What Grows There :: Hugh Conlon, Horticulturalist, Garden Advisor, and Photographer

Triggering Flowering Response In Bromeliads

Posted by Hugh on December 21st, 2012

Brightly Colored Bromeliad at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, Gastonia, NC

Bromeliads flower only once. Their brightly colored flowers are mostly “bracts” or modified leaves. Small flowers are nestled within these attractive bracts. Once a bromeliad has flowered it no longer produces new leaves. The colorful bracts (flowers) may last 3 or more months and are cut off once it looks unsightly. Several months later, new young plants, called offshoots or “pups”, form at the base of the mother plant.

The mother plant will form one or several pups at the base. When each pup grows and is big enough, generally 3-5 inches wide, carefully cut off each one with clean razor sharp utility knife or pruners. Plant eachin a separate pot. The pup may require support until few roots have formed. Within 4-6 weeks pups should become better anchored and form the central cup or basin characteristic to bromeliads.

Individual pups may take 2 years or more to reach flowering stage.
In a home environment a young bromeliad may be artificially forced to flower by exposure to natural ethylene gas. An apple or banana gives off ethylene gas as it decomposes. Make certain that the bromeliad’s central cup is dry before starting. The forcing procedure is quite simple: place the plant inside a transparent, airtight plastic bag with a ripe apple for nearly 10 days. Depending on the type of bromeliad you are growing, flowering will be initiated within 6-12 weeks.

Buy This Poinsettia, Perhaps Not That One!

Posted by Hugh on December 19th, 2012

'Ice Crystal' poinsettia

'Jubilee Pink' Poinsettia with New Center Flowers

There are so many colorful poinsettia varieties in stores this holiday season. Some plants will not make it to the first of the year. What attracts you into buying the plant is the colorful bracts (modified leaves).

The “true” poinsettia flowers lie in the center of the bracts. If the yellow stamens are immature or bright yellow, the plant will look lovely through December and most of January. If the stamens appear brown or withered, the bract color(s) will soon fade and show symptoms of decline.

To preserve poinsettia life, give the plant a thorough watering weekly or sooner. Do not leave the plant roots sitting in a saucer or basin of water more than two hours. If the plant is wrapped in foil, it may trap the excess water at the bottom of the plant causing root rot. Punch holes through the foil for better pot drainage.

Set the plant in a well-lighted window in the room. For short term care, fertilizing your poinsettia is unnecessary. Unless you wish to save and grow your poinsettia outdoors next spring and summer, plan to discard it around Superbowl Sunday.

For additional information, review previously written articles on poinsettia care on this website.

Select The Perfect Christmas Tree

Posted by Hugh on December 18th, 2012

Fraser Fir Production in Southwest VA

Decorating a live Christmas tree is traditional in many homes. Many different species of evergreen trees are sold at tree lots near you. Frazier Fir (Abies fraseri) is the most popular Christmas tree in the southeastern U.S.

Named for Scottish botanist John Fraser (1750-1811), it makes its home in the higher mountainous elevations of Tennessee, North Carolina and southwest Virginia. Fraser fir is now produced in northern areas of the U.S. and Canada. Growers ship trees hundreds of miles to tree lots where you live.

Fraser Fir offers a nearly perfect pyramidal tree form, glossy dark green needles, and exceptionally good needle retention. Needles are soft and emit a pleasant evergreen aroma inside the home. Fraser fir is the only fir species endemic to the Southern Appalachian mountain range and grows best above 3000 feet elevation. The mountain climate, soil, and rainfall nurture it for 7-8 years before it is harvested and shipped to a tree lot where you live.

Other tree species grown for holiday trees include balsam fir, Douglas fir, noble fir, Norway spruce, white pine, and white spruce. Leyland cypress is catching on in the deep South. In very traditional homes the red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is harvested from farmland and woodlots (occasionally from roadsides).

