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How Do Different Seasons Affect Your Shrubs?

While some shrubs make a grand affair of season changes — changing their leaf color in the fall, dropping leaves before winter, and coming back strong the following spring — others go through the seasons much more quietly. However, it doesn’t mean they aren’t affected by the different seasons because the seasonal change is always noticed.

Do Shrubs Notice Temperature Changes?

Plants don’t rely on temperature changes as humans do, as the seasons move from spring, summer, fall, and winter. Some may recognize variations, but genetically they are constructed to primarily notice and respond to changes in the day lengths known as the photoperiod. As the day length lengthens in the spring and shortens in the fall, plants respond accordingly.

Why is Day Length Significant?

Keep in mind the day and night length fluctuates as the Earth moves around the sun. Different phytochromes or pigments in the foliage allow shrubs to measure the light and darkness over 24-hour periods and, in turn, activate plant hormones responsible for blooming, fruiting, leaf drop, etc. These adaptations have evolved so that plants can survive conditions like drought and cold temperatures.

What Do Shrubs Do in the Spring?

Spring is typically known as a season for rebirth. As the days get longer, shrubs come out of their winter dormancy and begin actively growing because they have adequate sunshine and moisture. Buds develop and turn into leaves and flowers. Pollination of the flowers on fruit-bearing shrubs causes an embryo to form, and the fruits begin to grow.

How Does Summer Affect Shrubs?

The day lengths continue to grow longer as we come into summer, further driving growth and sometimes fruit ripening.

But the high temperatures and intense sun often have plants increasing their self-defense mechanisms against drought and damage from the sun’s rays. Growth may slow a bit as they conserve water resources in case of a shortage.

Changes in Shrubs During the Fall

As plants come into fall, the day lengths are shortening again, and plant hormones begin preparing shrubs for winter. They stop making food to drive growth and start moving sugars and carbohydrates from the leaves to the roots for storage. Leaf chlorophyll breaks down, causing the green to disappear and the yellow and orange pigments become visible, thus giving leaves their stunning fall color.

Why Do Shrubs Go Dormant in the Winter?

Winter is the most challenging season for plants as they may experience dry weather, freezing temperatures, and nutrient shortages. To protect themselves from these often fatal conditions, they stop growing and conserve energy until the mild weather returns, to complete the cycle again.

How Do I Water My New Shrub?

Unlike a newly planted seed that doesn’t have a well-formed root system, shrubs do have a fair amount of roots. However, newly planted shrubs still need hand-watering until these roots grow out into the soil surrounding the planting hole.

How Often to Water After Planting?

The first three months require frequent watering, and then you can scale back until the roots are established. Once the shrub’s root system is robust, there isn’t a need to water plants by hand unless you live in a climate with little rainfall.

Most shrubs are considered established after one to two years when the roots grow out to equal the plant’s above-ground canopy spread.

How Much Water to Apply?

At each watering, you should apply a volume of water equivalent to about one-fourth or one-third of the volume of the pot the shrub was in at the nursery or store. As the roots grow into the surrounding soil and spread, this volume needs to be increased.

Water Slowly and Deeply

The goal of watering your new shrub is to soak the entire root zone, losing as little water as possible to runoff. Your intent isn’t only to water the first few inches of soil; the roots live much deeper. Slowly trickle the water around the base of the plant, allowing it to infiltrate and percolate deep down into the ground gradually.

Keep Water Off the Foliage

Be careful to water the soil directly around the base of your shrub. A great way to do this is by using a soaker hose or drip irrigation. Keeping moisture off of the leaves helps minimize disease problems and improves water-use efficiency. When water is applied to the ground, less moisture is lost to evaporation.

Improve Soil Moisture Retention

Spread three inches of organic mulch on the soil around the trunk of your shrub, fanning it out a couple of feet regardless of the canopy size. Be careful to keep the mulch from touching the bark directly. The mulch helps to keep the soil cooler and, in turn, minimizes evaporation, so the soil retains more moisture for longer. You can use bark chips, shredded bark, pine needles, or even straw.

What Time of Day Should I Water?

The best time to water your new shrub is earlier in the morning after the sun comes up but before the temperature begins to climb. Watering early gives the plant a reservoir of moisture to draw from during the warmest part of the day. It also helps minimize soil fungal diseases.

