When growing plants indoors it is often difficult to provide the proper amount of light required to maintain a happy and healthy specimen. With the onset of winter, the days are shorter and the nights are longer limiting the amount of available natural sunlight even further. The intensity of the sun is also diminished at this time of year. The addition of artificial lighting to replace or supplement natural sunlight is important for growing healthy, attractive houseplants and necessary to keep flowering plants in bloom during the winter months.

Light Color and Plant Growth

In order for a plant to grow properly the light it receives must mimic natural sunlight. Sunlight contains all the colors of the spectrum and all are necessary for the process of photosynthesis. Red and blue are two of the most important colors vital to plant growth. Red stimulates vegetative growth and flowering, however, too much red will create a leggy, stretched plant. Blue regulates plant growth for a fuller, stockier plant. For the best results, choose a full-spectrum fluorescent gro-bulb. This is the best lighting choice for optimum houseplant health and vitality.

Light Intensity

Different types of plants require different light intensities. Some plants thrive in low light, others require bright light. With artificial lighting the intensity of light is determined by the bulb wattage and how close the plant is to the light source. Knowing the light requirements of your plants will benefit you greatly when determining where to place a light and which plants to group together under the fixture. As a general rule of thumb, plants that are grown for fruit and flower usually require more light than those grown strictly for their foliage. Plants under artificial light should be rotated weekly, as light from tube style bulbs is more intense in the center of the bulb than at the ends. Using white trays, mirrors or trays lined with foil will help reflect light to increase the amount of light available to your plants.

Duration of Light

Most houseplants do well with 12-16 hours of artificial fluorescent light each day. Too little light will result in elongated, spindly growth and too much light will cause a plant to wilt, color to fade, soil to become excessively dry and foliage to burn. Plants also require a rest period each day. Providing your plants with an 8-12 hour period of darkness a day will moderate plant growth rate and provide the rest necessary for setting flower buds. For example, the Christmas cactus needs 13 hours of uninterrupted darkness a day, for six weeks, in order to set flower buds. Without this required time of rest time the Christmas cactus will not flower. The use of an automatic timer is helpful in regulating the amount of time your houseplants are exposed to light and darkness.

Fixtures

When choosing a plant light fixture, the most important feature is that the fixture be adjustable. You should be able to adjust the fixture up and down to account for the growth height and varied light intensity requirements of a variety of plants. If the fixture is not adjustable you will limit the type of plants that you can grow and how much you can use the fixture. Simple shop lights and tabletop light fixtures are both adjustable and good choices for lighting houseplants. Another consideration is the size of the fixture. Size choice is based on the number of plants that you plan to grow under the light. Lighted plant carts provide multi levels of lighted shelves on which to grow plants. Carts are on wheels that make them easy to relocate, while tabletop fixtures are lightweight and easily transported to other locations when necessary.

It may seem intimidating to get started with artificial light sources, but you will be amazed at the difference it will make to all your indoor plants, houseplants and seedlings alike.

Who said fruits and vegetables can’t be show-offs in the ornamental beds? Mix fruits and veggies into your flower and shrub borders to add drama, texture, color and, most importantly, food!

Blueberries

Displaying white flowers tinged in pink in little tassels during late spring, blueberries will grow only in moist, peaty soil with a pH lower than 5.5. The best way to grow them is in an informal border or along a woodland setting with other acid-loving plants like rhododendrons. To ensure good pollination, two different cultivars should be planted together. Plants should be protected from birds with netting when the fruit begins to ripen. Apply cottonseed meal to the soil in spring, water regularly during dry summers and prune the plants in winter by cutting out dead or damaged branches. You can also lightly trim plants in spring to keep them compact. Blueberries are rarely attacked by insects or diseases, but will look pale and chlorotic if the soil is not acid enough.

Raspberries and Blackberries

Although not particularly ornamental, bramble berry bushes, when trained on wires, offer a nice summer screen, or they can be grown against a fence or wall. Both raspberries and blackberries require slightly acidic soil, adequate moisture and will need support. Plants will succeed in light shade, but prefer a sunny location. Mulch in early spring with manure or compost, then cut old canes down to the ground after fruiting in early to mid-summer. No more than 5-6 strong stems should grow from each plant. Protect fruit from birds and squirrels to ensure enough left to harvest.

