Caring for houseplants during the winter months is vital to maintaining these beauties at their best! Winter conditions indoors require homeowners to change the way they manage the humidity (or lack of), watering, and placement of houseplants. Plants require the correct amount of light and water in order to live, which will vary greatly, depending on the type of plant you have.
Light can be measured in two simple ways:Quality is the color and brightness of the light, while quantity refers to the number of hours a plant receives light. Light quality and quantity are important for houseplants as they impact color, size, shape, and flowering. A light meter can be purchased at your local garden center to tell you how much light your plant is receiving.
The type of medium in which your plant is growing. Soil moisture probes are instruments that measure soil moisture. There are even some that send you a text message telling you that you need to water your plant.
Here are some great tips for how to care for your sick plant. Houseplants, just like other plants, often get sick due to under- or over-watering, over fertilizing, or lack of attention. Enjoy the benefits of your houseplants all year long!
Determinate tomatoes are varieties that grow to a fixed mature size and ripen all their fruit in a short
(image Ida Gold Cherry) period, usually about 2 weeks. Once this
first flush of fruit has ripened, the plant will begin to diminish in vigor and will set little to no new fruit.
Indeterminate tomato varieties are vining plants that continue growing in length throughout the growing season, which is why you will
sometimes see them referred to as "vining" tomatoes, Indeterminate tomato varieties will also continue to set and ripen fruit throughout the
growing season, until the plants are killed off by frost.
Both determinate and indeterminate tomato varieties have their pluses and minuses. It really depends on what you are going to be using the
tomatoes for and also, how long is your growing season. If you want a thick tomato for making sauces, you are better off with a paste tomato and
those tend to be determinate.
If you tend to eat your tomatoes fresh and want a season-long supply, go for indeterminate varieties.
An heirloom tomato (also called heritage tomato) is an open-pollinated (non-hybrid) heirloom cultivar
of tomato. Any tomato that is at least fifty
years old and is not a hybrid. According to tomato experts, heirloom tomatoes can be classified into four categories: (image Black Brandywine)
family heirlooms,
commercial heirlooms,
mystery heirlooms, and
created heirlooms.
They usually have a shorter shelf life and less disease resistance than hybrids bred to resist against specific diseases. They are grown for a
variety of reasons, such as for food, historical interest, access to wider varieties, and by people who wish to save seeds from year to year, as
well as for their taste. "Heirloom Tomatoes". Spiritfoods. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
When the plants of an open-pollinated variety self-pollinate, or pollinated by another representative of the same variety, the resulting
seeds will produce plants roughly identical to their parents.
Hybrid tomato – A tomato bred by crossing varieties. Hybrids offer better disease resistance, higher
yield, and other improved traits.
Early variety – A tomato that matures in 50 to 60 days; these are prized for early harvests and late summer planting for a fall crop. Sometimes
we refer to tomatoes that mature in more than 60 days as “early,” but only in comparison to their peers. For example, the earliest beefsteak type
is only early compared to other beefsteaks. Beefsteaks are typically longer maturing than other tomato types because they are so big!
Tomato Disease Resistance Codes
Tomato names are often followed by capital letters that stand for resistance to certain diseases. This is very important because these diseases
can wipe out a tomato crop.
I love peaches, do you love peaches?
My mother, her mother and my daughter and I have all delighted in peaches and
nectarines until I moved to a different climate and Peach Leaf Curl turned up
on my trees. Peach leaf curl is a pathogenic fungi affecting peaches and
nectarines. It is easy to identify through leaf discoloration and malformation
of leaves.It can also affect branches
if not cared for and eliminated early in the life of the tree. Eventually trees
will die if trees are not cared for. The goods news… Peach Leaf Curl can be
treated. The Latin name of the disease is Taphrina
deformans.
