Q–I have a big bay window filled with many different kinds of geraniums. Direct sunlight floods the space from mid-morning until the afternoon;
temperatures are in the 50 degree-60 degree range at night, and increase by 10 degrees to 15 degrees by day. Despite these seemingly ideal conditions, I still get only scattered and occasional blooms, and even on these plants, half or more of the buds dry up. There are also many yellow leaves. I apply water only when the surface soil is quite dry, and a blossom-booster fertilizer about once a month. What`s missing?
A–Water! A common mistake made with geraniums is to let them dry out sufficiently to cause slight wilting of the leaves. When this happens, the old ones yellow and die prematurely; any flower buds in the making will also wither, which explains why you get only a partial display from the few clusters that manage to mature.
In the same mail with this question I received the Fall, 1985, issue of Geraniums Around the World (published quarterly for members of the
International Geranium Society; annual dues of $7.50 may be sent to membership secretary Robin Schultz, 5861 Walnut Dr., Eureka, Calif. 95501) and will share this quotation from the late Holmes Miller, whose many and varied hybrids live on:
”Geraniums use lots of water when they are growing well, and potted plants need to be watered liberally. The soil should never be allowed to get really dry. Lack of soil moisture slows and hardens growth.
”Real dryness may cause serious root damage, which results a day or two later in sudden yellowing of lower leaves. By this time, the soil will probably be staying too wet, because the damaged roots cannot take up much water.”
Q–What is the proper way to start and to care for sage?
A–Sage used in cooking is Salvia officinalis, which has a broad, rough-textured gray-green leaf and grows in a somewhat unruly shrublet. Young rooted cuttings are available at local nurseries in spring, or by mail from suppliers such as Fox Hill Farm, Box 7, Parma, Mich. 49269 (free price list; $1 for complete catalogue).
Sage also can be started quite early from seeds, also found in most local seed racks or in mail-order catalogues such as that of the Geo. W. Park Seed Co. Inc., Greenwood, S.C. 29647 (free). It`s best to start the seeds indoors in a cool, sunny window garden about 8 weeks before warm, frost-free weather arrives.
In the garden, sage needs at least a half day of full sun and ordinary well-drained soil. Individual plants do well in about an 8-inch pot, or several can be planted in a window box. After 2 or 3 inches of new growth, pinch out the tip of each shoot. This encourages many branches and results in a shapelier specimen. For container plantings, use a mix of about equal parts packaged all-purpose potting soil, clean sharp sand and sphagnum peat moss. Keep between evenly moist and slightly on the dry side.
Q–Can you please tell me where to buy a bittersweet plant?
A–American bittersweet, Celastrus scandens, is available from Spring Hill Nursery (P.O. Box 1758, Peoria, Ill. 61656; free catalogue). The larger, showier Oriental bittersweet, Celastrus orbiculatus, is listed by Wayside Gardens, Hodges, S.C. 29695-0001 ($1 for weighty color catalogue, deductible from first order). For either, it is recommended that at least three be planted in close proximity to insure adequate pollination and a heavy set of the decorative fruits. In due course, you will be able to harvest sweet-smelling bouquets of the berries and may even one day have enough vines to weave wreaths and baskets.
Q–I ordered spring-flowering bulbs–tulips, daffodils, irises, crocus
–and received them after the ground froze. How should I store them until next fall? I also heard a rumor that I could plant them in the spring. Is this true?
A–Your best bet would be to plant the bulbs outdoors the first moment possible in spring. Meanwhile store them cold but not freezing, say around 40 degrees. A possibility is the vegetable crisper section of your refrigerator. Another plan: Pot the bulbs as if you were going to force them into early bloom indoors. If you can, use large, squatty bulb pans or azalea pots, allowing at least 2 inches of growing medium under the bulbs and an inch or so covering them. Water well, drain, then set in a cold but frost-free dark spot. You can move them outdoors when the forsythia blooms.
