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Q - Char Marrinan
I live on a 50 acre farm. It has lots of woods and a lake. I would like to make a natural journal or scrapbook with all four seasons in it. Do you have any ideas or suggest how to make one?
A – Melinda Myers
Journals are great tools to learn more about nature and your landscape. They can be as simple as a spiral notebook where you record your observations to as technical as a computer spreadsheet with digital photos. Start by deciding what you hope to gain from the journal. Bloom times, weather conditions, plant and planting information, garden successes and failures and other observations are typical information included in these. Then try several different methods of capturing the information that will help you do this. Are you an artist? A few written notes with sketches of your observations in a sketch book may be best. If you are a writer then a pretty journal with lined pages may be your style. Gardeners often invest in calendars with pockets. They record purchases, planting dates and bloom times in the daily or weekly entry spaces. They save the plant tags and seed packets in the pockets for future reference. Still others, myself included, are collectors. A pressed fall leaf with outstanding color, a few unique cones collected (with permission) on my travels and any unusual or unique item that reflects the location, weather, and plants of gardening environment. A decorative box or shadow box would hold the contents of this nature journal. So pick the method that best fits your style and the information you want to collect. This would also make a great gift for an avid gardener, nature lover or child.
Q - Bob Benter of WI
I: I met you at state fair a few years ago. I have been listening to your plant advice for many years. I have a question. I want to grow a lemon tree. Yes, in Wisconsin. Is it possible? How do I go about it? Thank you, for any help you could provide. A – Melinda Myers
You are not alone in your quest to bring citrus fruit to the north. Many gardeners across the country are trying to grow citrus in their homes. The glossy green foliage and fragrant flowers make it worth the effort even if they don’t produce fruit. Start with the Meyer lemon. Check with local garden centers and florists. They may sell them or be willing to order one for you. Or check the internet and tropical plant catalogues for sources. Grow your plant in a sunny (south-facing) window. Consider supplementing low light conditions with artificial lights if needed. You can grow lemon trees indoors year round or move them outdoors for the summer. In both cases keep the soil moist but not soggy wet. Use an acidifying fertilizer for flowering plants in early spring, early summer and early fall. High humidity is critical for flowering and fruiting success. Increase the humidity in your home by placing the plants on a gravel tray filled with water. Keep the pot elevated above the water line. Avoid drafts of hot and cold air but don’t be afraid to turn down the heat. Citrus prefer cooler temperatures (50’s and 60’s) during the winter.
Q - Carol of WI
I have a gardenia plant which I received as a gift last Xmas. It hasn't bloomed at all, though it has been a healthy plant. It spent the summer outdoors, and since I brought it in for the winter, the leaves have begun turning yellow, but are not falling off. What do I do? A – Melinda Myers
I am frequently asked to help gardeners struggling with gardenias. Grow these plants in a sunny window away from drafts of hot and cold air. Keep the soil moist but not soggy. Place the plants on gravel in a saucer filled gravel and water. This increases the humidity around the plant increasing flowering success. Use an acidifying fertilizer for flowering plants. This encourages bloom while acidifying the soil. Leaves of these and other acid loving plants turn pale green or yellow with green veins when the soil is too alkaline (sweet). Try using distilled water, water from your dehumidifier, rain water or melted snow to water the plants. These sources of water are more neutral or slightly acidic as the plants prefer. With proper care and some luck you should have a healthy plant and a few fragrant blooms.
Q - John Wolfe of WI
How do we get rid of trumpet vines? We planted them along a fence behind our perennial garden. They are taking over and don't bloom well. We would like to get rid of them and leave the fence bare. A – Melinda Myers
As you discovered, this aggressive vine often muscles it way into areas it was not invited. Continually cutting the vine and all its runners to the ground removes the energy producing leaves and eventually kills the plant. Otherwise apply a total vegetation killer like Roundup or Finale or a brush killer. Read and follow label directions to avoid damaging nearby lawn and plantings. Several applications may be needed to control this beautiful but aggressive vine.
