Meadow View Greenhouse & Garden Center

Thursday, December 2nd, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Caring for your Poinsettia

Poinsettias are the most popular Christmas plant of the holiday season.They were first introduced into the U.S. in 1825 by Joel Poinsett and there are now over 100 varieties. In their native Mexico, poinsettias are perennial flowering shrubs that can grow 10ft tall. In our area, they must always be kept inside because they do not like temperatures below 50 degrees.
When selecting a poinsettia, choose a plant that has dark green foliage and a nice balanced shape on all sides. Never choose a plant that is displayed in paper or plastic sleeves because they will deteriorate quickly and it is possible that they have broken stems. You should, however, use a paper or plastic sleeve to transport them home to protect against damage and cold temperatures. Once you are home, carefully unwrap your poinsettia and place it in indirect light. Keep them away from warm or cold drafts created by radiators, air registers or open windows and doors.  Check the soil daily. Be sure to punch holes or remove the foil around the pot so that the water can drain properly into a saucer. Water when the soil is dry and be careful not to water the foliage.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree…

We are getting fresh cut trees from North Carolina. They will be set up and ready for you to shop on “Black Friday”. (Did you know that North Carolina Fraser Firs are the most popular Christmas trees in North America and are shipped into every state in the US? The N.C. Fraser Fir has been voted the nations best through the National Christmas Tree Association and has been chosen for the official White House Christmas tree for 11 years.)
Don’t forget that when a Christmas tree is cut, over half of its weight is typically water. The sooner you pick out a tree, the fresher it will be! If you don’t have a saw, we can make a fresh cut before you take your tree home. This is important for water uptake and the quality of the tree. After cutting the trunk, you typically have 6-8hrs to get it in water. If the base dries out, resin will form over the cut end and it will be unable to absorb water. Drilling a hole in the base DOES NOT improve water uptake, and using additives in the water has not proven to add any benefits. As a general rule, you should provide 1 quart of water per  inch of stem diameter. With proper care, you can maintain the quality of your tree throughout the holidays!
When the holidays are coming to an end, don’t forget to go to www.realchristmastrees.org and type in your zip code to find a recycling program near you!

Container Gardening

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments

With fall just around the corner, I decided it was time to go over some of the basics of container gardening. If you are like most people, your containers are getting a little tired and are ready for a make-over! So let’s go over a few things to keep in mind as you shop for and plant your containers.

Every container garden begins with the container. The type of container you use is only limited by your imagination. More traditional containers include terra cotta, glazed pottery, light weight resin pots, or any container that has good drainage. Old wheel barrows, birdbaths, watering cans, or even an old boot are a few creative ideas. The most important thing to remember when choosing your container is that good drainage is a must! If it doesn’t come with drainage holes, you can add them using a hammer and nails. Also, be sure that you choose the right size pot. It needs to be the right size for the space you’re putting it in and also the right size for the plants you put in it. Be sure that there is plenty of space for the roots of the plants as they grow. One common mistake is the use of landscape shrubs such as holly, boxwoods, or Alberta spruce in containers and not giving them enough root space.

After choosing the container, your next thought should be, “Am I going to use sun plants or shade plants?” This question is answered by your location. If you’re not sure which type to use here are some general rules. Shade plants can normally tolerate, and even want, the cool morning sun before the intense heat of the afternoon. Sun plants on the other hand will often tolerate morning shade as long as they get at least 6 hrs of full sun in the heat of the day. This is very important to the health and happiness of your plants! Along with the sun requirements, you also want to consider the water requirements of plants. A poor combination of these two would be a sedum and a fern. A sedum wants full sun and does not want to stay wet. A fern on the other hand generally prefers shade and most types like to stay evenly moist. If your plants don’t enjoy the same requirements, one or the other will not be happy.

When you know what type of plants you are going to be looking for you can think about style and arrangement. Sometimes a single type of plant in a good quality container is the most elegant look, complimenting both the container and the plant. Other times a combination of plants looks best. When combining plants you will want to think about bloom color, foliage color and texture, and growth habit. You could choose a monochromatic color scheme to give a dramatic look, or a combination of complimentary colors to give a bright and cheerful look. If you need help coming up with a color scheme to compliment you container, we are always here to help! Sometimes plants with interesting foliage can add pizzazz to your container with either texture or color. A few examples would be coleus, potato vine, creeping jenny, ferns, grasses, lambs ear, or alterrnanthera. Using plants with a scent is another way to add interest to container gardening. A few examples that would add scent are rosemary, lavender, citronella, or other herbs.

