| Columbia Garden Club |
From: The dull, dark days of January are enough to dampen the spirits of even the most optimistic amongst us. The holidays are over and spring is not even close, leaving many avid gardeners with an active case of “cabin fever”. Working with plants has been proven to be highly therapeutic and few house plants give more while asking for less than does the African violet. They thrive in most interior settings, provide nearly continuous color and are inexpensive to purchase. As we await the upcoming growing season, winter is an ideal time of the year to start (or add to) an African violet collection. African violet is native to Africa, as its name implies. It was discovered in 1892 by Baron Walter von Saint Paul, German governor to the African province now known as Tanzania. He found the plant growing in shady areas of the Usambara Mountains and referred to it as his “Usambara violet”. Later it was given the scientific name of Saintpaulia ionantha to honor the gentleman who discovered it. There are more than twenty species in the genus Saintpaulia most of which are similar to S. ionantha in appearance. All are members of the Gesneriaceae family which includes other common flowering house plants such as those in the Achimenes, Gloxinia, Sinningia and Streptocarpus genera. Von Saint Paul sent seeds of his discovery to his native Germany where it enjoyed some success as a houseplant. It slowly spread to other European countries as a houseplant and was brought to the United States in 1926 when a California firm imported its seeds from German and British greenhouses specializing in the plant. Since that time it has been developed into more cutivars than any other flowering houseplant. The African Violet Society of America’s “Master List of Species and Cultivars” contains the names and descriptions of nearly 10,000 registered cultivars. Early hybridization of this plant involved the crossing of similar Saintpaulia species in the quest to obtain more robust plants. The result was violets with improved horticultural attributes but only with blue flowers. The reds (wines), whites and pinks that we enjoy today are the result of American hybridizers working in the 1930’s and 1940’s. The harder to achieve coral pink and coral red were added later. Yellow is the latest flower In addition to breeding for different flower colors, hybridizers also have developed multi-colored blossoms, with petals that are striped, spotted or having edges of contrasting color (picotee appearance). Other characteristics improved include petal count, blossom count, and blossom shape. Hybridizers also have developed variation in leaf shapes and coloration. Perhaps the biggest achievement in this area was the development of African violets with variegated leaves. Leaves with markings of white, pink or some other contrasting color are now readily available and add to the novelty of this popular plant. There are few other plants that will flower as well in low light conditions as African violet. They require at least Since the African violet is native to warm areas their location in the home must be kept warm. Maintain night temperatures between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit; day temperatures should be 10 degrees warmer. Do not expose plants to temperatures below 60 or above 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Soilless growing media produce plants with good growth and flowering although some violet fanciers prefer using soil rich in humus. If soil is used it should be sterilized to reduce the risk of disease infestation. Soilless mixes are considered to be biologically inert and do not need to be sterilized. Keep plants uniformly moist but not wet since they are easily killed by excess moisture. Wick watering using a candle wick or nylon twine extending from the growing medium via a hole in the bottom of the pot to a water/nutrient reservoir below the pot works well. Plastic tubs used to hold margarine can be used for the Also, relative humidity is important and most homes have low humidity, especially during winter months. To increase the relative humidity around plants, place them on shallow trays of gravel containing water. If located properly and watered regularly, African violets need little other care besides occasional fertilization. Use either special African violet fertilizers or a houseplant fertilizer high in phosphorus. A very dilute Mealybug is the most troublesome pest of African violets. New plants should be quarantined several weeks before introducing them to your collection. If mealybugs appear, swabbing them with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol using a cotton swab can be an effective means of control unless populations are excessive. African violets seldom need pots larger than 4 inches in diameter. The danger of overwatering and development of root and crown rots increases if pots are too big. Old plants sometimes develop long woody David Trinklein, FALL GARDEN CLEAN-UP AND PREPARATION FOR WINTER Even though the shorter days and cooler nights of fall are fast approaching, there is still plenty left to do in the yard and garden. Fall is a good time to do a soil test, re-seed your lawn, plant trees and shrubs, divide perennials, and plant spring blooming bulbs. Now is the time to renovate your lawn. You get the best results with a fall seeding. Seedbeds should be raked, de-thatched, core-aerified, fertilized, and seeded. Keep newly planted lawn areas moist, but not too wet. Vegetable garden clean up is important to reduce the number of over wintering insects and diseases. Eradication of residues from tomato plants or other vegetation is also a good idea to reduce diseases for next year. Fall tillage