Whatever the tree species you choose, the cut tree should have long needle retention, so that needles don’t wind up all over the carpet before New Year’s Day. Buy a fresh tree, re-cut the butt end another 4-6 inches, set in the tree stand, and water with warm tap water. Check the water level daily and add more as needed.

Happy Holidays!

Growing Bromeliads For Lifelong Enjoyment

Posted by Hugh on December 17th, 2012

Bromeliads at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Gastonia, NC

The bromeliad plant family (Bromeliaceae) includes over 2000 species which live in tropical areas. This includes the pineapple. Bromeliads make great indoor plants. Leaves and flowers come in a wide variety of colors. They are easy to care for and will live for several years. They have very few pest problems.

Some bromeliads are epiphytes which live in trees and not soil. In the home epiphytic species grow on a piece of trunk bark or rough wood boards. Epiphytes have a weak rootsystem and grow poorly in soil. Epiphytes benefit from frequent misting. Terrestrial forms should be potted into a porous potting soil designated for house plants.

Plants thrive in high humid environment such as a greenhouse. Inside the home you should run a small room air humidifier near the plants or set them on a tray filled with gravel or pebbles. Keep gravel moist and do not submerge the base of the pot in water. Group plants together but do not crowd them to increase room humidity. Mist plants 1-2 times daily to raise the humidity around them.

Bromeliads prefer a well-lighted room or bright windowsill, away from direct sunlight. A south or east window is perfect. From late spring until early autumn, bromeliads flourish outdoors in a humid garden environment beneath a large shade tree, away from direct sunlight.

Bromeliads grow well in containers on shady porches and patios over the summer. Exposure to direct sunlight for an extended period of time may result in pale or chlorotic leaves. Poorly lighted plants appear weak or stretched.

They prefer temperatures between 55º F and 80º F, and should be brought indoors when temperatures dip below 40º F. You may water a bromeliad at the central cup, and never pour water soluble fertilizer in the cup. Bromeliads are low feeders, deriving some nitrogen from the air around them.

Water bromeliads once or twice weekly during the active spring, summer and early fall period and reduce watering frequency over winter when plants are mostly dormant. Overwatering is a common mistake.

Bromeliads flower only once and stop producing new leaves. Their brightly colored “flowers” are mostly bracts or modified leaves. Tiny flowers grow within these attractive bracts. The mother plant soon begins to die, but not before developing new young plants called “pups”. Pups grow at the base of the mother plant. Pups are detached from the mother plant, potted, and grown as an individual plant. Individual pups may take 2 years or more to reach flowering stage.

Two Native Sedges Excel In Dry Shade

Posted by Hugh on December 14th, 2012

Carex pensylvanica at Knoxville Botanical Garden, Knoxville, TN

Sedges (Carex spp.) are becoming popular groundcovers with gardeners! Most demand a moist, well drained soil. Two native forms, Appalachian sedge (Carex appalachica) and Pennsylvania sedge (C. pensylvanica) excel in dry woodland shade in the eastern U.S. and Canada (USDA hardiness 3-8). Their fine textured grassy foliage and a fountain-like growing habit make them excellent groundcover choices. Their tiny oft-white flowers are insignificant.

Both exhibit fine textured foliage with medium green color in summer. By late fall they have turned straw colored in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7). They may be mowed and substituted for traditional turf grass in partially shaded areas. Sedges, however, don’t tolerate foot traffic.

Both sedges grow low in stature. Appalachian sedge forms dense tufts of grass-like foliage and grows 10- 12 inches high, planted on 12-16 inch centers. It has a tidy clumping habit. Pennsylvania sedge grows 8 inches high and spreads more slowly via rhizomes, to eventually form a fine green carpet. Both are perfect choices for planting in containers, around an old tree stump, or around shallow rooted shade trees such as maples and elms. Use it in a front border or planted along an edge of a walkway.

Both are primarily shade sedges; in cooler northern climates and moist soils, both can tolerate more sun. They should receive periodic irrigation during their initial year after planting. Both species do tolerate brief periods of flooding. Their nutritional needs are very minimal.

Fit House Plant Care To Your Own Lifestyle

Posted by Hugh on December 13th, 2012

Indian Rope Plant (Hoya) On Gravel Tray

House plants not only decorate our homes and work places. They also clean and purify the indoor air. Many people get frustrated that they have no success growing house plants. Proper house plant care involves these 6 plant needs: 1. Water, 2. Light, 3. Temperature, 4. Humidity, 5. Air circulation, and 6. Fertilizing.

Overwatering is a common mistake in growing house plants, followed by lack of water. The water should be at room temperature and contain no fluorides or chlorides. Fill a watering container before scheduled watering date. Schedule the planned watering time with your lifestyle such as the same day and hour on the weekend.

House plants are native to tropical and subtropical climates. Plants and people have similar environment needs. Do not expose your house plants to large amounts of direct sunlight.

Tropical plants prefer high levels of humidity in the room. Most cacti and succulents prefer low humidity. You have several options to increase the level of humidity. Run a small room humidifier near the plant’s location. Use a spray bottle to mist the plant 1-2 times daily. Place plants on a tray, lined with pebbles or decorative stones, and fill it with water. The water will evaporate moisture into the room to raise room hmidity. The pot should never be left setting in the water.

Group plants close together to increase room humidity. Plants transpire moisture back into the room raising the humidity. Don’t crowd plants too close together. Air circulation around plants is important to avoid disease and pest problems.

Pots and potting media can directly affect the moisture levels. Grow all bromeliads in the same type of pot, either plastic or clay (or ceramic). Plastic pots tend to hold in more soil moisture while clay pots “breathe” and dries out faster.

Feed with a water soluble fertilizer at 1/2 strength, such as Miracle-Gro®, Jack’s®, Daniels®, or Schultz®. Reduce feeding to once monthly over the winter months.

Amur Maple Excellent Medium Sized Tree For Urban Landscapes

Posted by Hugh on December 13th, 2012

Amur Maple In Pennsylvania Landscape

Late summer foliage

Amur maple (Acer ginnala) (now A. tataricum ssp. ginnala) is a lovely small sized tree from China, Manchuria and Japan. It has long been popular in residential areas in the Midwest and Eastern U.S. and is slowly being planted in the mid-South (USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7). Extreme summer heat may limit its use.

Amur maple starts out slowly. In its first 10 years, tree height and width may range from 10 to 12 feet, eventually to full maturity of 25 feet. Its low multi-branched form makes it a good choice for shading a home deck or patio. It is a low expense option for creating a deciduous privacy screen. Some nurseries are now training Amur maple as a small-sized street tree.

It grows well in average well-drained soil in full sun to light shade. Soil pH sensitivity is not an issue with this maple species. An established tree handles high winds and dry soils well. Leaves are tolerant of urban air pollution and coastal salt problems. Its dark green summer foliage stays mostly disease and pest free.

Clusters of creamy white flowers open in mid-spring and are mildly fragrant, an unusual trait in maples. The 3-lobed dark green leaves feature a long central lobe and have toothed edges. Some cultivars set showy double-winged red samara fruits at summer’s end.

Autumn leaf colors are a mix of yellow and red, variable on seed- produced trees. A number of new grafted cultivars have been selected for outstanding features:
•’Embers’- exhibits bright red autumn color and red fruit in August.
•’Flame’- exhibits fiery red autumn leaf color and red fruit; densely leaved shrub or small tree.
• Red November™ – super green summer foliage, with good heat tolerance for the Southeast U.S.; bright red fall foliage color which develops later than most cultivars.

Deer Don’t Feed On Plum Yews

Posted by Hugh on December 10th, 2012

Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Duke Gardens'

Plum yews (Cephalotaxus harringtonia) are evergreen needle conifers which flourish in the heat and humidity of the Southeastern U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). Likely, the groundcover forms are hardier to zone 5-b if protected by snow cover or surrounding vegetation from dry winter winds.

Plum yews are native to China, Korea and Japan. Many people confuse them with Japanese yews (Taxus spp.) which grow poorly in southern clay soils and are highly susceptible to deer feeding. Plum yews are highly deer resistant*.

Plum yews start out growing slowly, but catch up once established in 2 years or less. Lustrous dark green evergreen needles vary in length from ¾ to almost 2 inches. Foliage retains its lush green color through the winter months.

Plum yews substitute for Japanese yews (Taxus spp.)in the south. Available cultivars vary in plant height and growth form. Plum yews cope with either light shade or full sun. They prefer a moist well drained soil, but established plants exhibit good drought tolerance.

There are 3 distinct growth forms of plum yew:
‘Fastigiata’ is a columnar form that grows 10 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide in 15-20 years.
‘Prostrata’ and ‘Drupacea’ grow 2 ft tall and 20 plus feet wide. Clip off aberrant shoots that spring up to maintain a uniform groundcover appearance.
‘Duke Gardens‘) has a semi-upright, spreading shrub appearance similar to spreading forms of Japanese yews (Taxus x media) or (T. cuspidata). It was found at Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham, N.C. as a chimera (mutation) on ’Fastigiata‘.

* Deer resistance is based on “normal” population numbers. Deer will feed on most plants if their populations are exceptional high or when natural food resources become depleted.

‘Beni kawa’ Japanese Maple for Winter Bark Color

Posted by Hugh on December 10th, 2012

10 year old Beni kawa Japanese maple

Beni kawa Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Beni kawa’) is a smaller version of the popular coral bark maple ‘Sango kaku’. It was introduced by Greer Gardens Nursery in Oregon in 1987. ‘Beni kawa’ matures to 12-15 feet tall and 8-10 feet wide, compared to 20-25 feet tall for ‘Sango kaku’. Both cultivars form a vase-shaped branched small tree or large shrub. The pale green bark on the trunk and stems turns coral red in winter.

The 5-7 pointed palmate leaves emerge soft green in spring, and fall foliage color ranges from yellow to orange. The leaves tend to emerge early in spring and may be subject to injury from late spring frosts. The small reddish flowers in spring are attractive up close, and are mostly inconspicuous from a distance.

The foliage may burn in direct summer sun in USDA zone 7 and 8, preferring some afternoon shade protection. Japanese maples grow in a compost rich, well- drained, and moderately acidic soil. Irrigation and mulching are desirable during summer dry spells and protect roots from dry winter winds. Pruning, if needed, is best performed during the spring and summer months to avoid significant sap bleeding from the pruning cuts.

There are no serious insect or disease problems. Beni kawa appears to be slightly more cold tolerant than Sango kaku. Beni kawa is sometimes mistakenly spelled “Beni gawa”.

Franky Boy Arborvitae

Posted by Hugh on December 5th, 2012

'Franky Boy' arborvitae in Late November at UT Gardens, Knoxville, TN

Franky Boy oriental arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis ‘Franky Boy’ [syn Thuja orientalis]) is a dwarf evergreen conifer currently in hot demand among collectors. What immediately catches your eye is its thread-like foliage which changes color from one season to the next. Its evergreen foliage adds a fine textured look to the landscape.

The new spring growth is fountain-like, e.g. it bubbles out from a central growing point and weeps downward. In the spring and summer threaded foliage is chartreuse colored. In the fall and winter it morphs again, first with a bronze tint or later to copper orange. By early spring the light green color has returned.

Over a 10 year span, expect Franky Boy to grow 4 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 3 ½ feet wide. Oriental arborvitae is safely winter hardy to USDA hardiness zone 6 and may be borderline in zone 5-b if protected from wintry winds, heavy snow, and ice storms. Pruning, while rarely necessary, can create a tight, more compact shrub.

Franky Boy thrives in full to partial sunlight. A moist, compost rich, well-drained soil is ideal. It becomes heat and drought tolerant after a 2-year establishment period. Plant Franky Boy in a large patio/deck sized container or utilize it as an accent or textural shrub as a portion of the foundation planting.