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Essential Flowers for Christmas

An impressive floral display is a fantastic way to celebrate the Christmas holiday. To create such a display, you’ll need to know about the seven most essential flowers for Christmas (as well as a few other plants to include).

The most popular item in a Christmas display is a Christmas tree. However, this traditional tree is not the only type of plant that can add to the season’s spirit. There are many flowers that are essential for Christmas as well. If using flowers to decorate for Christmas is a foreign concept to you, you’ve come to the right place. This list will introduce you to the best flowers for Christmas.

The 7 Flowers You Should Use to Decorate for Christmas

Below are 7 of the most impressive flowers during the Christmas season. Some of these species are well-known as Christmas essentials, while others may be a bit less familiar. Read on to discover which one you want to use to boost your Christmas decorations.

Poinsettia

The bold splash of red that poinsettias bring is a well-known fixture of the Christmas season. However, it is surprising to learn that it is not this plant’s flower that we have come to know and love. Instead, there is a different part of the plant that is responsible for the iconic red color that poinsettias have.

Poinsettias are in bloom during Christmas, but the true flowers of this plant are relatively small and yellow. The part of the plant that gives it its ornamental value is called a bract. These bracts are large and leaf-like and account for the deep red “flower” shape that these plants are known for.

Amaryllis

If you want a flower that will make a strong statement during the holiday season, look no further than amaryllis. Hailing from Africa, these plants have incredibly large blooms whose deep red color will match the traditional green and red Christmas color theme.

What also makes this plant an ideal option is that it is pretty easy to care for. You will also have some control over when this plant blooms. Try planting an amaryllis about six to eight weeks before Christmas, and you should have some incredible blooms once Christmas day arrives.

Christmas Cactus

A cactus may not be the first type of plant that you associate with Christmas, but that doesn’t mean you can’t work one into your holiday planting display. Christmas cactus is one of three holiday cacti, along with Thanksgiving cactus and Easter cactus, that people often grow as houseplants. Each of those three plants offers bright flowers around the time that their respective holiday occurs.

To give your Christmas cactus the best opportunity to impress your holiday visitors, let it grow in an area that receives indirect light and is relatively humid. This plant will also appreciate the chance to grow in a high-quality soil mix similar to what you would use for a succulent.

Paperwhites

As the name suggests, paperwhite plants bloom with pure white flowers. These flowers sit atop long green stems and can serve as a lovely neutral accent to an otherwise colorful Christmas display.

To use these flowers in your Christmas display, you should start by acquiring some paperwhite bulbs. You can plant those bulbs in soil or in water. Either way, it will take about four weeks for the first blooms to appear.

Cyclamen

Although this plant is hardy in many regions of the United States, it most often grows as an ornamental house plant. Cyclamen has muted green leaves with pale patches of variegation, which complement flowers that are upright, bright, and typically pink.

Cyclamen is another plant that loves to live in a warm, humid place. Often, a well-lit bathroom is a perfect choice for this plant. With the right care, this fall and winter bloomer will be a lovely feature to add holiday cheer.

English Primrose

There are many different types of primrose, and some of those options will bloom in winter just in time for Christmas. English primrose is one of those varieties, and like many primroses, this plant will give you colorful five-petaled flowers.

These flowers form small bunches that are lovely in a Christmas bouquet. Consider including the large leaves of this plant as well if you need to fill in any gaps in your display with some greenery.

Yuletide Camellia

There are few flowers that are more outstanding than those of a Camelia shrub. While this broadleaved evergreen grows outdoors and may not be hardy in all areas of the United States, its beauty alone warrants a spot on our list.

Yuletide Camellia blooms in the winter with rich red flowers with yellow centers. The look of these blooms is so impressive that just a few will go a long way towards making your Christmas flower display look positively joyful.

Other Plants to Include in Your Christmas Display

Our main goal in this article is to show you some of the best flowers for Christmas. Now that we’ve done that, we’d like to introduce you to a few other plants that can help your holiday décor. While these plants don’t have flowers, they remain traditional, valuable features of many Christmas decoration themes.

Holly

Some might argue that no Christmas display is complete without some holly. The leaves of this plant are broad, evergreen, and have a distinctly pointed margin that makes them quite recognizable. It is the texture of those leaves and the bright red fruits of this plant that motivate so many to place a few branches through their homes during the Christmas season.

Mistletoe

In many parts of the world, mistletoe is nearly synonymous with Christmas décor. As many know, this plant is associated with a familiar holiday tradition as well. The practice goes that when two lovers meet under the mistletoe, they are expected to kiss. So if you want to add a classic plant to your display and perhaps inspire some romance at your holiday party, mistletoe is the right choice for you.

Rosemary

Rosemary can serve a dual purpose during the holiday season. As you can guess, this herb will work well to enhance the flavors of some of your favorite holiday dishes. It will also act as décor. Its leaves mimic the bristly nature of a Christmas tree, and its fragrance will give your home an inviting holiday scent.

Winter Pruning: How to Make Your Trees Grow Better in the Next Year

Pruning trees takes time and preparation, and winter is often the best time to get it done. Here, read about why pruning trees in the winter is a smart idea, which species will handle it best, and tips for getting started.

For many gardeners, one of the last tasks of the year is trimming trees. It might seem counterintuitive to prune in chilly weather, but winter is the best time to trim your trees for better growth in the summer. However, not all trees take well to winter pruning, and making the wrong choice can lead to problems for the tree in the long run.

Here’s a closer look at why it’s best to prune trees in the winter, and what you need to know to get started.

Why Prune in the Winter? Six Benefits

There are plenty of reasons to wait to tackle your tree pruning until winter. Here are the most significant advantages of doing so.

