Flowers Articles

Article / Updated 12-14-2022

Mulching your roses helps you save on water, reduces soil temperatures and evaporation, and smothers greedy weeds that compete with roses for moisture. Mulches not only conserve water but also even out rapid changes in soil moisture that can spell disaster in hot weather. The best time to apply mulch is in early spring, about the same time you remove winter protection. In areas with warmer winters, apply mulch just before your roses start to leaf out and before weeds start to sprout. You can apply mulch anytime, and you usually need to replenish it every two to three months. If possible use organic mulch (grass, compost, wood chips, and so on) for roses because, as the mulch breaks down, it adds organic matter to the soil, improving its texture and sometimes adding nutrients. Note that if you use grass clippings, mix it with another type of organic mulch for aeration because the clippings tend to pack down and decay into slime. Mulch also gives the ground in your garden a cleaner, more orderly appearance. Many organic mulches break down fairly rapidly, so you need to replenish them often. For effective mulching, apply a good, thick layer (at least three to four inches) of mulch in spring before the weeds start to grow. Spread it evenly under the roses, over an area slightly wider than the diameter of the plant. Or spread it over the entire rose bed. Add a fresh layer whenever the first one starts to deteriorate. Composted manures make particularly good mulches, looking neat while adding nutrients to the soil as they break down. Just make sure that the manure is fully composted and that you don’t add too much. You can buy bags of composted manure in most nurseries and garden centers. Fresh manures contain salts that damage the plant and make its leaves look as if they’ve been burned by a blow torch. Horse manure is generally safest and chicken manure the most dangerous. Mix manure 50/50 with some other organic mulch. That way, you won’t burn your roses, but they still get some nitrogen. Organic mulch has some downsides, so think about the materials you use and what they may do to your garden: Keep a close eye on soil pH and correct it accordingly if you use bark mulches, such as pine, which are quite acidic. Make sure that you haven’t used weed killer on your lawn if you intend to use grass clippings. The residue of weed killer can damage or kill your roses. Add supplemental nitrogen if you use the organic mulches. Fresh sawdust, for example, needs extra nitrogen to break down properly. Avoid peat moss. It can get hard and crusty when exposed to weather. Water may not penetrate it, so the water runs off instead of soaking through to the roots. At the very least, mix it with something else, such as compost. Avoid lightweight mulches, such as straw, if you live in a windy area. They can blow around, making a mess and leaving your roses unmulched. Inorganic mulches include plastic, gravel, stone, and sand. If you live in a cool-summer climate, a layer of gravel or rock beneath a rose can reflect heat and light up onto the plant. The extra heat may improve the quality of bloom for varieties that normally prefer warmer climates, and it may also cause water to evaporate off the foliage more quickly, reducing disease problems. Generally, though, inorganic mulches, particularly plastic, are hard to handle, especially on roses, where you need continual access to the soil for fertilizing, watering, and so on. So unless you need to heat up your garden, or like the look of plastic, steer clear of these mulches.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 12-14-2022

Picking the perfect rose for your garden involves finding a hardy plant for your growing zone (based on climate), deciding on a type of rose, and following a plan for rose care. Know your rose terminology and the most popular roses, and you'll sound like a gardening guru.