Look for puckering,
and actual curling in the leaf. Leaves will have multiple hues of pink, plum,
red and yellow discoloration. One will also look for thickening of leaves as
leaves begin to open in spring, generally the first 2 to 3 weeks. If a tree is
affected you will eventually see the fungus as the first leaves are completely
formed in the spring.Eventually leaves
will turn grey and brown and either remain or fall from the tree. Be sure to pick up and discard all affected
leaves and branches, do not compost.
How Peach Leaf Curl infects and is transmitted:The fungus
overwinters on the buds and twigs of the host tree. Germination of the spores begins
in spring and is dependent on rainfall. Frequent periods of rain in spring, as
peach and nectarine buds are opening will lead to the infection as the fungus
is already present. When rain does not occur little to no infection will occur.
Spring temperatures of 40 to 65 F and .5 inches of rain fall or more are the
perfect combination for Peach Leaf Curl fungus to be formed and carried to
other trees by wind. The infection only occurs on new leaf and bud production.
If left untreated new spores will remain on the buds and spread to twigs and
branches. The cycle will repeat itself the following spring.
You will want
to avoid excessive fertilizer and be sure to water trees correctly throughout
each season.If there is a drought be
sure to water your trees to be sure they do not get stressed. Be sure not to over water if you have
excessive rainfall. One will want to water approximately 2 to 3 times per week
depending on the rain and temperate in order to penetrate the soil down to 10
inches. Fungicides are available to treat Peach Leaf Curl however, timing is
very important. When the tree is dormant in late fall or early spring before
buds swell is the time to apply.Be sure
to read the label completely prior to any application. The fungicide you
purchase should be labeled for use on edible fruit. Peach leaf curl can be prevented
by purchasing resistant varieties.
There you
have it, treat your trees and enjoy your peaches.
There are many hydroponic
growing systems on the market in various price ranges but using inexpensive
canning jars is a budget-friendly option. With a little creativity, your
hydroponic mason jar garden can be an essential part of your kitchen.
Follow these simple steps to
make your hydroponic mason jar garden:
Plant the seeds in the rockwool growing cubes. (See Hydroponics Part 1)
While they are germinating, you can prepare the mason jars.
Once the seedlings have roots extending out of the bottom of the cube, it’s time to plant your hydroponic garden in glass jars
Wash the mason
jars and rinse the clay pebbles.
Prepare the
mason jar by spray painting it black, coating it with tape or enclosing it in a
fabric sleeve.
Place the net
pot in the jar. Screw the band onto the jar to hold the net pot in place.
Fill the jar
with water, stopping when the water level is about ¼ inch (6 mm.) above the
bottom of the net pot.
Filtered or
reverse osmosis water is best.
Add hydroponic
nutrients. (for more information see Nutrients below)
Place a thin
layer of clay pellets in the bottom of the net pot.
Next, put the
rockwool growing cube containing the sprouted seedling onto the clay pellets.
Continue
carefully placing clay pellets around and on top of the rockwool cube.
Place your
hydroponic mason jar garden in a sunny location or provide adequate artificial
light.
Nutrients: Without soil, the nutrients that plants need to live and thrive must be delivered directly to their roots (or occasionally, their leaves). Doing this in a practical, effective way is the goal of any hydroponic grower. But the goal of delivering the ideal amount of each nutrient to plants is not as simple as dumping hydroponic fertilizers into the system water.
To be ‘complete nutrients’ for hydroponic plants need to have the essential elements for growth these are:
Nitrogen (N)
Potassium (K)
Phosphorus (P)
Calcium (Ca)
Magnesium (Mg)
Sulphur (S)
Iron (Fe)
Manganese (Mn)
Copper (Cu)
Zinc (Zn)
Molybdate (Mo)
Boron (B)
Chlorine (Cl)
The
levels that these elements are present in your hydroponic nutrient tend to vary
between brands, since there is no one single recommendation for concentrations.
Many nutrients may also contain some of the ‘beneficial elements’ such as
Nickel (Ni), Cobalt (Co), Silica (Si) or Selenium (Se). While these are not
‘essential’ (plants will still grow without them), they can be beneficial to
many plants.
