Question: There are little black gnats flying around my house, and I’ve tracked them back to my houseplants. How can I control these annoying creatures, and are they harming my plants?

Answer: The little black insects are most likely fungus gnats. They breed in overly damp soil, where both the larvae and adults feed on abundant soil fungi. If the population of gnats is very high, the larvae may run out of fungus to eat and turn to your plants’ rootlets for food, but this rarely causes plants distress. To rid yourself of these pests, allow the soil surface to dry out a little between waterings. Most houseplants do better when the soil is not overly wet, so this should not hurt them. To break the breeding cycle and eliminate the pests you can also spread a thin layer of sand or gravel over top of the potting soil — this works well if you have plants that do actually require a constantly wet soil. This layer will dry out very quickly (faster than the potting mix) and the gnats will have no place to breed. Each generation lives only a short while so once the surface moisture stops they should disappear in a few weeks. There are also commercial products containing a special strain of the biological control Bt that help control this pest.

Common name of this plant is ‘variegated horseradish’. It needs the full sun and for its soil, it likes rich soil, not too dry.
Horseradish is a hardy perennial herb. Spreading with determination every year if left to its own devices, this herb reaches a height of one metre. The roots can grow to a meter in length. The leaves are large and long, almost paddle-shaped, growing 30-50cm. In the spring, heads of pretty, small white flowers with a sweet honey scent develop. Seed pods however rarely ripen in our climate. In cold parts of the country, flowers often fail to develop.
This very striking plant does not like to be disturbed. This great kitchen condiment gets a striking face-lift. White variegated foliage is a very nice contrast to the usual green. Roots can be used as a spicy condiment like the all green version. The 18-in long, wavy, crepe paper like leaves develop striking patterns of cream splashed on dark green– but not right away. It may take two or three years for it to become completely variegated, and then only if it’s left undisturbed. If you move it, you’ll have to start your wait all over again.
All of the plant, especially the roots, contain strong-smelling volatile mustard oils and is popular in sauces and is said to aid digestion; this helps especially if eaten with rich foods, such as roast beef and oily fish which are difficult to digest.
Not only can this plant spread, its roots grow to at least 60cm. A mature plant may have to be divided or removed with an axe or saw; so care and consideration is needed when adding this herb to the garden. It may be advisable to plant in an old dustbin, with holes in the bottom, to retain the spread of the roots. Sink the bin into the ground and apply well-rotted manure or compost around the plant in the spring. It doesn’t not spread aggressively, but instead, forms polite clumps gradually growing to 3 ft. across. Once the variegation does get going, the splotches and speckles are most pronounced in early spring.

First you need a bucket or a deep planting pot (A bucket is good because it has a handle). Then drill a couple of holes in the bottom for drainage, Now for potatoes you fill the 1st 4 or 5 inches with compost and then plant a couple of the eyes of the potatoe. Now when the green stems get to about 6 inches tall add more compost until just the tops are showing. Allow them to continue to sprout up and as they get taller repeat the back filling until you are at the top then just let them do their thing. water as needed. Now you can grow just about anything in a bucket. As far as cool weather crops go I would suggest only filling the bucket 5/8 full that way if the temps plunge unexpectently then all ya gotta do is cover the top. Now for those veggies that need to keep their toes warm you can use a grow mat and put the buckets on the Mat.

Keeping Houseplants Healthy in Winter

Keeping your houseplants healthy during winter months may seem difficult. Light from windows is reduced, days are shorter and humidity may be lower due to heating. But by making a few changes, you can help keep your houseplants healthy.

Keeping things light
In winter, your plants receive sunlight for less time and in less intensity. Houseplants native to rainforests that are used to lower light will be fine with that, but most plants need more light. Try to move your plants near a brighter window (S/SW exposure) to get them more sunlight.
If you have no brighter windows (due to shade trees or apartment living), you might want to consider the purchase of plant lamps that are designed to provide the full spectrum light your plants need. They can be mounted under shelves over plants or on specially-designed plant stands. Leave them on about eight hours a day, and they’ll give your plants the light they need.
You can also use cool fluorescent bulbs as close as 6 inches from the top of plants.