1. It’s Possible to Prune During Dormancy

In regions where the weather gets cold in the winter, trees go dormant. This means they stop their growth cycles and wait for warmer conditions to develop leaves and flower buds. Pruning during this dormancy phase means you aren’t hampering the tree’s efforts to put energy towards new growth, and often leads to vigorous growth by springtime.

2. Helps Protect Flower Production

The timing for pruning is crucial when you’re trying to maximize fruit or flower production. When you prune trees before they break dormancy, you run little risk of trimming off developing leaves and buds. This ensures you won’t compromise its production in the spring.

3. Trees are Easier to Shape When the Foliage is Gone

Trimming trees for a desired shape is much easier when the foliage is gone. Winter pruning is more efficient because you can see precisely what cuts are necessary for creating the right structure, and it’s often easier to tell which branches are dying or diseased and need to be removed.

4. Stops Diseases from Spreading

Not only do trees go dormant in the winter, but the pathogens and disease agents that infect them often do too. This means pruning trees in the winter lowers the risk that you’ll spread bacteria, fungi, or parasites from diseased sections to healthy, and helps you remove these trouble spots altogether.

Winter pruning is beneficial for avoiding the spread of Dutch elm disease, oak wilt, and most forms of fire blight.

5. Less Stress for the Trees

When trees get pruned, their natural reaction is to attempt to close the wound and go into overdrive producing new growth. This can lead to problems if water, sunlight, or nutrients are in scarce supply, as it can cause the tree to have a stress response. Worse, it leaves the tree more vulnerable to pathogens that can infect it from the wounds.

In contrast, pruning in winter while the tree is dormant gives it more time to heal the wound before generating new growth.

6. Improves Tree Safety Over Winter

Dead and dying tree limbs pose a real safety risk in the winter. Freezing conditions can cause branches to snap off, which could fall on structures or unsuspecting people below. Taking time to prune in the winter helps keep you and your property protected.

Which Trees Should You Prune in the Winter?

Not all tree species adapt well to winter pruning. Many species that bloom in the early spring should be pruned after their flowers die in the summer. Otherwise, you will cut off the buds and compromise flower production.

Some of the varieties that respond best to winter pruning include the following:

Evergreen shrubs and trees (late winter or early spring)
Shade trees like oak, maple, sweetgum, and katsura (late winter to early spring)
Apple (late winter or early spring)
Azalea (later winter or throughout the growing season)
Stone fruit like cherry, peach, and plum (later winter or early spring)
Dogwood (late winter or early spring)

Cold Weather Pruning Tips

Every tree is unique, so the way you’ll need to prune will depend on the variety you’re working with and your long-term goals for how you want the tree to develop within the space. Even so, there are some standard practices you can follow to set yourself up for success—no matter the variety.

Take time to research the recommended pruning strategy for each variety. The guidelines for pruning fruit trees you plan to harvest from, for instance, are very different than the guidelines for pruning a backyard shade tree.
Plan each cut based on your overall goals for the structure of the tree. Pay attention to the smaller overgrown branches that will block airflow and sunlight to the rest of the tree.
Cut each branch at the node (the place where branches connect to each other) for better tree structure and wound healing.

Prune in dry, mild weather. There’s no reason to freeze when pruning trees, so choose a day when the weather is warmer than average. More important—choose a dry day, so there’s less risk of fungal spores and other disease pathogens spreading and infecting healthy plant tissue.
Trees benefit most from pruning in their first few years because you can remove any branches that aren’t developing as desired to control their overall shape in the long run.
Make clean cuts that minimize the size of the wound to reduce the risk of contamination from pathogens. For extra protection, you can cover the cut site with pruning sealers.
Refrain from pruning too early in the winter. You don’t want the incision point to dry out if the temperature drops.
Prune away all dead and diseased branches first, and clean your tools before moving to healthier portions of the tree.

Pruning trees in the winter is a proven way to improve their health and set them up for vibrant growth by springtime. So long as you research your tree variety ahead of time to ensure it can handle winter pruning, you’ll be setting each tree up for success for the rest of the year.

Four Ways to Water Indoor Plants While on Vacation

Going on vacation is exciting, but how do you keep your indoor plants watered while you’re away? Here are four techniques to keep your plants watered while you’re enjoying your holiday.

Planning a vacation is exciting and there’s much to do before you head off for a relaxing holiday. But have you thought about your indoor plants? Unfortunately, many plants can’t go more than a few days without being watered, which can be problematic if you’re planning for a longer vacation.

Obviously, if you have a trusted friend or neighbor who can come and water your plants, then you’re set. But what if this isn’t an option?

Lucky for you, there are several techniques that you can utilize to keep your plants watered while you’re away. Below are four popular options that people use to keep their plants watered. The best option for you will depend on the type of plants you own as well as the duration of your vacation.

1. Place Your Plants In The Bathtub Or Laundry Sink

This method works well if you only plan to be away for a week or so. Here’s what to do:

With this method, the soil will absorb the water through the drainage holes at the bottom of the container. Your plants will then draw up the moisture with their roots when they need it. Of course, you need to ensure that there’s adequate light in your bathroom for your plants to survive and that the pots have drainage holes for the water to be soaked up.

Do not do this for succulents or cacti as they cannot tolerate sitting in water or wet soil for very long.

2. Set Up A Simple Wick System

This option is ideal if you only have a few plants. You can adapt this system for a larger collection of plants by using a larger container, but it does require you to put all your plants in one area.

Here’s how to water your plants with a simple wick system:

For a single plant, find a container around the same size as your plant pot.
Fill the container with water.
Find a suitable wick. This could be a piece of rope, twine, thick yarn, or any fabric that absorbs water. If you only have a very thin cord, you can braid this to make it thicker.
Water your plant thoroughly and let the excess drain away.
Place the water container next to the plant.
Put one end of the wick into the container of water, making sure it goes all the way to the bottom. Bury the other end in the soil of the plant. It should be buried around 2 inches (5 cm) deep into the soil in the pot.