Strawberries

In the past few years strawberry plants have become increasingly popular for their ornamental qualities. Beautiful white flowers with yellow centers become delicious, glowing red strawberries. When choosing cultivars, be sure to try both June-bearing and ever-bearing selections to extend your harvest. Alpine varieties are perfect for edging a path. Strawberries require deep, well-drained, nutrient-rich soil for the best results. Plant in early spring and replace plants every three years for the best-tasting berries and most productivity. Fertilize in spring and cut off runners as they form to keep plants fruiting well, unless you are starting new transplants. Spread salt hay around plants as fruit starts to develop to keep the berries free from soil and well ventilated. Protect from birds and watch for slugs and botrytis (moldy, grey fungus) during wet springs.

Grapes

Trained over an arbor or combined with clematis on a pergola, grapes add an elegant touch to any landscape. Plant grapes in well-drained, fertile soil where there is full sun. When growing on a trellis, limit your grapevine to a single stem or trunk. Train the leading shoot vertically and the lateral shoots horizontally. There are also various other ways to train and prune grapes, but do not let this task scare you. Grapevines are very forgiving. Birds will love the rich, aromatic fruit so you may want to protect several areas to ensure a good harvest.

Rhubarb

Offering beautifully colored stalks of pink, white or red, rhubarb can be grown in any kind of soil in a sunny spot. You can pick from this trouble-free plant from spring until early summer. Only the stems of rhubarb are edible; the leaves should be discarded. Add plenty of manure to the soil, keep damp during dry summers and remove tall stems before they produce flowers. Although decorative, larger stems tend to reduce plant vigor. Divide every five years or as needed to control plant size. Watch for tunneling insects on the leaves and treat with rotenone as needed.

Figs

Adding an air of distinction where space is limited, a fig tree can be grown in a large pot. Forgiving figs do well in poor soil, but need a sunny, protected area, which may mean a south-facing wall. These ancient trees tend to produce more fruit when their root systems are restricted. Therefore, when planting in the ground, it is a good idea to dig a hole about 3 feet wide and line with bricks. Mix plenty of bone meal in with the soil, too. Mulch fig trees in late spring with compost and water in dry weather while the fruit is growing. You can also encourage these trees to produce more fruit by pinching new shoots in spring.

With careful planning, it’s easy to mix beautiful edibles in with your landscaping beds, allowing you to do double duty with your gardening and landscaping combined and dramatically increase what you can harvest and enjoy.

When it comes to flowering vines, few can rival the excellent performance clematis provides with its profusion of colorful blooms, and this plant is largely pest-proof and disease-free. With a few tips, you can successfully grow America’s favorite vine in your garden this spring!

Selecting a Variety

Clematis comes in a wide variety of colors: purple, pink, red, lavender, mauve, blue and white as well as blends of more than one color. There are over 200 varieties in all, and most plants bloom for several weeks in May and June with a few sporadic flowers in fall. Others bloom in summer, and a few varieties flower from late summer into fall.

Choosing a Location

Clematis performs best in a spot that gets at least 6 hours of sun a day – this is especially true with later blooming varieties like ‘Lady Betty Balfour.’ They also need moist, well-drained soil. Because clematis climbs by curling or twining leaf tendrils, stalks or stems around a support system, a location with a trellis, arbor or fence is essential to provide adequate structure so the plant can show off its full beauty.

Planting

To give clematis a good start in your yard, dig a hole slightly deeper than the rootball of the plant and twice as wide. Add about one-third peat moss, compost or other organic matter to your soil to provide sufficient nourishment. Clematis prefers a neutral pH, so you may need to amend the soil with lime if your soil is acidic.

Without handling too much, plant the clematis rootball slightly above the ground and water well with plant starter fertilizer. Next, add about 2-3 inches of mulch, but keep the mulch away from the stem of the plant so as not to encourage stem rot. This layer of mulch is important because clematis prefers cool, moist roots. The mulch will also discourage weeds while the plant is getting established.

Maintaining Your Clematis

To assure full, healthy plants, you will want to prune your clematis back to about 12 inches the first and second spring. After then, you should refer to specific pruning instructions for each variety. Generally, the following pruning practices should be followed:

• Type 1: Early Flowering Clematis (macropetala, alpina and montana types) – These plants produce flowers on wood that was grown the previous year and should be pruned within a month after flowering in the spring. Thin out weak or dead branches, lightly prune side branches to 1-2 buds and leave the main branch alone. Train or guide branches as required.

• Type 2: Early Large-Flowering Clematis – These varieties bloom on the previous season’s wood and on new shoots, blooming from early to late summer. These varieties should have one-half of the previous summer’s growth pruned back in late winter before new growth starts. Remove dead or damaged stems and cut back all other shoots to where strong leaf-axil buds are clearly visible. Immediately after flowering, cut one-quarter to one-third off the main shoots to within a foot or so of the base. Water and feed well. Train or guide new growth as required.

