January Monthly Newsletter
We will be closed during the months of January and February and will open again in early March. A rather interesting experiment is taking place in my greenhouses this winter. Every other bench I have packed with leaves held in place by chicken wire and an aeration pipe placed in the center. I had a lot of plants left over and was looking for a way to carry them over. Last year all the plants I tried to carry over froze except for cool temperature vegetables which I was able to successfully grow. It is important to have stock plants early in the spring to propagate from. This year I tried an interesting procedure to carry over my stock plants. I cut back all of my plants to the ground and knocked them out of their clay pot and sunk them into the leaf pile to just slightly cover the top of the plant, I replaced the metal benches with wooden sides. On the benches above them I laid out a clear plastic sheet and draped it over the sides and back. I then filled the benches with water. On several cold nights there has already been ice but underneath the ice was water. This means temperatures were 32 degrees or more at plant level. If the compost pile is giving off heat, it is being trapped by the plastic and water barrier and keeps these plants at an above freezing temperature. I water the plants and leaves once a month which I did last Saturday. I need to provide moisture to the roots of the plant but also need to keep the leaves moist to avoid spontaneous combustion. Some of the plants started to sprout which I was not happy with. This may be a boring experiment for most of you but I find it fascinating how Mother Nature can help us in so many ways, all you need to do is unravel her secretes and work with her.
THE OUTDOOR GARDEN
January can be a very difficult month for plants. Make sure that everything is well mulched, particularly when snow cover is lacking. Alternate freezing and thawing can cause root balls to heave and create severe winter damage. Mulching will prevent this. During warm or windy weather, plants lose moisture and can dehydrate causing winter injury and in severe cases, death. If there is adequate moisture in the soil and the ground thaws, the plant is able to absorb that moisture. One of the great advantages of mulching is that it prevents the soil from drying out.
Anti Desiccants such as Wilt-Pruf play an important part in your winter protection program. On a warm winter day, spray some Wilt-pruf on your broad leaf evergreens to reduce the water loss from your plants. Greens from the Holidays or Christmas tree branches can be used to cover perennials. Pruning of deciduous shrubs, trees and evergreens can be done in the winter time. Refer to chapter 8 ‘ Pruning’ in my book “12 Steps To Natural Gardening”. for detailed information. Evergreen branches that might break under heavy snow loads should be reduced in size. In case of heavy snows, shake the snow off. This is particularly important with evergreens. When applying ice melters to walks, avoid over using salts that are toxic to plants. Use Jonathon Green Melt-A-Way. If you are in deer country, apply repellents once a month. During January, deer get desperate for food and your garden contains some of their favorites. Just prior to a big snow fall, apply grass seed to your bare lawn areas. This is called dormant seeding. With a snow covering, birds can’t get at the seed and the seed is conditioned for early spring germination. Don’t forget to feed the birds. They are especially good friends to the organic gardener.
INDOOR PLANTS
Indoor Plants: Fill your house with plants and purify the air. Without plants the air in tightly sealed houses can be unhealthy. It is important at this time of the year to read my chapter on “Indoor Gardening”. It covers everything you need to know about growing house plants as well as the health benefits they provide. As the weather gets colder, the heat turns on more often and the humidity in the house drops. Low humidity and hot blowing air ducts are difficult on plants. Anything done to increase humidity will be beneficial. Humidifiers, misting the foliage frequently, oversized pans with 2 inches of gravel and one inch of water set below the plant, as well as grouping plants together are all methods of increasing humidity. African Violets, Streptocarpus called the Cape Primrose and other gesneriad like it warm and should be kept out of cold drafts. Flowering house plants should receive as much sun as possible. The light intensity in January is low. On a sunny day in the winter the maximum is 2,500 foot candles compared to summer when it reaches10, 000 foot candles.
Insects thrive in a hot dry environment. Keep an eagle eye out for Red Spider Mite, Scale and Mealy Bug. Treat these pests with an organic control as soon as you see any indication. Plants close to a window may form condensation on their leaves and could be prone to disease problems such as Mildew or Botrytis. Treat as soon as any symptoms develop. When you water your house plants, water them well. You never overwater by watering too much at one time. You over water by watering too frequently. In the’ Indoor Gardening” chapter you will find cultural information on all the plants we used to grow. Use this as a guide. Foliage plants are not only aesthetically pleasing but they create a healthy environment. Foliage plants help purify the air, removing many of the toxins that are so prevalent in today’s modern houses. Flowering plants give you a lift psychologically during a time of the year when many people experience the midwinter blues.
