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Vol. 3, Num. 2, January 10, 2008 (Read It Online) This week we have some Aftercare For Holiday Plants tips. I hope you find them useful! Thanks for reading, Susan
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Giving Sunflower Seeds to Squirrels I need a way to make something that I can attach to trees to put sunflower seeds in for my squirrels. Last year I attached margarine tubs but they weren't sturdy enough. Anyone have any ideas? Lily from South Bend, Indiana Answers: Coffee Cans My father in law makes feeders out of coffee cans. By Sashough Colander Or Berry Boxes What about using berry boxes or a small colander? By Jan Terra Cotta Pot Try a terra cotta flower pot that you'd normally use with cactus plants like "hens and chickens". It will be sturdy and seeds would be easy to reach, even on the bottom. By Hsorbits Milk Jug You might try a plastic milk jug. Cut an opening for the little guys to get the seeds and tie to the tree by the handle. You can use gallon jugs or half gallons. A great way to recycle the jugs as well. Diane By Brdldy Share With The Birds Our squirrels have no problem sharing with the birds at their feeder. I Know that they even finish first. By Dianne, Upstate NY On The Ground I just pour them on the ground in a pile. Works great! By Julie Nuthouse I once got a great gift for feeding my squirrel friends, it's called the "nuthouse" and it is a small wooden box with a bottom, back and two sides big enough to put a large pickle jar in. Nail the box to the tree and put the jar in. Fill with nuts. It is hysterical watching them get in the jar! By Carrie029
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Rate It: Hang Soap Pieces At Outdoor Spigot A great use for those little extra bits of bar soap is to take a mesh sack (I use the ones avocados or onions come in) and fill it with the extra bits of soap. Hang it on your outdoor spigot! It's great in the summer when you need to wash your hands after doing yard work. Hope it helps! Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf14934376.tip.html
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Rate It: Grow Food Seeds For Indoor Greenery Take sand in small bowls and seed onions, coriander seeds, mustard, ginger, stalks of puthina, place them in different places. The green color will gives us fresh thoughts and we'll get a good atmosphere. Onion plant works as an antiseptic, and we can use them fresh in our daily needs. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf46636201.tip.html
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Rate It: Oily Sand For Garden Tool Maintenance Sink an old metal bucket into the soil and fill it with sand. Get some some old sump oil from your motor mechanic and pour it into the bucket saturating the sand. When you've finished each day in the garden dig into the oily sand with your spades and forks making sure each is well coated. It will prevent rust and rot where the wooden handle is joined to the garden tool. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf68949563.tip.html
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Rate It: Aftercare For Holiday Plants
The holidays are full of traditions, many of which include giving, receiving and decorating with potted seasonal plants. With the proper care, many potted plants can be carried over from season to season. Here's a handy guide to keep yours looking and blooming their best, long after the holidays fade. AmaryllisThis easy-to-grow tropical beauty comes in a festive array of colors and sizes. After the flowers (and the holidays) finally fade away, don't throw your amaryllis out. It can be made to flower again next year. As the stem starts to die back, cut it down to 2 inches above the bulb. Place the pot in bright light and continue to water and fertilize as normal. Once the temperatures warm up (to at least 70º F), place it outside for the duration of the summer, letting the stalk and leaves develop as normal. When the leaves begin to yellow in early fall, cut the stem back again to about 2 inches from the top of the bulb, only this time, remove the bulb from the soil. Clean the bulb and place it in a cool (40-50º F), dark place for a minimum of 6 weeks (the fridge is fine, just keep apples out of the fridge or they will render the bulbs sterile). Anytime after 6 weeks of storage, remove the bulbs and replant them in pots. In about 7-10 weeks you should see new blooms. *Christmas Cactus (also Thanksgiving Cactus and Easter Cactus)After the holidays, encourage you're Christmas cactus to branch out by removing a few sections from each branch of the plant (pinch them or use a sharp knife). These sections can be saved and rooted to propagate new plants. While it's indoors, keep your Christmas cactus in bright light. A plants can be kept on the dryer side until it starts actively growing again in the spring, when its feeding and watering schedule can return to normal. Move plants outdoors for the summer, but keep them our of bright sunlight or their leave will burn and become permanently discolored. When it's time to bring the plants back inside in the fall, slowly adjust the plants