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Tidewater Gardening: K. Marc Teff eau
TIDEWATER GARDENING
by K. Marc Teffeau, Ph.D.
End-Of-Year Wrap-Up
It’s hard to believe that 2022 is coming to a close. Fortunately, this year wasn’t too challenging in terms of gardening activities. But if you are an active gardener, you know there are things to do every month of the year.
Milder December days allow us to continue with some outside landscaping activities. Although I mention this every year, it is very important that woody shrubs and trees have enough moisture going into the winter. This is especially true for foundation plantings under the eaves. Unless there is wind that forces rainfall close to the house, these plants can go without water. We often forget the spots outdoors where rain doesn’t reach. Check the moisture around foundation plantings beneath a roof overhang, and water if necessary.
Shrubs and trees that you trans-
planted earlier in the fall must have adequate moisture now to prevent winter desiccation. Broad- and narrow-leaved evergreen plants especially transpire a lot of water through their needles and leaves during colder months. You might have noticed how some pines, junipers, cedars and yews take on a brownish to grayish tinge in winter. This is because more water is transpiring out of the foliage than can be taken in by the roots in cold soil.
Prune your grapevines a little earlier this year to make a classic wreath. If you can’t shape the wreath as you prune, soak the vines in water overnight for increased flexibility. Cover strawberry plants with a piece of row cover to help prevent winter injury and promote early growth in spring.
Inside the house, we need to
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start looking for possible insect problems on houseplants, especially if you didn’t do a thorough job of cleaning the plants of dead leaves and spraying for insects before you brought them into the house from the porch, patio or deck. Warm, dry indoor air creates prime breeding ground for spider mites. Look very closely for fine webbing on the undersides of leaves, on new buds and at the base of stems. Set any suspicious-looking plants in the shower to wash off the mites, and repeat frequently. Small plants can be swished upside down in a sink of soapy water. Insecticidal soap also works, but it’s smelly to use indoors.
Houseplants with large leaves and smooth foliage (philodendron, dracaena, rubber plant, etc.) benefit if their leaves are washed with clear water at intervals to remove dust and grime, as this keeps the leaf pores open.
It is important to decrease water and fertilizer on Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti if the flower buds are developing. Be sure, however, not to let the soil get too dry or the plant will drop its buds. When buds of Christmas cactus show signs of opening, resume a regular watering program and keep the plant cool for the best show.
Cyclamen prefer cool temperatures, so keep them back from south-facing windows that heat up during the day. If you brought geranium plants indoors for the winter, chances are they’ve become very leggy by now. The short, cloudy days of December don’t provide enough light for these plants to thrive. Cut them back to about one foot tall. They will re-sprout and grow bushier when the days grow longer.
In winter, you can grow many fresh herbs indoors for use in the kitchen. Try sowing seeds of parsley, oregano, sage, chives and dwarf basil in clay pots. Place them under grow lights once they germi-
nate, and water and fertilize (with a half-strength solution) only when very dry. If you bring your outside potted herb plants in for the winter, be sure to check for and control any insect or disease issues.
As a general rule, the flowering potted plants like florist azaleas and poinsettias that you buy or receive as gifts during the holiday season are not meant to be kept as permanent houseplants. These cultivars of holiday plants are bred for greenhouse production and usually do not adapt long-term to the conditions in your home. Treat them like long-lasting cut flowers: enjoy them as long as possible, but discard them when they become unattractive.
There are some exceptions to this rule, however. For example, kalanchoes (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana). These holiday plants are tough and can endure in our homes for a couple months during the winter. If you compare the leaves of the kalanchoe and the common jade plant, you will notice a resemblance. Both have thick, firm, fleshy leaves. However, the kalanchoe is more flattened and tightly packed than the jade plant.
Kalanchoes like it hot and dry. If you need a plant that can reside in a hot room (like where the wood stove is located) or in drafts from a nearby radiator or heat vent, this plant will do well. You can even forget to water it sometimes,
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though flowering will be reduced if you do. When choosing your kalanchoe, look for a minimum of two to three flower clusters on a 4-inch plant and four or five on a 6-inch plant. Make sure the plant has lots of color and few or no dead flowers. Once spring weather arrives, you can set it outside with your other houseplants and it will thrive.
