Planting Tips For Trees

   

     When nobody is looking, I hug trees.  There I said it.  I am a closet tree hugger.  I find them fascinating to look at.  The way their branches sway back and forth with the wind makes them sometimes appear to be alive.  I mean I know they are alive, so to speak.  But, it's not like they are going to walk right up to each other and start a conversation. at any moment.

     The study of the rings inside a tree is called dendrochronology.  Not only can these rings tell their age but give some insight into environmental events that happened during the trees lifetime.

PLANTING TIPS

• As a general guideline, most trees should be planted 7 -  15 feet away from your home.
• The placement of the tree is very important to think about.  Ask yourself are you going to get good shade on your house and good sun on your garden?  or  Is the sap from the tree going to ruin the paint job on your car
• The roots can grow to unbelievable lengths.  Make sure they won't grow into the foundation of your house.
• Proper drainage is key when planting your tree.  Dig a hole in the exact spot you plan to plant the tree.  Fill that hole with water and check back on that same hole approximately 10 hours later.  If the water is gone that means good drainage
• When planting a new tree, you should line the hole with baking potatoes.  This will help provide moisture for the young plant.  And as the potatoes decompose the tree benefits from the nutrients.

Healthy Indoor Plants

LIGHT

     Plants need light to produce their food.  But they need the right amount of light depending on the type of plant it is.  Most plants come with some form of printed care instructions.  Be sure to keep this information with the plant so there is never a question of a plants proper care.

• Your plant is getting too much light if the leaves are turning down and may or may not have a bleached out look.

• Your plant is suffering from too little light if it slowly loses old leaves, produces even smaller new ones and becomes tall and spindly.

WATERING

Water your plant whenever it is necessary.  The soil surrounding your plant should be damp but not wet. Water until you see water coming out of the drainage hole (the one you remembered to make when the plant was first potted) so you know water got to the roots also. You'll want to make sure the drainage hole is not clogged up with roots either.

1. Feel the soil on top.  If it's dry, it probably needs water. This can be misleading too because it could be damp underneath the surface.   
2. Knock on the side of the pot. A dull sound means it's moist, don't water anymore.  A hollow sound indicates it's dry and needs to be watered.  
3. The finger test comes highly recommended.  Poke your finger about an inch (up to first knuckle) down into the soil.  If it feels dry, add water.  If it feels damp, hold off for a few days and test again.  If it feels wet, it could be over-watered.  This can be just as bad for a plant as no water at all. 

MORE INFO

• The temperature of the water is important.  You don't want to shock your plants. A range of 62 to 72 degrees sounds about right.  
• Use either distilled water or rain water if you can.  Softened or hard well water can be hard on plants. Chlorine and fluoride can build up overtime and cause significant problems.  
• Do not let the plant sit in water. This will keep the soil in the pot too wet. 
• Some plants require a dry time in between being watered.  That's why it is so important to consult the care instructions for each individual plant.
• Some plants that wilt between watering will recover well after watering but others that wilt will not recover.  Wilting is very stressful for the plant.  Don't take a chance on losing your plant. 

HOW TO PLANT STRAWBERRIES INDOORS!  No kidding?  That's right and it looks pretty simple to me.  I can't wait.

Tune In To Hear Brand New Hot Tips!

Check out this great tip for travelers.
      Take the book cover from an ordinary book and slip it on your tour guide, map, dictionary or whatever other book your using that is a beacon sending out the signal that your are a tourist.   Great idea!

What are bobby pins good for? (other than your hair)
     They are great place holders for books.  Here that travelers?  And to fancy them up a bit, glue a jewelry charm or something like that on the end that will be sticking out.  Love it!

Did you know...
     A dash of bleach added to the water of fresh cut flowers will extend their life?  It's True!

 Double Duty:  
     A plastic travel container for soap can also be used to store all those business cards you have been collecting in your purse.  They are inexpensive and stack nicely on a shelf.  Could probably work for wallet size photos too.  And of course the contents will be kept dry.

The Holidays are coming:
     Use tree branches for a festive centerpiece by standing them in a vase and decorating them with a few Christmas ornaments.  Or how about in place of a bow when wrapping a present.  I wonder if Santa ever thought of this one?

This tip can be used year round for decorating...
     ...or organizing if you would like.  A cake stand holding several candles at different heights looks marvelous.  In the bathroom or bedroom use a cake stand to display your perfume bottles, lotions and such.
Putting a cake stand on a counter or table to hold your keys and mail works great too!

Speaking of candles...
     ...don't throw that old CD away.  Place it under a candle to protect furniture from wax drippings of course.  Sunny side up will reflect the light from the candles and look brilliant. 


There you go.  Seven tips I know you can't live without.  There's more to come so please...

Baking soda is amazing stuff.  Everybody should know by now how it kills odors.  It's a miracle worker in the cat's litter box.  Mix one small box with 2 to 3 inches of dry, samdy clay.  Organic!

