Winter Gardening...

[SandiF]

Don't tell me that my fellow Gardenists have put the trowels away.

All the outdoor plants are trimmed down to the ground, garden beds mulched and prepared for the winter frost. The potted plants are indoor, and I've ran out of space to put most of them. I'm especially watching the Black Taros, Brumelias, Dwarf Palms and various fern plants I have in pots, to see how well they will do this winter.

But, mi gardening skills not gonna go to sleep this winter. I've decided to start an indoor herb garden, and maybe see if I can get some bulb and tuberous plants to grow by using a 'fridge method' and have nice flowers blooming during the winter!

The indoor herb gardening will be a first, since I've never grown herbs but I want to give me green thumb a try.

So, who and who into winter gardening. Come give me some tips nuh.

thanks!

[grandma2]

Re: Winter Gardening...

bway SandiF mi have mi gardening inside,mi have rosemary,thyme,pepper (scotch bonnet) plus mi other plants.

now mi sister in law have a guess bedroom dat turn into a nursery (tru the sunshine so good in there) she has every kind of herbs even bay leaf,just wonderful. you should see her gardinas (sp) mi will insert it, when its in bloom an smell nice wow.

wats a fridge method

[Pepper]

Re: Winter Gardening...

For the fall I planted sorrell. They are coming in nicely. I can't wait for the crop.

Herbs are still hanging in there and the scotch bonnet is doing well.

[7777]

Re: Winter Gardening...

I also have been doing some winter gardening. I planted collard greens in the late summer as they will live during the winter and can be harvested too.
Its seems though that also the greens did well growth wise, the insects, which kind I do not know- got to the them before me....
I also have some plants inside that I bought in - vincas (3 large), african voilet (1) chinese bamboo(2) and some paper whites. had those from last year, seem to be coming up this year, but not too sure if they will have the strength to bloom this year. will have to wait and see!

[Green_Biscuit]

Re: Winter Gardening...

Someday when I renovate I want to have an attached greenhouse on the south side. In the meantime, I try.....I brought in some of my niver coleus varities, but I just through away most of them as they disinagrated (sp?) - htey had been hit by a light frost and just didn't last. I do have a nice sweet potatoe vine - variety is black beauty I think. I cut it way back for the same reason, but it is just fine. Also potted up some caladiums but they look sad. of course, they looked sad outside too, I thought because I planted them kinda late, but they are not rebounding in here either. Any ideas? All of my house plants spent the summer outdoors and seem pretty happy for it now. My supposed Christmas cactus bloomed within a couple of weeks of cringing it in. so did my mom's and my sisters. Guess they all thought they were Halloween cactus....maybe we were supposed to keep them in the dark for awhile? Looking forward to cutting various evergreens for Holiday displays. Need to plant new herbs. Also got hit by frost. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[SandiF]

Re: Winter Gardening...

grandma2, I got two nice big bushy branch off a Rosemary bush. I'm experimenting and want to try planting one of the stems, but mi nuh have no idea how to start. I did a bit of reading on the internet and they all recommend planting in sandy soil... but mi nuh have sandy soil and where would I even get it?

*See post below this for refridgerating tulips, crocus, hyacinth bulbs for winter indoor gardening.

I hear you about needing a greenhouse G_B... with the accumulation of potted plants I've got, I really see the need to have one setup at home here, but after all this old house renovation is done.

I've had little luck with caladiums, once as I bring them in for the winter, the poor things just do not survive after that. Already a slight frost had burnt the leaves on some of my potted plants. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Four years ago my husband's aunt gave us a sprig off her Christmas cactus, it bloomed really lovely til last year it started looking funky, poor thing wilted down, and has *just* now putting out new sprouts.

[SandiF]

Re: Winter Gardening...

Guide to Refridgerating Tulips, Iris, Hyacinth and Crocus for winter indoor flowering


I've tried this laster year and got tulips and crocus blooming during the winter. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] The Iris didn't bloom, it only put out a nice long stalk [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Directions.
===========
Step 1. Place the bulbs in an 'open' container or tray, laid only one layer thick. Put the container or tray into the fridge (not freezer) for 6-9 weeks. If cooling Tulips, do not use a fridge that contains fruit or vegetables. The ethylene gas produced by fruit and vegetables will kill the flower buds inside the Tulips. Consider using a bar fridge that contains only drinks. The temperature of the fridge should be between 2 and 5 degrees Celsius. This temperature is standard for most fridges.

Step 2. Open the fridge once every few days for about 30 seconds to a minute. This is to allow fresh air around the bulbs.

