Help plants to survive in winters.

Even though your plant resides in a pot indoors, it’s still keenly aware of the seasons. With shorter days, drier air, and cooler temperatures, winter is perhaps the most challenging time a year for houseplants. The trick to helping your plant endure the harsher conditions is simply modifying your care routine. Check out these tips to keep your plant happy and alive this winter.

Limit Watering

Considering their growth rate is significantly slower during the winter, plants do not require as much water. Check the soil by putting your finger about one inch into the soil. If it feels dry, the plant needs a good soaking. Be sure to use lukewarm water!

Try A New Window

From summer to winter, the angle of the sun changes, so you might place your plants near a different window for the season. You can also wash the window glass, inside and out, to help let in more light. Don’t forget to rotate the plants every so often to make sure they receive light evenly on all sides.

No Food Necessary

Due to very little growth, fertilization is not necessary during the winter months. It’s best to withhold food until next spring, when the days are much longer and the sun is stronger. Resume weekly feedings closer to spring to give your plants a boost.

A Good Cleaning

Dusty leaves can clog pores, making it difficult for your plant to fully absorb essential nutrients. Using a damp cloth, wipe the leaves to get rid of any dust or debris. A thorough cleaning will also help rid any unwanted pests.

Improve Humidity

Houseplants prefer a humidity level of 40 to 50 percent. Unfortunately, during the winter months, the humidity level in heated homes tends to only be 10 to 20 percent. To combat low humidity, frequently mist the plants and put any tropical plants on a tray of rocks with a small amount of water. Or turn on a humidifier to increase cut through dry air.

Pay Attention to Temperature

During the daytime, most plants prefer a temperature between 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and at night time about 10 to 15 degrees cooler. Dramatic fluctuations in temperature can be damaging, so it’s best to keep plants away from cold windows, or sources of heat, such asstoves, fireplaces, and radiators.

Pruning

To stay healthy and attractive, plants need a little pruning from time to time as part of their maintenance. Many houseplants have soft stems, which make them relatively easily to prune, no tools required. Using your thumb and forefinger, pinch off any dying flowers and remove any damaged leaves. For thicker stemmed plants, pruners or sharp scissors may be necessary.

Unhappy Plants

Symptom: Spindly Plants, Few Flowers

Possible Cause: Poor lighting conditions.

Management: Most indoor plants need an average of 14 hours of sunlight each day. Do an Internet search to find out the proper amount of direct light, indirect light, or shade that your particular plant requires to thrive.

Symptom: Few Flowers, Excessive Foliage

Possible Cause: Too much nitrogen fertilizer.

Management: Most indoor plants need to be fertilized just once a month and even less frequently during colder months. Develop a fertilizing schedule and stick to it

Symptom: Yellowing Leaves

Possible Causes: Overwatering, low humidity, poor soil drainage, low temperatures, or pot-bound roots.

Management: If the weather has changed suddenly, make sure that your plant is not in a draft, near a heater, or reacting to an unexpected environmental change. Check that your pot has adequate drainage and that the plant isn't root bound

Symptom: Scorched Leaves

Possible Cause: Too much direct sunlight.

Management: Move plant from direct to indirect sunlight, prune the affected leaves, and resume deep, infrequent waterings to promote healthy root growth. Avoid overfertilizing, as this will exacerbate the burn.

Symptom: Brown Leaf Tips

Possible Causes: Too much fertilizer or pesticides, dry soil, low temperature, hot air, accumulated salts, or root rot.

Management: It bears repeating—most indoor plants need to be fertilized only once a month, at most. Stand pots in shallow, pebble-lined trays that are filled with water to increase humidity (pots should sit on the pebbles, above the water line). Once a month, apply enough water to the top of the soil to thoroughly flush excess salts through the drainage hole.

Symptom: Small Leaves or Wilting Plant

Possible Causes: Soil remains either too wet or too dry.

Management: Develop a watering routine that is infrequent but deep to promote healthy root growth and combat root rot. If root rot is suspected, remove the plant from its container, examine the root system, and cut out infected roots (blackened root tips with slimy decay), then repot using sterile potting mix and a clean pot

Symptom: Spots on Leaves

Possible Causes: Fungal leaf spot, water spots.