Spesies dan varietas, apa perbedaannya?

Jenis

Unit ilmiah klasifikasi tumbuhan adalah spesies. Setiap spesies berada di bawah genus, dan setiap genus di bawah keluarga secara menyeluruh

Aturan penamaan spesies

Nama ilmiah spesies ditulis sebagai nama Genus (Kapital, miring) + julukan tertentu (miring)

Misalnya, nama ilmiah Crimson Cattleya adalah Cattleya labiata.

Cattleya adalah nama ilmiah dari genus dan labiata adalah julukan (spesies) spesifik.

Kultivar hortikultura

Sebagian besar tanaman yang dibeli dari toko adalah kultivar hortikultura. Artinya, mereka adalah spesies baru yang sengaja diciptakan oleh pemulia tanaman melalui budidaya selektif yang cermat. Ini disebut varietas.

Nama ilmiah suatu varietas ditulis sebagai nama Genus (huruf besar, miring) + julukan tertentu (miring) + ‘nama kultivar’ (biasa, tanda kutip tunggal, huruf besar)

Contoh: Vitis vinifera ‘Kyoho’

Beberapa varietas dengan latar belakang hibrida yang kompleks dapat menghilangkan julukan tertentu dan ditulis sebagai nama genus + ‘nama kultivar’ (misalnya Rosa ‘Graham Thomas’).

Hibrida

Kebanyakan hibrida berasal dari persilangan spesies yang berbeda dalam genus yang sama. Nama ilmiah mereka dapat ditulis dalam dua cara. Contoh di bawah ini adalah untuk stroberi.

Opsi #1: nama genus induk betina + julukan spesifik × julukan spesifik induk jantan – mis. Fragaria virgirniana × chiloensis

Opsi # 2 (jika julukan spesifik baru diberikan kepada hibrida) nama genus (miring) × julukan spesifik baru (miring), mis. Fragaria × ananassa

Jika hibrida dihasilkan dari dua genera yang berbeda, nama genus baru diberikan, jadi “×” ditempatkan sebelum nama genus baru. Misalnya, hibrida Rhodohypoxis baurii dan Hypoxis parvula ditulis sebagai ×Rhodoxis hybrida.

Klasifikasi di bawah spesies yang sama

Individu dalam satu spesies mungkin masih sangat bervariasi. Oleh karena itu, ada tiga kelas taksonomi di bawah spesies.

Varietas (disingkat var.)

Sekelompok taksa yang berbeda secara morfologis dari spesies yang sama yang berbagi area distribusi yang sama disebut varietas. Fitur yang membedakan biasanya disebabkan oleh perbedaan lingkungan dan geografis, dan dapat diwariskan secara stabil.

Nama ilmiah varietas ditulis sebagai nama Genus (huruf besar, miring) + julukan khusus (miring) + var. (biasa) + nama varietas (miring)

Contoh: Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum

Subspesies (disingkat subsp.)

(Penggunaan subspesies sebagai klasifikasi sekarang tidak disarankan untuk tumbuhan dan lebih banyak digunakan untuk hewan)

Subspesies adalah sekelompok individu dari spesies yang sama yang agak berbeda satu sama lain karena periode isolasi geografis atau ekologis yang lama.

Nama ilmiah subspesies ditulis sebagai nama Genus (huruf besar, miring) + julukan khusus (miring) + subsp. (reguler) + nama subspesies (miring)

Contoh: Syringa reticulata subsp. amurensis

Bentuk (disingkat f.)

Bentuk berasal dari perbedaan kecil dalam spesies asli karena faktor lingkungan. Bentuk biasanya tidak stabil dalam hal pewarisan genetik.

Nama ilmiah suatu formulir ditulis dengan nama Genus (huruf besar, miring) + julukan tertentu (miring) + f. (biasa) + nama formulir (miring)

Contoh: Lamprocapnos spectabilis f. alba

Choosing the Best Spot in Your Yard for a New Shrub

Now that you’ve decided you want to plant a new shrub, and maybe you’ve even brought it home from the nursery, you need to choose the best spot in your yard for planting. Selecting the best place from the beginning means you won’t need to dig it up later because it has grown too big or you’re unhappy with its placement.

