Location, Location, Location

Location is Everything

Every good real estate agent will tell you how important location is and every good gardener will tell you the same. The location of your plant is as important as the location of your house and micro climates are found everywhere. 
 

Micro Climates

For today's lesson, I present to you two plants that are in my garden. They are a common house plant in many parts of the country so they are a good choice to study. The one in the picture on the right is healthy and happy. You can see another in the background of that picture and its close up is on the left. They are both the same kind of plant. They were both cut down in the spring to bare stalks so that that both would grow at the same rate. How come the second plant is not doing well? 

They are less than three feet apart and one is just a little farther north. You can almost say they are planted in the same location. They got the same amount of water and food, so what was different? It took me a couple days to observe that though they were so close one got more sun.  The other was shaded only 20 minutes more by the large tree next door and that made all the difference.

So, What Does That Mean to You, an Indoor Gardener? 

Just think, if just 3 feet outdoors can create a completely different micro climate then how little space is need to change it indoors. The 36 inch window will have a shadier side; the tub of artificial light is brighter in the center than the ends.  Then there will be the outside factors.  The tree outside the window, the direction of the sun, the neighbor's fence, a lot can effect you best laid plans. 

So take a second look at the location you have chosen.  There can be many reasons for a plant not to do well.  Start with the things you can control.  Is it getting enough water?  Is there any sign of infestation by bugs?  Has it outgrown its location?  Then take a good look at the actual location.  What quality of light is being offered?  How is the heat?  Is it too close or too far from the source?  Could a breeze be causing damage?  Could it be the lack of breeze?   

It doesn't take a college degree to grow houseplants.  It only takes a little observation.  So keep  your eyes open and keep trying. Write me if you have any problems.

Reach me through this website or email me at houseplantsos@gmail.com

Sincerely,

k.k.jones

The Four Leaf Clover

 

The Luck of the Irish Be Yours

In honor of St Patrick, I thought I would talk about the extra special four leaf clover.  Yes, there actually is one.  It is a very uncommon variation of the common Trifolium repens which is a white clover.  The clover is part of a large species family that includes peas and other eatables.  Thought of as a nuisance in lawns, many of hours have been spent by children and adults alike looking for that elusive fourth leaf which is a symbol of good luck.

For those of you who do not know who St Patrick was, he is the person credited for bringing Christianity to Ireland and driving all the snakes out of the Isles. His holy day is March 17th and is celebrated by millions.  St Patrick's Shamrock is the 3 leaf as he used it to teach the Christian Trinity throughout Ireland.  But I get off the track.

The Shamrock Plant.

So what is that plant you are seeing in stores at this time of year?  This is called an Oxalis regnellii.  Its common name is Woodsorrel or False Shamrock Plant and it is a beautiful little plant.  Like the clover it is also eatable.  The Oxalis Regnellii does come in a four leaf variety as I picture below. I found it posted in a number of places on the web but cannot find another name for it.  If anyone knows the name please pass it on to me and my readers.

So now that you know what it is, let's talk about how to take care of it.

The Care and Feeding 

The Oxalis is grown from a bulb.  Knowing this you will know that the bulb will go through dormant periods so don't get upset if it starts looking peaked. 

Water the Oxalis sparingly.  Do not let it dry out as this will throw it into dormancy more quickly.  Do not over water or it will drown.  A pot and dish combination may be the best container for the Oxalis.  Feed it every 2 to 3 weeks with a fertilizer of 10-10-10.

Though the Oxalis likes a sunny window it does not like to be hot.   It does not tolerate temperatures over 75 degrees and would really like a lower temperature in the evening hours.  With this in mind you might want to keep your plant in a medium light location.

If your plant begins to go into a dormant period (usually in the heat of summer), stop watering.   Some people will force it into dormancy by cutting the whole plant down.  The older the plant the less it will need to go into dormancy.  While it is dormant let it rest in lower light and watch for new shoots.  When it is ready, you will see the shoots and you should then start the watering and feeding again.

I hope you find this posting helpful.  I try to use my own photography in this blog but today I had to rely on others. Thank you to them.

I hope that this posting has answered any questions you may have.  If you have more, please post it here or email me at houseplantsos@gmail.com . I would love to hear from you.

kkjones