Article / Updated 07-28-2022

Don't be afraid to repot your orchids while caring for them. Despite their reputation, orchids are tough, and repotting helps them thrive. You'll know it time to repot orchids when Orchid roots are overflowing the pot The plant itself is going over the edge of the pot Potting material is getting soggy and drains poorly The ideal time to repot most orchids is when the plant starts new growth — usually right after it finishes flowering. Prepare the potting mix Choose a potting mix that suits your particular type of orchid. Whether you mix it yourself or buy it ready-made — it must be wetted before you use it. Otherwise, it'll never hold moisture properly and will always dry out. Here's how you prepare the orchid mix for potting: Pour the amount of potting material you intend to use into a bucket that has about twice the volume of the mix. Fill the bucket with hot water. Hot water penetrates the material better than cold water. Let the mixture soak overnight. The next day, pour out the mix into a colander or strainer. Rinse the mix thoroughly to wash out the dust that was in the mix. Now the mix is ready to use. Time to repot When you're ready to repot the orchid, spread out some newspaper over a work surface. Gather up a knife, scissors, new orchid pots (or old ones that are thoroughly cleaned), wooden stakes, and soft ties. Now, follow these steps: Remove the orchid from the pot. You may need to use a knife to circle the inside of the pot and loosen the roots. Remove the old, loose, rotted potting material and any soft, damaged, or dead roots. If the roots are healthy, firm, and filling the pot, put the orchid in a pot just one size larger than the one you removed it from, placing the older growth toward the back so the new lead or growth has plenty of room. If the roots are rotted and in poor condition, repot the plant in a container of the same or one size smaller than it was removed from. If you place a poorly rooted plant in a container that's too large, the growing material will stay too damp, which will result in root rot. Some orchid growers like to add a coarse material like broken clay pots or Styrofoam in the bottom of the pots to improve drainage. You don't have to do this if you're using shallow, azalea-type pots. Place the plant in the pot so it's at the same depth as it was originally. The new shoot should be level with the pot rim. Press the fresh potting material into the pot and around the orchid roots with your thumbs and forefingers. The orchid should be secure in the pot so it doesn't wiggle — otherwise, the new roots won't form properly. Place a wooden or bamboo stake in the center of the pot, and tie up the new and old leads with soft string or twist ties. When orchids are in bloom, the staking techniques will vary, depending on the type of orchid. Monopodial orchids are those with one growing point that always grows vertically, not sideways (such as phalaenopsis, angraecums, and vandas). The potting process for these orchids is similar to the process just outlined, except that the orchid should be placed in the center of the container, rather than toward the back.

Article / Updated 03-31-2022

Gardeners in northern regions deal with warm summers and cold winters. But there is work to do in your garden through most of the year. Here is a month-by-month guide that keeps you in the gardening frame of mind, even through the dreary months of winter. Winter January: Settle next to the fire with a stack of new seed catalogs. As you order seeds, think about where you want to plant new annuals and what color combinations you find appealing. February: Prepare a space for starting seeds. Clear an area in a sunny window or set up fluorescent lights for seedlings to sprout and grow. Buy seed-starting trays or use old trays that you’ve cleaned with a dilute bleach solution and rinsed well. Providing bottom heat maintains an even, warm soil temperature and improves germination. March: March through mid-April is seed-starting time in cold climates. Plan a seeding schedule — essential in short-season climates where you want to make every day count. Start by figuring when you want to move plants into the ground, and work backward to calculate the best time to sow the seeds indoors — four to eight weeks ahead of transplanting time, in most cases. Also see these month-by-month chores for gardeners in other U.S. regions: southern; Pacific Northwest; desert at extreme altitudes. Spring April: You still have time to sow seeds indoors for transplanting next month. If your last-frost date falls around Memorial Day, sow seeds for all annuals, except fast-growing, tender plants (cosmos and zinnias, for example), by mid-April. If you live in warmer areas with milder winters, you can start sowing seeds of hardy annuals directly into the ground a couple weeks before the last frost date in their region. If it’s still cold in April where you live, wait until next month to direct-sow seeds. If you plant nothing else, sow sweet pea seeds as soon as the ground can be worked. Depending on your region, late April or May is the time to lay out beds and prepare the soil. Adjust the soil pH based on soil tests done in the fall. Amend the soil with a 2- or 3-inch layer of organic matter and a complete fertilizer. May: Early May is generally the best time to plant hardy annuals (seeds or transplants) in most areas — 10 to 14 days before the last frost is usually safe. Check local garden centers for ready-to-plant, cool-season annuals. Look for stocky, green plants when shopping at garden centers. Avoid plants with dead lower leaves and brown, overcrowded roots, as well as plants that are already flowering. Start transplanting tender annuals, such as impatiens, lobelia, and petunias, into the ground when frost danger has passed, the soil and air have warmed up, and the nights are no longer cold. June: Continue planting tender annuals, and remember that newly planted seeds and transplants are vulnerable. Gardeners in cold, mountainous areas often wait until June 10 to plant the most tender plants, such as impatiens. Water if June is dry. Mulch to conserve water and slow weed growth. Pull off or pinch back fading blooms of cool-season annuals to extend their season of color. July: Plants require extra water and nutrients to keep them at their peak in hot, dry weather. Container-bound plants, particularly, suffer from heat stress and usually need daily watering if they’re located in the sun. Container gardens quickly deplete soil nutrients; feed window boxes and pots with a liquid fertilizer every couple weeks. Continue feeding annuals to promote steady growth for the remainder of the summer. Stake taller plants. Deadhead flowers regularly. In hot climates, cool-season annuals probably have peaked, so pull them out. August: In northern regions where the growing season is 90 to 110 days long, late July through early August is the garden’s peak. Continue to deadhead, water, and weed. Containers still need to be fertilized. Tidy beds and containers by pulling out plants that have passed their peak. Harvest flowers for drying and enjoy fresh-cut bouquets Autumn to Winter September: Be ready with row covers or blankets if an early frost is predicted and you still have tender plants in bloom. Use pots of asters, calendulas, and flowering kale to replace frosted or dying annuals. Collect seed pods, dried flowers, and grasses to make arrangements. October: Pull out dead plants and add them to your compost pile. Take soil samples in the fall to know how to amend soil next spring. Use the results of the soil tests to gauge any adjustments that you need to make in soil pH and fertility. November through December: Sharpen, clean, and oil your tools. Keep a record of any extra seed you have. Store the extra seed in an airtight container in a cool location; add packets of silica gel to absorb any moisture in the container. Build your own window boxes or trellises for next year. Build a cold frame for growing and hardening off your transplants. Seek inspiration for next year’s garden in books and magazines.

