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Have you noticed it’s dry?

By Staff | Nov 28, 2008

Gardener or not, the cold weather ups and downs are very noticeable by all. The actual dryness, bordering on drought, may not have caught the attention of gardeners.

The no rain days are stretching into weeks and the low humidity is making weather more dry than usual for this time of year. The windy days are not helping much either.

It is easier for fires to unexpectedly flame up and be fanned by the winds. It is also causing a very dry condition for our soil. All plants, bushes, etc. need to have a nice moist soil to keep growing and without adequate rain or moisture in the air surrounding them, they will become internally dry and will not do well at all.

I do not worry too much about blooming orchids with a couple of cold nights. However, when the dew point drops to 30, I start getting nervous. I have storm doors across the back of the lanai and can move things in behind them and I know from being here a few years that the temperatures never go below 50. I always have a few young cuttings or something that seems a bit delicate so the key word here for me, is the moving in and out of a couple dozen plants each temperature dive.

Also plants in pots setting around, that are not being serviced by the sprinkler system need to be watered, often. I water in morning so leaves are not still wet by nightfall and depend on the sunshine to warm up the soil enough to keep roots nice and moist. That daily sunshine we have is a mighty big help in keeping soil moist and warm.

Watch the hanging baskets, they will dry out because they have to withstand the drying effects of the wind, even more.

You do not need to fertilize any extra because of the dryness. Especially when soils are really dry. The fertilizer will just burn the plant roots and then you will have another problem to deal with.

One plant that is good to plant, in the soil, or in pots, is the geranium. They will suffer through the heat of the summer if they are not in the direct sun all day. And will really thrive now that it is cooler. They do not need a lot of watering and are good in the winds.

Geraniums come in several colors and, of course, white. The fancy-leaved plants are really attractive. They may not have as large a flower as the regular plan green-leaved variety, but they are a striking plant.

I have a red one that is about four years old and out in the soil. That one is a fully cascading, bushy type that someone gave me as a cutting.

That is not the type for a pot. I know of two others growing freely in someone’s outside, garden or yard. One is also from a cutting. You can make cuttings easily from regular pot geraniums or the bushy ones. The plant gets morning sun and is now winding its way throughout a large marganeta.

Cutting are best taken in the springs, but can be done anytime if they are not left out in the cold too long and not overwatered, You can use root tone as a start. They will need a loose, soil start. A good light weight commercial potting soil will do just fine.

Garden centers usually have the fancy-leaved and scented plants. However, look everywhere you go if that is what is wanted. The plant sales that are advertised in the newspapers are also excellent places to find a good selection and plants will be nice and healthy.

There is a lot more to be said about the lovely geranium, so check out the computer, we cannot cover everything here but can recommend plants and hopefully get gardeners interested in enjoying and planting something they have not tried. The beautiful amaryllis is on the market now. Some of them are pricey so look around the stores, even the grocery stores. I like to pay $10. You do not need to buy one in a fancy pot, unless you are gifting it. Also most of the pretty pots do not have a drainage hole in the bottom and that is definitely not good for the plant. There are so many varieties of this flower, it is hard to choose you should remember that they can be carried over to next year and can even be planted into the garden soil I have had some out there for several years. They bloom every year.

The poinsettia is starting to appear in the marketplace. We will talk about those next time.

H. Jean Shields

Past President

Garden Club of Cape Coral