Holiday Cactus Care Tips

 Right on schedule, the Thanksgiving cactus bursts into bloom, heralding the beginning of the holiday season. Often these plants have been in the family for many years because they’re as long lived as they are colorful. The Thanksgiving cactus belongs to a group of mountain cactus plants which also includes Christmas and Easter cactus. Known collectively as holiday cactus, these plants are easy to grow and have similar care requirements. All three are native to Brazil, the Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus are tropical rain forest plants, while the Easter cactus grows in Brazil’s natural forests. An easy way to identify each cactus type is to look at the end of the stem. 

Thanksgiving cactus leaves have claw-like edges while the Christmas cactus is more round. Holiday cactus need bright, indirect light and will do best in a cool, bright spot out of direct sun. An east-facing window is ideal. Holiday cactus bloom on their own in response to shorter days and cooler temperatures. Daytime temperatures in the 70°s and nighttime temperatures in the 60°s will help promote blooming.  Holiday cactus don’t like drafts, so place them away from heating vents, fireplaces or doors that open to the outdoors. During the bloom season, feed your cactus every two weeks with a water-soluble fertilizer such as 15-30-15. When it comes to watering, holiday cactus plants prefer to be on the dry side. An easy way to tell if your plant needs watering is to stick your finger into the soil. If the top inch or so is dry, then it’s time to water. Holiday cactus like high humidity and an easy way to increase humidity is to place small rock in a saucer, add water and set the plant on the saucer. Make sure the pot is sitting on the rock, not in the water.  If the plant begins to drop buds, it’s a sign of overwatering, insufficient light or low humidity.   

Holiday cactus will stay green year-round. Continue to feed your cactus plant every two weeks with a 10-15-10 fertilizer. Don’t be in a rush to repot holiday cactus. They prefer to be root-bound and can easily go three or four years without repotting. When you decide to repot, chose a pot one size larger and use a potting soil that drains well. With a little care, your holiday cactus will produce beautiful blooms for many years to come.  

 

Now’s the Time to Mulch Your Garden

Applying an organic mulch is one of the best things you can do for your garden and perennial beds this time of year. The right mulch will help conserve moisture, reduce plant damage and protect and improve the soil, through the course of the winter.  Garden and landscape mulches are available in two types, organic and inorganic. Organic mulches include shredded wood, screened bark, bark nuggets. Inorganic mulches include rock, gravel and artificial products such as shredded rubber.  Technically, both types of mulch will work, but for the most effective mulch in terms of winter plant protection, moisture conservation and soil stabilization and enrichment, choose organic mulch. 

 For perennial beds, shredded bark, bark nuggets and screened bar work well, while providing a natural look. The goal is to apply a three to four-inch layer of mulch to your perennial beds.  A two cubic foot bag of small bark will cover eight square feet three inches deep. A two cubic foot bag of shredded cedar or Gorilla Hair mulch will cover eight square feet three inches deep. Soil Pep is screened bark no larger than 3/8” which can be applied as mulch. A bag of Soil Pep will cover approximately ten square feet two inches deep. Soil Pep can be incorporated into the soil come spring. You may have read that using bark mulches will lock up the nitrogen in the soil. While true, the advantages of using biodegradable material as mulch far outweighs the loss of a small amount of nitrogen. For your vegetable garden, use organic compost as mulch. If you have access to leaves, spread them out evenly over the bed, then cover with three inches of organic compost such as Sheep, Peat and Compost. Through the course of the winter this mulch layer will protect the soil structure and micro biome. Come spring, work what’s left into the soil and you’re ready to plant.  

  

 

 

 

How to Grow and Care for Amaryllis

Among the flowers that help us celebrate the season, amaryllis stand out for the living accent their long-lasting, colorful blooms lend to our holiday decorations. Amaryllis take six to eight weeks to bloom, so now’s the time to start them. Amaryllis are available in many beautiful varieties, including various shades of red, white, pink and salmon.  Amaryllis bulbs are sized from small to X-large. Generally, the larger the bulb size, the more blooms it will produce. Once you've chosen the bulbs you want to start, it's time to pick out a container. Amaryllis can be planted in soil or forced in water. If you’re growing in soil, choose a heavy ceramic or clay pot, because lightweight pots may tip over under the weight of the blooms.  The container you select needs to have good drainage and be the right size for the bulb you’re planting. 

 Amaryllis like to be snug in their pot, so select a container that's about an inch or so larger than the bulb and is deep enough for the roots to grow. Next, add damp potting soil to the bottom third of the pot. Place the bulb in the center of the pot and spread the roots out so they fan out from the center of the bulb. Do the best you can with the roots. You're mainly trying to keep them from bunching up under the bulb. Fill in around the bulb with more damp potting soil. Leave the top third of the bulb uncovered. Water thoroughly and place the bulb in a warm, well-lit location. 

Once the flower stalk begins to appear, you can start feeding your bulb with a 15-30-15 fertilizer. After that, fertilize every two weeks and water frequently enough to keep the soil moist. Amaryllis can also be grown in water. Select a container that doesn’t drain, add stones or gravel to the bottom of the pot and place your amaryllis bulb in the center of the container.  Add water to the container until it just touches the base of the bulb. Choose a warm, bright location for your bulb and maintain the water level throughout the growing and blooming cycle. It should be noted that amaryllis grown in water are very difficult to get to rebloom the following season. In addition to water and soil, waxed amaryllis bulbs are available. 

These waxed bulbs contain all the water and nutrients required for them to bloom. Simply place them in a bright, warm spot in your house and enjoy the holiday color. These are single-use bulbs. When the bloom cycle is over, discard the spent bulb. If you plan to keep your amaryllis bulbs season-after-season, grow them in soil. Once the flowers fade, cut off the spent flowers and leave the foliage in place. Keep fertilizing every two weeks the 15-30-15 fertilizer. For colorful blooms throughout the holidays, plant an amaryllis bulb every two to three weeks, starting now.  

 

 

 

Now’s the Time to Put Roses to Bed

Whether you’re growing hybrid teas, heirlooms, floribundas, shrub roses or climbers, all roses will benefit from some attention this time of year. Preparing your roses for winter includes some light pruning, a thorough clean-up, deep watering and adding mulch. Doing these tasks now will help ensure healthier, more productive roses next spring. Begin with a light pruning. For floribundas and hybrid teas, first remove any damaged or diseased canes then cut the remaining canes back to between 24" and 30". Reducing the plant’s profile will help prevent damage and desiccation by winter winds.  

Prune to the outward bud, so that future growth is toward the outside, away from the center of the bush. This is not the time for hard pruning. That will be done in the spring.  Next, clean up fallen leaves, petals and any debris that’s gathered around the base of each rose bush. This is done to prevent black spot fungus, powdery mildew and other diseases from wintering over. Once clean-up is finished, give your rose bushes a deep, thorough watering. Roses with well hydrated roots are better prepared for winter than those with dry roots. Plan to water your roses every four to five weeks through the winter season. Now you’re ready to add mulch. 

All roses will benefit from mounding mulch up around the canes. Mulch serves to keep the ground stable and to prevent damage to the rose as the ground freezes and thaws during the course of the winter. Mulching roses will also help retain moisture through the season. Choose a wood-based mulch such as Shredded Cedar or Soil Pep. Plan to cover each rose bush base with eight to ten-inches of mulch. Rose Collars can be used to help keep the mulch in place through the winter. Mulch should be applied when the ground is cold, usually around Thanksgiving. Don’t prune climbing roses at this time. Secure the canes to the trellis and spray with Wilt-Pruf® to prevent the winter winds from drying out and damaging the canes.