Article / Updated 03-30-2022

Flowering annuals have the same basic needs as other garden plants. Providing proper care to your flowering annuals results in prettier, healthier plants that last longer and provide a most impressive display. Maintaining flowering annuals involves four simple tasks Deadheading: Deadheading is simply removing the dead flowers from your plants. It keeps them looking tidy and prolongs the bloom period. Start deadheading as soon as you see the flowers fade and the petals begin to fall. Remove part of the stem as well as the faded flower, so that you’re sure to get the seed pod, too. With some flowers, such as petunias, you can pull off the petal part and think you’ve done the job, but the seed pod remains. Use your fingers to pinch off flowers with fleshy stems. Use pruners for stiffer or more stubborn flowers. Staking: Stake early! By staking early when you set out transplants or after seedlings reach a few inches tall, you can direct the stems to grow upward right from the start and tie them at intervals along the stake as they grow. Tie stems to slender bamboo sticks, wooden stakes, or even straight and sturdy woody branches that you saved from your pruning chores. For light plants with sturdy stems, such as cosmos and cornflower, you can use twine or twist ties. For large-flowered plants, such as sunflowers, use plastic garden tape or strips of fabric. Pinching and pruning: Pinch plants when they’re young — before they develop long stems. Remove the tip growth by pinching above a set of leaves. To promote good overall shape, pinch both upright and side stems. When you have a mass of plants in the bed, pinch back the tallest ones so that they don’t shoot up past their neighbors. Good candidates for pinching include petunias, snapdragons, impatiens, chrysanthemums, marguerites, and geraniums. Pruning is the process of cutting back plants to keep them within the boundaries that you’ve set and to promote bushier growth. Annuals rarely need the heavy-duty pruning that perennials and shrubs demand. Trim rangy, floppy, or sprawling stems as often as necessary to keep them under control. Make cuts just above a set of leaves or side shoot to promote both bushiness and new buds. Mulching: A mulch is simply a soil cover. Mulching an annual garden cuts down on the amount of water needed and helps control weeds. The soil is cooled and protected by the application of a top layer of some type of material. As long as the material is attractive, you’ll have a neat-looking garden, to boot. A layer of mulch also helps hide drip irrigation tubes. Your mulching schedule really depends on the type of annuals you grow and when you plant them. Regular garden maintenance Timing is important to help you keep the tasks small and manageable. Here are some key strategies for garden maintenance: Observe a regular maintenance schedule. That way, no chore gets too far out of hand. Start the jobs early, before the situation gets out of hand, and do jobs as you notice that they need to be done. Make regular tours of the garden. Think of these tours as minivacations. Don’t get your hands dirty on these garden strolls, but do make a mental note of what jobs you need to tackle next. When the time comes to do some work in the garden, you already know what tools you need and what chores are most pressing. Have the materials and tools you need to do the job. Store tools in a set location where you can always find them, and keep them clean. Keep track of supplies and restock as amounts get low. Evaluate how much maintenance you’re doing. If you feel that you’re spending too much time and effort on your garden, try to find ways to do your chores more efficiently or consider scaling down the garden to a more manageable size.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-15-2022