The wick will now constantly replenish the water in the soil. Just make sure that your container is large enough to hold enough water for the duration of your vacation.

If you have many plants, you can use the same system but need a larger water container. You’ll also need a separate wick for each plant that needs watering.

3. Create A Simple Drip System For Each Plant

For this option, you’re going to need several empty soda bottles, one for each plant. Here’s how to create a simple drip system:

Drill a few small holes into the cap of the soda bottle.
Fill the bottle with water and screw the cap back on.
Thoroughly water your plants and let the excess water drain away.
Upend the bottle and bury it into the top inch or so of soil. Make sure that the bottle is secure and will not fall out.

The water will slowly drip out of the holes in the cap and water your plant as it needs it. You can also purchase ceramic or terracotta spikes that you attach to the top of the bottle in place of the cap. These spikes have holes in them that let the water drip out slowly into the potting mix.

Another option is to purchase some glass watering globes from your local garden center. These look a lot more attractive and can be used even when you’re not away.

Remember, though, that these may run out of water if you’re going to be away for an extended time, so it’s best to test them first before you leave. This will let you know exactly how long the water will last for each plant.

4. Make A Capillary Mat

You can purchase capillary mats at your local garden center, or you can make your own with this method. These work with the capillary action that draws water from a reservoir into the mat. Once your plants are placed on the mat, the roots will draw up the moisture through the drainage holes in the pot.

Here’s how to make your own capillary mat:

Find a large tray or plastic tub that will accommodate all your plants.
Cut a piece of Styrofoam around one inch thick to fit the top of the container. Leave around one inch free on both ends of the tray. The Styrofoam should be a little larger than the long edges of the tub so that it’s sitting above the water.
Find a piece of absorbent fabric that will fit over the Styrofoam and hang down into the water on both ends of the tub or tray. An old towel will work well for this.

Fill the tray with water and make sure that the fabric is wet.
Place the fabric over the Styrofoam and make sure both ends are well submerged in the water.
Thoroughly water your plants and let the excess drain away.
Place your plants on top of the fabric. The fabric or towel will act as a wick to water the roots through the container’s drainage holes.

Do not use this method for succulents or cacti as their roots cannot tolerate sitting in water. However, most succulents and cacti should be able to survive a few weeks without being watered. Just give them a drink before you go, and they should be fine.

The Four Best Birth Flowers for Capricorns

Capricorns are ambitious, responsible, and hard-working. They have no fear in putting in the work and dedication needed to achieve their goals. In this post, you can find a few Capricorn birth flowers that match these traits.

Capricorns stand out for their ambition and determination when pursuing their goals. If you’re lucky enough to have a birthday between December 22nd and January 20th, then you probably use these awesome attributes to your advantage every day. If only there was a flower that could perfectly celebrate the responsible and hardworking nature of a Capricorn.

The good news is, there are a few Capricorn birth flowers that can do just that. Each of these flowers is beautiful in its own right, but they also have a special connection to the Capricorn sign. This article will introduce you to a few of these fantastic Capricorn birth flowers and share a few reasons why they are so fitting for a Capricorn’s personality.

4 Birth Flowers for Capricorn and What they Mean

Pansies for Ambition

The most prominent trait of Capricorns is their strong ambition. If you know a Capricorn, you can likely attest that they are often striving for new goals that others might find too lofty. Little can curb a Capricorn’s desire to achieve such goals, and they are often the first to set out into new territories to pursue their dreams.

In many ways, the same can be said of pansies. These small but brilliant annuals bloom early in the season while many other flowering plants are still forming their buds. That early arrival and long-lasting vibrance are what make this flower such an excellent match for a Capricorn.

Pansies are also a good fit for the ambitious gardener. Unlike perennials that will return every year with little effort, annuals like pansies require a bit more attention. Each year, you’ll need to take time to arrange and plant your pansies in your garden beds. But if you have the drive and are willing to put in the work, you can enjoy these pretty flowers for nearly the entire season.

Night-Blooming Jasmine for Humility

Although Capricorns aim high when it comes to goal setting, that does not mean they make a big show of their skills and successes. Instead, Capricorns are far more likely to display modesty in their day-to-day life. While they can come across as somewhat cold, the true reason why Capricorn is likely to act introverted is that they have a lot of humility.

Night-blooming jasmine is the most suitable plant to represent the humility of Capricorns. There is no better proof of this than the flower’s habit of blooming at night. Rather than displaying its beauty during the day for all to see, much like a modest Capricorn, they tend to keep their most striking qualities a secret to the outside world.

The same can be said of the night-blooming jasmine’s fragrance. Much like the pleasing petals of this plant’s flowers, the pleasant scent they give off is a hidden treat as well. Only those who seek out this plant at night will get to enjoy that astounding fragrance. In the same way, only those who get past a Capricorns humility will find out how truly impressive they are.

African Violets for Reliability

Being friends with a Capricorn has a lot of benefits, one of which is reliability. This sign is known to be extremely loyal to those they care about. When it comes to reliability in serving the needs of others, few can compete with Capricorn. That steadfast devotion and sense of duty deserve a flower that can deliver on similar promises.

African violets are suitable for this role as they are one of the most reliable flowers you can find. In flower arrangements, this flower’s blooms can last for several weeks, while others will fade far more quickly. When grown in a garden, the longevity of African violets is even more impressive. With the right care, these plants can give you dependable blooms for half a century or more.

If you want to grow African violets of your own, you’ll need to display a bit of the reliability and conscientious care that Capricorns have so much of. At first African violets can be somewhat difficult to maintain. But if you can give them the right quality of soil and the right degree of sun exposure, these plants will reward you with deep violet blooms for years on end.

