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Volume 2, Number 47, December 6, 2007 (Read It Online) Today we have tips for Christmas Cactus and Norfolk Pines. I hope you find them useful! If you have any holiday related gardening tips or photos to share, please submit them on a contest page. Thanks for reading, Susan
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The Norfolk Pine - A Perfect Living Tree for the Holidays
If you're looking for the perfect potted Christmas tree, consider the Norfolk Pine. They have soft, compact needles, a naturally symmetrical shape and they come in a variety of sizes-small enough for a table-top display in the kitchen or hall, or large enough to be the focal point of a large room. Best of all, they are easy to grow, and make a beautiful indoor tree all year long. Secrets to Success Growing any plant successfully requires meeting its needs. Generally speaking, Norfolk Pines are easy to grow and are known to be fairly forgiving of less than ideal growing conditions. Temperature: They will not survive a harsh winter outdoors, but despite the fact that the Norfolk Pine hails from the South Pacific, it isn't terribly picky about temperature. Temperatures on their native Norfolk Island are in the temperate 65-75ºF range (summer) and 43-50ºF (winter), but these pines grow best on the cooler side of the range. Optimum daytime temperatures from spring to early autumn are in the 60-65ºF range, with somewhat cooler temperatures (not below 50ºF) at night. In the winter, they prefer temperatures around 50ºF (never below 40ºF). Light: These pines are known to be tolerant of low light conditions, but prefer the bright, indirect or filtered light of a southern exposure. They will survive, but not thrive for a few years in low artificial light conditions (incandescent or fluorescent lighting in a home or office setting) provided they receive at least 16 hours of light per day. Because this plant has the tendency to bend toward the light, turn it often to maintain symmetrical growth. Water: During the active growing period (spring to autumn) pines should be watered regularly to keep soil thoroughly moist but not saturated. In the summer, soil should not be allowed to dry out. In the winter, water sparingly after soil has been allowed to dry out. Many experts recommend using rain water that has been allowed to sit (outgas) for 24 hours when misting or watering Norfolk Pines. This is good advice if you have hard water, as lime will mark the tender needles. Feeding: These are slow growing evergreens so don't expect to see big growth spurts from your Norfolk Pine. In the wild, they grow up to 200 ft. tall, but when kept as a houseplant, they will reach a maximum height somewhere around 5 ft. Feed them every two to three weeks during the active season with a soluble house plant food, and back off the fertilizer in the winter until new growth appears again in spring. Humidity: Keeping the humidity levels at optimal levels is probably the most challenging aspect of caring for Norfolk Pines. They are one of the few types of houseplants that actually prefer to be misted with cool water. This becomes especially important in cold climates, where indoor air becomes dry during winter heating. Lack of sufficient humidity will cause the tips of their branches to turn brown and needles to drop off. This is important because once the tips of the branches turn brown, growth will stop from that point. Once the needles fall off, they don't grow back. Mist them regularly with cool water (especially in winter). If the air in your home is dry, try increasing the humidity around your Norfolk Pine by setting the pot in a shallow tray filled with water and pebbles. You can also use an air humidifier or if you keep fish, place it in the room near your aquarium. Pruning: Any time you prune a Norfolk Pine, keep in mind that you will stop growth at the point of pruning. For this reason, only prune when you need to remove dead branches or brown tips. When left to grow in their natural state, Norfolk Pines will naturally shed some of their lower branches as they grow. Increasing the humidity will slow this process, but expect to see your pine shed a few branches over time. Repotting: Keeping your pine root bound will restrict its growth and keep it to a manageable size. Still, Norfolk Pines should be repotted every 3-4 years in the spring. Use a loam-based commercial potting soil, or a home-made mix with plenty of drainage. Propagation: Seeds can be sown in the spring, but Norfolk Pines are difficult to propagate and take a long time to reach a transplantable size. It is best to buy young plants.