Q–I planted several hundred daffodils and other narcissus in my garden last fall in great haste, which is what prompts my asking: Is there anything I can do now in mid-winter to help them along toward better blooms?
A–Frances Armstrong, a Virginia grower writing in her Beginners` Corner column in The Daffodil Journal, offers this timely advice: ”Did you fertilize your daffodil plantings in the autumn? If not, winter months are good times to do so. A fertilizer low in nitrogen, high in phosphorus and potash is best.
”Daffodils require a constant supply of water during their growing season, and unless the ground is frozen, they are growing whether the foliage is visible or not. If the winter is dry, a good soaking after the ground thaws will be beneficial. In the warmer areas, bloom is beginning and special attention should be given to moisture needs.”
The Daffodil Journal, one of the most readable and useful of all plant society publications, is sent four time a year to members of the American Daffodil Society. Annual dues of $10 may be sent to executive director Leslie E. Anderson, Rt. 3, 2302 Byhalia Rd., Hernando, Miss. 38632.
Q–What is wrong with my Hindu rope plant? It was doing beautifully, with ropes nearly 3 feet long, then all of a sudden some of the leaves began to look like the ones enclosed.
A–The samples arrived in a rotted state, possibly frozen along the way. Hindu rope is a form of wax vine, best known for Hoya carnosa. Because the leaves of Hindu rope grow naturally twisted and folded together, mealybugs often become entrenched and can be nearly impossible to eradicate. These grayish white scale insects, which also secrete a cottony residue, can first be attacked directly. Dip a cotton swab in denatured alcohol and go over every leaf, inside, outside, and all along the stems, until there is no sign of a mealybug. Repeat weekly until the plant is completely clean.
Any houseplant pesticide labeled for use against mealybugs may be used, but be sure to follow manufacturer`s directions precisely. My first concern here is safety for you, second for the efficiency of the product.
Q–Last summmer my mother brought from Florida a plant having leathery, dark green leaves, soon topped by bracts bearing, from the bottom up, beautiful orange flowers. Now, in the winter, all the original leaves have dropped and the blooms have long since dried up. The root system seems healthy. What is this plant`s name, and what care is needed to grow it?
A–You have Crossandra infundibuliformis, a tropical member of the acanthus family, and a relative of aphelandra, better known as zebra plant. Both crossandra and aphelandra do their most active growing in spring and summer, producing flowers before the cooler weather and shorter days of autumn, then going into semidormancy until mid-winter.
Thrifty crossandra and aphelandra plants originate from tip cuttings made in late winter or spring and set to root in constant warmth, 70 to 80 degrees, and high humidity. I use a plastic sweater storage box with 2 inches of a 50/ 50 mix of moist vermiculite and perlite in the bottom. With the clear lid in place I set the box about 8 inches beneath two 40-watt fluorescent tubes that are lit 16 hours out of every 24. Rooting occurs in two to four weeks, and then the cuttings can be transplanted to individual pots, using a mix of two parts peat moss to one each of packaged all-purpose potting soil and clean, sharp sand; or you can use a commercially packaged soil-less mix such as Pro- Mix, Jiffy-Mix, Baccto Professional Mix or Redi-Earth.
Both crossandra and zebra have excellent potential as house plants, provided new stock is established from cuttings at least every other year. Warm nights (60-70 degrees) and warmer days (70 to 80 degrees) promote active growth, in combination with a half-sunny exposure, or a position not far from the tubes in a fluorescent light garden. Take care to maintain even soil moisture, never dry enough to wilt the leaves, but never soggy wet either. Early in the growth cycle use a balanced fertilizer such as 20-20-20; later, when flowers are expected, change to a blossom booster, such as 15-30-15, and finally a 0-6-5 or similar as the buds are about to pop.
Elvin McDonald cannot answer all questions individually, but he will respond to questions of general interest in this column. Write to him c/o The Tribune, Room 400, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611.
