And waiting

While waiting for the amaryllis to bloom…

I decided to pot the Christmas cactus in individual pots -

(See January 6, 2011 post here.)

Plants out of plastic pot, a gentle tug to separate; 4 pre-soaked clay pots, a little fresh potting soil; water; done.

Still waiting

Christmas Cactus

Last January I pruned the roots and trimmed my old Christmas cactus. (See post “Root Pruning” from January 27, 2010.)    I don’t prune the roots often because Christmas cactus doesn’t mind being root bound.

This plant could be Schlumbergera russelliana - that's my best guess. It is the granddaughter or great-granddaughter of the original plant I got 50 years ago. The flowers are brilliant red and it is usually blooms at Christmas. I have never seen one exactly like it at the garden centers.

After trimming last year, I took four cuttings and put them in a small vase of water. I planted them in potting soil about a month later. All four cuttings ended up in a single 4” plastic pot (because I was too lazy to plant four separate pots). Maybe you can see the tiny buds on the baby plants in the picture below.

I’ll transplant each one to individual clay pots one of these days. These plants seem to do better in a clay pot. (Plastic pots may keep the plant too wet.) Also Christmas Cacti tend to get top heavy. The weight of the clay pot keeps them from toppling over.

I will give three away.  I'm looking for takers.

I’ll keep one to start a new generation.
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'tis the season

As I wind down the gardening year, I am very thankful for the opportunity to share my garden with everyone. I am grateful for other garden bloggers, teachers and friends from whom I have learned so much.

To me gardening means hope in the future with the anticipation of creating something beautiful or colorful. It means a rest from the stress of daily life. It means working in the sunshine and getting my socks dirty. It is a joy and a frustration. It is more than its parts.

I wish you all a joyous holiday season. May the New Year hold many happy gardens for you.


“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!
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Root Pruning

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I have had the red Christmas cactus for more years than I care to remember. I don’t remember how many new plants have been started from the original plant my aunt gave me when I was 16.

It’s been a long time since repotting and the plant looked tired. So I decided to do a root pruning and repot. I took 2 cuttings and put them in water to root. If I kill the plant with an inept root prune, I should have new plants to start – a little insurance so to speak.

I watered the plant thoroughly. I used a knife along the edges of the pot to loosen it. The root ball didn’t look too dense. I cut about ½ inch from 2 sides and the bottom. I put the plant back in the original pot filling in with new potting soil. After a thorough soak, the plant is back in the cool room that is its winter home. I’ll keep a close watch for the next few months and hope the plant is re-energized.

(More information on Christmas cactus care from Penn State Extension.)

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Holiday

Thanksgiving Prayer

by Susan D. Anderson

I’m thankful for my mother, and

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I’m thankful for my dad.

I’m thankful for my sisters, and

for all the fun we’ve had.

I’m thankful for my brother, Tom,

(even when he’s jerky.)

But most of all, I’m oh-so-thankful

not to be a turkey


Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

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Houseplants

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Bringing in the houseplants in fall

All the houseplants that spent the summer outside are now safely tucked away in the house. When the temperature outside goes below 60 degrees at night, I know it’s time to bring in the houseplants.

The coleus cuttings will be houseplants until May. I start them in water. I know they can also be started directly in soil but water works for me. After they grow roots, I’ll pot them up. They will spend the winter under lights. I’ll do another batch of cuttings from them in late winter.

The Christmas cactus needed to be trimmed. After a light haircut, I rinsed the leaves with a sprayer on the hose. I sprayed with my homemade baking soda/dish soap/water solution (1 gallon water, 2 tablespoons baking soda and a little dish soap). I put them in a little used, cool room that gets no artificial light. I’ll wait for blooms to start in November.

The amaryllis is taking its yearly nap. They rest under the table in the same cool room as the Christmas cactus. I brought them in about the middle of August and stopped watering. I’ll take off the leaves as they die back. If there are any green leaves left by the end of September, I’ll cut them off. I’ll add soil and start to water lightly after thanksgiving for March blooms.

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The tuberose was disappointing again this year – no blooms. They are still growing in a sunny window. I’ll soon let the foliage die back and give them the same treatment as the amaryllis. Next year I’ll plant them in a larger pot and hope for fragrant blooms.

It’s sad to think about the end of summer but now I have one more chore checked off my long fall list. We had a good rain yesterday so I can get back to weeding, trimming and pulling. And then there’s the new garden – more about that later.