Be Considerate of the Surroundings

Depending on the shrub you’re planting, it can drop leaves and even fruits. A shrub against your foundation may drop its foliage into window wells or gutters, which are difficult to keep clean. Or will it make your neighbor unhappy every fall when it covers their lawn with leaves?

If it drops fruit, be mindful they may stain your driveway, make a mess of your vehicle, or land on a busy walkway, so they get stepped on and tracked everywhere. These fruits can also attract birds, which also increases the cleanup.

How Easy Will it Be to Water?

Most new plantings require extra water until the root system gets well established. In many cases, you’ll need to water it by hand once in a while, especially if you don’t get consistent rainfall. Does your hose reach that far? Or will you need to carry water?

Do You Want it Visible from a Specific Window?

If you choose an ornamental shrub to add a focal point to your yard, you want to enjoy it as often as possible. For some people, this means planting it in a visible spot from inside the house. Maybe you want to see its beautiful flowers and foliage through the kitchen window when standing at the sink. Or perhaps you want to sit on the living room sofa and watch the hummingbirds it attracts.

Think About Lawn Mowing

When it comes to placement, you should also think about how the mature shrub may affect mowing your lawn. A small, immature plant doesn’t typically impede anything, but it will fill out as it grows to its mature size. Planting it in the middle of the yard means you’ll need to mow close to it, which can be challenging, especially if the branches are low-hanging or have thorns. Or you’ll need to cut around it using a string trimmer.

Don’t Impede Access to Important Items in Your Yard

Shrubs are incredibly helpful at hiding eyesores in the landscape — air conditioning units, garbage cans, and utility boxes. While this is great, you always want to keep them an appropriate distance away from these items so you can access them when needed.

How to Select the Best Shrubs for Your Yard

When you landscape your yard, you may initially think of a design with annual and perennial flowers, but shrubs are a great way to bring beauty to your space. They come in many sizes, shapes, and colors to meet the needs of every gardener. Picking the right ones for your area ensures they’ll look great and stand the test of time.

Here are some questions to think about when choosing shrubs.

What Do I Want My Shrubs to Accomplish?

First, think about why you want shrubs in your yard. Some people plant shrubs for privacy, opting for tall, dense evergreens like junipers or arborvitae. If you want a focal point, choose something that has beautiful flowers or foliage like burning bushes, or plant weigela to attract wildlife into the yard.

What Kind of Hardiness Do I Need?

To maintain shrubs over the long term, you’ll need to choose plants suited for your local growing conditions, especially the heat of summer and cold of winter. If you live in hot, dry climates, look for heat- and drought-tolerant types like spirea or boxwood. Cold-tolerant gardenia and dogwood do well where it snows.

How Much Light Do I Have?

The amount of sun your yard gets during the day also needs to be considered. Is your planting spot always sunny, or does it get shade? Many shrubs are tolerant of different light conditions, but many flowering shrubs need plenty of light, or their blooms may be lackluster.

What Space Am I Working With?

Shrubs typically start small but grow bigger, so you want the mature height and width to fit the intended space. Smaller yards may benefit from cotoneaster or other compact varieties that don’t grow very high. Large shrubs help shade your house in summer, and low-growing junipers cover slopes, minimizing soil erosion.

What Kind of Soil is in My Yard?

Shrubs are typically quite tolerant of poor soils, but you still need to consider the spot you want to plant. If it doesn’t drain well, you’re better off looking for something tolerant of wet conditions like sweetspire or viburnum. If you have acidic soil, you need an acid-loving shrub such as azaleas that require a low pH for their beautiful flower color.

What Are the Common Diseases and Pests in the Area?

Talk to your neighbors, coworkers, and employees at the local nursery to see what diseases and insect pests are problematic locally. Then choose plants resistant to these problems to avoid constant struggles down the road. Remember that humid areas are more prone to fungal diseases like anthracnose and blight.

Can I Handle Maintenance?

Lastly, think about how much effort and time you’re willing to dedicate to maintenance. Do you want to prune your shrubs every spring, or would slow-growing varieties better suit your lifestyle? Drought-tolerant options are great for homeowners without a lot of time to water.