Management: If the plant is already affected, isolate it from other plants and pick off infected leaves. To prevent spotting, increase air circulation by increasing space between plants, and take care not to splash water on leaves when watering.

Symptom: Leaf Tips Turn Yellow, Then brown; Entire Leaf May Die

Disease: Anthracnose.

Management: Remove infected leaves. Avoid misting leaves

Symptom: White Powdery Fungal Growth on Foliage, Leaf Distortion, Leaf Drop

Disease: Powdery mildew.

Management: Increase air circulation around plant and remove infected foliage.

Symptom: Brown to Black Soft or Punky Roots, Wilted Plants

Possible Causes: Root and stem rot.

Management: Avoid overwatering. Remove affected plant, cut out infected roots (blackened root tips with slimy decay), then repot using sterile potting mix and a clean pot

Symptom: Stunting, Dieback, and Distortion

Disease: Botrytis blight.

Management: Isolate the diseased plant and trim the affected parts back. Increase air circulation by increasing space between plants

Gardening tips

Pinch your herbs
Pinch the upper portions of your herb plant stems off (basil in particular) to encourage new leaf growth. Herbs have a natural instinct to stay alive and multiply, so when they are pinched, they send a signal to the dormant leaf buds to grow. It’s strange how this works, but it’s true for most plants.

DIY Mini Greenhouse

Get your seedlings off to a good start with their very own little greenhouse! The bottom 3/4 part of a plastic soda bottle makes for the perfect little dome to cover your little pots with. This would be a fun project to get the kids involved with.

Plastic Pot Watering System

Place a sink pot (empty plastic nursery pot with holes) in the middle of your garden to create a well for easier and deeper root watering. This is especially helpful for squash. As the roots mature, they get deeper and deeper into the ground’s soil, making it harder for the water to reach in a dry climate

Roses in Spuds

First of all, I had no idea you could grow a rose bush just from the trimmings of another bush. I love all of this new found information — I’ve never been so excited about my garden! Push the bottom ends of your rose trimmings into a small potato to help it retain moisture as it develops roots.

Eggshell Starters

Get your garden started early by planting your seeds in eggshells indoors before the weather permits outdoor growth. There are several reasons why eggshells are the perfect pot for this, but the biggest is that they are cheap (free really), full of calcium to give your seedlings that extra boost, and easy to plant in the garden when ready (the shell can stay on!).

Line Pots with Coffee Filters

I really like this idea for my indoor plants! Every time I water them in the sink, I lose a lot of the soil down the drain, not to mention the mess it makes under the pot. Coffee filters allow the water to still drain, but keep the dirt contained

Cinder Block Garden Bed

Not all of us have the skills to build a raised garden bed out of wood, and that’s when cinder blocks come to the rescue. I love how they have all the holes so you can easily separate your herbs. For a smaller space, you could even take out 2 or more of the block to create a narrower bed. After you’ve got a level place to start your garden, the rest is pretty simple!

Seeds & Citrus

Start your seedlings in a citrus peel, and not just because it’s really cute; It will compost in the soil and nourish the plants, so you can just go ahead and plant the whole thing once it’s ready. Just don’t forget to poke a hole in the bottom for drainage.

Fertilize Your Plants

Save your vegetable cooking water! The water has a lot of nutrients that your garden thrives on. Wait for the water to cool down first, and then use it to “fertilize” your garden or potted plants. This makes for a green and happy garden! You could also drink the stuff, but who wants to do that?!

 Epsom Salt in the Garden

Epsom salt has so many uses, including aiding in a beautiful and healthy garden. It’s rich in magnesium and sulfate which are crucial to plant life. For potted plants, mix a couple of tablespoons of the salt into your watering can once or twice a month. You can also sprinkle it in your garden’s soil to help your seeds germinate better. Tomatoes and peppers benefit the most because they both tend to have a magnesium deficiency. Add a tablespoon or so in with the soil when first planting, and then sprinkle more into the soil once mature.

Diapers Retain Moisture 

Diapers aren’t just for doo doo! Place one in the bottom of a potted plant to help it retain moisture for longer. This would be great for those summer annuals that require daily watering.

Rubbermaid Container Garden

Just because you don’t have much of a yard doesn’t mean you can’t have a nice little garden going! Rubbermaid storage containers are lightweight and just the right size to get you started. Fill the bottom with packing peanuts and a layer of garden fabric to keep them easy to move. This could even work on a small apartment balcony!