You'll want to file these tips away for Christmas time.  Baking soda easily simulates snow.  Sprinkle on the tree for effect.  Cover the bottom of a pair of boots with baking soda and make Santa tracks appear anywhere you want. 

To test the acidity in your soil.  Add a pinch of baking soda to 1 tablespoon of your garden soil .  If it fizzes when doing this, the soil's PH level is probably less than 5.0.



 Homemade Pretreating Stain Remover
1/4 cup ammonia
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/8 cup baking soda
1 tablespoon liquid hand soap
1 quart water

Mix and pour into a spray bottle, label appropriately. 
To use, appply solution to stain(s), and let it sit for a few minutes, then  wash as you normally would.

3 New And Easy Household Recipes That Saves $

Plant Food

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ammonia

1 tablespoon epsom salts

1 teaspoon iodized salt

1 gallon water

Mix ingredients together.  Store in a spray bottle.  Shake well before using.  Once a month spray household plants.

Bonus Tip: 

Sprinkling baking soda around tomato plants will sweeten the tomatoes by lowering the soil's acidity.

 

 

Carpet Freshener

1 cup crushed , dried herbs (lavender, rosemary, etc.)

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

Combine ingredients and sprinkle over carpet.  Let sit for a few minutes and then vacuum.

OR

1 small box of baking soda mixed with a few drops of your favorite essential oil.  Sprinkle mixture onto carpet.  Leave for 10 - 20 minutes.  Vacuum.

OR

Combine 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup corn starch, 15 drops of your choice essential oil  Leave on carpet for 10 - 20 minutes.  Vacuum.  Store mixture in an airtight container.

 

 

 

All-Purpose Cleaner

Be sure to wear rubber gloves when working with this mixture.  Store in a clearly labeled spray bottle.

1 teaspoon borax

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar or 2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon Dawn (works best) dish soap

2 cups hot water

 

The New Black Is Green

At least it is for your thumb.  The ten plants I'm about to list are 100% foolproof, or so I am told.    I use to pride myself on my talent for growing houseplants.  I have lost it.  I'm hoping the following hardy species will help get me back in the groove. 

1. Aspidistra aka cast-iron plant was a Victorian favorite.  Also called "The Spittoon Plant," back in the day.  Literally, this plant was used for such purpose in many Taverns.
2. The Rubber plant likes a dim, cool interior such as a hallway.  If you give this plant sunshine, it's said to grow like crazy.
3. Next on the list is a long-lived, slow growing plant that needs uniform moisture.  An occasional shower to dust it wouldn't hurt.  I'm talking about Century (Kentia) palm.
4. Philodendrons (one of my faves) like medium to low light and even moisture, but will tolerate dryness and poor light.
5. Dumb cane tolerates a dry interior and low light, but responds to better conditions.  Chewing the foliage of this one will make your tongue numb.
6. Bromeliads is exotic and slow-growing.  They like frequent misting, but are practically immune to neglect and will flower even in subdued light.
7. Corn plants (dracaena) are good for hot, dry apartments.
8. Snake plants will survive almost anything.  This is one I've never heard of.  I wonder if it's anything like the next one.
9. Spider plants are a tough, low-light plant that makes a great trailer and endures neglect.
10. Nephthytis flourishes in poor light and will survive the forgetful waterer.

Who Knew Mouthwash Could Be So Versatile

One part alcohol based mouthwash and three parts water sprayed directly onto your plant's leaves and into the soil protects them from fungi.   

Poured into the toilet bowl and left to soak for a half-hour, will make it sparkle plus the antiseptic ingredients will kill germs.(The term "potty mouth" comes to mind)

Pouring alcohol-based mouthwash on hands after cutting up some garlic, will have them smelling minty fresh in no time.  Let mouth wash air dry and then rinse in cold water.

Mouthwash kills the fungus that can cause dandruff.  A cap full poured on scalp after shampooing, left on for five minutes, then rinse and condition.

Disinfect a cut with a mouthwash soaked cotton ball.

This stuff is amazing!

Caring For Your Houseplants

     To prevent dripping from hanging plants after you water them, cover the bottoms of the planters with a shower cap. (I knew these things had to e good for something)  Remove the cap after several hours and your floors should stay dry.

     If you can't tell if your plant needs watering, just knock.  A thump on the side of the flowerpot should tell you if the pot sounds hollow.  If it does, the plant is dry.  When your knocking yeilds a solid thud, there's probably enough moisture in the plant for a lil' bit longer.

     Another great way to water hanging plans without having a drippy mess on your hands.  Put a few ice cubes around the edge of the pot, not touching the plant.  As the cubes melt, they will provide a slow watering that the soil can absorb - with no messy dripping on the floor.

     To give your houseplants a healthy shine, wipe their leaves down with some glycerin on a soft cloth.  This won't attract dust the way some other methods will. 

     Regularly remove dead leaves and spent flowers.  Not only do they look bad, but they can also promote disease.

     Give your plants fertilizer during the same seasons you would your outdoor plants, and give them winters off.

     If the tips of the leaves turn brown, cut off most of the brown part, leaving a narrow brown edge.  Cutting into the green may promote disease.

