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CARING FOR INDOOR HOUSE PLANTS IN THE WINTER
 Posted
12/23/2009 4:34:00 PM
Keeping your indoor plants happy and healthy in the winter months is a challenge and takes a lot of skill and care for indoor plant to thrive, such as, light, water & temperature.
INCREASE NATURAL LIGHT: Start by increasing the light by cleaning the windows inside and out. Place your plants near the East, South and West windows that receive regular sunlight. Natural light in winter provides 6 hours during the Winter Solstice equivalent to 9,000 cp (candle power), where as, the Summer Solstice is 90,000cp, ten time as much light energy as in winter and with the Equinox’s being 45,000cp half summers energy or 5 times winter’s light. Use a Mylar Blankets behind the plants to reflect more sunlight. This light reflector may not be practical but is definitely helpful.
Light powers the leaves to make sugar that then draws water up into the leaves.
ADD ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING: Use ...
Bronze Leaf Disease, BLD in Poplars
Posted
12/21/2009 1:26:00 PM
The fungus infects poplar species: Tower Poplars and Swedish Columnar Aspens.
The fungus called, Apioplagiostoma populi, enters through the stoma (breathing pours) and spreads systemically thru leaf starting at the leaf tip down to petiole (leaf stem) with unpredictable damage.
Symptoms: Symptoms of this disease first appear in midsummer. The pathogen is a fungus called Apioplagiostoma that enters thru stoma (leaf breathing pores)and spreads systemically thru the trees xylem and phloem tubes. Areas of yellowish, orange-brown or reddish brown discoloration begin near leaf margins. The discoloured areas expand and the discoloration moves toward the leaf base. Veins may appear to remain green for a time. The midrib and petiole (leaf stem) may remain green. Remove and destroy all leaves and shoots that may have symptoms. As the infection and the season progress the affected leaves become bronze in color or a dark reddish brown color and this symptom gives the ...
KEEP YOUR LIVE CHRISTMAS TREE SAFE FROM BECOMING AN INDOOR FIRE:
Posted
12/3/2009 3:23:00 PM
First, buy a healthy tree with firm needles and no needle drop.
Apply a water retaining spray called ” Wilt Proof ”.
Leave your live tree out side, out of Sun Light until you need to bring the Tree in.
Fresh cut 2”- 3” off the bottom of the trunk just before bringing tree inside and immediately putting it in a good sized container of almost Hot Water.
Use a very sharp knife and flute an inch of the bark around the bottom of the trunk to open the water sucking tubes. (like sharpening a pencil)
Place tree in a large container full of very warm, almost hot water. (Don’t cook it)
Put the “Sta Fresh” product in the warm water to assist H20 absorption into tree.
Do not let the tree drink the pail dry. Keep tree moist with a good water supply. Monitor water level many times during ...
KEEPING YOUR SEEDS FOR ANOTHER YEAR “STORING YOUR SEEDS”
Posted
11/18/2009 5:13:00 PM
Before storing, make sure your seeds are ripe, dry and clean.
Collect and keep for next spring your last springs store bought seeds and your garden seeds collected this fall. Store bought seeds are already vernelized. Seeds you pick off your own yard plants need to be vernalized. Separate the store bought seeds from your fall picked garden seeds. Separate the packets in each of two coffee cans. Use one can for storing store bought seeds and another can for storing fall picked garden seeds.
The word “vernal” refers to the vernal equinox of fall and spring. Between the two seasons, provides a cool period preparing seeds to grow in the spring. The winter process of vernalization is to have annual non native seeds kept cool at 4°C. Native and hardy seeds need to be under 4°C or just at freezing for at least two to three months. The process ...
How You Can Help Your Trees Get Thru This Winter
Posted
11/6/2009 10:23:00 AM
ACTIONS TO TAKE:
Removing Leaves to reduce snow load is helpful but a lot of work. Extension pole pruners will work best to carefully remove brown leaves even though they will take a long time to complete. Be careful not to remove small branches and twigs.
Dead leaf laden branches subject to snow load could be shortened by proper pruning or instead propped up by 2x4’s. Hollow the end and insert a dense sponge between the 2x4’s and the limb to protect the branch.
Leave the dry twigs and small branches for latter next spring after new growth grows and hardens.
Snow Farm with light dry snow in and around the trees. Place the snow from one foot from the trunk to just passed under the ends of the branches. Snow Farm as often as you can to slow down early growth in the spring by keeping the tree roots ...
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