Cara mengidentifikasi tanaman dengan mudah dengan PictureThis

Cara menggunakan PictureThis:

Untuk mengidentifikasi tanaman, cukup ambil gambar tanaman atau pilih gambar tanaman dari “Foto” Anda dan GambarIni akan langsung mengidentifikasinya!

Tips memotret:

Bidikan tanaman yang jelas dengan sudut dan jarak yang tepat akan membantu PictureThis mengidentifikasi tanaman dengan lebih akurat.

1. Fokuskan tanaman di tengah bingkai, hindari gambar yang gelap atau buram.

2. Jika tanaman terlalu besar untuk bingkai, pastikan untuk menyertakan daun atau bunga tanaman.

3. Hindari terlalu dekat, pastikan saja daun atau bunganya jelas dan lengkap.

4. Fokus pada bunga jika tanaman Anda memiliki bunga.

5. Hanya sertakan satu spesies dalam satu waktu.

Dengan informasi lokasi Anda, “PictureThis” dapat memberikan hasil identifikasi yang lebih akurat.

Ingat:

Perhatikan lingkungan sekitar dan tetap aman saat mengambil gambar.
Jangan makan tanaman liar.
Jangan menyentuh tanaman liar yang tidak dikenal, karena beberapa mungkin beracun atau menyebabkan alergi.

How to Propagate Succulents

One of the great things about growing succulents in your home is how easy they are to propagate. Many succulent owners even find that a dropped leaf can start to grow roots on its own. Propagating succulents is a fun and satisfying way to grow your houseplant collection, or to share plants with your friends.

Leaf Propagation

Succulents are unusual because many varieties can be propagated from a single leaf. These plants include a node at the base of each leaf. In general, succulents with thick leaves can be propagated from a leaf. This method is successful with succulent species including sedum, kalanchoes, echeveria, sempervivum, and jade plants.

Leaf propagation is very simple. You can use a leaf that has fallen or been knocked off the plant naturally (as long as it is healthy), or you can remove some leaves to use for propagation. Wait for the end of the leaf to dry out, as this helps avoid the leaf rotting from too much moisture. Place the leaf on a shallow tray of soil and keep the soil moist but not wet. Put the propagation tray in a location where it gets plenty of bright, indirect sunlight. Roots will begin to emerge in two to three weeks.

You can also propagate leaf cuttings in water. For this you’ll need a container with a mouth just wide enough to hold the node in the water while the rest of the leaf is above the water line. Keep it in bright, indirect sun and change the water every few days. A leaf propagated in water will develop roots at the node, and can be moved to soil once they are a few inches long.

Propagating with Stem Cuttings

For succulents that cannot be propagated from a leaf, use stem cuttings instead. In this type of succulent, the nodes are located on the stem instead of on the leaf. Some succulents in this category include aeoniums, agaves, and haworthias.

To take a stem cutting you will need to be sure you’re including several nodes. Nodes are the part of the plant that can generate new growth, so they are necessary for propagation. There is a node at every part of the plant where a leaf is attached, so if your cutting has at least four or five leaves, it should be fine.

Cut through the stem with sterilized shears or a knife, and remove the lower leaves from the stem. Let it dry, then root the cutting in water or plant it directly in soil. There is no special care needed for newly rooted succulents; you can treat them the same as your established plants.

Watering Succulents

The most common way that people kill their succulents is by watering them too much. Succulents need for their soil to dry out completely before they are watered again, since they can easily develop root problems if they’re kept too wet.

Why is Good Drainage so Important for Keeping Succulents Healthy?

Drainage simply means the ability for water to drain out of the soil in a planter instead of being absorbed by the soil. Of course, some water needs to be absorbed into the soil so the roots can access the water over time. But succulent roots are adapted to dry conditions and can’t survive well in damp soil.

By having good drainage, you can be sure that there are pockets of air inside the soil that help keep the roots from staying too wet. Ensure adequate drainage by only using containers with drainage holes. The potting mix you use should also drain freely and not be too dense and absorbent.

How Can I Tell if My Succulent Needs Water?