Step 3. After 6 weeks of refrigeration in cool winter climates or 9 weeks in warm winter climates, remove the bulbs from the fridge and commence to pot them up. Use a quality potting mix and select a well drained pot. Mix some slow release fertilizer through your potting mix if not already done by the manufacturer. Plant the bulbs so they are covered by 2.5-3cm of soil above their tips. Allow for the potting mix to settle after it is watered so have a bit more mix above the bulbs to allow for this. Remember, bulbs don't mind being a bit crowded and a full pot will look best. Water the pot well after planting.

Step 4. Place the planted pot in a cool shaded spot until shoots 2-3cm long appear above the soil.
Note: It is important that the pot remain cool and damp whilst the roots and shoots develop.

Step 5. Move the pot with 2-3cm shoots to a bright location indoors. The bulbs will now continue to grow and flower inside your home.

Important
==========

Do not place the pot near a heater. Water as necessary. Soil should remain damp under the surface.

Special Note: Only new bulbs should be forced. Once bulbs have been treated in this way they should be grown normally in the garden for at least 2 years to rebuild their strength and vigor before attempting to reforce them.

Keep lids open or removed from containers at all times. Bulbs should only be one layer deep.

Open paper bags are an ideal way to store bulbs in the fridge

Use aerated plastic bags for bulb storage.

Never place bulbs with ripening fruit. The gases produced may kill flower buds.

Never store bulbs in sealed containers

[grandma2]

Re: Winter Gardening...

SandiF, girl yu knoh mi neva do mine (rosemary) from cuttings mi bought the plant an now its like a tree, my SIL says they sell a thing at the store dat she start her cuttings with.

thanks for the info on the fridge plant no room for that in my fridge [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Pepper how is your herbs,yu knoh mi still wanda bout mine DWL all de basil

[Pepper]

Re: Winter Gardening...

G2,

I pulled up most of my herbs. I only have the thyme (broad leaf and regular) left. I want to move the herb garden, so I am going to start fresh next spring.

Di banana tree shoot over the weekend.

[grandma2]

Re: Winter Gardening...

oh Pep isnt dat exciting wen yu see yu own han plant a bus pon yu DWL, enjoy it girl han by han

yu plant any cane

[SandiF]

Re: Winter Gardening...

House Plant Humidity Tips

Mist/spray house plants 3 times daily to encourage humidity

Group plants together, as a plant loses its humidity, another plant will get that humidity

Set a small indoor water fixture beside the plants

Or, layer rocks in the pot plate/tray and pour water in it and set pot on top of it.

[mountaingal]

Re: Winter Gardening...

me buy house, moving in end of january. i have plans to start a kitchen garden with the herbs I tend to use - thyme, green onions, parsley, mint, oregano, basil, rosemary. I'd plant sage, but somehow i never seem to use it, nor marjoram. i also want to plant lavender and chamomile. i'm reading up on gardening like crazy.

Looking forward to getting in on these gardening discussions. I never really got into balcony gardening...

G2 - i'm still having a hard time getting broadleaf thyme to root. the last one I tried to root did the same thing as all the others, the stem turned black in the water and started to rot. i was so upset i almost cried...

on the other hand, someone had given me a leaf of life cutting and it rooted beautifully, except my bad broughtupsy parakeets loved it to death and nyammed off all the leafs. So, I'm cleaning up the sill and noticed that a coupld of the leaf of life leaves had fallen off the stem, and lo and behold, they had new plants sprouting round the edge of the leaf...i was a little creeped out at first, but I jumped on a good thing, and now I have a bunch of little leaf of life plants growing in a pot. I hope they grow big enuff to survive the onslaught of the birds (they are supposed to get some greens in their diet, and this met their needs perfectly).

G2 - I greatly admired your SIL's bay plant, and am hoping to get one for my kitchen. Also, at some point, I'll beg you for an already rooted piece of broad leaf thyme. I also want to grow scotch bonnet in a pot, and eucalyptus, and bamboo outdoors!

[Suesumba]

Re: Winter Gardening...

mountaingal, congrats pon di house ting

plant di sage it's a natural antiobiotic

mi nah tell non a unno weh mi have a grow inna fimmi house

[mountaingal]

Re: Winter Gardening...

Originally posted by SueSumba:
[qb] mountaingal, congrats pon di house ting

plant di sage it's a natural antiobiotic

mi nah tell non a unno weh mi have a grow inna fimmi house [/qb]

tank yuh, babes. me wi plant sage...juss haffe fine use fi ie. send me a seed a dat ting dere nuh?

[Pepper]

Re: Winter Gardening...

MG,

Congrats on the house. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

RE: broad leaf thyme, I just stick a piece in soil and it takes root. Not much water and it flourishes. And trust me, I am not the best gardener around, but that always grows for me. What did you do?