Zero night light helps Christmas cactus flourish

December 14, 2013|Tom MacCubbin, IN THE GARDEN

Question: An older Christmas cactus that has flowered well most years has not produced a bud for the holidays. What might be the problem?

Answer: This year's holiday flower display might be delayed by a month or so but find the plant a spot with no nighttime light. Even an occasional flash of light at night in an otherwise dark room could keep a Thanksgiving, Christmas or holiday cactus from flowering. Light from a porch or street light could have a similar effect. Most holiday plants depend on what we call short days to initiate their blooms. This means making sure they have long, dark nights. Even poorer quality and struggling plants flower with no nighttime light.

Q. I was given an orchid and now the blooms are gone. How do I care for it and how long before I get new blooms?

A. No matter what you might hear, orchids are not that exotic and the care is usually minimal. Most of the common gift orchids bloom once or twice a year and some can open flowers for months. After flowering, the best place for your orchid is outdoors in the filtered shade of a tree. Shaded patios and similar areas of the landscape are fine too.

Start a good care program for your orchid by keeping the growing medium-moist. During the cooler times of the year, this may be watering once a week. When the weather is hot and dry, more frequent waterings are needed. During warm weather, usually March through October, mix a water-soluble orchid fertilizer solution to apply every other week. A once-a-month feeding is adequate during the cooler months.

Do protect your orchid when temperatures dip below 40 degrees. Most gardeners give them warm quarters in the garage or home for the few really cold days experienced locally. Spring and fall are the main flowering times, but new free-blooming selections could produce blooms any time.

Q. I am having new St. Augustine installed where previous sod was damaged by chinch bugs. Should I treat the soil before installing the new sod?

A. Removing the old sod, tilling the soil, and then installing the new sod normally disrupts the life of chinch bugs but they could creep in from nearby grass. A chinch-bug treatment won't be needed immediately, so prepare the site for the new sod and then install the St. Augustine. Allow the sod a few weeks to become established with good waterings and then make an insecticide application for chinch-bug control to all turf new and old in the area. A repeat treatment is likely to be needed, but due to the cool winter weather can be delayed until early spring.

Q. My lettuce is not happy. It tastes bitter and has started to flower. What is the problem?

A. Blame the poor quality lettuce on the extended warm fall weather. Lettuce grows best with consistently cool weather, which should arrive any time. Also, a little cool weather intermingled with the warmer days causes the plantings to produce flowering shoots, a growth process called "bolting." Now is really the time for good lettuce plantings, which should last through early spring. Make your plantings a few weeks apart to have a continual harvest.

Q. My tomato plants did not start holding their fruits until mid-October when the days and nights started to cool a little. How cold a temperature can they stand?

A. Cold weather is always a threat to good fall-and-winter tomato production. This year, the cooler weather has just arrived and some gardeners are getting good harvests, but there are plenty of fruits on the vines. You are going to continue to pick red, ripe tomatoes if you can provide frost and freeze protection.

So far this year, frosts have not been the major threat to tomato plants and fruits. When temperatures dip into the upper 30's, it's best to cover the plants to prevent frosts. Cover the plants from the top to the ground with a cloth or similar fabric for the best protection. If a freeze is predicted, you may want to add holiday lights within the plants plus cloths over the surface to entrap the needed heat.

Q. My lawn has some dead patches that needed to be filled with St. Augustine. What is the best way to fill the spots with grass?

A. Sodding provides the instant fix for blotchy lawns. It immediately restores the uniform green look and helps to block out weeds that might sprout in bare spots. Even though the weather may be cool, the new grass can root down into the soil and prepare for spring growth. Plugs of St. Augustine are also an option, but stay alert for weeds that can fill in between the new runners.

Q. I bought several baskets of mums that looked like flower balls, but now the blooms are dying. Should I cut the plants back and set them in the ground?

A. Give the balls of color a good trimming to renew the blooms. While the plants are not likely to sprout a blanket of blooms quite like the original display, most should give another round of good color in about six weeks.

The plants can be left in their containers or added to the flower bed. Make sure they receive filtered-to-full sun and keep the soil moist. Also, apply light feedings monthly for in-ground plantings and every other week for mums in containers.

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