Signs of Trouble Brown tips on the ends of branches and excessive needle loss are probably signaling a lack of moisture. Make sure soil is kept moist, but not saturated and increase humidity around the plant with frequent mists of cool water. Plants that have too much water will exhibit yellow or brown clumps of needles that fall off with the slightest amount of movement. Back off on watering and check to see that the pot has enough drainage. Norfolk Pine pests include mealy bugs and scale. Symptoms of mealy bugs include small, cotton-like patches or sooty mold. The best way to get rid of a mealy bug infestation is disrupt the bug's reproductive cycle. This can be done by spraying plants with an all natural insecticide over a period of weeks. These are readily available at most garden centers and nurseries. Scale infestations appear either as red or brown bumps, or cotton-like patches along the stems at leaf and branch nodes. They can be controlled by drying them out with an application of rubbing alcohol or applying a horticultural oil directly onto the insects to suffocate them. Decorating Norfolk Pines for the Holidays Keep the decorations small and lightweight. To avoid stressing the plant, keep an eye on soil moisture and make sure to remove any ornaments quickly after the holidays. If your decorating your pine with lights, make sure to use bulbs that are cool. Lights that run hot may dry out and permanently damage tender needles, causing them to turn brown or fall off. Consider lightweight paper ornaments or garlands made from popcorn and dried fruit for a more natural look. When the holidays pass, return to a winter care regime until new growth appears in the spring. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf47893507.tip.html
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Rate It: How do I care for my Christmas Cactus? Advice from the ThriftyFun community. Thanksgiving Cactus CareI have a Thanksgiving cactus that I have had for over 20 years, it is similar to a Christmas cactus. It is in a small ceramic pot. I keep it on my deck in the summertime and feed it with rose food. I bring it in in October and do not water until dry. It blooms at Thanksgiving time. I continue to feed with rose food until after it blooms. The blooms on mine are peach-colored. It is a beautiful sight at Thanksgiving.By WANJOY Keep Them Rootbound And DryChristmas Cactus love to be rootbound and watered infrequently. Always let the dirt dry completely out before watering, too much water will kill them. It will take some time to "recover" from being transplanted twice, but they are hearty and as long as you don't over water it should be fine!By judymill Care Throughout The Year"Watering seems to be the source of most problems with the Christmas cactus. The plant is a tropical type cactus and is not quite as drought tolerant as the name implies. However, it is a succulent plant and can store a reasonable quantity of water in the leaves. Water thoroughly when the top half of the soil in the pot feels dry to the touch. Discard the excess water, then do not water again until the top half becomes dry. The length of time between waterings will vary with the air temperature, amount of light, rate of growth and relative humidity.After the blossoms fade, the plant isn't much to look at. But a little extra care will help bring it back to full bloom next year. While the Christmas cactus can adapt to low light, more abundant blooms are produced on plants that have been exposed to high light intensity. Keep your plants in a sunny location indoors. Plants can be moved outdoors in summer, but keep them in a shady or semi-shady location. Too much direct sunlight can burn the leaves. 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. Well-drained soil is a must for Christmas cactus. Use a commercially packaged potting mix for succulent plants or mix your own by combining two parts plain potting soil with one part clean sand or vermiculite. Pruning your Christmas cactus after blooming will encourage the plant to branch out. Remove a few sections of each stem by pinching them off with your fingers or cutting with a sharp knife. These sections can be rooted in moist vermiculite to propagate new plants. Christmas cactus will bloom if given long uninterrupted dark periods. Begin the dark treatments in about mid-October to have plants in full bloom by the holidays. Christmas cactus will also bloom if they are subjected to cool temperatures of about 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Plants will be ready for the holidays if the cool treatments are started by early November." By sabrina_ca When It Starts To Bloom, Don't Move ItMy Christmas cactus is only 2 years old and is in an 8" pot. It blooms from the mid November until . . . Mine is still blooming.The idea is once it starts to get buds on it, DON"T MOVE it. They don't like to be moved when the budding starts. I water mine once a week it is in a well draining pot. I also give mine a shower once a month in the tub. That counts for a watering. Do not fertilize in the spring. Fertilize once a month from summer to winter, When it starts to bloom, stop fertilizing it. Good luck, it will survive I just know it! Watch Out For Squirrels When OutsideYikes - they thrive when rootbound. Also, they like to dry out between waterings. Love to be outside in summer (northern climate) and brought in in fall, but be careful - squirrels love to munch on them. Some called Christmas cactus are not, there are Thanksgiving and Easter