Foundation Plantings – Caring For Evergreens

The evergreens most commonly used for foundation planting around homes prefer fairly light, well drained soil in which has been incorporated peat moss or other well rotted organic matter. They are relatively shallow rooted and so deep beds need not be dug.

Spreading type evergreens should be planted at least 3 feet away from foundation or walks to give them plenty of growth space.

Frequent watering of both tops and soil is necessary, especially during hot, dry summers. Fertilize in the spring, using a balanced garden fertilizer. Do not overfeed. especially if slow growth is desired.

Dogs should be kept away from evergreens, by use of small fences.

By topping or pinching side growth, evergreens can be trained to desired shapes without too much trouble. Mugho Pine “candles” (the new growth) are commonly cut back to their length in the spring to produce a compact growth.

When Pfitzers or other spreading type evergreens grow too long and “leggy”, they can be pruned in mid-summer by cutting off the long branches. Make the cut so that it is hidden behind a new, shorter stem and the pruning will not be noticeable.

Conifers and aglaonema maria can greatly enhance the beauty of a home and care should be taken to remove dry, dead branches around the base. Do not prune around the base of healthy trees, or spaces will appear between the ground level and the level of the first branches.

As with other evergreens, conifers should be protected from dogs.

A number of insect pests attack evergreens and conifers, particularly sucking and boring insects and so, as soon as the first signs of any damage are noticed, a control like malathion should be applied.

Conifers and other evergreens are subject to “winter kill’ or wind burn.

This commonly occurs when the soil is dry in early winter. Thorough watering to soak the soil well around the roots in late fall or early winter is recommended to help overcome this wind burn ó never let evergreens go into the winter season dry.

In case you are unaware there is much more on the topic of aglaonema maria. We make the topics simple, visit zone10.com.

More Plants Care Articles

House Plant Care Tips

House plants suffer from two main causes, over watering and under watering, but there are also other ailments that afflict house plants. Here are some house plant care tips to help alert you to potential problems and how to cure them.

More house plants die from over watering them. If your house plant is drowning, the stem and foliage will become soft and begin to decay. Allowing the house plant to dry out may save it.

An under watered house plant will display dry, brown edges on the leaves. Begin to mist your house plant twice a day to save it.

If your house plant has a musty smell, place a thin layer of crushed charcoal on the top layer of the soil to absorb the smell.

A house plant that is bending over is most likely being over fed, cut back on the feeding and the house plant should straighten back up.

A house plant can be sun burned if it is placed in direct sunlight. Placing your house plants in filtered sunlight is the best way to avoid giving them a sun burn.

If the leaves are falling off from the bottom of your house plant, touch the plant’s soil and see is it is soggy wet. If it is, the soil has poor drainage and the house plant is not getting enough oxygen to it’s roots. Let the soil dry out and take a knitting needle and long nail and give your plant an acupuncture treatment by inserting the knitting needle or nail into the soil in several places to aerate the soil.

If you have pests on your house plants, buy a sticky fly strip and cut off one inch of the fly strip and place somewhere on the house plants foliage to catch the pests. If it is a large house plant, use more than 1 piece of the sticky fly strip on the house plant.

Written by SueDoeNim

Growing hibiscus plants requires planting them at least three feet apart. Grow hibiscus plants using the hibiscus care tips in this free video on tropical plant care.Expert: Stan DeFreitas Bio: Stan DeFreitas, also known as Mr. Green Thumb, has experience as an urban horticulturist working for the Pinellas County Extension Service and has taught horticulture at the St. Petersburg College. Filmmaker: Demand Media
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Poinsettia Plants ? Care and History

Bob Walsh Enterprises proudly announces the publication of their new web page ‘Poinsettia Plants – Care and History’.

The goal was to publish this web page, http://www.bestindoortropicalhawaiianhouseplants.com/4.htlm, to coincide with National Poinsettia Day, December 12, 2010. This day was authorized by Congress to honor Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico, who is recognized as being the first person to bring this very popular holiday plant to America around 1825. Mr. Poinsett died on December 12, 1851.

The poinsettia plant is not only the favorite festive Christmas Holiday plant, but it is one of the best-selling plants each year in the United States. Poinsettias represent over 85% of the potted plant sales during the Holiday Season. Ninety percent of all poinsettia plants are exported from the United States. The poinsettia is commercially grown in all 50 States.

‘Poinsettia Plants – Care and History’ not only celebrates the rich history of the poinsettia beginning with the Aztecs in its natural habitat in Mexico, but also offers readers detailed information on how to provide the best care for poinsettia plants. The beautifully designed videos one finds on this page add to the informative text that brings the rich history of poinsettia plants to life. This timely created and published web page explains the connection of this colorful winter-blooming plant and how it has endeared itself to the American public’s psyche both socially and religiously at this time of year.

It details the efforts of one immigrant German-American family who single-handedly dedicated themselves to make the poinsettia “The Holiday Plant” here in the United States and grows over 80% of all poinsettia plants for commercial sales that help California to be the top poinsettia producing State in the USA.

This poinsettia producing family is credited with creating 90% of all poinsettia varieties found in the world today. There are over 100 different varieties of poinsettia plants.

The poinsettia plant is often misunderstood as to what the actual flowers are. This page provides clear definitions and descriptions of the various parts of this holiday plant. The page also addresses the misconception that the poinsettia plant is poisonous.

‘Poinsettia Plants – Care and History’ provides detailed information and tips on how to care for poinsettias not only to have them survive the Holidays themselves, but also be able to enjoy them until it is time for the Easter lily to arrive on the scene sometimes in March or April.

All the detailed information on the care of poinsettia plant doesn’t stop there. It provides a year-long process of care that allows its owner to regrow the plant for the next holiday season.

In honor of National Poinsettia Day, Bob Walsh Enterprises proudly introduces Poinsettia Plants – Care and History to share with the world the rich and brightly colored history that is hidden under its own spectacular beauty that ultimately can be celebrated well beyond the holidays themselves.

 

Bob Walsh, author of ‘How To Grow Plumeria–Frangipani Anytime Anywhere’, has been growing tropical plants for 20-plus years in plant hardiness zone 5. For your FREE tropical plants guide, Grow Your Own Tropical Garden, which includes many useful FREE tips on how to grow tropical plants indoors and outdoors, visit Free Tropical Plants Guide.