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Christmas Cactus

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The orange tinted cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) is actually a Thanksgiving cactus. A gift from a friend two years ago, this orange/red flowered plant is the second to bloom each year.

My 3-cactus collection spends the summer on our deck out of direct sun. I bring them in at the end of summer. They spend most of the year in a cool, unused (no artificial light) room in a sunny, south-facing window.
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Since they are out of sight I sometimes forget to water, but they don’t seem to mind - as long as I get there before they totally expire. I fertilize every other week in the summer. They may get a weak fish emulsion fertilizer a few times in the winter. Did I mention that I sometimes forget about them?


The white cactus (Zygocactus) bloomed in early November.

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The red Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) has set buds and will be in full bloom by Christmas.

I bring each plant into the dining room as they start to bloom. The three plants provide 2 or 3 months of flowers during the winter.

Of all the house plants, the Christmas Cactus must be the easiest flowering house plant to grow.

More information from Clemson University Extension.

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House Plants

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It’s time to bring in the houseplants for the winter. They seem to adjust better to indoor temperature and humidity if I bring them in when the nights are warm and before the heat is turned on.

The other day I rinsed the Christmas Cacti and the Amaryllis with water then sprayed them with insecticidal soap.

I put the three Christmas cactus in a window in a room that is cool in winter and gets very little artificial light. I probably won’t do anything more, except water. I may give them a weak fish emulsion water once in a while.

The four amaryllis were put in the same cool room but out of the sun under a table. I will let them dry and rest for the winter. I’ll start giving them a little water about 3 months before I want them to bloom. When I see a little green shoot appear in the pot, I’ll move them to a sunny window and water regularly. Then I’ll wait for the spectacular bloom.

I have a few more plants to bring in this week.

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Here is the picture of the lily I thought was a tuberose. I'll plant the bulbs in the garden next spring.

I plan to buy tuberose from Old House Gardens http://www.oldhousegardens.com/bulb.asp?cat=SP&page=2#doubPearl
I am determined to have a blooming tuberose.

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Indoor Blooms

The garden outside is still messy since I haven’t had time to get out so far this week. A few hyacinths have broken through the ground.

Inside, the orange and the pink Christmas cacti are re-blooming. The poinsettia is coming into bloom and the amaryllis’ pop of color is quite spectacular.

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(I apologize – the sidebar “About Me”, “Previous Posts” and “Archives” - has moved to the bottom of this blog. Please scroll down to see previous posts.)

Christmas Cactus - 2

Schlumbergera

Some of my Christmas cacti may actually be Thanksgiving cactus. The white blooming plant from December 1, 2007 post always blooms in November. I call them all Christmas cactus because I’m too lazy to make a distinction.

In early December, the red-orange flowering Christmas cactus started to bloom. The leaves are wider and thicker than my other cacti. This year it had a few large blooms.

I’ve had the traditional red Christmas cactus for many years. I received the original plant from my aunt. By cutting a length of a few leaves and rooting in potting soil, I’ve grown new plants to give away. They are very easy to propagate.

After blooming, the plants take a rest. In May, I will trim all the cacti and set them outside in a shady area. They seem to like being pot bound. I may repot and prune the roots once a decade. I fertilize about every two weeks in summer using Miracle Gro or Fish Emulsion. In late August, I bring them in and set them in a sunny window. The room is cool and gets very little artificial light. They bloom reliably each year.

For more information see Purdue Ext Christmas Cactus FAQ http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/cactusFAQs.html

Christmas Cactus

The first to bloom. The attractive white/pale pink cactus started to bloom on November 17. The red and orange blooming cacti are setting buds. To be continued . . .

Christmas Cactus

Leaves of fall. We had absolutely beautiful weather on Saturday - 60+ degrees and sunshine. We spent the entire day outside - raking leaves and cleaning up the gardens. With this glorious weather outside it's hard to get in the groove of taking care of house plants (and cuttings). I seem to be doing OK - haven't killed anything yet.

The white Christmas cactus is blooming. It's in dire need of a trim. I have to remember to do that when it's finished blooming. It also needs to be repotted - I haven't done that for a number of years. I think I'll do a root pruning and put it in the same size pot with fresh potting soil. I really don't have space for a larger pot.

I never bought a Christnas cactus. I have two red ones that bloom later. They all came from cuttings from my aunt Betty's plants. She gave me the first one when I was 16. One red blooming cactus is getting woody so I'll try to remember to take a cutting after it blooms and start a new one.