Watering houseplant properly , checking them for wanderer mites regularly , and ordering seeds early are some of the gardening activity for this month .
Feel the filth of your houseplants . When it ’s ironic an in or so deep , apply enough water so it number out the bottom drain hole . The larger the pot , the longer you could wait in between waterings . If you have a hearth or force - air heat , you may have to water little pots every couple of Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . Humidifiers are very beneficial for plants , and for us . Even lay plants on a tray of pebble , kept moist , will help them .
Many houseplants , include palms and cyclamen , are aggress byspider mitesthis time of year . They are microscopical fauna that suck plant succus , causing the leaves to appear specked or silver . To reconnoitre for these pests , mist the plants lightly ; if mites are present , the H2O droplet will cleave to the pinch ’ hunky-dory webbing . Control them by mist plants day by day to keep the humidity high-pitched ( spider mites love dryness ) and by spraying plants with insecticidal soap .
If you desire to have the best selection of plants quick to go into the ground when you ’re ready to plant , place plant club early . The choice dwindle down the longer you wait , particularly for novel and unusual varieties . Some very diminutive seed such as begonia postulate to be sown in winter . Others , such as the All - America - make headway coneflower PowWow Wild Berry , involve to be inseminate the end of January in purchase order to flower the first twelvemonth from seminal fluid .
Most coneflowers ( Echinacea ) will want to be buy as industrial plant , either through catalogs , online , or from local glasshouse this coming time of year . To get an idea of which of the century now usable may perform best in our climate , look over the results of several year of trial so far with this genus ( pss.uvm.edu/ppp/coneflowers16.pdf ) . You ’ll require to seem for one that not only are hardy but also appease erect and do n’t flop over . If you want to serve pollinators , make certain to plant some cultivar ( cultivated varieties ) that are single , not twofold .
Schefflera or Umbrella Plant is a coarse houseplant that you may see if you have burnished Light Within and sufficient place . This has glossy , leathery leaves in a pinwheel physique . While the coarse species has up to 7 leaflets , up to a foot long , the dwarf schefflera has 7 to 11 leaflets only up to 4 - column inch long . The species can get up to 8 animal foot or more high indoors , and about 4 - feet wide-eyed , while the gnome one only gets about 4 feet high and broad indoors . Keep these plants aside from drafts , and do n’t overwater them .
If you keep any kind of gardening journal , dig it out now and refresh your computer memory about what worked and what did n’t form last twelvemonth . Read notes you took atgarden visits and horticulture workshops to give you ideasof plant and proficiency you may want to judge this year . If you do n’t have a horticulture journal , just designate a lowly notebook as a place to collect your thought and care inclination . You may have a brochure for each year to tuck note into during the year , ( such as ideas for next year ’s vegetable garden , and what sort that you want to try ) , as well asplant lean , receipts ( to fuck what you buy ) , and mathematical function of what was planted last year and where .
Other garden - related activities for this calendar month let in restrain shuttle feeders make full and cleaned regularly , earn plans to attend one of our garden tour this coming season ( pss.uvm.edu/ppp/forpecon.htm#tours ) , lightly dispatch heavy snow from shrub branches , using deicing table salt that are secure for plant and pets , and checking put in root crop and bulbs for hogwash .
Leonard Perry , UVM Horticulturistand Charlie Nardozzi , Garden Consultant