to life indoors by gradually increasing the number of hours they spend indoors each day. Once inside, keep them in a cool location ( 50º F). Around mid to late October, begin giving them at least 12 hours of complete darkness every day while keeping them in a cool location. Once the flower buds set, do not move the plants. Any changes in light positioning can weaken the buds and causes them to suddenly fall off. CyclamenMany people find cyclamen difficult to carry over from one season to the next, but with some effort, it can be done. To trigger them into a period of dormancy after the holidays, withhold water and store the plant in a cool location (50º F) until June. In June, repot the corms in equal parts soil, peat moss and coarse sand, leaving the top half exposed to bright (not direct) sunlight. Feed twice monthly when watering with a high phosphorus fertilizer formulated for houseplants. In mid-September, move the plant to a location with full sun and cooler temperatures (50º F night and 60-65º F day) to encourage holiday flowering. * HollyThere are dozens of types of holly and holly-like species, all with different types of growing requirements. Most species are intended to be outdoor plants, and are only hardy in certain growing zones. If possible, consult with a local nursery to find out what type of holly you have and the best way to take care of it after the holiday season. Generally speaking, holly needs frequent watering. Give indoor plants well-drained soil and place them in a sunny location. KalanchoeThe Kalanchoe is often kept around after the holidays just for the beauty of its foliage, but this beauty can easily be coaxed into blooming again providing you're willing to monitor its light conditions. When the flowers start to die back after the holidays, cut them off and let the plant go dormant. Remove the spent flowers and reduce watering during this period, but keep the plant in direct sunlight until spring. When the weather warms up, resume a regular feeding (every 2-3 weeks). Give water only when the soil feels dry to the touch. You can put the plant outdoors in the summer, but keep it out of direct sunlight. Unless you the control the light, the flower will continue to bloom and rest at its own pace regardless of the season. To get the plant on a holiday schedule, put the plants in complete darkness (10-12 hours per day) for a period of 30 days starting in early September. Norfolk Island PinesKeep Norfolk Island Pines in bright, indirect sunlight with temperatures from 50º F to 70º F. Prevent branches from getting brown tips by keeping the tree's soil evenly moist and misting frequently to increase humidity around the plant. * PoinsettiaTo keep poinsettias looking their best long after the holidays, keep them in bright, indirect sunlight and away from drafty (hot or cold) locations. There's no need to fertilize them while the bracts have color, but keep a close eye on the plant's moisture level. Don't over water them, but don't let them completely dry out either. If your poinsettia came wrapped in decorative holiday foil, remove it or punch drainage holes in the bottom to allow water to drain freely from the pot. After the holidays, cut back the stems by 1/3 as soon as the color on the bracts (leaves) fades. Be patient, poinsettias can stay colorful for many months! Move the plant to a cool room in the house and reduce watering. In the spring, move the plant back to a sunny location and resume a regular schedule of feeding (twice monthly) and watering (when soil is slightly dry to the touch). Starting in mid-September, give the plant 10-12 hours of total darkness per night for a period of 8 weeks to encourage blooming. * Pets and Plants: If ingested in large enough quantities many plants can be GI irritants. These particular plants have been known to cause minor to severe intestinal upsets and other health problems in dogs and cats. Companion animals face extra hazards around the holidays. Keep them safe by keeping all holiday plants out of their reach. For more information on keeping your pet safe for the holidays, visit www.aspca.org
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I desperately want to grow raspberries but last year when I bought several stocks, they QUICKLY died. I think it might be due to lack of water or some heat issues during the summer... but I'm not positive. I have been told that berries in my area is REALLY hard to pull off. Any suggestions? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf79508371.tip.html
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Rate It: I want to do strawberries and planted about 50 tiny starter plants. Within a few weeks I found an ant hill and a few weeks later, most plants were dead. My neighbor told me that I wont be able to grow strawberries because of the ants? Any suggestions? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf71596716.tip.html
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Rate It: Putting Citrus Peels in Compost Pile Can you put orange or grapefruit peels in your compost pile? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf55726985.tip.html
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