Give Your Garden A Calcium Boost

My blender rarely sees daylight, but now it might just get the chance to see the kitchen counter with this genius tip! I’m starting to understand the idea behind compost a little more now that I’m dabbling in the garden, so this just makes a lot of sense to me. Just like grinding your food makes it easier to digest, grinding eggshells makes it easy for your garden to absorb the calcium egg shells provide.

About Lotus, and its care.

Facts about Lotus Flowers:

• The Lotus is a sacred flower for Buddhists.
• The Lotus flower is quoted extensively in Puranic and Vedic literature.
• The Lotus is one of the eight auspicious signs of Buddhism - an eight petalled lotus used in Buddhist mandalas symbolizes cosmic harmony, a thousand petalled Lotus, spiritual illumination. A bud symbolizes potential. The well-known Buddhist mantra, "Om mane padme," refers to the jewel in the lotus, enlightenment.
• In Egyptian mythology, the Lotus is associated with the sun, because it bloomed by day and closed by night. The Lotus is even believed to have given birth to the sun.
• The roots of the Lotus are planted in the soil of the pond or river bottom, while the leaves float on top of the water surface. The Lotus flowers are usually found on thick stems rising several centimeters above the water.
• The Lotus flowers, seeds, young leaves and rhizomes are all edible. In Asia, the petals are sometimes used for garnish, while the large leaves are used as a wrap for food.
• Various parts of the sacred Lotus are also used in traditional Asian herbal medicine.
• The Lotus fruits are a conical pod with seeds contained in holes in the pod. Nucifera means having hard fruit. When the seeds are ripe, they become loose in the pod. The pod then tips down towards the water, releasing the seeds.
• When the Lotus flower's petals fall, they are replaced by a flat-topped seed pod divided into compartments, resembling a wasp's hive. The tender seeds are munched happily in north-east India.
• The Lotus stem is eaten almost in all parts of India, and pickled too.
• Nelumbium luteum is the American Lotus, with pale, small flowers.
• The Indian or Chinese Lotus, nelumbium nelumbo, usually has pink flowers although white, rose and double varieties are available.

Growing a Lotus:

• Place the seeds into a glass of non-chlorinated, warm water.
• The seeds that float should be thrown away since they are probably not fertile and will only cloud up the water. Change the water every day while you are waiting for them to sprout.
• Once you see the Lotus roots emerge, pot them in 4-inch pots filled with good garden loam; a depression should be made and one seed should be set in each pot. Cover the root gently with soil or gravel.
• If you waited too long and the Lotus leaves started to grow, keep them free of soil as you cover the root.
• The seed should be set in warm water up to 2 inches deep; no more than that.
• Give the Lotus as much light as possible until the water in your garden warms up to at least 60 degrees F.
• At this time, plant your Lotuses in larger containers without drainage holes.
• Lotuses started from seeds will probably not bloom in the first year.

Lotus Plant Care:

• The Lotus plant should be fertilized sparingly for the first year.
• Too much fertilizer may cause the Lotus foliage to burn.
• A Lotus plant that is established can be fed every 3 or 4 weeks during the growing season.
• Care must be taken when inserting fertilizer tabs, because the growing tip and new growth can be damaged.
• It is important to protect the Lotus roots from freezing.
• Lotus can winter over in the pond if the pond depth is below the freeze line for your area.
• In late fall, the yellowed foliage should be cut off and the plant lowered to the deepest part of the pond.
• Or you may lift the tubers after the plant has died back during the fall.
• If you lift the tubers, store them in a cool, frost-free location until late spring.
• To help prevent mildew and rotting, store them in living sphagnum moss.

String Garden with Coco peat and fiber

The benefits of indoor plants to our health and wellbeing are bountiful – while they remove and filter numerous toxins from the air, the greenery is also proven to be a great boost to our mood. Give the gift of wellbeing with these kokedama string gardens – just in time for the weekend, we’re back with our second handmade Christmas gift how-to.

Kokedama is Japanese for ‘moss ball’ and involves creating a ball of soil around a plant’s roots and wrapping it in moss and twine to hang, often indoors. They look amazing suspended on their own or among others, and make a great gift for the plant lovers in your life.

