About Gardening

Gardening Question of the Week: Why is My New Houseplant Dropping Its Leaves?

2009-11-25T01:01:40Z

It's that time of year when temperatures drop, heat kicks on and I get a lot of questions about houseplants losing their leaves. Plants don't really like living indoors all that much. If we want them to thrive there, we need to meet their required growing conditions. So the first thing to do is to research what your plant likes. Hopefully, you'll do that before you bring it home. If a plant needs direct sunlight and you can't provide it, that plant is never going to be happy and neither are you.

Many plants will drop leaves when you first bring them home because they are adjusting to their new surroundings. Try not to panic and fuss over the plant. Don't prune or feed your plants just yet and don't over water. Let the plant rest. Make sure it's getting as much light as it needs and check its humidity and temperature requirements. The air is very dry indoors, when the heat is on. You may need to mist your plant daily or provide a shallow tray of pebbles and water, for it to sit on. (Don't let the pot sit in the water. Make sure it sits on the pebbles, above the water line.)

And just because the heat is on and you're toasty by the fire, it doesn't mean that your plant is getting enough of that heat over by a drafty window. Plants can be very sensitive to drafts, especially when they first come out of the controlled greenhouse they were grown in.

If you can make your new plant feel at home, you should start to see new leaves emerging within 2-4 weeks. Start watering regularly at this point, but don't rush to feed it until the tender new begins starts to harden off.

Remember, all plants lose leaves at some point, especially older leaves. But if you notice sudden, substantial leaf drop, check these possible culprits:

Too much or too little water.
Low humidity. (Usually occurs with a change in environment)
Pot bound plants will often drop their older leaves as new ones appear.
A sudden chill or persistent draft or blast of heat.
Leaves damaged by insects or disease.

Once you've identified the problem and fixed it, give your plant some time to recover on its own.

Photo: � Marie Iannotti

Gardening Question of the Week: Why is My New Houseplant Dropping Its Leaves? originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 at 01:01:40.

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Caring for Holiday Arrangements

2009-11-24T01:01:19Z

Certain holidays just lend themselves to cut flower arrangements; Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Easter and Thanksgiving are tops among them. The warm hues of autumn flowers are a perfect match for the sentiments of the season as well as the hearty food on the table. If you're giving or getting flowers this Thanksgiving, here are some quick and easy tips for enjoying them as long as you can.

Photo: � Marie Iannotti

Caring for Holiday Arrangements originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 at 01:01:19.

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Companion Planting Throughout the Landscaping

2009-11-23T01:05:47Z

Companion planting has been a gardening technique long before most of us were even aware of the term. Just think of the classic Native American "3 Sisters" planting of corn, pole beans and squash: the corn staked the beans, the squash provided a living mulch and its scratchy leaves deterred animal pests and the beans fixed nitrogen in the soil. About.com's Guide to Landscaping reminds us that companion planting, combining plants that provide benefits to one another, isn't restricted to the vegetable garden. You can employ the same techniques throughout your yard. You'll have nicer roses and a great vegetable garden!

Photo: � Marie Iannotti

Companion Planting Throughout the Landscaping originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 01:05:47.

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Will Your Garden Be on Your Thanksgiving Table?

2009-11-22T01:01:28Z

I asked this question a couple of years ago and most people who responded said yes. This year a lot of novice gardeners tried their hand at vegetable gardening for the first time. I do hope it was a great success and you've become a gardener for life. And I'm hoping you saved some vegetables to enjoy at Thanksgiving, the harvest festival.

Living in Zone 6, my garden is pretty much cleared out for the season, but I've managed to stash away some potatoes, squash and a freezer full of green things. The only thing I'll be picking fresh for Thanksgiving will be herbs, but it's still a treat. The only thing better than eating food you've grown yourself is watching other people enjoy it. So I'm curious, will any of your harvest be part of your Thanksgiving feast?

Photo: � Marie Iannotti

Will Your Garden Be on Your Thanksgiving Table? originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 at 01:01:28.

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Of Slugs and Slime

2009-11-21T01:01:54Z

It's the rainy season for many of you. With some unseasonably warm temperatures up north, it's the rainy season for more gardeners than usual. And with rain comes snails and slugs. Yuck! Like deer and free plants, slugs are a never ending source of befuddlement. The quest for a non-toxic slug control goes on. You may recall that I stopped using beer when my neighbor's dog began using my garden as her neighborhood drinking hole.

The last time I asked for suggestions, a couple of you recommended a product called "Sluggo". Unlike other slug controls that use Metaldehyde, Sluggo's active ingredient is iron phosphate, which is labeled safe to use near kids, pets and around edible plants. I tried it and I thought it did a pretty decent job for me this summer.

If you're entering your slimy season, here's the list of slug control suggestions, so far. Please, please feel free to add your suggestions or comments. I'm sure there's a purpose for snails and slugs somewhere, but not in my garden.