Carnation for Persistence

Setting a goal is not enough for a Capricorn. Once they have an idea in their mind, they are ready to put in all the hard work necessary to make it a reality. They show an extremely high degree of diligence and discipline that just about anyone would find impressive. That work ethic arises from the sense of persistence that is inherent to the Capricorn personality.

Carnations are a flower that can also show that same degree of persistence. These flowers will live on in a vase longer than nearly any other cut flower. That perseverance is akin to what Capricorns show when they have their eyes locked on a prize. Like a carnation, a Capricorn will be slow to fade even while others have long since given up.

When growing carnations of your own, you’ll experience a similar level of dedication from this plant. Although they bloom in late spring, carnations will hold their flowers for most of the summer as well. So long as you remain dedicated to your gardening maintenance as well, you’ll have the joy of colorful carnations in your garden for most of the growing season.

How to Prevent Your Indoor Plants From Becoming Leggy in the Winter

The stressors of winter can make our beloved houseplants leggy and weak. Legginess occurs when plants are desperate to reach the sunlight and nutrients they need to survive. This article will discuss the symptoms and causes of legginess as well as how to prevent it.

Keeping indoor plants lush and healthy during the winter is difficult for many people. The harsher conditions of winter, such as dry air and less light, can stress out plants and affect their growth habits.

One way that plants adapt during this time is by becoming leggy. In an effort to survive, plants will stretch out and grow toward the little light or nutrients they can detect. Unfortunately, this results in weak, brittle, and leggy growth.

In the sections below, you will learn everything about leggy growth, including the symptoms, causes, and how to prevent it. After reading this article, you will know how to treat leggy growth in your plants and prevent it in the future.

How Do You Tell If Your Indoor Plants Are Becoming Leggy?

Most people don’t identify leggy growth until it has become quite noticeable. But if you want to catch it before it becomes severe, you should look out for the following symptoms.

Weak growth that is elongated toward sunlight
New growth that is weak and floppy
Weak stems that have no firmness or structure.
Stems and growth topple over sides of the pot
New growth is yellow or white instead of green

Vigilance is the best way to prevent your plants from becoming too leggy. By noticing the symptoms right away, you can immediately treat your plant with what it needs to prevent the legginess from becoming worse.

What Causes Plants To Become Leggy?

Many factors can cause plants to become too leggy. Unfortunately, all these factors can easily come into play during wintertime. Below are the four most common reasons why houseplants become leggy in the winter.

Too little light: Plants need sunlight in order to successfully perform photosynthesis and survive. When plants are not receiving enough light, they will grow tall and in odd directions to access the little light they can detect.
Too much or too little water: Providing your plants with either too much or too little water will cause uneven growth. This can result in some stems becoming weak and leggy.
Too much fertilizer: Fertilizer can exacerbate legginess as it encourages plants to grow even when they shouldn’t be. If your plants are already leggy due to lack of sun or water, adding fertilizer will only worsen the problem.
Overcrowding: Some plants can grow quite bushy and become overcrowded in their pots. This means that some stems will receive more light and nutrients than others. The stems that are missing out will try and grow up and outward to gain access to more sunlight. This can easily make the stems weaker and leggier.

How To Prevent Your Plants From Becoming Leggy

Luckily, there are several things you can do to prevent your indoor plants from becoming leggy. The important thing is to ensure that your plants get ample sun, water, and pruning. Below are some suggestions to ensure your plants receive everything they need for even, healthy growth during the winter.

Provide your plants with plenty of light: Placing your plants near a bright window is the best way to prevent legginess. However, make sure to check your plant’s light requirements to ensure it is getting the right amount.
Rotate your plants every time you water them: When you rotate your plants, you’re allowing all sides of the plant to face the light on a regular schedule. This will ensure the plant grows evenly.
Install artificial grow lights: Sometimes, there’s just not enough available sunlight in winter for your plants to achieve optimal growth. In this situation, you might need to install a grow light or two to supplement the light that the plant needs.
Repot your plants before winter: Repotting your plants with a new, fresh potting mix will provide them with the nutrients they need over the colder months. Make sure you do this in late summer or early fall to give your plants enough time to recover from the shock before the colder weather hits.
Prune your plant regularly during the growing season: Keeping your plant well-pruned ensures even growth and avoids those long leggy bits from taking over. This also helps prevent the overcrowding that often contributes to the legginess of a plant.

Pinch back the growing tips of plant stems: Pinching back new growth enables the plant to become bushier and eliminates that long leggy growth. When you pinch out the growth tip, it forces the plant to create two new growth tips at either side of the stem below the cut that you’ve made. This is a great way to make your plant bushier and avoid long, leggy growth.
Increase the humidity: During the winter, the air inside homes is much drier due to the constant use of artificial heating. Unfortunately, this means that houseplants are not getting the humidity that they need and often results in weak growth. To solve this problem, either use a humidifier or mist your plants regularly.

Following the tips in this article will ensure that your plants remain nice and healthy over winter and don’t develop any leggy growth. Make sure your plant is getting the sun, water, and nutrients it needs so that it continues to grow evenly.

How to Force a Bulb To Bloom Inside Your Home

If you want to enjoy flowers indoors this winter, it’s possible to force bulbs to bloom. Follow these steps to get suitable bulbs and learn how to take care of them until they are ready to blossom in your home.

If you’re sick of winter and want a sense of spring indoors, forcing bulbs to bloom inside is an easy way to enjoy fresh flowers. Though it sounds challenging, tricking bulbs into blooming is easier than most people think and involves minimal materials and maintenance.

Here’s how to get started.

Why Force a Bulb to Flower?