Temperature
Most plants do not do well when subjected to rapid fluctuations in temperature. Keep them away from hot air sources and cold drafts alike. Run ceiling fans on low if the house is closed up. Fans break up stagnant air; that’s healthier for both you and your plants.

Humidity
Some symptoms of low humidity are brown leaf tips and wilting. Low humidity makes your plants work harder to get moisture from the air and soil, as well as keep what they have inside.
One way to give your plants some extra humidity is to mist them two or three times a day. The water will evaporate off the leaves and provide a cloud of higher humidity around the plant. For a less labor-intensive method, put a layer of pebbles in the bottom of a tray and fill the tray with just enough water to cover the bottom of the tray (below the top of the pebbles). Place potted plants in the tray.

Other
Fertilizing should be done less often for most plants in winter.
Give your plants a good washing. Dirt, dust, grease, and other particles can settle on leaves. Dirty leaves can’t absorb as much sunlight as clean ones. Gently wipe clean the leaves with a soft sponge or cloth dipped in plain water. Sturdier plants can even be given a quick shower in the bathroom with tepid water.

So, when is a sweet potato not a yam? When it’s an Ipomoea batatas, that’s when.
The beautiful vines produced by Ipomoea batatas–aka sweet potato vine–have long been enjoyed by gardeners as a heat-loving, trailing tropical plant especially suited for hanging basket culture. Sweet potato vine also now comes in several different foliage colors, from a chartreuse-yellow to a burgundy-red to a near-black purple. Alternating the colors in a mass bed planting creates a terrific look. There is also a lovely variegated tricolor type.
Although the sweet potato vine is a non-flowering annual grown from a tuber, it is a cousin of the morning glory, which should tell you something about its vigor: give it plenty of room.
Sweet potato vines are easily propagated either from pieces of the leaf or the vine, or by dividing the new tubers created in the ground each season.
But whatever you do, don’t dig up the tubers expecting to serve them at Thanksgiving dinner - they are incredibly bitter and not for eating. Just enjoy the foliage!

Q. I have a beautiful collection of bearded irises, and we have decided to sell our home and move - we are taking the irises with us. My question is, once I have dug and divided them up, how long do I have before they need to be planted again? We live in Southern Ca, Zone 8-9, and are moving to the same conditions.

Ans. You can store them for a few months. Best result is had if you can store them dry and cool (in a fridge for example, to avoid dehydration). Store in onion sacks or brown paper bags (not plastic) and do try to keep dry.
If you can borrow a neighbors (spare) fridge until your new home is ready, then that is preferred.
If you do not have a fridge, you can also just store the rhizomes dry and as cool as possible (as cool as you can .. say an airconditioned room, garage, or basement) and they will be able to be planted again. I had some stored for about 6 months which were shrivelled. They did not bloom the following spring, but the spring after they had all but rebounded, provided you plant in full sun, give fertilizer and water to the green leaves.

When To Plant:

Fall is the best time to plant spring flowering bulbs, however there are
some slight differences depending on where you live. In the North and
mid-sections of the US, flower bulbs should be planted between September and
November, either in the shade or full sunlight. Southern regions should
plant them in the shade between October and January. However, bulbs can be
planted even after frost is in the ground, provided that the soil is easily
cultivated.

How Deep to Plant:

This depends on the size of bulb you are planting. The general rule of thumb
is to plant the bulbs twice as deep as their height. This means that tulips
and daffodils are generally planted 6″ deep, muscari and crocus about 4″
deep. Planting depth is from the top of the bulb (pointed end up!)

How Far Apart Should They Be Spaced:

Smaller bulbs should be planted fairly close together, roughly 4″ apart;
larger bulbs should have approximately 5″ separating them. But this rule was
meant to be broken. If you wish to create a bolder splash of color, you can
plant them even closer, to the point where your bulbs are almost touching.

What Kind Of Soil:

Flower bulbs thrive in well drained soil, and left to grow and naturalize.
They prefer some organic material or compost mixed in with the soil. Make
sure the soil is cultivated beneath the bulbs to ensure good root growth.
Bulbs can be planted in pots as well, as long as they contain free-draining
soil or compost. Bulbs do best if dug up and divided every three years or so
after the foliage has died.

