Hi everybody! With the holidays rapidly approaching, soon one of the most popular plants on earth will be available for sale. The plant I am referring to is the colorful Poinsettia plant. These beautiful plants are most commonly known for their red color but they also can come in many other colors such as white, pink and some can even be multi-colored. Since most retailers offer mass displays of these gems, you will have an almost unlimited choice of which plants you will want to bring home. As beautiful as these plants are, they are also very fragile and you must handle them gently or the delicate branches will break and fall off. During my lifetime, I have unpacked and displayed no less then 100,000 of these beauties and I still do not tire of their delicate appearance.

            Poinsettias have an interesting history that dates back to the 14^th century. In fact, during the period from the 14^th to the 16^th century, the Aztec Indians called Poinsettias “Cuetlaxochitle” and they used the sap to control fevers and used the leaves, or bracts, were used to produce a red dye. The actual botanical name for the Poinsettia was named by the German botanist Wilenow and he called it Euphorbia Pulcherria. He first discovered the plant growing through a crack in his greenhouse and he was so amazed at the color of the plant that he gave it that name which means ‘very beautiful”.

            For many years and in fact still today, many people believe that poinsettias are poisonous. The truth is that they are not. It is true, however, that some people are allergic to the white sap of the plant and skin irritation can develop. If you are one of those people with sensitive skin, you should handle the plants with care.

            For a retailer during the holiday season, having a fresh batch of Poinsettias is like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. These wonderful plants create an eye-catching display that will certainly draw a crowd. So, with all these choices, how do I pick that perfect plant? The first thing you want to look for are plants that have been removed from their sleeves. Many retailers will display the plant with the sleeve intact and if the plant sits on the shelf too long, this can cause the leaves to yellow and drop and eventually, the plant may die. It is much better to choose plants that have been removed from their sleeves. If you do choose a plant that is sleeved, remove the plastic as soon as you get the plant home. The next thing you want to look for are plants that have little or no pollen showing on the flower clusters. This is a good indicator of the maturity of the flower bracts. You should always choose plants that have a lush, green color to their foliage and have a good healthy appearance. Avoid plants that look droopy or have yellowing leaves. While choosing your plants, handle the plants carefully so as not to break the adjoining plants so everybody can have a chance at getting a prime looking plant.

            Once you have chosen your gem and you have your plant in it’s new home, some standard TLC will ensure that you get a long lifespan from your new houseguest. If you are keeping your plant indoors and it is not near a good light source, occasionally put it in a sunny location so it can get the light it needs to maintain a healthy look. If the plant starts to drop leaves excessively, it is probably not getting enough bright light and you will need to move it. Always keep your plant away from cold drafts and low temperatures. Poinsettias will not do well if the temperatures drop below 45. You should also check your plants for soil moisture daily and be sure your plant has good drainage and does not sit in standing water. Keep the plant evenly moist but not soaking wet.

            If you follow these simple tips, you should be able to enjoy your plants through the entire holiday season. After the holidays are over, you can plant them outdoors in a protected location, such as under a tree, and you can enjoy them year after year!

             Hi everybody! If you are looking for a great carefree plant to use in your garden, why not try some sedum. In one word I would describe these interesting plants as “perfect”. They require very little care from the gardener and when planted in small or large groupings, they look great!

            Although not carried by all garden centers, Sedum can be found at many local garden centers. These plants generally look best when planted in small groupings in your garden. They will take center stage during the fall season as that is when you will experience the blooms that they have to offer.

            Sedum is not all that picky as to where you plant them. The plants do prefer a well-drained soil but they will do fine even during our rainy season. They do very well in draught conditions as well. Now you know why they are the “perfect” plant. As an added bonus, they even do well in colder temperatures. You want to try to keep these plants in an area that at least gets some direct sun as if they are in an area with too much shade, they will tend to get very leggy. It is a good idea to prune your plants back once a year, preferably during the summer, to allow the plants to grow bushier and this also helps them to spread out in your garden.

            Sedum requires very little maintenance and the old blooms do not have to be removed as they often do with other plant varieties. Watering 2-3 times a week during the summer and only about twice a week during the winter is all that is required of these plants. You may fertilize with an all-purpose water-soluble fertilizer once every couple of months if you wish.

            With the cooler weather just around the corner many of our favorite classic plants will soon be available at your local garden centers. One of my favorite classics is the Geranium. Annual Geraniums are very popular for their wide range of brilliant, colorful flowers plus their foliage is also very attractive.

