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LEAVES FOR WINTER
BY
This fall I picked up a very small dark leaved plant in a tiny
pot. Its only sign said Waffle Plant because the leaves are crinkled all
over the surface. There is a
red tint in there. I moved it into a larger pot and fertilized it and
added a systemic insecticide. It took off like a wild thing and was soon
hanging down the sides demanding to be watered every day or it drooped.
Then I tried to find out more as it is a very handsome thing in
with the green plants. None
of my books mentioned Waffles until I took down one of my very old books
to find it. In a 50 year old book I found it under its scientific name,
Hemigraphs exocita. Then I found it in several places. It probably does
not sell well called that! The books recommended it for a hanging basket
which, accounts for its wild growth.
The new pot (again!) is up in a plant stand so we will see! It
has tiny white blooms. It
certainly makes those green ones show up! There are 90 species of them
from tropical
Next to those bumpy dark leaves is a little (15 inch) Cypress
Tree (
All of the Calatheas are dramatic! Their leaves may have stripes,
spots, and color variations, usually not over 12 to 15 inches high.
They have been called Peacock Plant. Many of them do not bloom as
a houseplant but it is not necessary as their colors last all year and
not for just a season. Coming from They should not dry out at any time. The leaves come up curled which shows the reddish under color. Some authors recommend watering with distilled water to prevent browning of the leaf edges. I use the water from the dehumidifier. Planting it close to other plants helps keep up the humidity they demand. I have one of the new hybrids with deep purple undersides, with feathery markings on the top of dark and light green. It holds its leaf upward so the purple is very much in evidence. The leaves are about 12 inches long and 8 inches wide and mine seems to be happy in the South window but the second row back.
Crotons (Codiaeum sp) with their many colored leaves of yellow,
orange, red, and green with a great variety of shapes, were grown
outside for years in the South up to 5 feet high.
Then they went to Dracaena, or Dragon Trees, are from Africa and Asia, sometimes called False Palms, are trees in their home land so may grow too large eventually but you can cut the top off and it will usually root or you can cut a section of the stem containing a growth bud (a slight swelling under the bark). You can find a variation to fit any area. Some are easier to grow than others. Dracaena “Marginata tricolor” is one of the favorites with red, green, and white. Right now I have Dracaena “Sanderviana (Ribbon Plant) which is green with a white edge that is supposed to stay under 3 feet when potted. Copyright 2011 *************************************************************
WINTER MULCHING
FROM IANR LAWN & GARDEN NEWS Winter mulching is recommended for strawberries, Chrysanthemums and other perennials on the borderline of hardiness for a given area; and for fall planted perennials to help prevent frost heave uprooting plants. Winter mulch should be put into place after plants are full dormant and soils begin to freeze or night temperatures are consistently dropping into the 20’s....Use a 12 inch layer of coarse mulch over the tops of plants. Encircling plants or beds with chicken wire or hardware cloth and filling the chicken wire or hardware cloth with coarse mulch, such as wood chips or leaves, works well. *************************************************************
WINTER MULCHING
FROM IANR LAWN & GARDEN NEWS
Pruning is not needed during fall for shrub and hybrid tea Roses
unless pruning is needed for a For more information go to http://byf.unl.edu/hortupdate. You can sign up to receive this very helpful publication monthly during the winter and twice a month during the summer from UN-L Extension Service. |