     You don't want a plant to be too crowded in a pot, but be careful not to replant it in a pot that is much too large.  Instead of putting its energy into growing foliage, the plant will grow more roots to fill the pot.  Aim for a good balance.

Related articles

• Plants That Purify: English Ivy (casasugar.com)
• How-To: Keep Plants Alive Without Guesswork (casasugar.com)
• Bring the Outdoors in with Potted Plants & Flowers (proflowers.com)

Tips and Tools For Gardens and Houseplants

• Don't line pot bottoms with rocks or clay shards.  Plants need this area for their roots to grow and may encourage fungus.  If worried about losing soil through drain hole use window screen or 1 pot shard.
• Use throw away containers to plant in.  Such as popcorn tns or ice cream buckets.  Don't forget drain holes.  If you don't lke what it looks like, use spray paint and glue on some decorations such as shells or rocks.
• Use old orange juice and milk cartons to start plants instead of little pots.
• Recycle old ladders for trellises.
• Put empty up-side down soda cans in the bottom of large containers.  This cuts down on the amount of potting soil you need.
• Before you throw something out, rethink whether it can be used as a garden container, for example, large tin cans, old boots, wooden boxes, bathtub, old wheelbarrow or a wagon.
• Weeds will not get through wet newspapers.  Put layers around the plants overlapping as you go.  Cover with mulch.

      In just a few minutes you can be creating a beautiful yard on your computer screen.  Plan-a-Garden lets you design anything from a patio-side container garden to your whole yard. Use your mouse to "drag-and-drop" more than 150 trees, shrubs, and flowers. Add dozens of structures like buildings, sheds, fences, decks -- even a pond.  It's free from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

Related articles

• Weekend Inspiration: Houseplants, Flowers & Gardening (apartmenttherapy.com)
• 10 Gorgeous Container Gardens Made from Trash (Slideshow) (treehugger.com)
• Container Gardening (gardenerscoach.wordpress.com)

Keep Plants Alive When You're Away

Greatly reduce the need for watering by taking a few steps before you leave home. 

• always use a potting mix with moisture-retaining polymers (or add polymers to the mix)
• move plants out of direct sunlight - behind windows with sheer curtains is a great spot.
• turn down the thermostat in winter to keep the interior of the house cool.
• move pots and containers close together so they can provide each other with shade and humidity.
• place sensitive plants under tents with holes for oxygen; use white plastic trash bags for tent and use stakes.
• to conserve water in outdoor containers, move to a location sheltered form wind and cluster together.
• you can also bury potted plants to their rims temporarily and mulch around them.

Salvage dried out plants.  Revive them by soaking the containers in a tub or kiddie pool.  Use warm (not hot) water and submerge the pots until bubbles stop appearing from the soil.  Remove pot and drain excess water.

 

Related articles

• Container Gardening 101 (gardencheapmidwest.wordpress.com)
• What benefits do humans get from plants (wiki.answers.com)
• peace lily leaves keep turning brown at tips (ask.metafilter.com)
• Six Reasons Houseplants Die (floweramaroses.com)

Formula That Keeps Roses Pest And Disease Free

Spraying this formula on your rose bushes will keep pests and diseases away.

In an empty gallon milk jug, mix 1-1/2 tsp liquid dish soap and 1/2 cup white vinegar. 

Fill the jug the rest of the way with water.

Using a funnel, pour mixture into a sprayer.

Spray on all of the leaves and stems of your roses at least once a week during growing season.

Growing A Crystal Garden

I always wondered how this was done...

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons salt
6 tablespoons bluing - liquid
6 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon ammonia
food coloring

Combine salt, bluing, water and ammonia.  Pour over small pieces of rock or coal in a shallow glass or china bowl.  Drip food coloring on top, if desired.  Crystals will begin to grow soon.  Add water occasionally to keep crystals growing.  You'll probably want to place dish on a tray or wooden board as crystals grow over the sides of the bowl.
 

A loofa sponge is not a sponge at all.

It's a plant, part of the cucumber family, that you can grow in your garden.  You may be able to obtain seeds from a purchased loofah; just shake it and see if any fall out.  If not, you can purchase loofah seeds at most garden centers.  The seeds are slow to germinate, so start them indoors and transplant them outside later.  The plants enjoy growing on a trellis for support and take about 75 days to produce gourds.  When the skin turns brown, it is time to harvest.  Dry the gourds, then soak them in water until the outer skin disappears, and you've got your exfoliating sponge.  Makes a great gift too!

Mother-n-law Tongue

     The plant to the left is a peace lily 32 in. high (including 11 in. pot).  I am not quite sure what the one on the right is officially called, but she is definately related to the mother-n-law pictured in the center.  The one on the right measures 32 in. high (including 11 in. pot).  The center plant measures a whopping 51 inches (including 11 in. pot).  That's 4'3".  Her longest leaf is 42 inches and still growning.  Never in my life!  The picture hardly does them justice, they are quite awesome to see in person.