• Type 3: Late Small- and Large-Flowering Clematis – Cut these types back hard to the lowest pair of strong buds on each stem (usually about two feet) in late winter just as leaves begin to open. These varieties will bloom on wood produced in the upcoming spring months.

Clematis should be fed monthly during the growing season with 5-10-5 fertilizer or in early spring and again in early summer with a slow-release fertilizer. You will also want to check the pH of the soil periodically to keep it neutral, and refresh the mulch as needed to protect the roots. With just a little care and appropriate pruning, these lovely vines will bring gorgeous color and structure to your yard for years.

It’s not unusual for houseplants to become infested with different pests, but with conscientious care, even the most tenacious pests can be controlled. By acting quickly when pests are first noticed, you can completely remove the infestation and keep your houseplants healthy and thriving.

Top 5 Common Houseplant Pests and Controlling Them

Different plants may be susceptible to different types of pests depending on your home’s environmental conditions and the plants’ overall health. These pests, however, are the most widespread houseplant pests….

Fungus Gnats

These tiny, flying pests don’t do any harm to houseplants in their mature, adult form, but fungus gnat larvae live in houseplant soil and feed on organic material. This not only robs the plant of nutrition, but the larvae may nibble on the plant’s roots as well. While they don’t cause much overall damage to an otherwise healthy plant, fungus gnats can be very irritating when they form cloud-like flocks around a plant’s foliage.

Overwatering in rich soil encourages fungus gnats, and they can be notoriously difficult to eradicate. Reducing watering so the top 1-2 inches of soil can dry out is the first step, but it is often best to completely repot an infested plant. The roots should be rinsed carefully to remove any lingering larvae, and if the same pot will be reused, it must be sterilized first. Use well-draining soil or water the plant from the bottom to make the soil less attractive to fungus gnats. You may also mix diatomaceous earth into the soil to deter these pests, add additional perlite to the soil to increase drainage, use a fine gravel top dressing, or apply Bt var. israelensis (Bti or H-14 strain) to organically kill fungus gnat larvae. Another tried and true product for that is Bonide Systemic House Plant Insect Control. This comes in granular form.

Mealybugs

These sap-sucking insects are no more than a half-inch long and have a white or light gray fluffy appearance. They are typically seen along the stems of houseplants, especially in the joints where foliage sprouts. As they suck the plant’s sap, the leaves wither and wilt. Yellowing leaves can also be another sign of a mealybug infestation, particularly if leaves are yellowing throughout the plant rather than just older bottom foliage.

When a houseplant is heavily infested with mealybugs, the fastest way to control the pests is to prune away infected foliage and discard of it carefully. If the infestation is light, however, the bugs can be deterred with a Neem oil spray or rubbing alcohol. Apply the alcohol directly to the pests with a cotton ball or swab to kill them.

Spider Mites

These pests can be very destructive to all houseplants and can be challenging to get rid of. The mites themselves are so tiny that they may not be noticeable even with a heavier infestation, but their webs on the undersides of foliage or stretching between stems will be easier to see. Leaves that show yellow stippling may also indicate a spider mite infestation.

Spider mites thrive in dry conditions, so keeping houseplants’ humidity high is a good way to deter them. Running a humidifier, frequent misting, grouping pots together, and sitting pots on water filled pebble tray are all helpful solutions. When the bugs are present, neem oil spray should be used weekly to remove them and keep them from returning. Alternatively, light cleaning with insecticidal soap is also an effective way to control spider mites.

Aphids

While better known for their outdoor infestations, aphids can also be a problem on indoor houseplants. They are tiny insects, no more than one-eighth of an inch in size and range from green or black to reddish or white. They are very plump insects and get that way as they suck sap from the plant, usually on the foliage or stems. The plant will gradually wilt as it is unable to stay firmly upright while the aphids drain its sap.

Aphids are easily dislodged with a blast of water, so a cleansing shower is a good way to remove many of these pests without any unnecessary chemicals. If the infestation is extreme, it may be necessary to wash the plant gently with an insecticidal soap to get rid of aphids. Neem oil spray can also be effective for controlling aphids on houseplants.

Scale

These insects have a hard, oval-shaped shell that gives them a tough, scale-like exterior as they line up on a plant’s stems in tight clusters, similar to barnacles on a boat’s hull. These pests suck sap from the plant, and then produce a sticky, honeydew residue that can coat the plant and lead to mildew or may attract additional pests.

