The Joy of Gardening

homoe · 01-12-2019, 04:01 PM

Don’t Repot until spring, if possible.

Repotting is very tough on plants, and they will need all their strength in the winter. So hold off on repotting window plants until spring...

homoe · 01-12-2019, 09:17 PM

Fertilize.

This is a time for garden plants to go dormant and rest. Forcing them to start new growth before the ground warms in the spring not only interrupts this period when they are rejuvenating but ice storms and temperatures below freezing or even hard frosts will kill tender new growth.

homoe · 01-14-2019, 11:54 AM

Think outside the box when it comes to containers..

Lyte · 01-14-2019, 01:39 PM

If you like color … if you like bulbs … all different kinds of bulbs... I can't recommend these guys enough. I ordered from them a couple of times when I lived in NY.

COLOR BLENDS <-- linky

Then sell bulbs in bulk … so they're pretty economical vs what you'd pay at the Home Depot or Lowes or wherever else... and they're of much better quality. They sell single colors or in some pretty spectacular color combinations. Even if you're in a part of the country that doesn't really get proper "winters" … such as California… they can provide you with insight on how to get bulbs to work in your area. Ohh... they offer a free catalog too!

homoe · 01-15-2019, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lyte

If you like color … if you like bulbs … all different kinds of bulbs... I can't recommend these guys enough. I ordered from them a couple of times when I lived in NY.

COLOR BLENDS <-- linky

Then sell bulbs in bulk … so they're pretty economical vs what you'd pay at the Home Depot or Lowes or wherever else... and they're of much better quality. They sell single colors or in some pretty spectacular color combinations. Even if you're in a part of the country that doesn't really get proper "winters" … such as California… they can provide you with insight on how to get bulbs to work in your area. Ohh... they offer a free catalog too!

WOW, thanks! I have already spent WAY too much time on their site....

homoe · 01-16-2019, 09:02 AM

Lucky Bamboo

Did you get some "Lucky Bamboo" over the holidays? Although these pretty plants do look like it, they're not a bamboo of any kind. They're a tropical plant called Dracaena that breaks all the houseplant rules. Most plants need lots of light; but direct sun will kill Lucky Bamboo. The ambient light in the average room is all it needs.
And while most plants would rot if their roots sat in water all the time, Lucky Bamboo requires that amount of constant moisture. But it is finicky about the water itself. The chlorine and fluoride in city tap water will turn the leaves yellow at first and then eventually kill the plant. Use spring water or distilled or purified water instead. Think of the bad karma if you killed your Lucky Bamboo

Lyte · 01-16-2019, 09:15 PM

Great!! So glad you like them! I felt like I'd discovered a lil treasure when I found them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by homoe

WOW, thanks! I have already spent WAY too much time on their site....

homoe · 01-22-2019, 11:59 AM

Preping for a new garden

Planning a new garden bed for next summer in an area where grass or weeds are currently growing? Make it easy on yourself by starting the project right now. First, place a thick layer of newspaper or cardboard over the area, then pile on alternating layers of organic material like compost, leaves, pine needles, untreated grass clippings, and straw. In the spring, the grass and weeds underneath the pile will be dead, and your new garden bed will be ready to plant!

01-12-2019, 04:01 PM	#1
homoe Practically Lives Here How Do You Identify?: Butch Relationship Status: ..... Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: 30 minute ferry ride from Seattle Posts: 38,565 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 20,811 Thanked 33,549 Times in 14,914 Posts Rep Power: 21474889	Winter tip from familyhandyman.com Don’t Repot until spring, if possible. Repotting is very tough on plants, and they will need all their strength in the winter. So hold off on repotting window plants until spring...

01-12-2019, 09:17 PM	#2
homoe Practically Lives Here How Do You Identify?: Butch Relationship Status: ..... Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: 30 minute ferry ride from Seattle Posts: 38,565 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 20,811 Thanked 33,549 Times in 14,914 Posts Rep Power: 21474889	Winter garden don'ts from www.mnn.com Fertilize. This is a time for garden plants to go dormant and rest. Forcing them to start new growth before the ground warms in the spring not only interrupts this period when they are rejuvenating but ice storms and temperatures below freezing or even hard frosts will kill tender new growth.

01-14-2019, 11:54 AM	#3
homoe Practically Lives Here How Do You Identify?: Butch Relationship Status: ..... Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: 30 minute ferry ride from Seattle Posts: 38,565 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 20,811 Thanked 33,549 Times in 14,914 Posts Rep Power: 21474889	Be creative........... Think outside the box when it comes to containers..

01-16-2019, 09:02 AM	#6
homoe Practically Lives Here How Do You Identify?: Butch Relationship Status: ..... Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: 30 minute ferry ride from Seattle Posts: 38,565 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 20,811 Thanked 33,549 Times in 14,914 Posts Rep Power: 21474889	From Gardensalive.... Lucky Bamboo Did you get some "Lucky Bamboo" over the holidays? Although these pretty plants do look like it, they're not a bamboo of any kind. They're a tropical plant called Dracaena that breaks all the houseplant rules. Most plants need lots of light; but direct sun will kill Lucky Bamboo. The ambient light in the average room is all it needs. And while most plants would rot if their roots sat in water all the time, Lucky Bamboo requires that amount of constant moisture. But it is finicky about the water itself. The chlorine and fluoride in city tap water will turn the leaves yellow at first and then eventually kill the plant. Use spring water or distilled or purified water instead. Think of the bad karma if you killed your Lucky Bamboo

01-22-2019, 11:59 AM	#8
homoe Practically Lives Here How Do You Identify?: Butch Relationship Status: ..... Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: 30 minute ferry ride from Seattle Posts: 38,565 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 20,811 Thanked 33,549 Times in 14,914 Posts Rep Power: 21474889	Winter tips from savvygardening Preping for a new garden Planning a new garden bed for next summer in an area where grass or weeds are currently growing? Make it easy on yourself by starting the project right now. First, place a thick layer of newspaper or cardboard over the area, then pile on alternating layers of organic material like compost, leaves, pine needles, untreated grass clippings, and straw. In the spring, the grass and weeds underneath the pile will be dead, and your new garden bed will be ready to plant!

01-14-2019, 01:39 PM	#4
Lyte Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Butch Preferred Pronoun?: Meh... I'm not very particular about this. Relationship Status: Single Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: The south... bleh! Posts: 1,744 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 5,316 Thanked 5,113 Times in 1,504 Posts Rep Power: 21474847	If you like color … if you like bulbs … all different kinds of bulbs... I can't recommend these guys enough. I ordered from them a couple of times when I lived in NY. COLOR BLENDS <-- linky Then sell bulbs in bulk … so they're pretty economical vs what you'd pay at the Home Depot or Lowes or wherever else... and they're of much better quality. They sell single colors or in some pretty spectacular color combinations. Even if you're in a part of the country that doesn't really get proper "winters" … such as California… they can provide you with insight on how to get bulbs to work in your area. Ohh... they offer a free catalog too!