cactuses out there also. They are all beautiful, but different.By Judy Step By Step Care For Mother Plants And CuttingsI have grown several varieties of Christmas cactus for many years. I have a mother plant that is 40 yrs old and weighs over 200lbs. I use clippings from that and create new ones with my other varieties to create different variations and colors. Some have double and triple blooms. Those are sometimes called mother in law cactus. They are all the same in essence. Mine bloom at Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. except during the heat of summer unless you put them in a lightly shaded area. They do not require watering other than once a week. They love to have their soil loosened when transplanted. They hate being pot bound. Just remember when you transfer them to loosen soil, put in a larger pot. They will become bigger each time you transfer over years into larger pots, it's like creating mother plants. You can't make many more from those for propagation purposes.Also remember they do not direct sunlight in summer, that's when leaves will turn yellow some and may wilt. They are from the succulent family, hence don't like over watering. Soil will become moldy and you are inviting plant insects to feast on them. Also always use a light soil fertile mix when transplanting and try and keep it loose every once and awhile. At this point, I would suggest that you take a clipping also from the plant. You do that by snapping off a piece or two where it is jointed. Put that in a clear container filled with water in a sunny spot until you see visible roots. Change water in container every once in a while. It really doesn't take long to root new ones. You can arrange them so they will begging to hang over nicely. They also like to have a hair cut when they become huge. You can make a ton of new plants from the clippings. Once they are rooted, just plant them in new pots by sticking the rooted part in soil. Once you have established plants, there is a product called Bloom or Peter's that works on all kinds of blooming plants. Good luck! By Dee Post your own tips here.
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Rate It: Getting a Christmas Cactus to Bloom Fertilizer And Sun ExposureI had this problem for many years until my older neighbor told me that she got her Christmas cactus to bloom by placing one feed stick into the plant pot each month. She would break them in 1/2 and stick them into the soil. A simple solution to a complex problem. Now I've expanded on this. I use 1/4 teaspoon of a commercial water soluble plant food in 2 quarts of water. I use this each time I water the plants starting in the spring. I have had great results. I am now looking forward to using the timed release pellets. They worked well enough in the veggie garden with the usual 2" - 3" of composted cow manure. This saved me plenty of time. I needed to use water alone last summer and did not need to worry at all about fertilizing the garden. If this problem persists, you may want to examine how much sun your window is getting. Southern exposures are the best. My neighbor had a western exposure.By Glabrain Only Water When DryI received a Christmas cactus as a gift from a friend just before Christmas '04. It was beautiful. I live in an apartment/condo with windows facing north. I believed that it wouldn't bloom again on my north windowsill. At the moment, it has 8 beautiful blooms and many buds. Cactus of any kind are succulent plants (they retain water) therefore don't water until soil is very dry, then give a good soaking. It works great for me. Good luck!By mairmie Avoid Artificial LightThe secret to making a Christmas Cactus bloom again is: along about mid October, make sure that it doesn't have any prolonged period of artificial light. We keep ours in the laundry room (which usually isn't lit at night) until it sets blooms in late November and it is just covered! Once, my mother accidentally had one right behind her insulated curtains on the windowsill and even forgot to water it for months and it set blooms. You should water every couple of weeks, but not too much. I never fertilize, and tend to have a brown thumb on most stuff, so this really is the secret.By Margie Leave Outside Until Cool Weather StartsI had the same problem with my Christmas cactus. It was small when I purchased it, but had blooms. For the next 2 years, no matter what I did, it would not bloom. Last spring, I set it outside in the flowerpot, and left it all summer. I brought it back in the house when the nights began to get cool enough to worry about frost, and had lots of blooms from just before Thanksgiving until after Christmas. Expect to do the same this year.Talk To ThemI rescued 6 Christmas cacti from the reduced table 2 or 3 weeks before Dec 25th and all were still flowering. Well now in March, I have 4 of them reflowering. I have named them all and I think they like that. They are also in a south patio window. I fertilize every 2 or weeks and talk to them daily. But I think I have a contest going for them to see which on can have the most flowers. Madge is doing the best but Euenes is catching up with her. So talk to them, they love it.By Lynn Don't Water For 6-8 WeeksTo make Christmas Cactus bloom, don't water them for 6 to 8 weeks. Trust me, they are cactus and they will be fine, then water them very thoroughly. They will bloom. Using this method you can get them to bloom throughout the year.By Carol No Water And In The DarkPut it in a dark area for 6-8 weeks without water. When you take it out, it will start blooming like crazy!By jtg90 Put A Box Over ItI would suggest putting your cactus in a room that would receive the same light as outside. This meaning, let your cactus have the same amount of light during the day as if it was outside. Putting a box or something over the cactus at night also works. The cactus blooms as a result of less light during the fall/winter. Another option would be putting it in a closet or another room for the entire month of October with little or no water. I have tried both of these techniques and had very good luck. As far as having the cactus outside during the summer, I do. I keep it in a shaded spot where it does not take the direct sun and it does fine. Hope this helps.By Clayton