Sphagnum and peat moss are commonly used in making kokedamas but don’t fare particularly well in the sustainability stakes, so we’ve switched them for the much more friendly coco peat and coco fibre, both of which worked great. It required playing with the soil ratio however to ensure a mix that would stick enough. Rather than the commonly recommended 70 percent peat moss to 30 percent potting mix/soil, we went approximately half and half – if anything a little heavier on the soil side. If you can’t get the mix to work for you with coco peat try adding a small amount of clay.

When choosing your plant, think about where the kokedama might hang and buy a plant that suits the environment. We chose a shade-loving fern for our kokedama destined to hang indoors. We took inspiration from this handy how-to from Smack Bang Designs, tweaking a little to suit our plant and materials.

A plant
Coco peat
Potting mix
Coco fibre
Water
Scissors
Twine

Method: 

• Shake the plant from its pot and remove the excess soil around the roots without disturbing them too much. Set aside.
• Mix coco peat and potting mix to a 1:1 ratio. Add water a little at a time until your mix is clumping together. Grab your plant and start forming a ball of soil around the roots, adding and compressing into a sphere a bit at a time. Pack it as tight as possible. This step and the next can be a little tricky at times with just two hands, so go slowly and be gentle with the soil ball.
• Grab some of the coco fibre and wrap around the soil ball to cover completely. Get your twine and start wrapping around the coco fibre and ball to adhere the fibre well in all spots. Once you feel it’s sufficiently contained in twine wrap some twine as close to the top of the kokedama as possible and tie a knot, leaving enough length to hang the plant from.
• To care for the plant, mist him with water most days. Once or twice a week sit in a shallow bowl of water for 5-10 minutes to soak the root ball. Remove from bowl and rehang once the plant stops dripping.

How to Grow Beautiful Bougainvillea

Bougainvilleas, also known as Paper Plants, are one of my all-time favorite plants. They are beautiful vine-type plants that have a very unique blossom and full of color. Knowing how to grow bougainvillea properly will make the difference between having an ordinary vine growing in your yard or a beautiful, brightly colored vine that will bloom from spring to fall.

Many people believe that bougainvilleas are hard to grow, not true! With the proper care they are very easy and make for a low-maintenance plant. Here you will learn everything you need to know on how to grow bougainvillea and insure a beautiful plant full of blooms all summer long. Be sure to go all the way to the bottom to check out some of the beautiful colors of bougainvillea and different ways you can train them.

What Bougainvilleas Look Like:

Bougainvillea is a beautiful vine that has a hardy, woody stem and beautiful blossoms that are made up of 3 delicate, colored petals that look much like tissue paper surrounding 1 to 3 tiny white flowers.

Along the vine you will find several sharp thorns that range from one centimeter to three inches in length. The size and quantity of thorns depends on several different factors including care, pruning and the variety of bougainvillea you are growing.

A healthy bougainvillea can grow upwards of 100 feet unless you choose to prune it to maintain it's shape and size. With that said, you can train your bougainvillea to grow several feet up a trellis, or keep it tidy and shaped in a large pot or hanging basket. Be sure to scroll all the way down for several beautiful pictures of all the different colors.

Bougainvillea Foliage

Variegated Bougainvilleas are My Favorite!

Bougainvilleas are not only available in a variety of blossom colors, but also foliage colors. The most common is the simple green foliage, but most colors are also available in variegated.

I, personally, love the variegated! The white and green makes stunning backdrop for the bright colored blossoms. I love the bright pink bougainvilleas with variegated foliage in hanging baskets. They look great hanging from the porch!

Bougainvillea Sun Requirements

Bougainvilleas Grow Best in Full Sun!

Bougainvilleas require full sun to grow their best and produce thousands of beautiful blooms. The most common 'problem' with bougainvillea is that the grower has a beautiful, lush plant that is growing. Simply moving it into full sun will do the trick.

If you are growing your bougainvillea indoors, make sure that it is near a window that gets plenty of bright sun. If not, you the blooms will be scarce.

Bougainvillea Water Requirements

Do Not Over Water Your Bougainvillea

Bougainvilleas are a common plant in Florida so it's no surprise that they thrive well in dry soil. Always allow the soil to dry between each watering and never leave it sitting in water for any long period of time. Over watering can cause leaf and blooms to drop, foliage to turn yellow and damage to the roots.

