NEIGHBORHOOD GARDEN FOR DECEMBER 12, 2015
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A TREE IN THE HOUSE
BY GLADYS JEURINK
If you need a
Christmas present for a gardener or someone who is house bound you might
consider a tree that also makes a good houseplant. One that can also
work for a small Christmas Tree is the Norfolk Island Pine. The Norfolk
Island Pine (Araucaria
heterophylla) comes of course from Norfolk Island which is close to
Australia. Captain Cook
found them and made new spars for his ship.
The islanders were using them for canoes as in their native
habitat they grow two hundred feet high and ten feet thick.
In their native
habitat the baby pines grow up under their parents so do well in a not
so high light place. So each spring I put mine in a partially shaded
area or the branches will burn. As they get between 5 and 6 feet tall
and quite wide I put them in the insulated garage only bringing them out
as a Christmas tree during December. Over the years I have had several
for my house. Here they do fine with barely damp soil and no fertilizer
until the days start getting longer. When they get too large I usually
take it outside and let it freeze.
As a houseplant
they usually grow only about 6 to 12 inches a year. If you try starting
a new one from a branch, you may get a root but you will also get just a
branch. You can cut the top out, put rooting hormone on it, and if you
are lucky to have the right humidity, may have a shortened tree.
Where you cut the top off, you may get several new tops that may
root for you. The Norfolk
Island Pine is an easy tree to grow once you get it started. I usually
just get a new one from the garden center.
One of the most
common trees I see in the house is the Benjamin Fig, also call a Weeping
Fig (Ficus benjamini). It is
listed as one of the twelve best houseplants for reducing pollutants in
the air of houses. These
plants absorb through their leaves and breakdown the chemicals. NASA was
involved with much of the research in finding what is best to remove
pollutants from the space ships. Plants
use the carbon dioxide that people breathe out and put oxygen and
moisture into the air.
In the South
Pacific, Asia and Australia from which it comes, the Fig Tree grows to a
100 foot tree. For us it is
usually 2 to 18 feet tall.
It does not like to be moved. If you purchased one from a garden center
you know they shed its leaves as soon as you got it home. They also will
do the same thing when irritated or moved from one room to another. But
have patience. It will
replace them shortly. “Ben” is also likely to drop its leaves when you
repot. You can prune it back if it gets too large for your space.
Fertilize it during the long days of summer and let it dry
slightly between waterings and don’t repot unless absolutely necessary.
Being a tropical plant, it is of course not frost hardy. It can
be moved outside during the summer but be sure and bring back in before
the night time temperatures
get below 45 or 50 degrees F.
Jade Tree (Crassula
ovata) is a shrub rather than a tree.
Of all the house plants we have, this one has probably survived
the most neglect and still lived. The one sure way to destroy it is too
much water! As a house plant it generally gets about 3 to 4 feet high
and wide. A native of Africa
it will bloom in the late fall or early winter and is stimulated to do
so by the shortening days.
Blooms last about four weeks. It is almost as temperamental about
flowering as the Poinsettia if its long nights are disturbed.
If the soil is
too dry or doesn’t have enough light, it will drop some of its leaves.
Usually a plant will be about ten years old before it blooms.
They are heavy plants and will tip a plastic pot over.
If a leaf or an end “twig” drops into
your pot a new plant will grow.
Mealy bugs and scale enjoy living on a Jade.
They are happiest in a south window.
Both their branches and leaves are thick and juicy. Copyright 2015 |