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Rate It: Plant Pumpkins In Indoor Pots Now for Next Year Get a head start on the growing season by starting now. Yes before Christmas and here in Canada, the middle of winter. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf86399619.tip.html
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Rate It: Coaxing Christmas Cactus
If your Christmas cactus blooms on the 4th of July, consider yourself lucky. Many people who grow them would settle for any blooms at all. If you're willing to follow a few simple rules, you can coax this shy cactus into blooming for you year after year-just in time for the holidays. At Home in the Forest If you are already growing a Christmas (or Easter) Cactus, then you know they're not like other cacti. Even though they are succulents, they have much different requirements than their spine-covered cousins from the desert. That's because their natural habitat is actually in the forest-more specifically woodlands and jungles. In fact, they are actually referred to as Forest Cacti. A typical forest cactus has leaf-like stems and a trailing growth habit that makes them suitable for hanging baskets. But their greatest feature is really their flowers. From creamy whites to vibrant reds and fuchsias, the flowers on some varieties get as big as saucers. Shy Bloomers Unfortunately, unless you are able to meet their specific needs, Forest Cacti can be shy bloomers. If you want a good display ever year, you need to provide them with a cool, dry place to rest in the early spring, be careful not to move them an inch once buds appear, and allow stems to harden outdoor during the summer. To complicate things, each type also has specific needs.
General Growing Requirements Temperature: Ideally, Christmas Cacti prefer temperatures in the range or 55-70 degrees F. During their resting period, most prefer cooler temperatures of 50 to 55 degrees F. Light: These plants need a well-lit location out of direct sunlight. Food and Water: After a period of rest, watering should be increased when buds begin to form. During flowering and active growth, water and feed as you would most houseplants. Water liberally when soil starts to dry. Christmas cactus don't like hard water, so use rain water or filtered water if possible. Humidity: Leaves need misting frequently. Repotting: Christmas cacti benefit from annual repotting after they finish flowering. Propagation: Christmas cacti root easily from cuttings. Take stem cuttings from a terminal stem tip in the summer. Allow it to cure for a few days before inserting in into a peat-based compost. Calendar of Care Mid-November through January: This is the normal flowering period. Water normally and maintain a minimum temperature of 55 degrees F. February and March: This is the important period of rest. Move plant into cooler temperatures (50-55 degrees F.)
April and May: Resume normal feeding and watering. Water well when compost starts to dry out. June through Mid-September: Set your Christmas cactus outdoors. Forest Cacti need a spell outdoors to harden their stems in order to produce next year's flower buds. Place cactus in a shady spot and protect it from snails and slugs by placing crushed eggshells (or other sharp material) around its base. Mid-September through Mid-November: This is considered the pre-flowering period. Keep plants on the cooler, dryer side until you see flower buds form. Then increase water and temperature and leave it alone to flower. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf26353465.tip.html
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Broccoli, Cauliflower and Cabbage Not Forming Heads My broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage have many large leaves and look very healthy. However they haven't started to form any heads. Have just large plants. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf24348538.tip.html
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Rate It: We have had this tree like plant in our house for almost two decades and all of a sudden in the past couple years it sprouted flowers out of the top of it with a clear sticky sap. It smells wonderful! It happens between fall and winter every year since we moved it's location to a very sunny room. I am unsure what this plant is and if it is supposed to bear any type of fruit from the flowering. Any help to identify it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf69230768.tip.html
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Rate It: Caring for Orchids in the Winter When do orchids stop blooming and how do you care for them in the winter? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf99567335.tip.html
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