Growing orchids at home isn’t as difficult as you might think. This handy Cheat Sheet will help you get started. Take a look at the list of fragrant orchids to decide which sweet scents you want around your house. You'll also find some helpful tips about knowing when and how to fertilize and water your orchids.

Article / Updated 11-15-2019

To care for roses and keep roses blooming again and again, you should fertilize them about every four to six weeks, although the type of fertilizer you use may alter this rule a bit. Always follow label instructions when determining how much fertilizer to use. You don’t need to fertilize roses that bloom only once in spring as often as repeat bloomers. Fertilizing once in early spring may be enough, but increase the number of applications if your plants aren’t green and healthy-looking or aren’t blooming up to your expectations. Here are some general fertilizing guidelines: Water before and after fertilizing: A plant stressed from lack of water is more likely to be burned by nitrogen fertilizers, so make sure that the soil around the plant is wet before you add fertilizer. Watering after fertilizing helps to move nutrients into the root zone. Start fertilizing in early spring and stop in late summer or fall: Make your first application about four to six weeks before growth begins in spring or, in areas where winters are cold, about the time you take off your winter protection. Continue through summer until about six weeks before the average date of your first frost. Employees at your nursery can tell you exactly when that date is, but for most cold-winter climates, it’s sometime in late August or September. Later fertilization may encourage growth that will be damaged by frosts and can result in roses that aren’t fully cold resistant. No fertilizer on earth will help your roses if the pH of your soil is too high or too low. When the pH is off, important nutrients already in the soil are unavailable to plants. As long as you apply it often enough, you can use any type of fertilizer. The granular form is easy to use and doesn’t need mixing. Water soluble fertilizers get to roots quickly and are easy to use on container plants, but you usually have to apply them more often. Timed-release fertilizers are convenient, but alone they often don’t supply enough nutrients to keep roses growing well over a long time; you usually have to supplement with granular fertilizers. The following list explains the major and minor nutrients your rose plants may need: Nitrogen: Nitrogen fuels a rosebush’s growth, and you must add it to the soil regularly. This element stimulates dark green, healthy foliage growth; because a plant’s energy to make flowers is manufactured in its leaves, healthy leaves mean more flowers. Most rose foods have several times more nitrogen than phosphorous and potassium. Don’t worry about the numbers too much. Just don’t buy one of those “bloom” foods that has no nitrogen at all. Phosphorus and potassium: Phosphorus and potassium are called macronutrients because roses need them in larger supplies than other nutrients. Some soils already contain enough phosphorus and potassium for healthy rose growth; adding more to them does little good. If your soil is short on phosphorus, add some directly to the planting hole when you put in your roses, so that it gets where it needs to go. Only a soil test can tell you for sure whether your soil needs either of these nutrients. But if you use a complete fertilizer — one with a lot of nitrogen and a little phosphorous and potassium — on a regular basis, you should be okay. Iron: In areas where the soil is on the alkaline side, a rose plant may need applications of fertilizers containing iron. You know your roses need iron when their leaves turn yellow with green veins. Magnesium: Many rose growers swear by magnesium applications, but only when the soil is deficient in magnesium. Magnesium sulphate — called Epsom salts in drugstores — is the form that’s usually applied. This chemical helps intensify flower color and increases production of new flowering canes. Water in 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup per plant once or twice a year.