Amaryllis bulbs are popular at Christmas. This flower can be bought in any stage of growth, from a single bulb to the semi-opened or “puffy bud” stage. If you purchase one, be sure that one-third of the bulb is above the soil line in the pot. Place the bulb in a warm, sunny location and watch the leaves unfold and the flower stem stretch. Keep the growing medium on the dry side ~ don’t overwater it.
Amaryllis are tropical plants, so you’ll need to keep the room temperature above 60 degrees and the plant in high-intensity light. If the amaryllis does not receive enough light, its leaves and flower stem will stretch or elongate too much and fall over. It takes an average of four weeks from the time the bulb is planted until it flowers. When you see the first flower bud begin to swell and turn color, it will only be another day or two until it opens completely.
As a rule, the larger the bulb circumference, the more flowers you will get. Larger bulb sizes (10 inches or more in circumference) will give you at least four flowers. Amaryllis flower colors range from white and pink to orange.
A popular house plant a few years ago, the spider plant (Chlorophytum spp.) is still grown by some homeowners. One question you
may have is how to produce spider plant “babies.” For these offshoots to occur, the spider plant must be mature and have short days (eight hours of sunlight) to produce flower stalks, the runners on which the plantlets form.
Leaf tip burn, a common problem in spider plants, can be caused by soluble salt buildup due to improper watering and too much fertilizer. Never allow the plant to dry out excessively. When you water, do so thoroughly from the surface, allowing plenty of water to drain out the bottom of the pot. This allows for the removal of excess fertilizer and reduces salt buildup in the soil. Discard any water that drains out.
You might want to use distilled bottled water for spider plants, as they are very sensitive to fluoride levels in tap water. Depending on where you live and your water system, fluoride may be present in levels high enough to cause the leaves to brown.
Want to know what to do with the cardboard cylinders from holiday wrapping paper? When my sons were little, these tubes were usually used for sword fights between family members, Mom and Dad included. Don’t throw them out. They make great biodegradable cutworm collars to put around tomato and pepper transplants in the spring vegetable garden. Cut into 3-inchlong tubes to fit over the small transplants, then discard once the plants become established.
What would a December column be without some mention of Christmas trees? To avoid drying out your freshly cut Christmas trees, transport it covered with or wrapped in plastic or a cloth in the trunk of the car. I just shake my head when I see a bare-cut Christmas tree strapped to the roof of a car or exposed in the back of a pickup truck driving down the road at 60 miles per hour. This is the quickest way to dry out the tree. And then the homeowner complains that the tree excessively shed its needles and did not last long in the house. Duh…the moisture in the tree needles was sucked out on the ride home.
At home, cut an inch or two off the bottom of the trunk and plunge the butt into a pail of warm water.
Keep the cut tree in a cool, shaded, protected place outside or in an unheated garage until you move it into the house. Mount in a tree stand or place in a bucket with rocks and sand. Fill the stand or bucket with water after the tree is indoors, and check water needs daily. Sometimes overwintering insect critters or their egg masses, like praying mantids, become active because of the warm house temperatures. Not to worry. Suck them up with the vacuum and deposit them outside. If you bought a balled and burlaped Christmas tree that you plan to plant after the holidays, dig the hole now, before the soil freezes. Store the tree out of the wind and direct sunlight, and wait until the last minute to move it indoors. Move it outside and plant it as soon as you can after Christmas. If the tree stays indoors for an extended time, it will tend to dry out and lose some of its hardiness. Make sure you provide adequate moisture while the tree is in the house ~ and after you transplant it into the landscape. Happy Gardening and Happy Holidays!
Marc Teffeau retired as Director of Research and Regulatory Affairs at the American Nursery and Landscape Association in Washington, D.C. He now lives in Georgia with his wife, Linda.