Q -Karen Grey
We have some unusual "spots" on our siding. They are a little larger than a pin head, and smell organic. They do not move, but they are very difficult to remove. They initially appeared on the north side of our north facing home, but have also appeared on the west and south sides. They are also on our sidewalk. We put up some Christmas decorations, and within days, there are these small dots on the nylon flags. A power washer does not remove them easily. They have to be scraped off of windows with a blade. Do you have any idea as to what these are? A – Melinda Myers
The black dots are the spores of artillery or shotgun fungus. This fungus lives in rotting wood or manure and spreads by shooting its spores onto nearby surfaces. Though annoying it does not harm the structure or plants. Reduce the problem by using bark mulch in place of wood mulch, applying a thin layer of fresh mulch over older mulch or using stone rather than wood mulches next to the house. Washing infested areas with soapy water or a bleach solution may soften the spores and reduce their numbers. Test a small area before using cleaners on structures. Some cleaners and extensive scrubbing can injure siding. For more details see Cornell University’s fact sheet at http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/FactSheets/artfungus/artilleryfungus.htm.
Q - Gregg
I tried to force my poinsettia to rebloom this year. I have been giving it dark treatments each night. Some of the leaves are speckled with red but no flowers. Will it ever bloom? A – Melinda Myers
The colorful part of the poinsettia is the bracts. These are leaves that turn red during the flowering process. The poinsettia flower is really a knobby yellow growth that appears in the center of the bracts at the tip of stem. Keep providing your poinsettia with 14 hours of total darkness each night until the bracts are fully colored. Each missed or interrupted dark period delays bloom by one day. You may have missed a colorful Christmas display but the sense of accomplishment you’ll feel and beautiful bracts can brighten any dreary winter day.
Q - Tim of Fox Lake, WI
My wife has a kind of a Christmas cactus plant that she bought in Kansas years ago. It blooms and shoots in the same manner as a Christmas cactus, but the leaves are rounder and scalloped. Anyway, we think it is rotting in the roots from saturating it. It is limp, shriveled, and sad looking, but still has its color and it still flowers. Is there hope for this plant? A – Melinda Myers
Sounds like you have an Easter cactus. Similar in appearance this plant requires the same care as the Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti. These succulent plants are native to tropical areas. They are not as drought tolerant as the cacti of the southwest but they do not tolerate soggy soil. Too much or not enough water can cause the symptoms you describe. Keep flowering plants slightly moist. Once the plant is done blooming you can reduce watering frequency. This may also be a good time to repot the plant. Use a similar or slightly larger (if the plant was potbound) container with drainage holes. Remove any slimy roots and use a well drained potting mix to fill the container. Water non blooming plants thoroughly whenever the soil in the top half of the pot is dry. Pour off the excess water to avoid root rot. Cacti and succulents prefer cool temperatures and dry soils when growth slows or stops over winter.
Q - Charlotte Smith of Mansfield, PA
II have been having a problem of the leaves falling off my Christmas Cacti. I put them outside in the summer and new growth comes on them just fine, but when I bring them in the house in the fall the leaves start falling off. It doesn't matter where I put them they do it. I have tried not watering them until they are really dry and I have tried watering them more often. Nothing seems to work. Was wondering if you have any idea what may be wrong. Thanks for you help. I love Birds and Bloom!! A – Melinda Myers
The transition from the bright lights of the outdoors to the lower light and less than ideal conditions indoors results in leaf drop. Most plants drop some leaves and once adjusted produce new shade tolerant leaves suited to the low light environment indoors. You can minimize the problem with one or several of these options. Supplement natural light with artificial light. A cool fluorescent bulb can give the plants the added light they need. Or consider growing the plants in a somewhat shaded location outside for summer. This creates a less drastic difference in light conditions and results in less stress and often less leaf drop for your plants. Otherwise, as you discovered the plants survive – it’s just stressful for you and them.
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