Selecting and Preparing Nutrient Solutions:
You can create your own nutrient mix or get a
Hydroponic nutrient package from the store. For beginners, I highly recommend
you buy it, saving the experimenting and mixing your own nutrients when you get
a bit experience.
Normally, you will see listed in the
ingredients and formula of the solutions sold at the store are 3 numbers in
percentages. These are the 3 most important minerals that listed above -
Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K). For example, they come at the
ratio 10-10-10, meaning that each the nutrient is composed of 10% of the
solution. The rest of 70% is water, micro-nutrients, and other chelates that
assist the nutritional process.
Of course, that ratio will be different,
depending on a variety of criteria:
Plants types
Plant growth stage
Parts of plants you want to bring the most yields (leaf, fruit,
root)
Light intensity, weather, temperature, the season of the
year.
If you are to choose
available solutions for your hydroponic garden, the one thing to keep in mind
is that you should get the nutrient designed specifically for Hydroponics only.
Forget all about the all-purpose package which can be used in both soil and
hydroponics. Common fertilizers used in soil do not contain necessary
micro-nutrients that Hydroponics plants require.
Second, it is recommended to
use the 2 or 3 parts solution in the liquid. Normally, a liquid solution is
easier to work with than powder form because it easily digests in water, and
most of the liquid solution comes with pH buffers.
And you should buy the 3 part because it does help you later
when you need to blend and mix in different combinations for the plant's growth
purpose, and specific stage of growth.
Check which stages of growth
your plants are in order to mix the 3 parts with the correct ratio. Check
the manufacturer instruction of your nutrient products.
Start by adding fresh water to
the reservoir.
Add the Micro part first to the
water. It contains elements like Calcium, Copper, Boron, Iron,
Manganese and Zinc and some Nitrogen. Stir the solution
Next is the Grow part. This
contains ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, phosphate, potassium, and
magnesium. Stir well.
Add the Bloom Hydroponics
solution. This contains phosphate, potassium, soluble magnesium and sulfur.
Again, stir the solution.
It's very important to Check the pH of the nutrient mix after getting all nutrients
into your nutrient tank. Plants fail to take up important nutrients when
the pH level goes out of its recommended range. The ideal one is between
5.5 to 6.5
Don't forget to check the
temperature of the solution. About 64 to 66 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal.
Harvest:
The growth rate on a hydroponic plant is 30-50 percent faster than a
soil plant, grown under the same conditions. The yield of the plant is also
greater. Scientists believe that there are several reasons for the drastic
differences between hydroponic and soil plants.
Hydroponics means “working water” (hydro means water and ponos means labor). Many different civilizations have utilized hydroponic growing techniques throughout history. As noted in Hydroponic Food Production by Howard M. Resh: "The hanging gardens of Babylon, the floating gardens of the Aztecs of Mexico and those of the Chinese are examples of 'Hydroponic' culture. Egyptian hieroglyphic records dating back several hundred years B.C. describe the growing of plants in water." While hydroponics is an ancient method of growing plants, giant strides have been made over the years in this innovative area of agriculture. Throughout the last century, scientists and
horticulturists experimented with different methods of hydroponics. One of the
potential applications of hydroponics that drove research was growing fresh
produce in non-arable areas of the world and areas with little to no soil.
Hydroponics was used during World War II to supply troops stationed on
non-arable islands in the Pacific with fresh produce grown in locally
established hydroponic systems.
Later in the century, hydroponics
was integrated into the space program. As NASA considered the practicalities of locating a society
on another planet or the Earth's moon, hydroponics easily fit into their
sustainability plans. By the 1970s, it wasn't just scientists and analysts who
were involved in hydroponics. Traditional farmers and eager hobbyists began to
be attracted to the virtues of hydroponic growing.
Where can hydroponic
grow?
Anywhere. Indoors, in a
greenhouse as well as outdoors. Any plant can be grown with hydroponics, though
some are more delicate than others. If there is enough light for the plant to
grow, you can probably bet somebody has grown it using hydroponics.
