Gardening Daily Tips
For You
Sunday February 14, 2010 |
Euonymus, Winged (Euonymus alatus) | Today's Featured Plant
Euonymus, Winged (Euonymus alatus)
Read the full profile of this plant at ArcaMax.com.
Interested in reading about other plants? Search through hundreds of plant profiles and helpful articles by keyword. |
| Comment on this Story | Printer Friendly | Send Story to a Friend | Top |
Q&A: Lighting for Germinating Seeds Question: I used large trays with lots of little cells to start my seeds, and used a bottom heater to speed germination. Now some of the seeds have germinated and some have not. Do I put under the whole tray under the light source now or do I wait until all the seeds have sprouted?
Answer: A rule of thumb is to set seed flats under lights when a third to half of the seeds seem to have germinated. Generally, seeds (all of the same kind) will germinate with a day or two of each other assuming they are planted at about the same depth. If you wait too long the early ones will get leggy and suffer from lack of light. If you planted lots of different types of seeds in the tray, some will probably take quite a bit longer than others to germinate. Some people cut the large trays into "six-packs" so they can plant different seeds in each six-pack. That way, they can put the germinated seeds under lights, and keep the slower-germinating seeds on the warming map to hasten germination. |
| Comment on this Story | Printer Friendly | Send Story to a Friend | Top |
Q&A: Transplanting Valentine's Tulips Question: Today, Valentine's Day, I received a dozen gorgeous red tulips in full bloom, planted in a natural clay container. I would like to be able to transplant them to my outdoor flower bed. When should I move them outdoors? Will they grow and flower next spring? (Our last freeze is usually around the end of March.)
Answer: Since these plants have been forced into early bloom, they are not acclimated to the cold and can't be planted outside yet. Enjoy the blooms and then cut them off when they fade. Keep the pot in a very bright and cool (above freezing) location so that the foliage can continue to grow as long as possible. This is important because the foliage will be helping the bulb rebuild itself for next year. If the foliage is still healthy when the weather moderates, go ahead and plant the bulbs. The foliage will wither and dry naturally.
On the other hand, the bulbs may go dormant--that is, the foliage may mature and wither--while they are still in the pot. If this happens, save the bulbs in a cool, dry location and plant them next fall. Keep in mind that bulbs that have been forced have experienced unnatural stress, so it may take them a year to settle in before they bloom again. It is also possible that the variety you have is one that forces well but is not well adapted to the garden. In other words, don't be too disappointed if the flowers you get are not as big and beautiful as the ones you see now! |
| Comment on this Story | Printer Friendly | Send Story to a Friend | Top |
Tip: Preserve Valentines Day Flowers To preserve the beauty of Valentines Day flowers, choose flowers just beginning to open. Once home cut the stems at a 45 degree angle and place the flowers in a vase filled with tepid water. |
| Comment on this Story | Printer Friendly | Send Story to a Friend | Top |
Happy Valentine's Day! Whether you're spending today with your family, your friends, or that special someone, ArcaMax wishes you a very happy Valentine's Day. Check out the special Valentine's Day feature one more time before the weekend is over for trivia, last-minute gift ideas, and free books to read online!
-- From the ArcaMax editors |
| Comment on this Story | Printer Friendly | Send Story to a Friend | Top |
| Today's Reader Submitted Photos |
 
Click an image above to see full size and read caption.
To see more of our subscriber photos visit our full Photo Gallery.
Enter your Gardening Daily Tips pictures so you can show them off to other readers right here in this ezine and on the ArcaMax.com Web site. Click here to submit your photo.
Sincerely,
ArcaMax Editors |
Advertisement Act Now And Get Yours...
Free $1,000 Walmart Gift Card Use it any way you want... * Get that new HDTV you've been drooling over
* Spruce up the House, OR
* Get those appliances you've been putting off: Click here for details... |
| Recent Stories |
 Q&A: Pressure-Treated Wood for Vegetable Beds
Q&A: Birds And Squirrels Eat My Sunflower Seeds
Tip: Start Tomatoes Indoors
Marigold (Tagetes erecta)
Q&A: Constructing Terraced Gardens
|
| More From ArcaMax Publishing |
| Newsletters: Comics - Knowledge - Lifestyles - News - More Classic Books: Fiction - Non Fiction - Short Stories - Sci Fi - More More: Quizzes - Sudoku - Crossword - Weather - Sports - Columns En Español: Ultimas Noticias - Tiras Comicas - Deportes - Sudoku |
Ad Free Newsletter
ArcaMax publications are now available in an "advertising-free" format.
Please click here for details. |
| |
| |