There’s not a set schedule that works for every succulent, so it is important to check the soil each time you water. If it feels dry, your succulent should be watered. If the soil is even a little bit moist, wait a couple of days. It is always better to give a succulent too little water instead of too much. You can always add more water if needed, but it’s difficult to remove moisture if you’ve accidentally overwatered.

Symptoms of Underwatering

If your succulent is severely dried out, it will probably start to look shriveled and wrinkly. Some leaves may dry out and fall off. Some parts of the plant may start to turn brown and crispy. If you notice any of these symptoms, give your succulent water right away.

Symptoms of Overwatering

The first visible signs of overwatering show up in the leaves. They may turn yellow or translucent, and feel soft and mushy to the touch. Leaf drop is likely. A more severely overwatered succulent will develop a black, rotting stem and will eventually fall over as the softened stem is unable to support the weight of the plant.

Bringing Your Succulents Home

Congratulations on your new plant! But what should you do with it now?

Hopefully you have already chosen the location where you want to keep your new succulent. In most cases, you can just put the plant there and keep an eye on it to make sure it stays healthy. If you have any concern about disease or pests, it’s a good idea to quarantine the new plant away from your other houseplants until you have confirmed that it’s healthy.

Recovery and Adaptation Time

Succulents are kept in ideal conditions when they’re in a greenhouse or nursery. They get tons of light and are encouraged to grow as quickly as possible. But when you get your plant home, it is suddenly going into conditions that are less than ideal. Our homes are adapted to be comfortable for the people living in them, not for their indoor plants.

Because of this, your succulents may need a period of time to adapt to their new circumstances. Succulents are generally tough, so they don’t usually experience an extreme reaction to a change in environment, but you may see slower growth during this period, or some leaves may fall off. Don’t worry, though, as succulents generally recover within a couple of weeks and suffer no long-term effects.

When to Repot/Water/Fertilize a New Plant

Should you repot or water your new plant as soon as you get it home? What about fertilizer? In general, it is best to wait for the plant to adapt before you make any changes like repotting or fertilizing. Watering is a bit different, since you don’t want to deprive a plant of water if it truly needs it. Check the soil and water if it feels dry, but usually when you purchase a new succulent it won’t be totally dry since the seller should have been watering it on a regular basis.

If you are anxious to repot or fertilize your new plant, wait until it has adapted to your home before making changes. If you are seeing new growth, that’s a good sign that your plant has recovered and settled in. This may take a month or more, depending on the type of succulent, the season, and your home environment.

How to Choose the Right Soil and Container for Succulents

Succulent plants tend to grow in dry areas without a lot of moisture available through their root systems. For that reason, the roots are not adapted to being kept wet for very long. The deciding factors in choosing the right soil and container are that they promote drainage and help avoid root rot.

Best Soil for Succulents

Succulents are resilient and can tolerate a range of different soil types, as long as the soil drains well. Most stores that sell potting soil will have a succulent and cactus mix. The key feature of a soil made for succulents is that it will contain a lot of non-absorbent material such as perlite, vermiculite, or sand. These materials create air pockets around the roots which allow water to flow through the soil easily and keep oxygen flowing around the roots. After watering, roots dry out more quickly since there isn’t moist soil compacted against them.

Best Containers for Succulents

Succulents are efficient at absorbing water through their roots and storing it in their fleshy leaves and stems. Their root systems tend to be shallow, so they do not need a lot of space for their roots to spread out. The most important factors in choosing a container that keeps succulents healthy are drainage and size.

Drainage

Planters for succulents absolutely must have drainage holes. These holes in the bottom of the pot allow excess water to drain out each time the plant is watered. If you want to use a decorative pot that doesn’t have drainage holes, you can drill holes in the bottom or you can use it as a cache pot by placing a plastic nursery pot inside so it is hidden by the more decorative container.

Container Size

The size of the container used for a succulent should allow about 1-2 inches of soil around the root ball. When repotting a root-bound succulent, choose the next size of pot which will usually be 2 inches wider in diameter.

A pot that is too large will hold extra potting soil that is not necessary to support the plant. Too much soil generally holds on to excess moisture in the pot, which can cause problems for your succulent’s roots. It is best to keep the container on the smaller side to keep the plant healthy.