Need a Winter Boost? by Vicky Spelman

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Need a winter boost?  Try growing herbs inside.  Lots of the Gardening Centers have a stock of herbs already planted and growing inside – give them a call a see what is available.

Herbs grown indoors offer many benefits including fragrant foliage, various foliage colors and shapes, & a constant supply of herb leaves for cooking.

Herbs that grow well indoors include: chives, horehound, winter savory.

Herbs that DO NOT grow well in containers include: horseradish, fennel, lovage.

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Unlike common houseplants, herbs need conditions to be just right for optimum growth, or their health will rapidly decline.  Rotate pots often so that each side gets enough light for uniform growth. Most herbs need six hours of direct sunlight - either a sunny location, or 6 to 12 inches from two 40-watt, cool white fluorescent bulbs for 14-16 hours. Rotate pots so each side gets light for uniform growth.

• Keep herbs in rooms that have at least a 65-70°F day and 55-60°F night temperatures.  Although most herbs can survive temps that are in the mid to low 40s, others cannot.
• Herbs also require a proper balance between a humid environment & adequate air circulation.
• Herbs should be grown in containers with a drainage hole & in a potting mix that will aid water drainage.
• Fertilize herbs with a low dose of water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks. A soapy solution, 1-2 tablespoons of a mild soap such as dishwashing soap to 1 gallon of warm water, can be used to control most insect pests. Spray infested plants with the solution once a week while pests are visible. Always wash leaves off before using.
• Repot when roots grow through the drainage hole.
• If you would like to place your herbs in containers outside during the late spring and summer months, acclimate them to higher light levels & intensities produced by the sun. Start by placing pots outdoors in partial shade, & then slowly expose them to more & more light every few days.
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  Penn State Univ – via Ext MG -Prepared by Kathleen M. Kelley, asst. professor of consumer horticulture and Elsa S. Sánchez, asst. professor of horticultural systems mgmt. 
  
  For additional information: Herbs

Gardening Power to the People: Cleaning Your Garden Tools (Video)

January is a great time to prepare your tools for the upcoming gardening season. Master Gardener Gail demonstrates an easy way to sharpen and clean all your devises.

Help! I Got An Orchid For Christmas!

Phalaenopsis orchid, photo courtesy natural orchids.com

Contrary to what you may have heard, orchids are not difficult to grow. With the proper amount of light, water, humidity, temperature and fertilizer, orchids can thrive! Some types of orchids such as Phalaenopsis or Cattleya can be easier to care for.

Use Caution with De-Icing Salts

De-icing salt applicator, photo courtesy overstock.com

Winter is in full swing in Jefferson County! Even though it's been a warm winter, snow and ice are inevitable. In addition to shoveling all that snow, many people also apply de-icing salts to make the walkways safe and passable. While these products can certainly help ensure safe footing in treacherous conditions, they can also damage the landscape plantings that they contact. So – what to do? Protect your footing or protect your plants? It’s possible to do both.

Vanilla Bean Orchid by Vicky Spelman

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Do you do a lot of baking with vanilla?  Ever wonder why it is so expensive?

The cultivation of vanilla is extremely labor-intensive.

House Plants in Wintertime by Vicky Spelman

The Garden Professors FB Page

Houseplants can be a benefit for the winter-weary while we are waiting for Spring.  Here are some tips and myths about caring for houseplants.

1.    The most prevalent myth is that you should always add a layer of gravel or other coarse material at the bottom of pots to improve drainage.  This is a common recommendation.  The water will not move from the finer material to the coarser until the finer soil is completely saturated. 1.    Your entire pot should have the same high-quality soil in it, and nothing else. 

If you need to improve drainage, mix perlite in the soil throughout the pot, making sure there is a drainage hole in the bottom of the pot to avoid having root rot. 

2.    Should you water houseplants on a schedule?  Probably not - your plants may not all need the same watering schedule. Plants often need less water in the cooler, darker days of winter – a plant you water every couple of days in the summer might not need watering for a week in the winter.  Get to know the needs of your plants and watering accordingly and do the 'poke your finger in the soil' to see if it is already moist. 

3.    Do droopy plants always mean it is time to water?  If the finger test mentioned above indicates very dry soil, then you should water that plant.  Double check before you water – plants that are developing root rot due to too much water will also droop, and water is the last thing they need.  

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Excerpt from Article by Irene Shonle, Extension Program Associate, Colorado Master Gardener/Horticulture El Paso County, Native Plant Master.   

Complete article:  CSU-houseplants

Plant Talk will give you information about individual plants:  Planttalk

When Frost Threatens – Take Action by Patti O'Neal

Frost can signal that the end of the gardening season is near – but not necessarily over.
I have a good friend who recently said “I am sick of the garden – I just want it to be over.”  If this is you, then when frost threatens, by all means do a final harvest of the tenders and call it done.  If it’s not you, there are many measures you can take to protect your crops from a killing frost incident, as more times than not, such an incident is followed here by an Indian Summer and at least another month of flower and vegetable enjoyment and harvest.

Fall Gardening Tips Video

Colorado State University Horticulture faculty and graduate students share their best inside information you can use in your garden.
 

Facts, Traditions and Folklore of the Autumnal Equinox

Photo courtesy bouldercast.com

Facts about the autumnal equinox: 

• This year's autumnal equinox is on Monday, September 23, 2019 at 1:50 am MDT in Colorado, marking the first day of fall in the Northern Hemisphere.

• The sun crosses the Earth's equator at the time of the equinox, from the Northern Hemisphere into the Southern Hemisphere.

• During the autumnal equinox, day and night are balanced to about 12 hours each all across the world.

• In the far north, the autumnal equinox signals peak viewing of the aurora borealis or northern lights.The celestial display of brilliantly colored lights happens when charged particles from the sun strike atoms in Earth’s atmosphere, causing them to light up. These light displays peak around the fall and spring equinox. That’s because disturbances in Earth’s atmosphere—known as geomagnetic storms—are strongest at these times.