It's important to water during the winter season.

 

This week would be a great time to water your trees, shrubs and lawn. Anytime the day time temperatures are above 40º F and there is no snow cover, is a good time to do some supplemental watering. We’ve had typical January weather with some snow, but little moisture, dry air and fluctuating temperatures, conditions which can damage trees and shrubs without supplemental watering.  Couple that with the large temperature swing in late November where the temperature was 63º one day and two days later was -13º,  left  the root systems of tree and shrubs very dry.  Often this damage won’t show up until July or August when it is really hot. Your lawn can also suffer from the lack of water, especially if it faces south. Now is the time to do some hand watering. Plan to water around mid-day so there will be time for the water to soak in. You’ll want to water the soil along the drip line of the tree.

As Corinna points out, the drip line is the area under the outer edge of the branches.

You can use a sprinkler, a root feeder (needle) or a soft spray nozzle.

A soil needle or root feeder attaches to your hose.

Insert the needle to about 8", if possible. Leave the needle in the ground about a minute. Continue around the drip line every 18" or so.  If you don’t have a root feeder and for larger areas, a sprinkler is more efficient. Set the sprinkler under the drip line of the tree and let it run for 5 to 10 minutes.  

Or hand water with the nozzle set on a spray pattern. Be sure and disconnect the hose after you’re done watering. Moist soil retains heat better than dry soil. Drought-stressed trees and shrubs are more prone to root damage. Winter watering will help prevent this damage now and get your trees, shrubs and lawn off to a good start in spring

Shopping for Seeds

Shopping for seed at The Flower Bin, gardeners can choose from a wide variety of seed selection, featuring Botanical Interests® from Broomfield, Colorado.  Botanical Interests offers over 500 varieties of herb seed, vegetable seed and flower seeds. Botanical Interests has introduced 52 new varieties for 2015, including

Savory Winter and

Eggplant Lista de Gandia. Look for the “New Variety” signs in the Botanical Interests seed racks.

Also new this year from Botanical Interests is a line of seed tapes and disks which making planting seeds easy and convenient. Simply “cover, water and grow”.

These seed tapes are made with biodegradable paper and without glue.

Botanical Interests also offers plant stakes and

Seed Storage Envelopes which allow you to keep your seeds fresh while you enjoy the information inside their seed packets.

At The Flower Bin, you can find Botanical Interests award winning Recycled Paperboard Pots. Easy to use, you simply pop open the paperboard pot, fill with

Flower Bin seed starting mix and sow your Botanical Interests seed. The bottom of the pot tears away, so there is little root disturbance when you plant in your garden. Starting your plants from seed is fun and rewarding. Stop in to The Flower Bin and we’ll  get you started right.

Controlling Fungus Gnats in Houseplants

 

 

Fungus gnats are those little bugs you see hopping around when you water your house plants. Sometimes you see them fly across your computer screen. Fungus gnats love your houseplants and this time of year is when you notice them most. Fungus gnats are generally more of a nuisance bug but the can damage your plants when the hatch and feed on the plant roots. Their lives are very short: the adult fungus gnat lives about 10 days, but in that time can lay up to 200 eggs. Fungus gnats thrive in wet, soggy soils, so avoid over-watering your plants and empty any standing water that might collect in the drain saucers under the plants. water left in the drain saucers under the plant.

An easy way to control fungus gnats is to place yellow sticky traps near your plants. The gnats will be attracted to them and stick to the trap. Food-grade Diatomaceous Earth (DE) applied to the soil will help prevent the adult fungus gnat from laying eggs. Mosquito Bits contain BTi, a naturally occurring insecticide which can be applied to the soil to kill the insects as they hatch.

 

 Systemic Insect Granules are another effective insecticide, when applied to the soil surface and watered in. Systemic products are absorbed by the plant and last up to six weeks. It will kill the larvae when they hatch and chew into the plant roots.

 Insect sprays include Insecticidal Soap, Neem Oil and Permethrin. A good time to spray is right after you water your plants. That is when you’ll see the adults scurrying around on the surface of your plants. Fungus gnats can be a nuisance in the fall and winter, but with the right treatment, they can be controlled.

Bring your plant questions to The Flower Bin Diagnostic Center We’ll identify the problem and offer you solutions. 

A “must have” houseplant to start your new year.

Red Bleeding Heart Vine makes a beautiful flowering houseplant. This tropical plant is covered with deep green leaves and eye-catching red flowers.

Red Bleeding Heart Vine – Clerodendrum x speciosum has  lipstick red flowers which appear on the tips of its vining stems. This plant will do well in bright, indirect light with some direct sun light. Red Bleeding Heart Vine likes moist soil, so water frequently enough to keep the soil moist, but not soggy. Try to avoid letting the plant dry out completely and then over-watering.

Fertilize your Red Bleeding Heart Vine monthly with Fertilome 20-20-20. As the days get longer, you may start fertilizing every two weeks.

Another way to keep your plant healthy is to raise the humidity by placing the plant on a tray of wet pebbles. Just make sure the bottom of the pot doesn’t sit in water. You can also raise the humidity by misting the plant once a day with room-temperature water.

As the name suggests, Red Bleeding Heart Vine is a climber, so it will do best when it has a trellis or stakes to climb on. These plants come with the staking in place.

Add a nice ceramic pot and enjoy the color display your plant will provide. It’s okay to put your Red Bleeding Heart Vine outside after the last frost date, usually Mother’s Day