Forcing a bulb to bloom is a proven strategy to enjoy flowers indoors, no matter the weather. By placing the bulbs in water or another growth medium, you can trick them into thinking that winter is over and it’s time to start sprouting.

This lets you enjoy flowers on your own timeline, no matter what the outside weather is doing. If you want to fill your home with floral scents or have fresh flowers available for a wintry event, forcing bulbs to bloom is an ideal solution.

What Types of Bulbs Can You Force to Flower?

Many different types of bulbs work well for forcing blooms. Common choices include crocuses, amaryllis, hyacinths, daffodils, paperwhites, irises, snowdrops, and tulips. Just keep in mind that some flowers, such as paperwhites, have a strong scent that may be overpowering indoors.

When purchasing bulbs for forcing into bloom, it’s best to seek out local plant nurseries that can verify that the bulbs are fresh. Most will also have a wide variety of pre-chilled bulbs to choose from, which will save you time before flowering.

Planting the Bulbs

The first step is prepping your bulbs for blooming. It’s possible to use gravel, water, or potting soil for this process.

Gravel

Place gravel along the bottom of a container and arrange the bulbs within it. Fill it with water until the bottom of the bulbs are just barely covered.

Potting Mix

Select a pot with a drainage hole and with room for at least 3-4” of space below the bulbs for root growth. Ceramic or terra cotta tend to work best because they don’t hold onto moisture that could rot the bulb.

Pour a soilless potting mix into the pot, and slowly add water until the mix is moist but not soggy. You want the pot to be about three-quarters full. Place the bulbs in the mix and add more potting mix until they are covered by about a half an inch. Water thoroughly, and monitor regularly to ensure the mix stays moist.

Water

It’s possible to use special bulb-forcing vases to provide a 360-degree view of the blooming bulb. You’ll place the bulb within the top of the glass and add enough water that it just touches the bottom of it.

Note that this method works best for pre-chilled bulbs.

About Chilling Bulbs

Before most bulbs will sprout, they need to undergo several weeks of a cooling period that mimics winter.

Note: Some tropical varieties, like amaryllis or paperwhite, don’t require chilling. You can also purchase pre-chilled bulbs to skip this step entirely.

It’s possible to chill bulbs in an empty vegetable drawer of your fridge or an unheated garage or basement. Outdoor cold frames also work well.

Keep the bulbs cool for the first few weeks (ideally between 40-60°F or 4-15°C) before putting them in a slighter cooler location. This mimics the transition from fall to winter. Moisture levels are very important during this time, so check your pots every few weeks and add water when the soil is dry. You want it lightly moist, but not soaked.

Chill times vary based on the bulb variety, but most range from 8 to 16 weeks.

For example,

Maintaining Bulbs

At the end of the variety’s chill time, you should start to notice signs of fleshy white root growth. Don’t make decisions based on any shoots growing from the top of the bulb, as root formation better indicates how well the bulb is developing. If roots aren’t appearing, keep the bulbs chilling longer.

Once roots are established, and the bulbs have sprouted the first few inches, you can move them to a warmer, sunnier place to encourage more growth. A bright indoor windowsill works well. More light exposure will encourage the bulb to develop sturdy, compact stems and leaves instead of thin, spindly ones that are prone to flopping over.

Most bulbs should start blooming within two to five weeks after moving from a cold spot to a warm one. As the bulb starts to produce a bud, you may want to increase the watering from weekly to daily.

Once you have flowers, it’s wise to move the pots out of direct sunlight and into a cooler room to prolong the life of the bloom. Even so, expect forced bulb flowers to last for less time than the same bulb would bloom outdoors.

You can keep the flowers as they are for a beautiful display or consider cutting them and making floral arrangements. So long as you keep them in water, the flowers will stay vibrant for several days.

After the Bloom Fades

Once the blooms wither, it’s time to toss the bulbs. Alternatively, you can save the bulbs to plant outdoors once the threat of frost is gone. Just know that it might take two years before this bulb will grow again. Some varieties take better to replanting than others—you’re most likely to have luck with daffodils and crocuses, while tulips will rarely bloom again in these conditions.

Forcing bulbs to bloom indoors takes some planning, but you will be well rewarded for your efforts with gorgeous flowers at times when nature wouldn’t provide them. Prep some bulbs for indoor blooming today, and you’ll be enjoying indoor flowers in just a few weeks.

Learn How to Fertilize Your Orchid

Orchids need nutrients just like other houseplants, but they can be very sensitive to food and water. Here’s how to safely fertilize your orchids.

To get your orchid to re-blossom, one of the most important things you can do is fertilize it correctly. Like other houseplants, orchids need nutrients for growth, but they can be pretty sensitive to fertilizer applications. Instead of giving them too much plant food, these tender plants will do much better by being slightly underfed.

Why do orchids need fertilization?

In nature, orchids grow attached to trees or logs, not down on the ground with their roots in the soil. Native to tropical jungles and rainforests, the roots pull humidity from the air and absorb nutrients from the bark on the tree or dust that lands in proximity.

Because of their native origins, to cultivate orchids for indoor growth, many types are grown in a medium like bark chips or sphagnum moss. Unlike soil, these growing substrates do not have as much organic matter that breaks down and releases nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium over time. Therefore, you must supplement orchid plants with fertilizer to get essential nutrients for metabolic cellular processes, growth, and flowering.

How often to fertilize orchids

When it comes to fertilizing your orchids, you can break their growth cycle into three periods: active vegetative growth, flowering, and resting or dormancy. The plants have different fertilizer needs during each of those three periods.

Active growth period

During the active growth phase, which occurs just before blossoming, the plant needs the greatest amount of fertilizer. Fertilizing during this period encourages the plant to put up new stems and develop flower buds that will allow the orchid to bloom again. This period is when the plant grows the most and stores energy to put up new stems and to develop flower buds.

