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| Executive | News Winter indoor gardening tips Research shows that a pot-in-a-pot set-up for irrigating houseplants is better than capillary action through water wicks. By using a small, unglazed clay pot placed inside a larger, glazed clay pot with a water reservoir in between, plants are better irrigated, and have higher visual quality, greater plant leaf area, and improved root growth. To prolong bloom, protect poinsettias from drafts and keep them moderately moist. Turn and prune house plants regularly to keep them shapely. Pinch back new growth to promote bushy plants. Check all house plants closely for insect infestations. Quarantine gift plants until you determine that they aren't harbouring any pests. Over-watering indoor plants encourages root rot. Water when the soil is dry to the touch. Keep winter fertilization of most houseplants to a minimum as plant growth is now at its slowest. Only actively growing plants will benefit from a shot of liquid plant food. The low light levels of winter call for some adjustments in the placement of houseplants. Bring house plants that normally thrive on the north side of the house to east windows, while allowing the plants from the east more sun on the south. Also, give the plants that usually are set on the tables away from direct light a short midwinter visit to one of the less-exposed windowsills. When dusting the furniture also consider dusting the plants. With the short days of winter, light reduction must remain at a minimum. Dust on the foliage can clog the leaf pores. Clean them up a little with a damp cloth or a quick shower under the tap. Research has shown that some leaf shine products sold for house plants can reduce the amount of light reaching the interior of the leaves, where food is manufactured photo-synthetically. Using weeping figs as subjects, it was shown that surfaces of leaves treated with leaf shine products reflect significant amounts of light instead of absorbing it. Low light conditions, plus use of leaf shine compounds, could add up to unhealthy plants. On very cold nights, it is a good time to close the curtains or blinds between the window and your house plants. Make certain that your plants have sufficient humidity, by setting them on a tray filled with clean pebbles, and a little water, or by simply setting a cup of water nearby. Keep a close eye open for insects on your house plants. If you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse, be sure to check those plants carefully too You can get indoor bloom from your outdoor flowering shrubs by clipping off some branches and bringing them indoors. The warmth in the home will bring some early bloom to your room. Forsythia, Jasmine and Quince sprays are good examples. You can force Hyacinth, Paper white Narcissus, and Lily of the valley bulbs into bloom indoors, in a shallow bowl of water, or in pots this month. Please feed the birds and other small creatures which may not be able to find food due to snow on the ground or other causes. For only a few dollars you can feed an enormous number of birds. If there is snow on the ground and you don't have a feeder, a simple piece of plywood, a scrap of carpet or even cardboard will create a very good feeding area. It's easy to clean it off or turn it over if it happens to get covered by a fresh snowfall. Brush off snow from the branches of your evergreens and shrubs. The light fluffy snow poses no real threat, but if it should become wet and frozen, the weight dramatically increases. Branches are more brittle when the plants are dormant, and the weight of the snow may snap them off (after the ice storm this is rather obvious). Fireplace ashes should be saved to use a fertilizer for your Iris and other alkaline soil plants. It's not too early to begin thinking of a strategy for new spring plantings. A small map of your garden is useful as a guide for ordering plants and seeds from the various catalogs. MORE
GARDENING TIPS
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