Supplies needed to
grow hydroponic plants in a jar.
You’ll also need a way to block light from
entering the mason jar in order to prevent algae growth. You can coat the jars
with black spray paint, cover them with duct or washi tape or use a
light-blocking fabric sleeve.
Steps for starting seeds with Rockwool Cubes:
Preparing
Rockwool Cubes
a.Rockwool Cubes have a PH of roughly 7.8. This is
pretty alkaline, yet plants prefer to grow in a slightly more acidic
environment (between 5.5 – 6.5). In order to prepare our Rockwell cubes for the
seeds, we need to soak them in some PH adjusted water, that way they have
everything the seeds need to germinate and sprout; water and a slightly acidic
environment. b.Fill the container/bowl with water from your tap.
You may also choose to use water filtered through a Britta or reverse osmosis
(R/O) water, I’ve had success with all 3 of them so whichever you have on hand
will work fine.
c.Using either a PH test kit or a Ph meter,
determine the Ph of the water. Water comes out alkaline, usually around 7.4, so
you will need to acidify it a little bit to bring that Ph down to the desired
level. Aim for as close to a Ph of 5.5-6 as you can get.
d.To accomplish this, use either Ph down chemicals,
or lime juice (as it’s acidic). Add these to the water in small increments
(VERY SMALL) and test the water to see where the Ph is. Continue doing this
until you have a Ph of 5.5-6. Important: Do not let the PH of the water go below 5. A Ph this
low will damage the fibers of the Rockwool Cube
e.It’s time to stabilize and hydrate the Rockwool
cubes in it. Insert the Rockwool Cubes into your container and let them soak
for roughly 1 hour. Once the hour is up, the cubes will be big and fat with
water. Take them out of the bowl of water and put them somewhere you don’t mind
getting a little wet. Save the remaining water for step 3.
DO NOT SQUEEZE THEM TO DRAIN ANY
WATER f. Rockwool Cubes are designed to maintain the
correct water to air ratio and squeezing them may damage their structure.
2.Plant the Seeds
a.Most Rockwool cubes come with holes in them, if
yours did not, than create a hole in one side that is approximately a quarter
inch (0.75 cm) deep.
b.Take 1-2 seeds and insert them carefully into the
holes. Use a toothpick or similar object to push them down to the bottom, as
you want them to be at the bottom of that hole. Rip or push a piece of the
Rockwool over the hole (you don’t have to fill it completely), so that the seed
can germinate in a dark moist environment.
c.If you can, place them in a tray with a dome on
it. This will help create a little humidity in there which seedlings like. This
is not mandatory, but it helps.
d.Put the container in a cool dark place and leave
them alone. The temperature should be roughly 68 degrees F. e.Check in 2 or 3 days, if seedlings sprouted and
are touching the dome, remove dome.
3. Let them Grow
a.If you put more than one seed in your cube (just
in case one didn’t make it), than you probably have several seeds sprouting up
in each cube at the end of 2~3 days. Once the first true leaves emerge, we want
to select for the strongest one (the one that grew the tallest) and cut off the
tops of all other seeds that are growing next to it. Do not pluck them out, as
you may uproot it’s neighbors. Simply cut it off as close to the hole as you
can without messing with the stronger one that you plan on keeping alive.
b.Depending on how hot it is (and other factors)
you may need to water your cubes 1-4 times a day. Use the Ph adjusted water
when doing so (that’s why I had you save the leftovers from step 2). If you
already threw that water out, go make another batch of Ph adjusted water and
keep it in a separate bottle or container for watering. Note:Do not over water andDo not add any nutrients to your
Rockwool Cubes.