When the plant is actively growing, it can be fertilized weekly or every other week. Many orchid growers follow the “weakly, weekly” approach — giving plants a small dose of fertilizer when they water weekly versus a larger amount once or twice a month.

Flowering period

Active growth slows when the flower buds open, meaning orchids expend less energy during blossoming and need less fertilizer. Therefore, it is recommended you avoid fertilizing plants when they are blooming. In some cases, fertilization can cause premature bloom loss.

Resting period

After the blooms have dropped off your orchid, the plant needs to build up its energy reserves in preparation for the active growth phase that follows. At this same time, autumn or winter temperatures begin to drop, and the day shortens in length. In turn, orchids will considerably slow down their growth to rest and store nutrients.

Fertilize your orchid every two to four weeks during the resting period at a reduced dosage rate.

Choosing a fertilizer

You can purchase a fertilizer specially formulated for orchids, or you can use all-purpose plant food. There are both granular and liquid fertilizers available; liquid fertilizers come in ready-to-use formulas and in concentrated forms that need to be diluted in water.

If you choose an all-purpose plant food, ensure that it contains equal amounts of N-P-K, such as a 20-20-20 product. Nitrogen is needed for leaf growth; phosphorus promotes healthy root growth and bud development; potassium increases plant defenses against environmental stress and helps maintain overall health. It is also essential to choose a product that contains micronutrients too. These trace elements help perform many vital functions in the plant.

Just be careful to avoid any product that contains urea to prevent burning the roots.

Step by step instructions for fertilizing your orchid

These instructions are for fertilizing weekly when the orchid is actively growing, putting on vegetative growth. If you fertilize every two weeks, you can mix the fertilizer solution twice as strong; follow the application dosage recommendations on the product label for monthly fertilization.

Mix the fertilizer at one-quarter the strength listed on the container, making sure there is at least 50% water in the solution. Use rainwater if possible or filtered or distilled water. If you have municipally treated water, allow the chlorine to dissipate for 24 hours before using it to mix fertilizer.
Remove the plastic orchid container from its decorative pot (if it has a pretty container), and place it in the sink, a saucer, or a shallow dish.

Give the excess water time to drain out of the growing substrate. If using a saucer to collect the water, dump the excess solution from the tray, so it isn’t reabsorbed back into the growing medium through the drainage holes.

Tips for fertilizing

When fertilizing at stronger doses — half strength or above — water the growing medium slightly before applying fertilizer. When orchid roots are dry, the higher fertilizer rates can burn them.
Over time, chemical salts from the fertilizer will form a white crust on the top of the growing substrate. Periodically flush excess fertilizer salts from the growing medium using distilled, filtered, or rainwater.
Never fertilize your orchid if it has a pest infestation, is struggling with a disease problem, or the roots are damaged.
Avoid using slow-release fertilizers for your orchid. The nutrients in these products are meant to be released over time to give plants periodic doses of food. But when grown in a soilless medium, there is nothing for the nutrients to bind to, and they just get flushed out of the container before the roots can use them.
If the leaves of your orchid become dark in color and begin to look floppy, scale back on fertilizing. These are typical symptoms of overfertilization.

How to Design an Efficient Vegetable Garden

A vegetable garden isn’t just fun to have; it should be productive and reward you at the end of the season. This article will discuss how to utilize sunlight, space, and other factors to design a highly efficient vegetable garden.

Growing your own vegetable garden is a fun and rewarding task. However, it can be disappointing if your plants aren’t as efficient or productive as you had hoped. Research and planning ahead are crucial to maximize the efficiency of your vegetable garden to ensure that all your hard work pays off.

There are many factors to consider when designing a vegetable garden. Layout, weather, space, and companion plants all affect the productivity of your plants. This article will discuss how to use these factors in your favor to design a highly efficient vegetable garden.

Take Advantage of Sunlight

The presence of plentiful sunlight is the first element you need for an efficient garden. Therefore, before you can begin designing, you’ll need to find a suitable location with enough sunlight for your vegetables. You should aim for a site that receives at least six hours of sunlight per day.

However, keep in mind that choosing a good location is not enough. You’ll need to arrange the plants in your garden to best take advantage of that sunlight.

Aligning your garden rows along a north/south axis is the best way to make use of the sunlight that reaches your plot. When plant rows run from east to west, there is a greater chance that plants next to each other will shade one another in the morning and evening. With a north-to-south row, your plants have a better opportunity to receive an even amount of light each day.

Create a Neat Layout

All gardens are most efficient when designed with a neat and orderly layout. By creating an efficient layout early on, you’ll have an easier time accessing and tending to your plants once they are in the soil.

Your garden layout should ensure that your plants get everything they need to thrive but should also allow you to work and navigate without any issues. The garden beds should have access to plenty of sunlight and have enough space so that your plants aren’t overcrowded. The paths need to be wide enough to navigate with minimal effort.

Remember, your primary goal here is practicality, not aesthetics. Create a design that will not only improve the efficiency of your plants but also help you work in your garden easily without any setbacks.

Attend to the Needs of Each Plant

The best way to increase the efficiency of your plants is to know the precise needs of each one. You need to know the ideal amounts of sunlight, water, and fertilizer that each plant needs to ensure that they thrive and are most efficient.

While it will take some time to learn this information about all your plants, especially if you have a large garden, it is well worth the effort. Once you know the conditions that will make for the most vigorous growth of your vegetables, you are well on your way towards having a highly efficient garden

Companion Planting

Another tactic that is crucial to understand is companion planting. Companion planting involves finding groups of plants that are beneficial to one another, then planting them together in the same garden bed. At times, companion plants will share similar growth requirements. In other cases, they help each other ward off pests and diseases. In either case, companion plants will improve the efficiency of your garden.