PLANT FEATURE – THE CYCLAMEN
The Cyclamen is probably my favorite flowering house plant. In the old days it required a very cool environment but the new hybrids are very adaptable to ordinary room temperatures. Cyclamen need a sunny location and should be cleaned once a week removing any spent flowers or yellow leaves. Feed them with Daniels, an amazing organic fertilizer, on a weekly basis. The results are incredible. New flower buds are initiated in the crown of the plant. These buds keep the plant blooming all winter and in many cases throughout the spring and into the summer. The trick is to keep the crown clean of any dead material which may cause rot and lead to Botrytis. When removing spent flower buds or leaves, pull to the right or left not straight up and make sure the full petiole is removed completely from the crown. Watering is one of the most critical requirements in growing a good Cyclamen. They need a lot of oxygen in the soil and should not be waterlogged. Clay pots are preferable to plastic because they allow an exchange of oxygen into the soil. The best method for watering a Cyclamen is to give it a good drink, filling the pot up to the rim with water then allowing it to dry out before watering again. A customer told me that after all these years he finally learned the secret to watering a Cyclamen. He waits until the plant starts to wilt and tells him “I need a drink.” He then waters it thoroughly and by the next morning it is perky and rigid. He has them in flower until the heat of summer. Miniature Cyclamen are f-1 hybrids and are gaining in popularity adding another dimension to the Cyclamen world. They are grown in 4 inch pots, have a smaller flower, are more prolific and often can bloom throughout the year. They lend themselves to planting in window boxes at the same time as pansies. They withstand some cool temperatures and give a dramatic display of color. They are a great windowsill plant and add a lot of color to any home.
VEGETABLE GARDEN
Vegetable gardens are gaining in popularity and will be big again in 2014. If we convert our land to the organic approach, we can grow fruits and vegetables any place on our property. Our food supply has been contaminated by modified seed and by the chemical methods used by most big farms. In an attempt to increase production and reduce costs of growing food most Agricultural Universities advocate the use of chemical instead of natural methods. In our attempt to control nature, increase production, increase shelf life and process and market our food we have inadvertently created a serious health problem for our country. More people are realizing that we need to turn to organic food for quality and good nutrition; that we need to eat healthy un-processed food. Food direct from the vine to the dinner table is your best source of healthy food. Developing an organic vegetable garden in your yard makes sense. Hedging against shortages and eating healthy are steps anyone owning land can take. In time of crisis each family needs to know how to become self sufficient. Organic vegetables grown in your garden are a source of great nutrition and will provide substantial savings. The vegetable garden can be a place for the family to work together. The younger generation can become involved and realize that we all need to work in harmony not only with each other but with nature. The fruits of your labor are in the harvest of your own food . Understanding the steps of how you got there, the conditioning of your soil, the selecting of your plants and the role that the sun and rain play, is essential to understanding how important it is to do things the natural way. “The Vegetable Garden” is a chapter you will want to read in my book “12 steps to Natural Gardening”. It will provide you with all the information needed to plan for your very own Vegetable Garden.
Gardening is a great activity for us all to partake in. It is challenging, rewarding and enlightening. Working with plants and creating beautiful designs has made gardening the number one pass-time in America. . This activity, for those who are not yet hooked, will create changes in life styles. Working in the garden provides fulfillment where one never expected it. Gardening promotes health and builds character. We need to work with nature, combine aesthetics with practical needs and integrate it all into an exciting style of living. Our emails and my book focus on this method of growing plants. Plan for a great vegetable garden in 2014.
MOST ASKED QUESTION
Why are leaves dropping on my Ficus tree? Why are the edges of leaves turning brown? Why are the lower leaves of my foliage plants turning yellow. As the heat goes on in our houses, the humidity drops and plants suffer. Increasing humidity will improve this situation. Plants will often need more water as the heat goes on; and lower light intensity will cause additional leaf drop. Feed your plants with Daniels, a great organic fertilizer.
Scale, mealy bugs and red spider are prevalent on plants during the hot dry conditions caused by winter heat. Scale are sucking insects protected by a hard shell that exude a sticky substance. Spray with superfine oil. Mealybugs are cottony white substances siphoning sap from the axils of the leaves and protected by a waxy, fluffy white substance. Control with Insecticidal soap. Red Spiders are microscopic red mites that thrive in hot dry conditions and multiply rapidly. They puncture the undersides of the leaves causing discoloration of the leaf. Spray with Earth-tone Insect Control.
EDITORIAL
As I look back on the year, I am pleased that I am still hanging in there. My book “12 Steps To Natural Gardening” has helped many people to become better gardeners. . I have written it to help you become a better gardener and to help you make the transition to the organic approach. I have covered many subjects in 33 chapters to refer to in time of informational need. Customers who follow our organic programs are reporting amazing results. Flowers and lawns were beautiful and the birds, bees and butterflies have returned. It felt good to be part of a movement that benefits us all.
Changing our operation into growing plants organically was a challenge, but now that I have done it I will never turn back. It involves using beneficial insects instead of weekly chemical sprays, a strong commitment to boost the immune system of the plant by adding microbes to the soil, switching to liquid organic fertilizers and spraying Employ every three weeks. We have found the secret to growing great plants. We can’t wait till spring to be able to fill your garden with their beauty.
Convincing people to go organic is an educational process. It teaches good gardening practices and that is what organic gardening is all about. Once you master organics, you will never turn back. The rewards are too great, the soil pure, the flowers brilliant, the birds happy and the grass healthy to play on. You will feel good in contributing to a better environment and in doing your part for the next generation. For those who haven’t made the switch yet; make your New Year’s resolution for 2014 to do so. We have made it easy for you if you follow the information contained in my book. Our programs are geared for monthly applications. If you follow my outlines, they will work. If you have a problem, we are here to help. We want to be your partners as you venture into this world. Have a Happy New Year.