Article / Updated 11-15-2019

Miniature roses are perfectly scaled, smaller versions of larger roses, with all the colors, forms, substance, and often, fragrance of full-sized roses. Like other types of roses you would take care of, each variety of miniature rose has different characteristics, with plant size ranging between 6 inches and 4 feet or more and plant shapes that include bushy, compact, climbing, and cascading. But no matter what the shape or growth habit, a good miniature rose has flowers and leaves in perfect proportion. Smaller definitely doesn’t mean less attractive, and in most cases, smaller does mean easier to grow. Their smaller habit makes miniatures ideal for growing in containers. The flowers provide bright and constant spots of color throughout the growing season, and you can cut their flowers for mini-bouquets and arrangements. The selection of varieties is awesome, and hundreds of new ones are introduced each year. Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/amnachphoto Miniatures are wonderful landscape plants. Because the plants are so small when you buy them, it seems as if they’ll take forever to grow and put on a good show. But don’t let that small size fool you. Miniature roses reach full size quickly, and they flower big-time all season long. Miniatures make beautiful up-front plants. Use them to edge a flower border or walkway, or plant them at the base of taller-growing plants. Miniature roses are actually pretty tough plants. They’re almost always propagated and grown on their own roots, which gives them greater hardiness in cold weather than many other types of roses. Like most plants, however, they’re not real thrilled with harsh winter winds and the nasty freeze-and-thaw cycles that some winters bring. Even though your miniature roses will most likely live and do fine the next season no matter what you do or don’t do, if you live where temperatures regularly fall below 10°F (–12°C), they’ll suffer less damage and thrive more readily if you mulch the base of the plant with leaves for winter protection. Smaller plants mean smaller roots, and smaller roots don’t grow very deep in the soil. So, if Mother Nature doesn’t provide rain, your mini-rose needs more frequent watering. Also, smaller plants require smaller doses of fertilizer. Generally, plan to fertilize a third as much, twice as often. As with full-sized roses, deadheading is pretty much all the pruning you need to do during the growing season. You don’t need to cut back minis in the fall, and in spring you need only prune away the dead parts. If you have lots of minis to prune, a hedge trimmer does a great job. Shear plants back about halfway, meaning that a 12-inch-high plant should be about 6 inches tall after pruning. For fewer — but bigger — flowers, you can prune minis just as you would hybrid teas. Don’t believe people who try to convince you that growing miniature roses indoors on a windowsill is easy. A miniature may stay in bloom for a week or two inside, but eventually the plant needs to go outside where light is sufficient and conditions are better for healthy growth. Those who do have success growing miniatures indoors usually have a greenhouse or provide some type of supplemental lighting.

Article / Updated 11-15-2019

Many people think fertilizer is some type of elixir that will save even the most abused orchid. Actually, if the orchid is in poor health, fertilizers are rarely the answer. Fertilizers are most useful as a boost to help an already healthy orchid grow better. The number and types of fertilizers on the market can make your head spin! You'll hear a lot of mumbo-jumbo about why one fertilizer is better than another. Fortunately, the choice isn't nearly as complicated as some manufacturers seem to make it. If the orchid's roots are damaged, applying fertilizers will make the problem worse. If roots aren't functioning well, they can't absorb the fertilizer, and if the fertilizer isn't used by the orchid, it can accumulate in the orchid potting material. This buildup of fertilizer salts can further dehydrate and damage the remaining roots. The following suggestions apply to most orchid-growing situations: Look at the label and choose a fertilizer that has the words nitrate nitrogen or ammoniacal nitrogen, not urea: Although all forms can be used by plants, recent research shows that the nitrate and ammoniacal forms, not urea, are most beneficial to orchids. Look for a fertilizer with 20 percent or less nitrogen: High amounts of nitrogen, much more than 20 percent, are not necessary to grow the best orchids no matter what media they are grown in. Too much of any nutrient cannot be used by the orchid plant and, as a result, merely ends up as a pollutant. Don't worry about the amount of phosphorus in the fertilizer: It was earlier thought that a high-phosphorus fertilizer was necessary for better orchid bloom. This has now been found not to be the case. In most cases, a fertilizer with supplementary calcium (up to 15 percent) and magnesium (up to 8 percent) is a real plus: For most water sources, adding trace elements, including sodium, manganese, copper, zinc, boron, iron, and molybdenum, has been found to be beneficial to orchid growth: Don't worry about the exact amounts; just check the fertilizer container or label to see if they appear in small amounts. Any fertilizer that meets these requirements will do. To find out if your chosen fertilizer does, carefully look at the fertilizer container. By law, the manufacturer is required to list what chemicals are included in the fertilizer. Do not use water that has passed through water-softening units on your orchids. Such water may contain high amounts of sodium that can be harmful to orchids. Here are some pointers to help you know when it's time to fertilize your orchid: Fertilizing frequently at a more dilute rate is better than fertilizing less often at a higher concentration. Never apply more fertilizer than is recommended by the manufacturer. Drench the potting material, several times in a row, every few weeks or so with fresh water that contains no nutrients to wash out any excess fertilizer salts. Very dark green leaves that are succulent and floppy can be a sign of overfertilizing. When the orchids are actively growing, fertilize them. If the orchids are diseased and in poor condition, stop fertilizing.