Your first line of defense is to gently scrape scale bugs off a plant with your fingernail, taking care not to scratch or damage the already stressed plant. Dabbing the insects with swab soaked in rubbing alcohol or spraying with neem oil can also be effective.

Minimizing Houseplant Pests

No matter which pests may be a problem, it’s always best to avoid infestations altogether rather than try to control them after the insects have already made an appearance. To minimize the risk of bugs taking over your houseplants…

• Purchase new plants only from a reputable retailer, like Poor Boy’s Garden Center , that offers proper care to the plants and can offer support for any problems after purchase.
• Inspect new plants carefully before purchasing and avoid plants with signs of pests.
• Quarantine any new plant for at least a week to be sure it doesn’t have any unwanted guests, including outdoor summer plants that will overwinter as houseplants.
• Use high quality, well-drained potting soil for all houseplants, rather than garden soil that isn’t sterilized and can even harbor pests.
• Provide houseplants with optimum care so they are not stressed as stress can make them more susceptible to pest infestations.
• Sterilize all houseplant equipment regularly, including pots that will be reused, pruners and shears, and watering cans, to be sure no pests are carried between plants.
• Stay alert at all times for signs of possible insect infestations. The faster you are able to act, the easier it will be to control these unwanted guests.

It can be frustrating to find pests on your houseplants, but with careful monitoring and appropriate control measures, your plants will soon be pest-free.

Starting seeds indoors is a rewarding gardening experience and can help extend your growing season to include more plant varieties than your outdoor season may permit. Furthermore, a larger selection of seed varieties doesn’t limit your opportunities to growing only those transplants that are available at planting time. The key to success in growing seedlings is in creating the proper environment.

What Seeds Need

Seeds are generally hardy, but to start them properly they do need gentle nurturing so they can produce healthy, vibrant plants. In general, seeds should be started 4-6 weeks before the recommended planting time so the seedlings will be large and strong enough to withstand the stresses of transplanting. Use a sterile growing mix which is light enough to encourage rich root growth. Sow the seeds thinly and cover lightly with sphagnum peat moss. Water using a fine spray but do not soak the seeds – they also need oxygen to germinate, and if they are overwatered they will drown. Cover the container with clear plastic to hold the moisture and increase humidity. Place the containers in a warm (70-80 degrees) spot and watch daily for germination. The top of the refrigerator is often an ideal location. When the first seeds germinate, place the seedlings in bright light or under artificial lights (tube lights should be 2-3” from seedling tops) for several hours each day, since late winter sunlight will not usually be sufficient to prevent weak, leggy seedlings. Daytime temperatures should range from 70-75 degrees. Night time temperatures should range from 60-65 degrees.

As Seeds Grow

When the seedlings develop their first true sets of leaves, add half-strength water soluble fertilizer to their water – organic fish emulsion or seaweed fertilizers are great to use. Repeat every second week to provide good nourishment. Thin the seedlings or transplant them to larger containers as they grow. Before planting outdoors, harden-off the plants at least one week before the planting date. Take the transplants outdoors in the daytime and bring them in at night if frost is likely. Gradually expose them to lower temperatures and more sunlight. The use of hotcaps and frost blankets to cover early plantings will also aid in the hardening off process so the seedlings can adjust well to their new outdoor environment.

Transplanting Seeds

Transplant seedlings into the garden after the safe planting date on a calm, overcast day. Pack the soil around the transplant with as little root disturbance as possible. Sprinkle the plants with water, keeping the soil moist until the plants become established.

Popular Indoor Seed Start Dates

The exact dates you want to start seeds will vary depending on your local growing season, the varieties of plants you choose and what their needs are. In general, dates for the most popular produce include…

Vegetable Seed Starting Dates

• February – Asparagus, celery, onion
• March 1 – Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, lettuce
• March 15 – Eggplant, peppers, tomatoes
• April 1 – Summer squash
• April 15 – Cantaloupes, cucumbers, winter squash

Flower Seed Starting Dates

• January/February – Begonia, carnation, geranium, impatiens, nicotiana, pansy, rudbeckia, salvia, snapdragon, verbena, vinca
• March 1 – Ageratum, dahlia, dianthus, petunia
• April 15 – Aster, calendula, celosia, marigold, zinnia

Use seed starting dates as a general guide to ensure your seeds have plenty of time to reach their full harvest potential before the weather turns in autumn. At the same time, consider staggering seed starting every few days to lengthen your harvest and keep your favorite vegetables and flowers coming even longer during the growing season. As you gain more experience with starting seeds, you’ll be able to carefully plan your seed calendar to ensure a lush, rich, long harvest season.