What After-Care is Needed:

After the bulbs have been planted, water the soil well. If you live in an
area subject to severe frosts, give them extra protection by covering them
with straw or mulch. Because flower bulbs create reserves of food, the
fading of the first year’s bloom does not mean flowering has ended. Many
will re-appear the following spring, especially if you add a little bulb
booster, bone meal or fertilizer when the flowers begin to fade.

Indoor Forcing:

Flower bulbs that you wish to bloom inside the house can be planted in
earthenware, glass or plastic pots. Be sure that the pot is at least four
inches deep, and has a drainage hole. A medium potting soil is ideal.
Partially fill the pots with soil, then place the bulbs lightly into the
soil. They may be allowed to almost touch each other. With tulips, arrange
so that the flat side of the bulbs faces the pot. Continue to fill the pot
with soil so that the ‘noses’ of the bulbs are just covered. Sprinkle
generously with water to encourage rooting. To obtain suitable results, it
is absolutely necessary that the bulbs spend the indicated time (see chart)
in a cold environment. Preferably this should also be dark, although this
factor is not critical. If you do not have a cool room available, the pots
can be buried in the ground for the indicated period of time - provided that
it’s not too wet. If you don’t provide with a sufficiently long cold period,
the stems will be short, too long and the stems will appear leggy. After the
cold period is over, you should put the bulbs in a warm room. It will be
another 2 to 4 weeks before the flowers will be in full bloom. The smaller
bulbs, such as crocus, find room temperature too warm, so find them a spot
in a cool hallway or basement.

Variety Cold Period
Hyacinths 10 to 12 weeks
Tulips 13 to 15 weeks
Daffodils 13 to 16 weeks
Crocus 14 weeks
Iris 13 to 15 weeks
Grape Hyacinths 14 to 15 weeks

Caladium–Dig up after first hard frost. Place in warm, dry location 1 to 2
weeks. Cut off dry foliage, and bury tubers in dry peat moss. Store (60 to
65 degrees).

Calla Lily–Cut foliage after hard frost 1 to 2 inches above soil surface.
Dig up rhizomes. Dry in warm, dry location 1 to 2 weeks. After drying,
bury rhizomes in peat moss and store (50 to 60 degree temps).

Cannas–Cut back 4 to 6 inches above soil after a hard frost. Leave a small
amount of soil around cannas. Dry for several days. Store in box (40 to 50
degree temp).

Dahlia–Cut back foliage 2 to 4 inches above soil a few days after hard
frost. Shake off soil, cut the stems back to the crown. Wash tuberous
roots. Allow to dry to the touch. Place dahlia clumps upside down in
boxes, cover with peat moss. Store in 40 to 50 degrees temp.

Elephants Ear–Dig up after first hard frost. Cut off foliage. Dry tubers
for 1 to 2 weeks. Bury tubers in peat moss (70 to 75 degree temp).

Gladiolus–Dig up in later summer or early fall. Shake off soil. Cut back
foliage 1 to 2 inches above corms. Dry corms for 2 to 3 weeks. Place corms
in mesh bags or nylon stockings and hang in cool, dry location (35 to 45
degree temp).

Tuberous Begonia–Dig up tuberous begonias a few days after hard frost.
Leave a small amount of soil around each tuber. Cut off stems 1 inch above
tuber. Place in cool, dry area 2 to 3 weeks. Shake off soil; bury tubers
in dry peat moss. Store (40 to 50 degree temps).

Q&A: Dividing Hostas
Question: Is there a better time of year to divide hostas? Ours are 3 years old. The patch they are in will be dug up before the end of the summer to insert a patio. Should we replant then in another spot and divide them later
or can we divide them any time this summer and replant? Are there any keys to success?

Answer: Spring is the better time to dig and divide hostas. If you wait until the weather gets hot, they’ll have trouble adjusting. Clumps of hosta aren’t too difficult to divide, but the roots tend to tangle so it’s easiest
just to cut through the root mass, taking a few leaves with roots attached, and planting them in their new garden spots. Amend the soil first, and add a peatmoss mulch around the plants after transplanting. Water them well once they’re in the ground, but don’t fertilize until new leaves begin to unfurl. In addition, I found from personal experience that I can successfully transplant hostas/divide them too at any time, spring, summer, and fall.