Hello Plant Lovers,
A celebration in primary colors. Note the use of “thrillers, fillers and spillers” in creating a successful container.
Deep Winter.
It’s deep winter and the gardener’s itch is about to set in. By now you should have received the first of many mail order catalogs with glorious color photos and mouth-watering descriptions. Before you send your hard earned dollars off to Connecticut or South Carolina, don’t forget to check with Mayflower about availability of that special plant. Chances are good that we’ll carry it or a comparable variety; probably at a very competitive price and, most likely, healthier than the plants that have been shipped and jostled, cross country in a too hot (or too cold) UPS truck.
Last Year's Plants.
About this time of year those plants that you salvaged from your container plantings and brought in the house may be beginning to show some degree of deterioration. While it is possible to carry plants over from one growing season to the next, the indoor conditions which are comfortable for humans aren’t always the best for plants. To insure a healthy plant come spring make sure you check the following:
A monochromatic masterpiece. This container relies heavily on texture to create visual excitement. Plants of note - ‘Diamond Frost’ Euphorbia, Artichoke, ‘Silver Falls’ Dichondra
Temperature
Many plants need to rest in winter - that often means cooler temperatures. Especially at night. In the olden days before central heating the recommendation was often made to store plants in a cold room out of direct sun light. The best many of us can do today is keep plants away from heat vents, buy flannel sheets and turn your thermostat down to 60° at night (good for you, the planet, and the plants).
Water
With the reduced light from being indoors along with the shorter days of winter, photosynthesis and transpiration from plant leaves is reduced. And, hopefully, with temperatures reduced your plants will approach dormancy, requiring minimal food and water. Keep things on the dry side and fertilize sparingly if at all. The reduced watering is especially important if you are holding your plants in non-porous or plastic containers where overwatering could result in root rot and other fungal diseases. One of the most popular of container plants to carry over the winter are succulents. Because most originate in desert environments, it is especially important that these are kept on the dry side all winter.
Succulents. Bold textural planting requiring minimal care. Ground hugging plants look best in non-competing shallow bowl planters.
Indoor humidity in winter can be a problem for some tropicals just like it is for your skin. If your plant is one that requires high humidity, it's especially important to keep it away from furnace vents. In some cases it may be necessary to set the pot on a tray of gravel filled with water to increase humidity around the plant.
Light
Keep the light bright but indirect for best results. In spring it will be important to reacclimate your plants to bright sunlight very slowly to avoid burning leaves that have become tender after months in the cushy environment of your spare bedroom.
Stay warm and we’ll be talking soon.
Happy New Year,
Jan Wos
Owner
Mayflower Greenhouse
If you're not signed up yet and want more gardening tips, click to subscribe to this E-Newsletter! 