Gardening And More

Holiday Poinsettia In 1975, a research study by the Ohio State University dispelled the myth; Poinsettia ARE not poisonous. The white sap may be irritating to the eyes. So go ahead and brighten up your home with Poinsettias. There are several wonderful hybrids to choose from today from dark red to white. The Holiday Plants that you kept last year need to be placed in a dark room during the evening hours for the plants to bloom this holiday season. Christmas Cactus and Poinsettias are night dependent plants for them to bloom; these plants need so many hours of darkness to bloom. The cooler weather also helps in the blooming process. Remember this gardening ritual when it is time to turn back the clocks; it is time to give holiday plants total darkness until buds or bracts start forming. If you purchased new holiday plants, try to place them in the coolest areas of your home and not under room vents. Have you planted cool weather annuals? If not, there is still time to plant. Are y...

November Gardening Calendar Blow or rake fallen leaves from lawn areas. The leaves left on the lawn block the sunlight to your grass and will create bare spots. Don’t forget to compost the leaves. Spray each layer with water. Need a composter? There are several composters on the market today, but deciding which one to buy may be confusing to some. Composters are designed for gardeners and homeowners  with several designs to choose  from. Some are designed to be mobile and when the compost is ready the gardener can take the composter to the area where it is going to be used. Other composters are deigned to be stationary. When deciding on a composter think about what you want the composter to do for you. For my information on composting Click Here. Plant spring-flowering bulbs now and add bone meal to the planting hole. Depending on how south you garden in some spring bulbs can be planted in December. The key to planting spring flowering bulbs is the ground needs to be cool ...

How to Compost As the leaves fall off your deciduous trees and shrubs with every slight breeze of the wind and gently fall to the ground that is our sign as gardeners that the fall season is here. Your deciduous leaves are an excellent choice to start composting the leaves. All the nutrients that you gave your plants during the year are harnessed in the leaves. By composting the leaves and other organic material you can make an excellent and inexpensive soil amendment, and avoid wasting natural resources. Composting is a natural form of recycling that continually occurs in nature. Studies have shown that by home composting you can divert an average of 700 pounds per household per year from the waste stream. Beginners may ask: Where do I start? How do I begin to compost? The answer is very simple. The apple, carrot, potatoes you just peeled for lunch or dinner that is organic material that you can compost. The coffee grounds used to make your coffee in the morning make an excellent...

December Gardening Calendar The Holiday Plants that you kept last year need to be placed in a dark room during the evening hours for the plants to bloom this holiday season. I remember this gardening ritual when it is time to turn back our clocks; it is time to give my holiday plants total darkness until I see buds or bracts forming. Christmas Cactus and Poinsettias are night dependant plants for them to bloom; these plants need so many hours of darkness to bloom. The cooler weather also helps in the blooming process. If you purchased new holiday plants, try to place them in the coolest area of your home. Have you planted cool weather annuals? If not, there is still time to plant. Are your pansies already planted? Now is the time to fertilize your pansies, violas, snapdragons, ornamental cabbage and kale. For Southern gardeners that are in zones 9 or 10 there is still time to plant your spring flowering bulbs. Rake your leaves from your lawn by doing so; you will not h...