4. Transplant
About
2-3 weeks after germinating, you are ready to transplant these babies into the
hydroponic system of your choice. A good rule of thumb to go by is that you
want to transplant them once the first roots begin poking out of the Rockwool
cube. Don’t wait too long though, as eventually the roots will begin tangling
around the cube since it is their only source of water. You want to catch them
right as they pop out, so that when you transfer them into your hydro system
the roots will grow down into the system, and not just try to feed off the
Rockwool cube alone. See Part 2 for steps in creating a Hydroponic Glass Garden
Unlike my
childhood memory of Granny Allen’s ramble of raspberries, full of blooms, bees,
and berries, I have intentionally kept my inherited cluster of raspberries
small.These amazing plants have
tolerated moving to several locations as my landscaping has evolved over the
years.The neglected collection of
crowns and canes continue to survive regardless of my inattention, still able
to produce a tasty source of edible entertainment for the grandkids, filling
their mouths more than their cups, with tasty berries.
My
only attempt at pruning my berry patch was taking a shovel to a wandering
sucker that ventured too far from its designated home, never giving much thought
to how mindful pruning practices could improve fruit production.As with all plants we nurture in our garden,
it is important to know your plant.With
intentions of creating a bountiful crop to create Granny’s preserves, a better
understanding of my mistreated patch is priority!
Raspberries are unique because they have perennial
roots and crowns that can live for many years.The canes or stems that produce the flowers and eventually berries are
biennial.Biennial canes live for two
years then die.
Primocanes (that will flower and fruit the
following year.) are new shoots that arise in the spring from the main crown,
or new suckers that rise from roots away from the main plant.
Floricanes are the second season canes that die
after producing fruit. Most berry brambles produce fruit on floricanes.
Primocane vs. Floricane
Varieties Most varieties of blackberries and raspberries are floricane
fruiting, or summer-bearing, which means they produce berries only on the
second-year growth, the floricanes. The fruit appears in early- to midsummer.
Primocane varieties are also known as fall-bearing or everbearing plants.
Ever-bearing varieties produce fruit on the floricanes in the summer, but they
also produce fruit on the primocanes. The primocane fruiting occurs at the tips
in early fall or late summer in the first year. They will then produce fruit
lower on the primocanes the following year in early summer. If you are growing
this type of berry, it is best to sacrifice the early summer crop by pruning
back primocanes after they produce in the fall. Cut them down close to the
ground, and you’ll get fewer but better-quality berries the following year.
There are two types of raspberries.Summer or June Bearers and Ever Bearers, also
known as Fall Bearers.
Summer/June Bearers produce vegetative, non-fruiting primocanes the first growing
season.Flowers and berries will form on
these canes the following year.During
the second growing season, the floricanes produces its fruit, then the cane
dies to the ground.
When pruning
Summer/June bearers, it is easy to identify the dead canes and prune it back to
the crown. Cutting out dead canes is recommended after harvest when the canes
are dry or in the early spring, before new growth starts.Prune out spindly canes and thin the crown,
leaving 2-4 of the strongest canes, cutting them back to 4-5 feet in
height.Remove unwanted suckers that are
sprouting outside of your designated area.
Summer Bearing – June
Bearing
Fall/Ever Bearers, if pruned correctly, have the potential to produce two crops in one
season.The primocanes that grow during
the first year will produce fruit late in the summer or early fall at the top
of the cane until the first frost, then the top of the cane will die. The next
summer, fruit will form lower on the same cane.To get both fall and summer crops, prune the canes as described for June Bearers.
Fall Bearing – Everbearing
If you desire a
larger crop of berries in the fall, cut Fall Bearer canes at ground level. This
convenient practice will typically produce one larger crop of berries in the
fall but no summer crop. It is recommended to mow or cut off all canes close to
the ground. If stubs are left, buds that sprout in the spring will produce
weak, unproductive branches.
Raspberries are
forgiving and with a small amount of time and attention they will produce a
bounty of berries.To the delight of my
grandkids and satisfaction of knowing this would have pleased Granny, I
approach my berry patch armed with sharpened shears, knowledge, and confidence
with intention for an abundance of berries for Granny’s freezer jam.
Light can be measured in two simple ways: Quality is the color and brightness of the light, while quantity refers to the number of hours a plant receives light. 
How frequently you need to water your plant depends on several things [video]:
