These are the varieties ready now as starter plants and as leaves for propagation.. They are available for sale at my ebay store and my bonanza booth. You can see descriptions and pictures of the plants on these sites as well. All plants are starter plants and growing well in 1 oz solo cups. I guarantee live delivery even in the cold (they are insulated and shipped with a heat pack). A good site to see really great pictures that will leave you drooling and howling for more is the AVSA's site. See the favorite links above for clickable entry to the sites.
Ma's Watermelon
RD's Illusion
Ness' Antique Red
Mac's Rouge Rogue
Mac's White Water
Morgan's Arctic Chiller
Jolly Coral
Rob's Boo Hoo
Morgan's Windorah
Rob's Sticky Wicket
Rob's Twinkle Blue
Snow Leopard
Allegro Cupid Pink
Rob's Vanilla Trail
Optimara Little Crystal
Myakka Trail
Rob's Willawong Trail
Genetic Gem
Pearly Buttons
Pipsqueak
Arctic Frost
Trinket O'Pink
Midget Silver Fox
Green Dragon
The African Violet Collection
The Queen of House Plants
Friday, December 31, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Sneak Preview of plants offered for sale by Mani Plants and Malas for Spring of 2011
Common names given, if you'd like the latin names, please make a comment.
I will be updating this list as I sow more seeds and see what is germinating. Most of the plants are available as seeds as well. Seeds and descriptions available at Mani Plants and Malas Website plants, seeds, and descriptions available at Mani Plants and Malas on Bonanza
These will be first year plants, started from seed in January.
I will be updating this list as I sow more seeds and see what is germinating. Most of the plants are available as seeds as well. Seeds and descriptions available at Mani Plants and Malas Website plants, seeds, and descriptions available at Mani Plants and Malas on Bonanza
These will be first year plants, started from seed in January.
Annual Jimsonweed
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| Second year or older plants, grown in pots or dug from the garden | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| More will be added as I remember them or start them. I have an awful lot of varieties. Here's some more: Perennial, motherwort Perennial Skullcap Perennial Soapwort Perennial Catnip. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Now a word from our sponsors........
Interested in purchasing African violet plants or leaves or perhaps heirloom tomato plants from all around the world? Wort7759s Bonanza booth or My Ebay Store, Mani Malas Buddhist Prayer Beads I'll be adding more and more all the time. Check back often.
Also, if your other addiction, besides African violets and plants, is books on African Violets and plants, check out the very end of the blog for my picks for gardening books from Amazon. Use this blog as a portal for purchasing.
Also, if your other addiction, besides African violets and plants, is books on African Violets and plants, check out the very end of the blog for my picks for gardening books from Amazon. Use this blog as a portal for purchasing.
African Violets, Successfully Grow Them
African violets have figured prominently in my life. When I was eight years old, my grandmother gave me a leaf cutting with directions on how to get more plants from that single leaf. I did what she suggested, it made more plants, and I was hooked. That simple act gave me a life long interest in African violets and plants. So much so, the hobby turned into an online business selling plants and seeds and I have over 150 varieties of African violets. I just love the darn things.
Over 40 years ago, when my grandmother gave me that leaf cutting, there was not the variety in blossoms and leaf type as there is now. They were mostly purple-blue, maybe a pink or two, usually single blossomed, occasionally double, and white. Leaves were standard round and green. Now, the variety of plants is mind boggling. All types of blossom shapes, colors in green, yellow, red, blue, speckled, thumb printed, and chimera. Leaves come crinkly, light green, dark green almost black, pointed, serrated, wavy edged, red backs, variegated with white, cream, tan, beige, and pink, on the edges, throughout the leaf, and combined on the same leaf using all of the types. There are standards, semi-miniatures, miniatures, and trailing violets. See the link to the African Violet Society of America's images pages. There are a few thousand pictures of varieties. It's eye candy for plant nuts.
One thing that has remained the same with violets over the years is the popularity of them. They are easy to grow once you provide their needs and they reward with tons of blooms. Most varieties are pretty much always in bloom. There are enthusiasts who purchase their plants from a grocery store or department store and they only keep a few. There are those that go straight to the hybridizer and buy plants or leaves from them. Usually, these are more expensive, but they are certainly worth it if one wants to get the unique violets. Some who hybridize specialize in classes of violets. For instance, Ralph Robinson in central NY specializes in miniatures and semi-miniatures while his wife specializes in standards. Their violets bear their names in the description such as Rob's Fuzzy Navel and Ma's Watermelon. Yes, Fuzzy Navel is the name of the violet. I think my favorite name is Rob's Suicidal Squirrel. One can also find leaves and plants online from a multitude of greenhouses as well as auction and selling sites.
How do you decide, if you haven't all ready gotten plants, which type to grow? Their needs are all quite similar so this can be a personal preference for colors, type of leaf, or in many cases, size of the plants. The smaller the plants, the more that can be squeezed into a collection. African violet collecting has been described as an addiction so plans need to be made for the number of violets one can acquire. Not only are they beautiful, basically quite easy to care for, but they are very easy to propagate. One can never have just one of their favorite plant. At least I can't. Either one has to keep them all, trade them for others, give them as gifts, or sell them.
The sizes of the plants are described thus: standards are over 8 inches when fully grown. That is, their leaf span measures over 8 inches. They can be kept a little smaller by regularly removing the outer leaves (don't forget to save them for propagating!). Three rows of leaves are all the violet needs to stay healthy, four or five is better. Semi-miniature violets measure less than 8 inches when they are mature and miniatures grow to 6 inches or less. There is something really sweet about the smaller varieties. Not only do they take up less space, but they seem to bloom more profusely than the larger ones. Solid little bouquets of flowers making a fine posy.
The following information is on growing requirements.
Soil and pots All of the violets need soil that holds moisture and is well drained. There are many commercial types of media which are mixed specifically for violets. If there are many violets in the collection, one may mix their own. Mix 1 part peat moss, 1 part perlite, and 1 part vermiculite. To one gallon of this mix, add a teaspoon of ground limestone. African violets prefer the size of the pot to be one third the span of their crown. They also prefer to be root bound, that is, their roots filling the pots. This encourages the fastest growth and bloom. Standards should never have a pot more than 4 inches in diameter. Semi-miniatures will do well in a 3 inch pot and miniatures should have a 2 and a half inch pot.
Light Violets can not tolerate full sun. It fades them and burns them and they quickly decline in health. If one only has a few violets and they are on a window sill, an east window is best. Morning sun is generally not strong enough to hurt the violets. West facing windows are the next best, though in hot climates, a sheer curtain between the plant and window may be needed. Southern exposure windows should not be used unless there is a sheer curtain between the plant and the window, shading from a tree, or the plant set back from the window by a few feet. Winter is the only time a violet can handle full sun in a southern exposure. The sun isn't strong enough to damage the plant. Violets can be grown under artificial lights. Grow lights or just ordinary florescent lights work fine. Some experimenting needs to be done to determine the best distance between the bulbs and the plants. I grow mine at about 2 feet from the lamps. If there isn't enough intensity, the violets' leaves will stretch upward. The entire plant will look pale and it won't bloom. If there is too much, the leaves will droop down and hug the pot, the centers of the crown will get bunched up and brittle, leaves and flowers will be deformed.
Water This is probably the one aspect of growing violets which seems the most complicated. One hears horror stories about the disasters of incorrect watering or have experienced them first hand. Put them out of your mind and focus on what the plant needs. Violets need consistently moist soil, but not waterlogged. There are many ways to provide this. Top watering with a watering can with a long spout is adequate for just a few plants. One needs to be careful not get water on the center or on the leaves. This is because it may cause spotting, or damage to the leaves if the water temperature is too warm or too cold. Also, the salts and minerals in the water will leave a white stain when the water evaporates. Too much water in the crown can cause rotting. If you draw the water the night before and let it sit, it will be room temperature when you water the plants and there will be less problems with cold water spotting. To avoid getting on the leaves all together, one can water the plant from the bottom. Put the water in the saucer of the pot. Keep putting it in until no more water is absorbed. Then, dump the water in the saucer and let the plant drain. Do not let the African violet stand in water. It will suffocate the roots, begin to rot the plant, and all kinds of other mean and nasty things. Periodically, the plant should be watered from the top to flush fertilizer salts out of the pot. If there are a lot of violets involved, one can use the wick method or capillary matting. Either way, both methods depend on capillary action to get water into the pot. A piece of wick made out of nylon string or yarn is used. Put one end which has been unraveled in the bottom of the pot and thread the wick through the drainage hole. Either have it go into another vessel that holds water or have the plants sitting on a platform to keep them out of the water yet the wick extends down into a common reservoir of water. The water will be drawn up the wick and into the pot. Capillary matting works the same except the plants are sitting on the matting. I use sections of synthetic blanket instead of the much more expensive matting and trays which lack drainage. I water when the matting dries out to just barely moist and some of the pots are light and getting dry. Then I pour in enough water to completely soak the mat and leave only a bit of standing water. The plants should suck this up very quickly and if they don't and there is more than very wet, the water should be drained off. The soil in the pots needs to be formulated differently than for other violets which are watered from the top or bottom. Mixes that are predominately perlite work the best. Perlite has an amazing, natural capillary action. My favorite mix is half perlite and half vermiculite. So, how does one tell if an African Violet needs water? The number one tool for determining if water is needed is as simple as an index finger. If you touch the soil and it is dry to the touch or just not really moist, the violet needs water. The best is if the soil is very moist to moist, not wet or bog like, not desert like either.
Feeding African violets are heavy bloomers and as such, they need a high amount of phosphorous. African violet food is sold for this purpose. It has a lower amount of nitrogen and potassium and a higher amount of phosphorous. How do you know what to buy? There will be three numbers looking something like this: 10-10-10. The first number is nitrogen, the second is phosphorous, the third is potassium. A typical analysis for African violets would be 8-14-9 or 5-15-5. The middle number always needs to be the highest number. Overfeeding is very bad for violets. It causes fertilizer salt build up which burns and damages roots. The plant does poorly and may even die. Follow the directions on the label of the fertilizer as to the rate and frequency of application. Most professional growers use the fertilizer at one quarter the rate and feed every time they apply water. If the wick, capillary mat, or bottom watering is used, it is very beneficial to flush the pots from the top with fresh water. In fact, the violet will really appreciate a complete shower. Wait! Didn't I say not to get the leaves wet? Yes, I did. Don't get them wet with cold water. Warm water is fine and being sprayed at the sink cleans and freshens the leaves as well as lets fresh water flush the pots. Don't put the wet plants where it is drafty or in direct sun after the shower. I flush pots when the matting needs changing which means there is an algal bloom. When it gets green and smelly, I change the mats and wash the used ones in the washing machine with bleach to get rid of the algae and fertilizer salts.
Grooming In addition to rinsing the plants occasionally, violets can be cleaned by using an artist's brush to brush dirt and dust off the leaves. This is a good practice to keep the plants healthy because dirty leaves can not photosynthesize very well. This is also a relaxing way to appreciate the plants as well as looking for dead or dying leaves or blossoms to remove. I also remove leaves which just ruin the symmetry of the plant. Any that are hidden by others or extend way beyond their row. Little plants often form where the leaf meets the crown. These are called suckers. Let them grow big enough to discern whether they are blossom buds or suckers. Remove the suckers with the tip of a tooth pick, bamboo skewer, or lead pencil. If the suckers are allowed to remain, it will form a multiple crown plant. This can be attractive, but the convention is to strive for a single, well grown, symmetrical crown. Also, if the plant is putting its energy into suckers, it is not producing blossoms. The blossoms are the reason for growing African violets in the first place.
The next article will be on how to propagate African violets and pest problems.
Over 40 years ago, when my grandmother gave me that leaf cutting, there was not the variety in blossoms and leaf type as there is now. They were mostly purple-blue, maybe a pink or two, usually single blossomed, occasionally double, and white. Leaves were standard round and green. Now, the variety of plants is mind boggling. All types of blossom shapes, colors in green, yellow, red, blue, speckled, thumb printed, and chimera. Leaves come crinkly, light green, dark green almost black, pointed, serrated, wavy edged, red backs, variegated with white, cream, tan, beige, and pink, on the edges, throughout the leaf, and combined on the same leaf using all of the types. There are standards, semi-miniatures, miniatures, and trailing violets. See the link to the African Violet Society of America's images pages. There are a few thousand pictures of varieties. It's eye candy for plant nuts.
One thing that has remained the same with violets over the years is the popularity of them. They are easy to grow once you provide their needs and they reward with tons of blooms. Most varieties are pretty much always in bloom. There are enthusiasts who purchase their plants from a grocery store or department store and they only keep a few. There are those that go straight to the hybridizer and buy plants or leaves from them. Usually, these are more expensive, but they are certainly worth it if one wants to get the unique violets. Some who hybridize specialize in classes of violets. For instance, Ralph Robinson in central NY specializes in miniatures and semi-miniatures while his wife specializes in standards. Their violets bear their names in the description such as Rob's Fuzzy Navel and Ma's Watermelon. Yes, Fuzzy Navel is the name of the violet. I think my favorite name is Rob's Suicidal Squirrel. One can also find leaves and plants online from a multitude of greenhouses as well as auction and selling sites.
How do you decide, if you haven't all ready gotten plants, which type to grow? Their needs are all quite similar so this can be a personal preference for colors, type of leaf, or in many cases, size of the plants. The smaller the plants, the more that can be squeezed into a collection. African violet collecting has been described as an addiction so plans need to be made for the number of violets one can acquire. Not only are they beautiful, basically quite easy to care for, but they are very easy to propagate. One can never have just one of their favorite plant. At least I can't. Either one has to keep them all, trade them for others, give them as gifts, or sell them.
The sizes of the plants are described thus: standards are over 8 inches when fully grown. That is, their leaf span measures over 8 inches. They can be kept a little smaller by regularly removing the outer leaves (don't forget to save them for propagating!). Three rows of leaves are all the violet needs to stay healthy, four or five is better. Semi-miniature violets measure less than 8 inches when they are mature and miniatures grow to 6 inches or less. There is something really sweet about the smaller varieties. Not only do they take up less space, but they seem to bloom more profusely than the larger ones. Solid little bouquets of flowers making a fine posy.
The following information is on growing requirements.
Soil and pots All of the violets need soil that holds moisture and is well drained. There are many commercial types of media which are mixed specifically for violets. If there are many violets in the collection, one may mix their own. Mix 1 part peat moss, 1 part perlite, and 1 part vermiculite. To one gallon of this mix, add a teaspoon of ground limestone. African violets prefer the size of the pot to be one third the span of their crown. They also prefer to be root bound, that is, their roots filling the pots. This encourages the fastest growth and bloom. Standards should never have a pot more than 4 inches in diameter. Semi-miniatures will do well in a 3 inch pot and miniatures should have a 2 and a half inch pot.
Light Violets can not tolerate full sun. It fades them and burns them and they quickly decline in health. If one only has a few violets and they are on a window sill, an east window is best. Morning sun is generally not strong enough to hurt the violets. West facing windows are the next best, though in hot climates, a sheer curtain between the plant and window may be needed. Southern exposure windows should not be used unless there is a sheer curtain between the plant and the window, shading from a tree, or the plant set back from the window by a few feet. Winter is the only time a violet can handle full sun in a southern exposure. The sun isn't strong enough to damage the plant. Violets can be grown under artificial lights. Grow lights or just ordinary florescent lights work fine. Some experimenting needs to be done to determine the best distance between the bulbs and the plants. I grow mine at about 2 feet from the lamps. If there isn't enough intensity, the violets' leaves will stretch upward. The entire plant will look pale and it won't bloom. If there is too much, the leaves will droop down and hug the pot, the centers of the crown will get bunched up and brittle, leaves and flowers will be deformed.
Water This is probably the one aspect of growing violets which seems the most complicated. One hears horror stories about the disasters of incorrect watering or have experienced them first hand. Put them out of your mind and focus on what the plant needs. Violets need consistently moist soil, but not waterlogged. There are many ways to provide this. Top watering with a watering can with a long spout is adequate for just a few plants. One needs to be careful not get water on the center or on the leaves. This is because it may cause spotting, or damage to the leaves if the water temperature is too warm or too cold. Also, the salts and minerals in the water will leave a white stain when the water evaporates. Too much water in the crown can cause rotting. If you draw the water the night before and let it sit, it will be room temperature when you water the plants and there will be less problems with cold water spotting. To avoid getting on the leaves all together, one can water the plant from the bottom. Put the water in the saucer of the pot. Keep putting it in until no more water is absorbed. Then, dump the water in the saucer and let the plant drain. Do not let the African violet stand in water. It will suffocate the roots, begin to rot the plant, and all kinds of other mean and nasty things. Periodically, the plant should be watered from the top to flush fertilizer salts out of the pot. If there are a lot of violets involved, one can use the wick method or capillary matting. Either way, both methods depend on capillary action to get water into the pot. A piece of wick made out of nylon string or yarn is used. Put one end which has been unraveled in the bottom of the pot and thread the wick through the drainage hole. Either have it go into another vessel that holds water or have the plants sitting on a platform to keep them out of the water yet the wick extends down into a common reservoir of water. The water will be drawn up the wick and into the pot. Capillary matting works the same except the plants are sitting on the matting. I use sections of synthetic blanket instead of the much more expensive matting and trays which lack drainage. I water when the matting dries out to just barely moist and some of the pots are light and getting dry. Then I pour in enough water to completely soak the mat and leave only a bit of standing water. The plants should suck this up very quickly and if they don't and there is more than very wet, the water should be drained off. The soil in the pots needs to be formulated differently than for other violets which are watered from the top or bottom. Mixes that are predominately perlite work the best. Perlite has an amazing, natural capillary action. My favorite mix is half perlite and half vermiculite. So, how does one tell if an African Violet needs water? The number one tool for determining if water is needed is as simple as an index finger. If you touch the soil and it is dry to the touch or just not really moist, the violet needs water. The best is if the soil is very moist to moist, not wet or bog like, not desert like either.
Feeding African violets are heavy bloomers and as such, they need a high amount of phosphorous. African violet food is sold for this purpose. It has a lower amount of nitrogen and potassium and a higher amount of phosphorous. How do you know what to buy? There will be three numbers looking something like this: 10-10-10. The first number is nitrogen, the second is phosphorous, the third is potassium. A typical analysis for African violets would be 8-14-9 or 5-15-5. The middle number always needs to be the highest number. Overfeeding is very bad for violets. It causes fertilizer salt build up which burns and damages roots. The plant does poorly and may even die. Follow the directions on the label of the fertilizer as to the rate and frequency of application. Most professional growers use the fertilizer at one quarter the rate and feed every time they apply water. If the wick, capillary mat, or bottom watering is used, it is very beneficial to flush the pots from the top with fresh water. In fact, the violet will really appreciate a complete shower. Wait! Didn't I say not to get the leaves wet? Yes, I did. Don't get them wet with cold water. Warm water is fine and being sprayed at the sink cleans and freshens the leaves as well as lets fresh water flush the pots. Don't put the wet plants where it is drafty or in direct sun after the shower. I flush pots when the matting needs changing which means there is an algal bloom. When it gets green and smelly, I change the mats and wash the used ones in the washing machine with bleach to get rid of the algae and fertilizer salts.
Grooming In addition to rinsing the plants occasionally, violets can be cleaned by using an artist's brush to brush dirt and dust off the leaves. This is a good practice to keep the plants healthy because dirty leaves can not photosynthesize very well. This is also a relaxing way to appreciate the plants as well as looking for dead or dying leaves or blossoms to remove. I also remove leaves which just ruin the symmetry of the plant. Any that are hidden by others or extend way beyond their row. Little plants often form where the leaf meets the crown. These are called suckers. Let them grow big enough to discern whether they are blossom buds or suckers. Remove the suckers with the tip of a tooth pick, bamboo skewer, or lead pencil. If the suckers are allowed to remain, it will form a multiple crown plant. This can be attractive, but the convention is to strive for a single, well grown, symmetrical crown. Also, if the plant is putting its energy into suckers, it is not producing blossoms. The blossoms are the reason for growing African violets in the first place.
The next article will be on how to propagate African violets and pest problems.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Plants with Fragrance
Here is a description of plants that have either fragrant leaves or flowers.
Little Gem Marigold (Tagetes sp). Annual. I love marigolds because they are so bright and cheerful, come in all sizes, and the smaller ones are great for the front of the border. Little Gems also are very fragrant. The entire plant smells of citrus. Delightful bright, sunny colors and this delightful fragrance. It grows no more than a foot and has very interesting foliage as well. Needs full sun, water when dry and well drained soil. I have not seen any pest damage on these so think they may be resistant to earwigs and slugs.
Catnip (Nepeta cataria) Perennial usda zone 4-9. I'm including this as a fragrant plant because I understand some people like the smell of this. I don't. This is the plant of cat intoxication fame. Curiously, not all cats like it. We had a cat named Lester who didn't care for it. Our other cat Elmer vigorously defended her stash. She would eat and roll in it, be incredibly wild, and then sleep for the rest of the day. It has an interesting history. It has been used to relieve colic in babies and the root of it was brewed and served to executioners by their wives before a job. It was said to put them in the proper mood for hanging or beheading and one can only wonder what the proper mood might have been. It grows to 3 feet in fertile, well drained soil. It needs full sun, but will do ok in part sun. Will seed and spread.
Purple coneflower ( Echinacea purpurea) Perennial. Zones 2-10. This is a very pretty medicinal plant. It's purple/pink blooms appear in July-August. It needs full sun, well drained soil, and water when dry. It will grow in part sun but will be spindly and have a tendancy to flop over and have fewer blooms. It grows to 3', sometimes 4' in good soil or with added organic matter. Will bloom the second year from seed. This is the most widely used Echinacea for boosting the immune system. All parts of the plant are considered medicinal. I have read that people who have over active immune system disorders should not take this as well as it should not be taken more than 6 weeks at a time. Will multiply by clumping and seed (if the goldfinches don't eat all the seed). Attractive to butterflies, has a pleasant scent, and will attract goldfinches to your garden.
Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia). Perennial, Zones 5-8. It is said that the scent of lavender is the most popular scent in the world. It is one of the few scents that the majority of men like and it is found in a lot of shaving and soap products. As far as growing it goes, it helps to remember it is a Mediterranean plant. Hot dry summers, cool but not too wet winters. In fact, dry is a key to growing this plant. It must be in well drained soil. If you can not provide that, it needs to be grown in a pot. Another requirement for winter hardiness is that it be protected from cold wind. This sounds difficult if you are from some place where winter is on the vicious side, but micro-climates can be found or created. I had a lot of success growing it on the east side of the house, next to the foundation, and it was under the peak of the roof so no rain run off. Snow piled on it also helps. Still expect some winter kill on the branches, but the plant usually survives. The last requirement for growing lavender successfully is to make sure the soil is alkaline. Add lime. Planting it next to the house foundation if it is cement also helps. Lime leaches from the foundation. OK, now that I've mentioned all that, on to the plant itself. It prefers full sun, well drained soil, water when dry, but it can stand some drought. Clip out the winter killed branches in the spring after it has started to leaf out so you know which ones are dead and thoroughly enjoy the flowers when they come. Pick when a few flowers have opened on the stalk, tie into bunches and hang in an airy warm place out of the sun to dry. Will grow to 3' and tend to sprawl (from the weight of snow). Becomes woody with age.
Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis). Perennial. Zone 3-9. This is a very decorative small shrub. It grows to 4' if very happy in full sun, well drained fertile soil, and water when dry. Mostly it stays around 3' but can be pruned to keep it smaller. It can tolerate some dryness, but grows better if it gets water. It has an aromatic scent that is pleasant though somewhat medicinal. A customer of mine who suffered from asthma told me she made tea from the leaves and used it to help her ailment to the point where she didn't need to use her inhaler as much. Very dark leaves and dark blue flowers make this an attractive mid-position border plant. This is the hyssop mentioned in the Bible.
Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis). Perennial. Zones 3-9. This plant was introduced by early settlers to provide a source of soap to wash cloth, particularly wool. You can almost always find it growing by creeks especially those that have had woolen mills on them. When the whole plant and the roots are soaked in water and then the water agitated, a sudsy solution is made that can be used to wash skin, hair, or fine washables. Don't get it in the eyes....it burns like a fury.I've used it on my hair and followed it with a diluted vinegar rinse. My hair shone and was very soft. It's past uses included taking it internally, but that is not recommended any longer as the saponins can cause quite the digestive upset. The plant itself grows to be about 3' tall. It prefers full sun and moist soil. I've seen it growing happily by the side of the road so it can tolerate poor soil. It spreads by root and seed. The flowers are light pink, sometimes doubled, and are evening fragrant. The scent is that of cloves. It blooms in mid-summer, around July.
Sweet Annie (Artemesia annua). Annual. This is another one with great scent which is very strong. It can grow quite tall in full sun, good soil, and adequate water. It can profusely seed itself. It is light green and ferny looking so makes a statement at the back of the border because it can grow to 5' and the light green foliage provides an interesting contrast to the usual darker green foliage types. It has tiny yellow flowers. The entire plant is fragrant. It is good to make scented herbal wreaths and swags with this because the scent stays well when dried. Any time you want to smell it's sweetness, all you need to do is brush against it. Medicinally it is being investigated for treating drug resistant strains of malaria.
Valerian (Valerian officinalis) Perennial. This is the garden valerian that has sweetly scented flowers....and the God awfullest smelling roots. It grows to 4', prefers full sun but will grow in part sun, likes lots of moisture and will grow in damp areas of the garden. It has white flowers and blooms in early to mid summer. It will seed itself and multiply by it's crown. It's roots are used medicinally...if you can stand the smell, something like rotten gym socks that have stepped in dog doo. It is said to promote calming of the nerves, anxiety, and to allow one to fall asleep. A former specific name of this plant was V. phu (Pronounce p-u, I imagine because of the smell). The roots are dug in the 2nd or preferably the third year, early in the spring just when the frost has left the ground. Zones 3-9.
Sweet Violet (Viola odorata). Perennial. Zone 6-9. Full sun to shade. This precious violet comes in blue, pink, and a sort of mauve which I think is a cross between the other two. It grows to 4" tall and bears remarkable flowers. Not only are they pretty, they are intensely fragrant. I have seen lawns dotted with these violets that you can smell yards away. They are listed as perennial in zones 6-9, but they routinely come through our Zone 5 winters. They spread endlessly, much to my delight. They will send out offsets like strawberries do and they reproduce by seed. They like moist soil, but not wet conditions. This is one of the traditional perfume scents and the flowers are candied to be an edible decoration on cakes.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Can You Stop a Watch by Wearing It?
I am intensely interested in this subject and the purpose of writing this article is to find others out there that have the same ability. This article does have to do with plants and gardening so I think is appropriate in this category.
I've had a very detrimental effect on watches since I was in my teens. Analog or digital, I wear them, I kill them. I was given a digital watch for graduation and they were new at the time. I loved it. Unfortunately, within 2-3 weeks, the poor thing went hay wire. I sent it back to the maker to get it fixed. They fixed it and sent it back to me. Within 2-3 weeks, again, it wouldn't work correctly. I sent it back, they returned it fixed and the same thing happened within the same time frame. Again I sent it back and in less than a week I got the watch returned to me along with a check for the price of the watch and a note telling me that they preferred to return the money because it was obvious to them, I was one of those people who had a detrimental effect on the functioning of a watch. So I set out to see if I did that to all watches. Over the years I sporadically tried several brands and types, expensive, inexpensive all with the same effect. Though, the effect seemed to occur at shorter and shorter intervals. It only took about a week to kill a watch. I finally gave up trying to wear one and found I could keep one in my pocket without destroying it.
All through this time, I tried to find information about this phenomenon. The watch company insinuated this is a problem that occurs occasionally with people so there must be others. I did meet a few people that also couldn't wear a watch for the same reason and we would have lively discussions on how fast we could stop a watch. The only explanations I ever found or hear were that watch stoppers may have some natural electrical or magnetic energy which was more intensified in them, especially when something was in direct, prolonged contact with the skin. I am a research based sort of person and don't want to make up my about it until I see research results.
Anyone who has read my profile or bio knows that I am a rabid plant person. I have a way with them since I was 8 years old, went to college for horticulture, taught the subject, and started a business selling plants and seeds. I love plants and always seem to know exactly what they need to grow. I like their endless variety and they are just endlessly interesting to me.A few years back, I went to work at a greenhouse/nursery. I noticed none of us wore watches or if we had one on us, it was kept in a pocket. So I started asking why they didn't wear one on their wrists. With only one exception of a gentleman who just didn't like to wear watches, we all killed watches. Four people in one area who exhibited this same dubious ability and the only other thing they had in common was they too were rabid plant people. We all had the equivalent ability or way with plants. We spent a lunch time or two speculating on reasons and everyone else let it drop but I just couldn't. When I would spot a customer who had a certain gleam in their eye when looking at plants or talking about them which indicated they shared my enthusiasm for plants, I would ask them if they could wear a watch. More often than not, they couldn't wear one either, for the same reason of disabling it within weeks of wearing it.
I don't pretend to know what is going on with this. My informal study is just that informal, but I can't keep from noticing the correlation between watch killing and plant people. I've met several plant people who can wear a watch. Several non-plant people who not only kill watches, they kill plants as well because they don't care about them. Since I've totally turned my life to plant production and am working with them more and my ability to care for them has improved, I noticed something else. It now only takes 2 days to kill a watch if it is contacting my skin. I decided to put a watch on a chain to wear around my neck. It was always dangling in my way and annoyed with it, I put it inside of my shirt next to my skin. It stopped the second day. I've given up having a time piece of any kind on my person. This ability is just too expensive. My sons won't let me near their watches let alone borrow them or even touch them.
I am still intensely interested in this subject and the purpose of writing this article is to find others out there that have the same ability. I would like to hear from them to continue my informal study. If anyone has heard of a credible, science based reason for this, I would love to hear it. You can leave a comment on my blog or contact me through author contact if the site this is on allows it.
The question is: if you discombobulate watches when you wear them, are you also a plant person. Plant person meaning that you love to work them, you own lots, and they seem to grow wonderfully for you. If you are not a plant person and still stop watches, is there any reason you know of?
12/14/2010 This just in.....I just stumbled across a website concerning NDE or Near Death Experiences. 80% of people who have had a NDE also can not wear watches because they cause them to stop. I have not had any NDE. The site also mentioned that 2% of the population is able to do this.
I've had a very detrimental effect on watches since I was in my teens. Analog or digital, I wear them, I kill them. I was given a digital watch for graduation and they were new at the time. I loved it. Unfortunately, within 2-3 weeks, the poor thing went hay wire. I sent it back to the maker to get it fixed. They fixed it and sent it back to me. Within 2-3 weeks, again, it wouldn't work correctly. I sent it back, they returned it fixed and the same thing happened within the same time frame. Again I sent it back and in less than a week I got the watch returned to me along with a check for the price of the watch and a note telling me that they preferred to return the money because it was obvious to them, I was one of those people who had a detrimental effect on the functioning of a watch. So I set out to see if I did that to all watches. Over the years I sporadically tried several brands and types, expensive, inexpensive all with the same effect. Though, the effect seemed to occur at shorter and shorter intervals. It only took about a week to kill a watch. I finally gave up trying to wear one and found I could keep one in my pocket without destroying it.
All through this time, I tried to find information about this phenomenon. The watch company insinuated this is a problem that occurs occasionally with people so there must be others. I did meet a few people that also couldn't wear a watch for the same reason and we would have lively discussions on how fast we could stop a watch. The only explanations I ever found or hear were that watch stoppers may have some natural electrical or magnetic energy which was more intensified in them, especially when something was in direct, prolonged contact with the skin. I am a research based sort of person and don't want to make up my about it until I see research results.
Anyone who has read my profile or bio knows that I am a rabid plant person. I have a way with them since I was 8 years old, went to college for horticulture, taught the subject, and started a business selling plants and seeds. I love plants and always seem to know exactly what they need to grow. I like their endless variety and they are just endlessly interesting to me.A few years back, I went to work at a greenhouse/nursery. I noticed none of us wore watches or if we had one on us, it was kept in a pocket. So I started asking why they didn't wear one on their wrists. With only one exception of a gentleman who just didn't like to wear watches, we all killed watches. Four people in one area who exhibited this same dubious ability and the only other thing they had in common was they too were rabid plant people. We all had the equivalent ability or way with plants. We spent a lunch time or two speculating on reasons and everyone else let it drop but I just couldn't. When I would spot a customer who had a certain gleam in their eye when looking at plants or talking about them which indicated they shared my enthusiasm for plants, I would ask them if they could wear a watch. More often than not, they couldn't wear one either, for the same reason of disabling it within weeks of wearing it.
I don't pretend to know what is going on with this. My informal study is just that informal, but I can't keep from noticing the correlation between watch killing and plant people. I've met several plant people who can wear a watch. Several non-plant people who not only kill watches, they kill plants as well because they don't care about them. Since I've totally turned my life to plant production and am working with them more and my ability to care for them has improved, I noticed something else. It now only takes 2 days to kill a watch if it is contacting my skin. I decided to put a watch on a chain to wear around my neck. It was always dangling in my way and annoyed with it, I put it inside of my shirt next to my skin. It stopped the second day. I've given up having a time piece of any kind on my person. This ability is just too expensive. My sons won't let me near their watches let alone borrow them or even touch them.
I am still intensely interested in this subject and the purpose of writing this article is to find others out there that have the same ability. I would like to hear from them to continue my informal study. If anyone has heard of a credible, science based reason for this, I would love to hear it. You can leave a comment on my blog or contact me through author contact if the site this is on allows it.
The question is: if you discombobulate watches when you wear them, are you also a plant person. Plant person meaning that you love to work them, you own lots, and they seem to grow wonderfully for you. If you are not a plant person and still stop watches, is there any reason you know of?
12/14/2010 This just in.....I just stumbled across a website concerning NDE or Near Death Experiences. 80% of people who have had a NDE also can not wear watches because they cause them to stop. I have not had any NDE. The site also mentioned that 2% of the population is able to do this.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Packing Plants for Shipping
Packing plants for shipping. Growing plants in pots is the easiest way to have plants for shipping. If plants are dug from the ground for shipping, they must have all native soil removed from the roots. If growing plants in pots with artificial media, this doesn’t need to be done. Remove the plant from the pot…to use the pot over and to decrease the weight for shipping, knock as much soil off the root ball that will come loose easily. Then, wrap the root ball in wet paper towel, then saran wrap, and then roll the whole thing up in newspaper. If it seems like the plant is still too heavy, break up the root ball a little and shake as much soil from the roots as will come off. If it still is very heavy, swish the root ball around in a bucket of water to remove more soil. Be sure to cut the plant back by about half. Do not remove soil or cut back tomatoes or African violets. They are usually light enough to ship as they are. The African violets need special packing and that will be addressed in another article or e-book.
Shipping. Choose only those plants that are in tip top condition to ship. Spending up to 3 days in a box is very hard on them and you need good sturdy plants to handle the trip. Plants must get to their destination as quickly as possible. I suggest using the US postal service priority mail. Most times, the plants arrive in 2 days, 3 at the most. Shipping on Sat. insures the plants arrive on Monday even coast to coast. Mail moves 24/7/365 and there isn’t any business mail on the weekends so everything moves through the system quicker. I don’t like the plants to be in transit any more than 3 days so the customer does not have to struggle to save it. Offer a live delivery guarantee and offer to replace or refund if the plants arrive dead. Pictures must accompany their claim. Of the thousands of plants I have shipped over the years, I have not had to replace very many. Include some type of directions on how to help the plant recover from the shipping. The following is directions on how to take care of the plant when it arrives. You may use these directions or can come up with something of your own using the same info.
Plants that spend up to 3 days in a dark box need a little TLC when they arrive. Take them out of the box, remove any damaged leaves or stems. If they are very dry, soak them for a couple of hours in warm water. If in need of water, just pot up and water. Pot up in any good soil media or plant outside if danger of frost is past. Because their foliage has become tender in the dark box, keep the plants in bright light but not direct sun for the first day or so. If outside, shade in some way. The second or third day, let them have a few hours of morning sun. The next day after that, a few more hours, and by the 4th day, let them have as much sun as they are supposed to like. Keep well watered during establishment. If they should wilt during the day, and not recover at night, cut the plants back further. If the plants grow in rosettes, remove some of the outer leaves.
The cost of shipping is paid in advance by the customer at the time of purchase. The difficult part is trying to figure out how much something weighs. Shipping cost is calculated by weight and the distance it will travel. Postage Calculations is the website for the postage calculator. Plug in the depart zip code and arrival zip code and the weight and see the options. Choose the priority mail shipping. Do not be tempted to use the flat rate boxes. They just aren’t the correct size to allow good, sturdy packing of the boxes. In regard to boxes, one can scavenge boxes from stores but the easiest is to order priority mail boxes. They can be ordered online because the post offices don’t offer the best sizes in their lobby. Go to USPS Online Store. You will need to create an account but don’t worry, priority mail shipping boxes are free. The best sizes for plant shipping are the number 4’s which are 7x7x6, number 7’s which are 12x12x8. Another one that is handy for taller plants is the shoe box. It measures 14x7x5.
When packing the boxes, keep in mind the following. The plants need cushioning from bumps and drops and insulation from cold and heat. A good material to use is paper shred for packing material. Wadded up newspaper can be used, packing peanuts, etc. Put a layer on the bottom, lay in a layer of plants, then arrange more on top of them. Then pack firmly, but not too tight and not too loose, more shred on the sides and top. Make sure there is at least an inch of shred between the plants and the side of the box. The test to see if they are packed well is to close the top and shake the box. You should not hear anything moving. Put in the directions and a gift. I like to give seeds as a gift or sometimes if I have a lot of the same plants, I include an extra plant. This makes customers very happy and it costs you practically nothing. Happy customers are returning customers. Happy customers recommend you to others. Tape up the box. If it is very hot or going to a very hot place, drill a dozen or so holes in the box for ventilation. Do not do this in cooler weather.
There are a couple of ways to address the box. I prefer using on line postage payment which allows you to pay for the postage and get a shipping label printed. If you have a website, the site usually has a way of doing this. If not and the payment was through paypal, you can pay and print through your account. If not, you have to print the address and take the package to the post office to be weighed and pay for the postage. I bought a little postal scale from the post office and it is probably on line in their shopping area as well. It was about $35. This allows me to weigh the boxes to get the correct shipping. Always round up no matter if the weight is only a .1 over. For example, if the package weighs 1.1lbs, it must be calculated as 2 lbs.
Get delivery confirmation at the time the postage is paid for either online or at the post office. It is generally free online. Send the tracking number to the customer. This allows them to check on the status of the package as well as the seller to know when it arrived.
Providing Artificial Light to Indoor plants
Light is the most important factor in growing plants. They need it to produce sugars to maintain their lives. Most dwellings do not have adequate natural light to grow plants. Tropical plants and African violets which require less light are usually the only ones that do well. Even they struggle in the winter when the light intensity is less and there are more cloudy days. The best option is to provide artificial light. Incandescent bulbs are not helpful to plants. They produce too much heat and do not provide the needed light spectrum for plants. There is no need for expensive grow lights unless you want them. Regular florescent light fixtures can provide the correct spectrum and intensity. The general rule is plants that require full sun should be no more than 4” from the tubes and because the intensity of light is stronger at the center of the tubes, they should be in the center. I have my lights on adjustable chains so I can raise and lower them according to the need and growth of the plants. The lights should be left on 16 hours a day. A timer can be bought so you do not have to be around to turn them on and off. Banks of lights work the best. I have mine in groups with the reflectors touching each other. This increases the amount of light below the lamps. Double tube fixtures that are 48” long are the best and are usually sold as shop lights.
The lights can be higher for plants that don’t need full sun to grow. A little bit of experimenting needs to be done to find the right height. Do they look bleached out and not putting out new growth? Probably they are too close to the lights. Are the stems getting unnaturally long, the leaves look somewhat yellow and the plant seems to be stretching towards the light? The lights need to be closer.
OK, so now where do you put the light set up? I have a specific stand which was built for this purpose. It is made from 3 tiers of full sheets of ply wood and I have growing space on two of them. The lights are screwed into the tier above and on adjustable chains. I live in an apartment and rearranged the entire apartment to accommodate this. Don’t have that kind of room? I didn’t at first either and this is what I did. Every space where lights can be possibly hung needs to be explored. Underneath cabinets, book shelves, tables, small stands built to accommodate lights and growing areas, or commercial set ups if you can afford them. I have a wooden, dining room size table that worked as my first light set up. I simply screwed the lights into the underside of the table. I was able to get 6 sets of lights under it. It could provide light for 6 trays of seedlings. I had much more than that, so I would rotate them under the lights. Take one or two out, put the others in that haven’t had light for a day or two. I would choose which end was the last plant tray to be under the lights. During watering, I would remove that last tray and while watering, move the others up to that spot which made an opening on the other end for a tray that didn’t have enough light. This made it so plants had about 5 days of light and one “cloudy day” with little or no light. Don’t let them go more than a couple of days without light or it will set them back too much. You can also give one set of trays light for 12 hours and swap them out with an equivalent number of trays so they can experience 12 hours of light. Occasionally, work it so that each group gets 16 hours of light. Problems with under a table consist mainly of eating at the table was out of the question. Also, this was an old table and no one cared if there were holes drilled in it. If you can’t do this because of objections from the spouse or roommates about not being able to eat at the table, or damaging the table, explore other ways of doing this. As I said previously, light fixtures can be put under cupboards, shelves, or the shelves of book cases.
A way to conserve space under the lights, especially during propagation, is to start the seeds or cuttings in community pots. I like to use 3 oz plastic solo cups and drill drainage holes in the bottom. I will use tomatoes as the example, but this can be done with any plant. I generally sow 10-12 seeds per pot. When they grow to the point where they are competing for light and space, I transplant them in groups of no more than 4 to new community pots, usually the 3 oz solo cups. Only do the following with tomatoes, you can plant tomatoes deeper than they were previously growing. They will grow roots along the buried stem. Not all plants will do this so only do it with tomatoes. This keeps them short so it is easier to keep them under the lights. Again, when they out grow this arrangement, they go into separate pots or new solo cups. In this way, you conserve space for longer. If you start out with too many seeds in the cup, they compete at an earlier age and are poor growers. It is very important to make sure they are watered and fed regularly. I check each pot individually twice a day and water only if it is dry. If it’s moist, I wait until the next check and if it is dry, then the plant is watered. Watering them individually, though more work, means that none are over watered…often times responsible for more failures than under watering.
I hope this article gave you ideas how to bring more plants into your home. Plants add ambiance as well as help to recycle the air in a home and being surrounded by green in the winter really helps the soul.
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