The growth habit of your plants is important because you will typically think of your planting in three zones. You will want something that adds height to the back or center of the container, a medium size plant to add most of your color, and something that is low growing or trailing to add interest at the front or around the edges of the container.

All of these are good to consider when putting together the style or arrangement of your container.

A few final thoughts to consider after you have chosen your container and your plants would be the soil, fertilizer, and watering. When choosing your soil, be sure that you use a professional grade potting soil, such as Miracle Grow or Fafard products. Remember, this is one of those items that you get what you pay for. Some potting soils come with fertilizer in them or even moisture retaining crystals. If the soil you use doesn’t come with these products in it, they can always be added. Soil moist and Hydro-stretch are two brands that we carry that help with moisture retention. There’s a saying used often with kindergarteners learning to use glue that could also apply to these products…. “A little dab will do it”. Be sure to read the instructions before applying because using too much can actually draw moisture away from the plants. Fertilizer is also important with container gardening. The amount of nutrients available to the plants is very limited and often is used up quickly. Therefore using Miracle Grow or a time release fertilizer offers more nutrients to the plants when they need it. Osomocote is one brand of time release fertilizer available, and it will typically last up to three or four months.

One of the most important things to remember with container gardening is that they need water! Most often, the water they get from rain is not enough. Be sure you are checking your containers often in the summer; sometimes you’ll need to water them daily or even twice a day. One of the most common mistakes is under watering. Many times people think that just because they watered their containers one or two times a week, they watered them enough. But more often than not, their plants still died from lack of water! The best way to check your plants is to literally feel the soil, stick your finger down in it and see if it’s dry. If it’s a smaller container, you will need to water more frequently.

Hopefully after considering all of these pointers you are ready to create your own container gardens. One final thought on personalizing your containers is to be creative in using small garden ornaments within your containers. You can use garden stakes or pot huggers such as a small frog or turtle to add the final touch. Remember, you are only limited by your imagination! Happy planting!

How to force spring blooms for a breath of Spring!

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments

If you are ready for Spring like I am, the idea of  forcing Spring blooms indoors may be a breath of fresh air. Or should I say a breath of Spring. Most flowering shrubs need a period of cold dormancy to bloom.  By mid January most are ready, but a few may have to wait until late February or  early March.  If you get a warm day, or at least above 32 degrees, take a walk through your yard to see what trees or shrubs you have that can be forced. The most commonly use shrubs are forsythia, flowering quince, and pussy willow.  Some others you may have include saucer magnolias, dogwood, redbud, flowering cherries, rhododendron, azaleas, serviceberry, spirea, crabapple, apple, and pear trees.

When deciding which shrubs to use, here are a few tips to keep in mind.  Forsythia is the easiest or quickest to force.  On the other end of the spectrum, dogwoods are more difficult and tend  to have smaller blooms indoors.  A flowering quince is one of the longest bloomers.  It will fully bud out and bloom, and the blooms will be followed by leaves. They also have very nice branching or architectural quality.  Flowering cherries or other fruiting trees may require a large or heavy vase due to their thick branches. Last but not least, the saucer magnolia has a very short lived bloom, but it is well worth it for the stunning display!

Once you have decided on which plants to bring indoors you are ready to select your stems.  Often you want to look for shrubs that are heavy with buds, so you don’t take away from their natural outdoor Spring bloom.  You also want to look for branches with good shape or form.  Keep in mind that sometimes less is more, and with some varieties you may only need one beautiful branch to make a stunning display.  Also, be sure that you are looking for swollen flower buds and not the leaf buds.  Flower buds tend to be rounder and plump, while leaf buds are narrow and pointed.  When you are ready to cut,  make a clean cut at an angle, 1-2′ from the tip of the branch with sharp hand shears.

After you have selected and cut your stems, head indoors to get them into warm water.  If you are collecting branches when they are still frozen, you may need to submerge the whole branch into warm water for a few hours.  If you are forcing blooms early in the season you may submerge all stems overnight in room temperature water and then re-cut the ends at a slant the next day.  Another helpful tip for more woody stems is to cut them at an angle and then hammer them gently to smash the stems and promote better water uptake.

The next step after placing the stems in water is to provide a transition site, which is away from sunlight and in a cool location.  This transition time allows the buds to swell, and will vary depending on the plant and how close it  is to the natural bloom time.  The closer to the natural outdoor bloom time, the quicker the buds will open. You may not always need this transition.  If you do need the transition time, you will want to keep the stems and buds from drying out by misting them daily. Also be sure to change the water if it becomes discolored to keep bacteria from growing and preventing water up take.  When your buds have swollen and are ready to bloom, you can move them anywhere throughout your home to create a beautiful display!