Use Vertical Space

One of the best ways to increase the efficiency of your garden is to make the most out of the space that you have. This is crucial if you have a smaller garden. You’ll need to be creative to ensure that every part of your garden is working efficiently.

Going vertical is one of the best ways to do this. One of the most popular ways to utilize space is by using a trellis. Trellises allow you to plant climbing plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans. This means that you have more plants producing vegetables without taking up more space in your yard.

Before making your vegetable garden, it is also critical to know about the benefits of raised garden beds. In nearly all cases, raised beds give you greater control over the plants in your garden. Rather than relying on local soil conditions, you can fill a raised bed with high-quality, nutrient-rich soil that your plants will love. Creating such ideal conditions will help you get more out of your garden than you otherwise would.

Study Permaculture Principles

The pieces of advice above are enough to help you design a vegetable garden that is more efficient than you might expect. But there are other methods available if you want to take that efficiency to the next level.

One of the best ways to boost the long-term efficiency of a garden is to understand and employ the fundamental principles of permaculture. This practice relies on developing systems within your garden that support one another and eventually become self-sufficient.

The topic of permaculture is too large to discuss fully here. But know that combining the wisdom of permaculture with the insights of this article will be one of the best ways to design an efficient vegetable garden.

Flowers Brighten Your Room in This Winter

Winter can be a dreary time of year. What better way to add some cheer during this season than by bringing winter-flowering plants into your home? Here are some of the best indoor plants that flower during the colder months.

Though winter can bring up feelings of coziness and warmth, it can also be a dreary time of year. Long nights and cold temperatures keep people indoors all season, making it feel as though winter is dragging on and on.

However, one great way to add brightness and cheer to the season is by bringing some flowering plants into your home. While most plants bloom in spring and summer, some species naturally bloom during the colder months of the year. Other plants can be forced into blooming whenever you want, making them especially great options for winter holidays.

This article will introduce you to some of the most popular plants to bloom in winter. You will also learn how to give them the right care to keep their flowers looking beautiful.

Winter-Blooming Houseplants

This first category of winter-blooming indoor plants can be grown year-round as houseplants. Some of them bloom during the winter, while others flower continually, regardless of the season.

Cyclamen

Cyclamen is a compact houseplant with attractive foliage and beautiful flowers that come in white, red, pink, or purple hues. These flowers can last for the whole winter season, provided the plant is given the right conditions. Cyclamen typically go dormant in the summer but can return and bloom again the following autumn.

The key to keeping this plant happy during the winter is to provide cool temperatures and bright light. Since Cyclamen prefer temperatures lower than an average home (40°F to 55°F at night and 60°F to 70°F during the day), it works best to grow them in an unheated room or near an uninsulated window.

Peace Lily

Peace lilies are popular houseplants since they thrive in low-light areas that may not suit many other species. They feature glossy, dark-green foliage and flower readily. Their flowers are white, cuplike blooms called spathes.

However, peace lilies are not actually lilies but rather members of the Araceae family. Their common name comes from their resemblance to real lily flowers.

Most peace lily cultivars bloom in late winter and continue through spring. Winter temperatures around 60°F to 65°F trigger the plant to start blooming. Keep your peace lily evenly moist (but not wet) and provide fertilizer, if needed, to boost the chances of it flowering.

African Violet

African violets have a reputation for being fussy, but once you nail down a care routine, they are no more demanding than other houseplants. They come in a range of colors, sizes, and styles, meaning almost anyone should be able to find an African violet that suits their tastes.

To get an African violet to bloom, the temperature should stay consistently between 70°F to 80°F during the day and about 5°F cooler at night. They need plenty of bright, indirect sunlight. Fertilizer can be used, but only when the plant is actively growing. If your home doesn’t get enough sunlight in the winter, use a grow light to encourage blooming.

Christmas Cactus

Schlumbergera species are variously referred to as Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter cactus, or by their other scientific name, Zygocactus. As their common names imply, Schlumbergera varieties produce blossoms during the times of year that correspond to the winter and early spring holidays.

These plants are easy to keep alive and come in several colors including bright red, purple, pink, and white. Schlumbergera’s exotic-looking blooms develop in response to longer periods of darkness as the days get shorter in winter and cooler nighttime temperatures. The flowers can last as long as two to three weeks, making this plant a lovely showpiece when it blooms.

Forcing Bulbs

A second option for long-lasting blooms during the winter is to force some bulbs. This method (also called coaxing) involves tricking a bulb into blooming by replicating the conditions that trigger the process. These spring blooms last longer than cut flowers, and many varieties emit a lovely scent.

Types Of Bulbs

The easiest types of bulbs to use are amaryllis and paperwhites because they don’t require chilling. Other bulbs, such as hyacinths, Muscari (grape hyacinth), tulips, and crocus, require a cold period for multiple weeks to signal to the bulb that it is time to bloom. The amount of time for each type will vary, so check with your garden center when you purchase bulbs.

How To Chill Bulbs

You can leave bulbs to chill outside, in an unheated basement or garage, or in a refrigerator. The bulbs should not be allowed to freeze during the chilling period, but the temperature shouldn’t be much higher than 40°F.

It is possible to buy pre-chilled bulbs, but you may not know exactly when they will bloom. If you need flowers at a specific time, chilling them yourself allows you to control the timing.

Be aware that it can take as long as 15 weeks, so plan ahead. For continuous flowers, you may want to chill several bulbs at different times so you always have some ready to bloom.

At the end of the chilling period, roots should begin to emerge. If there are no roots, give the bulbs more time before planting.

How to Force Bulbs To Bloom In Winter

Forcing bulbs can be done using standard household potting soil or in a container filled with water. If you use the water method, chill the bulbs first. If you use the soil method, plant the bulbs and then chill them in their containers.