Photo: � Marie Iannotti

Of Slugs and Slime originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 01:01:54.

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Featured Plant: Sage.

2009-11-20T01:10:49Z

What would Thanksgiving turkey be without sage? Sage is one of those wonderful Mediterranean herbs that asks only for sun and warmth and then takes care of itself. Being an evergreen, even northern gardeners are able to harvest fresh sage leaves at Thanksgiving (snow permitting). And it's beautiful enough to have on display in the herb garden or the perennial bed. Makes an attractive edging plant too. Here are some tips for growing great sage.

To Get You in the Holiday Mood:

Photo: � Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.

Featured Plant: Sage. originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 01:10:49.

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Gardening Question of the Week: My Amaryllis Won�t Go Dormant. Should I force it?

2009-11-19T01:01:32Z

I get a lot of questions about plants that don't behave the way the books say they're supposed to. Plants and deer really should pay better attention to all the research we've done on them and play along, don't you think? Until then, we have to learn to go with nature.

Amy wrote me that she's had her Amaryllis for about a year and it won't go dormant. It still has 4 or 5 green leaves on it. Should she cut the leaves off? Also the plant seems pot bound. Is now a good time to transplant it?

Sometimes the leaves just won't cooperate, but that doesn't mean the Amaryllis bulb isn't going dormant. Don't bother cutting the leaves off. They'll whither on their own eventually.

Do stop watering the plant and move it to a cool spot out of direct sunlight. Start checking for a flower stalk in about 8 weeks. When you see it poking up, move the plant back into light and start watering again.

Unless your bulb is bursting out of its pot, it's probably fine. Amaryllis need to be snug in their pots to flower. If you think it really has squeezed out all the soil, now is a good time to repot. Only go one size larger and still follow the dormancy instructions above. The cross your fingers and hope your plant learns to read.

Photo: � Marie Iannotti

Gardening Question of the Week: My Amaryllis Won�t Go Dormant. Should I force it? originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 01:01:32.

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Project FeederWatch Begins

2009-11-18T01:10:09Z

Do you feed the birds in your backyard? If so, you can be a participant in Project FeederWatch, a winter-long survey of visiting birds. FeederWatchers count the numbers of birds at their feeders and report the totals, by bird species. This helps scientists track the movement of winter bird populations and track how each species is doing. Project FeederWatch is coordinated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada, but anyone can participate. All you need is an interest in birds. Homeowners, children, clubs and classes all participate.

The 2009-10 season of Project FeederWatch runs, November 14th, and runs through April 9th. There's still time to register and get started. Participants count the numbers and kinds of birds at their feeders each week and send the information to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Participants submitted more than 115,000 checklists during the 2007-08 FeederWatch season, documenting unusual bird sightings, winter movements, and shifting ranges--a treasure-trove of information that scientists use to monitor the health of the birds and of the environment.

There is a $15 annual participation fee, which covers your research kit and Project FeederWatch expenses. The research kit includes instructions and forms for reporting, a bird identification poster, a wall calendar and a guide to bird feeding. Interested? You can join at anytime. Full information is available on their websites. US Residents. Canadian Residents.

Photo: � Marie Iannotti.

Project FeederWatch Begins originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 01:10:09.

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Take a Little Time to Winterize Your Trees

2009-11-16T01:09:56Z

Most of us don't give our trees a second thought, unless something looks wrong. Unfortunately once you see the symptom of a problem with your tree, it's probably too far gone to fix. Since a mature tree is a painful thing to lose, it's worth giving them a little extra care. Our Guide to Forestry, Steve Nix, says that winter is a tough time for many trees. They may be in dormancy, but there are always pests over-wintering and waiting to resume their attack in the spring. Add to that the harsh winds and lack of water and you can see why Steve says "Small investments in your time can pay off big come spring." Here are Steve's tips to winterize your trees.

Photo: � Marie Iannotti

Take a Little Time to Winterize Your Trees originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 01:09:56.

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Favorite Gardens What�s a Favorite Garden You�ve Toured?

2009-11-14T09:44:27Z

I love visiting gardens. I enjoy seeing the personal edens other gardeners create around their homes and I can spend hours wandering public gardens, picking up tips and inspiration.
When you think about it, it's amazing that we have so many people willing to put their time and efforts into creating and maintaining public gardens What could be better than a garden where the sole purpose is to delight and inspire me?

You've heard me encourage people to take advantage of programs like the Garden Conservancy's Open Days, where some of the finest gardens in the U.S., public and private, open their gates for a day or two. If you're an unabashed garden tour junkie, like me, please share some thoughts on your favorite. I'm pulling together garden profiles from the gardeners point of view to, hopefully, encourage even more of you to put on your walking shoes and become a garden tour fanatic.

Photo: Tea Cup Garden at Chanticleer. � Marie Iannotti

Favorite Gardens What�s a Favorite Garden You�ve Toured? originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Saturday, November 14th, 2009 at 09:44:27.

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