            The types and varieties of these colorful plants vary widely from cultivars that grow 6 inches high to some that grow to be several feet tall. Geraniums need a bright location with at least a couple of hours of direct sun in order to thrive. These wonderful plants also need to be planted in well-drained soil otherwise the plants will be prone to fungus infection and disease.

After planting your colorful treasures, you will want to water them abundantly the first few days, taking care to be sure they drain between watering. Water regularly thereafter still ensuring the plants drain and the soil to dry out between watering intervals. When you water your plants, try to avoid getting water on the leaves of the plant as this can lead to possible disease problems. Do not plant geraniums where they will receive their water from a sprinkler system.

Geraniums are heavy feeders and if not fertilized properly, their leaves may yellow and drop. There are several options you can use for fertilizer such as a slow release fertilizer or a water-soluble fertilizer. The slow release fertilizer will need less intervention on your part as some products such as Osmocote and Dynamite feed for as long as 6 months. Water-soluble fertilizers such as Miracle Gro provide a more immediate fix but will require more frequent feedings about every 2-3 weeks. The water-soluble feeding solutions are quite safe and there is little chance of burning your plants.

There are a couple of things you can do to prolong how many flowers your plants will produce. Probably the single most important solution is to pinch the spent flowers off the stems on a regular basis. This will ensure a season beautiful color. Pinching also has the advantage of helping to produce well-branched and full plants. A good rule of thumb when choosing your treasures is to pick plants that not only have abundant flowers but that have lots of tight buds also. Look for dark green foliage with not a lot of yellow leaves or yellowing at the tips of the leaves.

Setting Up an Irrigation System

 
            Hi everybody and welcome! Normally during the summer months, Mother Nature leaves us with enough daily rain to keep our lawns green and plush with only a minimal amount of manual watering. Most of this beneficial rainfall falls during the months of June, July, August and September. The remainder of the year can often leave our lawns and yards with a serious deficiency of water. This either requires us to water our lawns by hand or use portable sprinklers. The problem with this is that you have to move the sprinklers around the yard in order to get even coverage. Another alternative is a home irrigation system. A well-planned in-ground system can be easily controlled with a timer box and can even shut itself off when it rains to conserve water. The drawbacks of an in-ground system are maintenance and cost. Even a good system will require regular maintenance to maintain efficiency. The good news is that the system will eventually pay for itself over time with what you will save on landscape maintenance.

            To design a good system, you should start out with a map, drawn to scale, of the area you wish to irrigate. Be sure to include all the details including plants and buildings. Then, draw in the diagram of the route you are going to use for the PVC pipe. Mark off the spots where you will install your sprinkler heads and consider whether you need a full, half or quarter spray and also the distance needed to cover that segment. Be sure your segments overlap to ensure you have no dead spots. You can draw this out on graph paper or you can buy special kits that guide you through the planning process.

            The next thing that must be considered is how many zones you will have on your system. If you try to put too many sprinkler heads on your system, the water pressure may be too low to operate that zone correctly. You may only want to put 4 or 5 sprinkler heads in one zone or even less if you have poor water pressure. The various zones will be rotated automatically by the electronic water timer. In fact, more zones give you more versatility when it comes to managing your system.

            The best water source for your system is to have a separate well and pump to feed water to your sprinklers but for some people this is not in the budget. You can use an existing well and pump that you use for your home water supply with good results. If you happen to have an onsite pond or water retention area, you can recycle this water by pumping directly from these sources.

            One important part that should be installed on your system is an automatic rainfall override. These inexpensive devices automatically shut off your system when sufficient rain falls and satisfies the adjustable sensor. These devices not only save water and electricity but they also prevent your lawn from getting watered too heavily. In fact, they are required by code in many counties.

            There are three basic pumps that are most frequently used to power irrigation systems: A surface centrifugal pump, a jet pump and a submersible centrifugal pump. The most commonly used pump for home use is a jet pump. These pumps can be used for both shallow and deep well applications. For very deep well applications, a submersible centrifugal pump may be used. The disadvantage is if the pump needs to be serviced it has to be removed from the well.

            One last consideration is the quality of the water being pumped from the well. If the water has a lot of sediment or sand, it will be necessary to install a sand filter inline before the water reaches the sprinkler heads. This will help prevent clogging of the sprinklers and will provide more enjoyable and trouble free operation of your system.

            The bottom line: A well designed water system can save you loads of time and take the worry out of getting the proper amounts of water to your lawn. In the long run, it can pay for itself over time by saving you money on lawn maintenance. There is also one added bonus; you can install an inline device that will actually allow you to fertilize your lawn directly through the water system! This can be a real time saver and convenience option.

            That’s all for this week and I hope you found the content interesting and informative. I will see you next week with more great gardening tips!