After the appropriate chilling time, follow these steps to force bulbs in water:

Place marbles or gravel in the bottom of your container to hold the bulbs in place.
Fill the container with water high enough so that just the roots are submerged.
Place the container in a sunny location.
Top off the water levels so the roots never dry out. Soon, longer roots will emerge and growth will sprout from the top of the bulb.

As long as you keep the water level consistent, your bulbs should produce flowers within a matter of weeks.

To force bulbs in soil, follow the below steps:

Put a layer of regular potting mix into the bottom of a container with drainage holes. Be sure there will be several inches of space for roots to grow.
Plant the bulbs (close together, if putting multiple bulbs in one pot), covering them with about half an inch of potting mix. Water thoroughly.
Chill for the appropriate length of time, depending on your bulb type.
When the chilling period is over, there should be enough roots that they are starting to emerge from the drainage holes. If not, return them to chill longer.
Place the rooted bulbs into a bright, cool room. Water when the soil is dry.
Flowers should emerge within two to three weeks.

Depending on what kind of bulbs you use, your forced blooms may last only a few days or as long as several weeks. Many bulbs are annuals and, therefore, will be spent after they bloom. However, there are perennial options available that can bloom year after year.

Winter Is the Best Time to Transplant Trees and Shrubs

Transplanting trees and shrubs is a smart way to change up your landscaping without spending lots of money. But digging up trees at the wrong time of year risks damaging them. Transplant during the winter for the most success. Here’s how.

As the weather starts to turn cold, you might begin to look at your landscaping in new ways. Trees and shrubs that never bothered you before may suddenly seem out of place once they lose their leaves. The good news is that winter is the right time to transplant perennial trees and shrubs to other parts of your yard.

However, moving an established tree is a challenging project. Going about the process the wrong way will do more damage than good, and you might be left needing to buy new plants in the spring.

Here’s a guide to successfully transplanting trees and shrubs to give them the best chance of surviving the winter and beyond.

Planting vs. Transplanting

Despite what many people think, planting and transplanting are two different processes. Planting is the act of putting a plant in the ground that wasn’t in the ground before. There’s no root damage because you didn’t dig it up from where it was already established.

In contrast, transplanting involves digging up an established plant and moving it from one part of ground to another. Even though you’ll dig a large hole, the odds are good that you’ll damage the plant roots in the process. This makes transplanting a traumatic process for plants, and it needs to happen at the correct times of year to reduce the risk of damage.

When is the Best Time to Transplant?

It’s generally best to transplant trees and shrubs in the late fall and winter, when the plants are entering dormancy.

Throughout the summer, trees rely on their roots to funnel water through the branches to trigger growth and leaf production. Transplanting while the root system is active cuts off the plant’s water access and causes it to suffer transplant shock. Some never recover.

But if you transplant during dormancy, you won’t disrupt this water flow because the plant isn’t actively producing new leaves and branches. You also give the plant more time to recover from the transplanting process before entering a growth stage again.

Plants will enter dormancy after a hard frost, when temperatures dip below freezing for several hours. After this point, they are safe for transplanting.

How to Transplant Trees and Shrubs

Transplanting will set up your trees and shrubs for success or failure, so it’s essential to follow the correct process to give them the best shot of thriving in their new location.

Choose Carefully

First, consider the physical size of the plant you want to transplant. The larger the plant, the more it will struggle when removed from the ground. It’s wise to only transplant trees that have a main trunk that’s smaller than one inch or two centimeters in diameter. Any larger, then you should consider working with a landscaping service for professional help.

Prune and Tie Up Lower Branches

Once you’ve selected appropriately sized trees or bushes, prune away any old stems along the soil line and tie up the lowest branches. This prevents them from getting in the way when you’re digging.

Start Digging!

Dig a trench that circles the plant but keeps several feet of distance from the main stem. Use a sharp, clean shovel so you sever the roots without creating large wounds.

After you’ve circled the plant with this ditch, angle the shovel at a 45-degree angle to start digging the roots out of the ground. Sizes will vary, but you can plan on about 11” or 12” of root ball for every inch diameter of the main stem. Try to get it out of the ground with as much soil attached to it as possible.

Clean Up the Root Ball

Once you have the plant out of the ground, move it to a container or onto burlap to rest before placing it in its new planting location. If it’s going to be several days or weeks before replanting, cover the roots with the burlap as if you were wrapping a present, and use pinning nails to hold it in place. This helps prevent the roots from drying out.

Prep the Planting Space

Go to where you plan to transplant, and dig a hole that’s two or three times the diameter of the root ball but no deeper than its height. You don’t want to bury the main stem any deeper than it was previously in the ground. Otherwise, you’re putting it at risk of rotting.

Note: Don’t add any fertilizer to the hole, as it can prevent the tree roots from branching out into the nearby soil and harm its growth in the long run.

Place and Plant the Tree or Shrub

Once the planting hole is ready, place the transplant in the middle and begin refilling it with the dirt you dug out. Keep the main stem straight, and pack the soil down tightly around the root ball.

You can apply a few inches of organic mulch on the soil’s surface, taking care to leave spacing around the main stem, so you don’t encourage rot. Thoroughly water the plant after transplanting.

Water and Monitor Over Time

For the next few weeks, water the plant enough to keep the soil moist but not saturated, and monitor for signs of stress. The plant should remain dormant until the weather warms again in the spring, at which point you’ll see new growth starting to form.

Plan Your Transplanting for the Winter

Transplanting trees and shrubs is a cost-effective way to change your landscaping and improve the appearance of your yard. Take care to do the process right, and you’ll ensure your plants have the best possible chance of thriving in their new location.

Do the work today, and by springtime, you’ll be more than happy you put in the effort.