Gardening Daily Tips
For You
Monday September 7, 2009 |
Photinia, Red Leaf (Photinia glabra) | Today's Featured Plant
Photinia, Red Leaf (Photinia glabra)
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Q&A: Winter Care of Geraniums Question: Is there any way to keep our summer geraniums over the winter, so we can replant them outdoors next spring?
Answer: Indeed there is! You can treat them as houseplants for the winter if you have space. They require lots of sun and watering about once per week. Feel free to cut them back, since they'll send out new, tender growth and blooms. If you don't have room for them, put them in dormant storage. To do this, gradually reduce watering, and when the foliage dies back, store them in a dim, cool (40-45F) basement or garage. Check them occasionally during the winter to make sure they don't dry out completely. When danger of hard frost has passed, repot, water, and place them outside. After a year or two, your geraniums will become woody and produce fewer blooms -- at that point, you can start new plants from cuttings. |
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Q&A: Overwintering Tea Roses Question: What is the best way to prepare my tea roses for winter. Our winters are cold and while we usually get lots of snow, last year we didn't and I lost a few rose bushes. Answer: If you haven't stopped fertilizing your roses yet, you should stop now. Generally, it is a good idea to stop fertilizing roses in early August. If you fertilize beyond that date, you can get a flush of new growth--just when the plant should be winding down and preparing for winter dormancy.
Also, stop deadheading (removing the spent blooms). Instead, let those blooms stay intact and form seed pods, or "hips." The formation of hips signals the rose to stop growing. It's important that roses are in a full state of dormancy before the really cold weather hits. Once your roses are dormant, it is time to apply the winter protection.
Begin by cleaning up the rose bed, removing all leaf litter from the ground, and the top inch of mulch. There are many diseases that overwinter in leaf litter, so good housecleaning in the fall is essential. Some gardeners go as far as plucking off any leaves that are still clinging on the canes. Next, give the bed a deep watering. The roses need a big gulp before their long winter's nap.
Here are two options for protecting roses:1. Cut canes back to 2 to 3 feet tall after they're dormant. Cover the crown with a 1-foot deep layer of bark mulch. The mulch will protect the crown and allow air to circulate. Don't use soil, leaves, or grass clippings as they tend to hold too much water which can cause rot. Then wrap the canes with burlap to protect them from drying winds.
2. Use purchased rose cones. Be sure to anchor them well so they won't blow away. These cost more, and it's not clear if they provide any better protection than the first method, but they are more convenient. |
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Tip: Prevent Splitting Cabbages Cabbage heads split due to excess water or fertilizer. To prevent heads from splitting, twist the heads while in the ground, pruning some of the roots. This will slow the uptake of water and nutrients and delay splitting. |
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Send in Your Fall Pet Photos Now's a great time to take new photos of your pets. Submit your best ones to the ArcaMax Pet Photo Gallery!
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-- From the ArcaMax editors |
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Sincerely,
ArcaMax Editors |
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