If you are growing your bougainvillea in a container insure there are holes for proper drainage.

Fertilizing your bougainvillea will insure a beautifully blooming plant. However, when learning how to grow bougainvilleas, one of the important things to remember is that when you fertilize always use a fertilizer that is specifically created for bougainvillea, or use an all-purpose fertilizer at half the recommended strength This means, whatever the package says to use, use 1/2 that amount. Using a full strength, general purpose fertilizer can burn and even kill your bougainvillea.

Repotting Bougainvillea

Be Careful with The Roots!

Bougainvilleas have a very delicate, fibrous root system. Always avoid disturbing the roots and only repot when absolutely necessary. Instead of repotting, simply add a top layer of soil when possible. When you do report, always upsize the pot and add additional soil so that the root ball is undisturbed. It's best to do this when the soil is nearly dry. Never break apart the roots as you would with trees or shrubs and it will severely damage the plant.

Bougainvillea Propagation - Propagate Bougainvillea by Cuttings

Bougainvillea is best propagated from stem cuttings. Take softwood cuttings from a healthy bougainvillea, dip in rooting hormone and plant in sterile soil, or Perlite and water and allow 2-3 weeks for a good root system to form.

Important: Bougainvillea cuttings need to be misted a couple times a day until misted. The more the better! You can use a misting system in a greenhouse or simply use a misting bottle or misting nozzle. Nothing too fancy required, as long as they stay moist.

Why is My Bougainvillea Not Blooming?

The Reason Why Your Bougainvillea is Not Blooming

A bougainvillea that won't bloom is a common complaint among gardeners who aren't familiar with growing them. The good news is that it's usually a simple fix!

The most common reason a bougainvillea won't bloom is simply because it is not getting enough sun. Re-position your plant so that it is getting full sun and with in a few weeks it should be full of blooms. If you are growing your bougainvillea indoors, find a window that provides more sun.

If your bougainvillea receives full sun and still isn't blooming, make sure that you are fertilizing it properly and that you are not over-watering it.

Bonsai Bouganvillea - Bouganvilleas Make Great Bonsai Plants

Bougainvillea is one of the more common choices for a blooming bonsai. As seen in the photo above, they look like small blooming trees and can easily be trained using a bonsai dish or other shallow dish. Image Source: BIG.USA

Bougainvillea Tree - Bougainvilleas Can Be Trained to Grow into a Tree Form

Bougainvilleas are commonly grown as a vine-type plant, but the tree form is becoming more and more popular. Simply choose the thickest, healthiest stem, support it in an upright direction and keep all the lower portions pinched off. Pinch the tips out of the each limb to encourage a thicker, bushier top.Image Source: mgonline.com

Training Bougainvillea - Bougainvilleas Can Be Trained to Grow in a Variety of Shapes and Sizes

Bougainvilleas have to be one of the easiest, most versatile, blooming plants! Not only are they hardy to most warm weather conditions, they can take a lot of handling and pruning to shape or train to grow in or on just about any type of support.

Bougainvilleas can be grown...

• In pots and shaped into a 'bush' form.
• In hanging baskets and either trained to bush or vine out.
• On arbors and trellises.
• Along walls and fences for a beautiful blooming privacy shield.
• Over arches for a romantic feel.

Bougainvillea Colors

Bougainvilleas come in a variety of colors including:

Light Pink

Dark Pink

Red

Light Orange

Dark Orange

White

Yellow

Peachy Salmon

Pink and Orange Mix

Pink and White Mix

White and Pink (RARE)

Pink and Yellow (RARE)

White Bougainvillea

This is a lovely white bougainvillea. While they aren't as common as the pinks, it still just as stunning. The most well-known white bougainvillea is 'Miss Alice'.

Yellow Bougainvillea

Here is a lovely yellow bougainvillea. So Pretty!

Red Bougainvillea

The red bougainvilleas are one of my favorites! They are a BRIGHT, blood red.

"Orange King" Bougainvillea - Light Orange Colored Bougainvillea

This is an "Orange King" Bougainvillea. It's more of a bright-yellowish orange in comparison to the dark orange bougainvilleas.