). Place a thin layer of soil over the rootball as well, If the plant is large, you may have to stake it to prevent it from falling over.

Finally, pour water over the surface of the soil until it runs out of the drainage holes. Place the plant in a bright spot and do not water it again until the soils surface becomes dry. The job is done.

Start Poinsettia from Seed

Is it too late to start growing a Pointsettia from a seed, and will it bloom for this Christmas?

Poinsetta

You still have time to start a poinsettia from seed and have it bloom this Christmas if you start Euphorbia heterophylla (annual poinsettia) as soon as possible. It resembles the true poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) in that its upper leaves and bracts are blothched with white and red. Be sure to start more than one seed as not all seeds are viable.

As for the real Christmas poinsettia(E. pulcherrima), the usual means of propagation is to root new shoots that have been taken from the parent plant in May. Otherwise you will end up with the original spindly species that doesn't look very good.