of annual beds and vegetable gardens may expose potential insect larvae to birds and other critters of prey. This is also an excellent time to incorporate compost needed by many vegetable and annual beds and to apply lime if your soil test shows a need. Fall is a good time to divide perennials, particularly those that bloom in the spring such as peonies. To keep plants from drying out, dig the plants on a cool, cloudy day. Make sure each section you divide has at least one bud and some roots. Plant the divided perennials soon after digging. Not all perennials appreciate fall division, some prefer spring. Make sure your variety is suitable for fall division before digging. A general rule of thumb is if they bloom in the spring, divide them in the fall. If they bloom in late summer or fall, division is best done in the spring. Dig up tender bulbs like canna, dahlia, gladiolus, elephant's ear and caladium before the first frost. When the foliage has turned yellow or brown, you should dig them up and store them for the winter. Check the bulbs for disease and to see if any are rotting and discard them. Replant bulbs in the spring after the danger of frost has passed. If you do leave the tender bulbs in the ground, protect them with a several inches of thick mulch through the winter. Fall is the time to plant spring flowering bulbs which must receive a chilling period required for spring blooms. Prepare your soil before planting bulbs. Work compost or other rich organic material into your soil to a depth of 12". Follow the directions on the pack-age for depth of planting. Not all bulbs are planted at the same depth. If you want your flowers to develop seeds, stop deadheading at the end of the season. Once the flowers are dead, cut them and allow them to dry. Remove the seeds by crumbling the dried flower head into a container. Separate the seeds from the debris and put them in a labeled envelope for next spring. Another option is to let them fall to the ground and re-seed naturally. Protect roses from winter damage by covering them with 8-12” of soil or mulch. Prune the canes back to 36” to prevent damage from winter winds. Trees and shrubs with dead, diseased or broken branches can also be pruned at this time. Protect newly planted trees from winter injury and rodent damage with a tree wrap. Apply the wrap in late fall and remove it in early spring. Wait until late winter or early spring to prune fruit trees and grapevines. FALL PLANTING OF BULBS You can buy bulbs at most garden centers, or if you have enough time, order them through catalogs. By choosing different varieties, you can enjoy spring flowers from late winter to early summer. For an early bloom, plant crocuses and snowdrops. Daffodils bloom next, followed by tulips, squill, and grape hyacinth. When purchasing bulbs, buy only top quality bulbs, ones that are large, firm, and of good color. Cheap bulbs will only produce poor, or sometimes even no, flowers. Choose a site that is well-drained and receives at least six hours of direct sunlight a day. If the soil is poorly drained, consider raised beds. To prepare planting beds, dig up six to eight inches of soil. Add peat moss or other organic matter, then mix in fertilizer containing phosphorus such as rock phosphate, superphosphate, or special bulb fertilizer. If rodents or other small mammals are a problem, bone meal will only attract them. You can help avoid digging problems by placing a fine wire mesh over the bulb bed. Or place sharply crushed rocks or shells you can buy for this purpose around bulbs at time of planting. You can find these at garden centers or feed stores. Bulbs often look best planted in groups or clumps rather than in rows. For a nice show of color, plant bulbs in front of evergreen shrubs or among perennials and other flowering shrubs. Formal tulips look best planted in beds in symmetrical arrangements while daffodils should be planted in "naturalized" or informal plantings. Plant bulbs upright, pointed ends up, at the recommended depth. As a rule of thumb, bulbs should be planted three times as deep as the bulb's greatest dimension. Use a shovel, trowel, or bulb planter, and space bulbs according to size. Large bulbs such as tulips and daffodils should be placed four to six inches apart. Smaller bulbs such as crocus, snowdrops, and squill should be placed one to two inches apart. When plants emerge in spring, fertilize lightly with bulb fertilizer at least two inches from the plant. Once flowers fade, use scissors or clippers to remove the flower parts and stem before the plant produces seed pods. However, let the leaves remain until they have turned yellow and died down, so the bulbs get plenty of nourishment for the following spring's display. You can camouflage the bulb foliage by planting summer annuals around the bulbs once the danger of frost is past. Although most spring-flowering bulbs are perennials, you may need to replant tulips and hyacinths each year as these blooms aren't as vigorous the following bloom seasons. Daffodils, scilla, and crocus, on the other hand, are stronger and spread further with each bloom season, so are best left undisturbed. If bulbs become overcrowded, with fewer and smaller flowers, they may need dividing. Under ideal conditions this may be every two or three years. The best time is when the foliage begins to turn yellow. Replant immediately, following the fertilizer and planting recommendations described above. If you need to move perennial spring-flowering bulbs, it is best to do so after bloom before the foliage dies and you can’t find the bulbs. You can pot them, or “heel them in” planting in a group or in a row to allow the leaves to die back normally. MU Extension, "Garden Talk;" at: |