Article / Updated 11-15-2019

The right potting mix for orchids provides plenty of drainage, air circulation, or moisture — depending on the needs of your particular orchid. Orchid mixes consist of a variety of potting materials, each of which has its pros and cons. You can mix your own blend from the recipes below, or you can buy ready-made orchid mixes. Knowing your potting material options The phrase potting material isn't just a fancy way of saying dirt. Potting materials can consist of gravel, dried plant fibers, bark, and more. You won't find potting soil in orchid mixes, because most orchids have roots that need more air space than soil can provide. Orchids also need potting material that drains rapidly and at the same time retains moisture. Because orchids usually go at least a year, and many times longer, between repotting, they also need materials that are slow to decompose. No single potting material works best for every orchid or orchid grower. The following table shows some of the most common potting materials used, along with some of their pros and cons. Pros and Cons of Potting Materials for Orchids Potting Material Pros Cons Aliflor Doesn't decompose; provides good aeration Heavy Coco husk chunks Retains moisture while also providing sufficient air; slower to decompose than bark Must be rinsed thoroughly to remove any salt residue; smaller grades may retain too much moisture Coco husk fiber Retains water well; decomposes slowly Does not drain as well as bark or coco husk chunks Fir bark Easy to obtain; inexpensive; available in many grades (sizes) Can be difficult to wet; decomposes relatively quickly Gravel Drains well; inexpensive Heavy; holds no nutrients Hardwood charcoal Very slow to decompose; absorbs contaminants Holds very little moisture; can be dusty to handle Lava rock Never decomposes; drains well Heavy Osmunda fiber Retains moisture; slow to break down Very expensive; hard to find Perlite (sponge rock) Lightweight; provides good aeration and water retention; inexpensive Retains too much water if used alone Redwood bark Lasts longer than fir bark Hard to find Sphagnum moss Retains water and air; readily available Can retain too much water if packed tightly in the pot or after it starts to decompose Styrofoam peanuts Inexpensive; readily available; doesn't decompose; rapid draining Should not be used alone because doesn't retain water or nutrients; best used as drainage in bottoms of pots; can be too light for top-heavy plants Tree fern fiber Rapidly draining; slow to decompose Expensive; low water retention Make your own orchid mix Following are recipes for two basic mixes that suit most orchids. The growing mixes are based on the texture or particle size of the mix, which is connected to the size of the orchid roots and their need for water retention. Fine mix This mix works well for smaller plants of all types of orchids, slipper orchids, most oncidiums, miltonias, and any other orchids with small roots that like to stay on the damp side: 4 parts fine-grade fir bark or fine-grade coco husk chips or redwood bark 1 part fine charcoal 1 part horticultural-grade perlite or small-grade Aliflor Medium mix This is your middle-of-the-road mix. If you aren't sure which mix to use, try this one. This mix is also good for cattleyas, phalaenopsis, and most mature orchids: 4 parts medium-grade fir bark or medium-grade coco husk chunks 1 part medium charcoal 1 part horticultural-grade perlite or medium-grade Aliflor If you'd rather just buy your mix ready-made, prepared potting mixes are readily available from most places that sell orchids, including home-improvement stores. Most mixes contain fir bark, perlite, charcoal, and sometimes some peat moss and are suitable for most orchids.