Gardener's Corner

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Comment by Chief Walks on November 8, 2023 at 11:18am

Tips On What To Do With Cold or Frozen Houseplants

Recently, I’ve received some questions on house plants that stayed outside in the cold and what to do. The questions go something like this!

Question: Our Ficus tree or Dragon Tree Dracaena got cold when I forgot to bring the plant indoors.
The leaves turned brown, and now the Ficus tree is losing a lot of leaves. Is it dead? Can the houseplant be saved?
Answer: Plants drop leaves for a reason: protection, seasonality, or flat-out dying.

Houseplants such as a Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily plant) may get some burned leaves depending on the length of time the plant was exposed to the extremely low temperature or frost. It may grow back. It may just take some time.

When plants are exposed to ice-cold temperatures and low freezing points, the leaves are often very dark and discolored.

It may also show blackened tips, such as the case with Dracaena Massangeana, or oily leaves like on Aglaonemas.

Unlike tundra trees or plants and ice flowers, which can gather food and bloom fast once summer starts, your houseplants may need to undergo a lengthy period of plant rescue.

In the case of permafrost, no plants can penetrate the frozen soil surface; therefore, only lichen, moss, and a few low-shrub varieties can survive there.

What is happening with these plant leaves? Cell collapse.

Think of what happens when you get sunburned; skin begins to peel because the cells have been destroyed… Frozen plants shed their leaves (frozen leaves).

There you are with a plant that has lost all its leaves, and the branches, canes, or tips aren’t looking very good. What do you do?

First, be realistic. Does the plant affected by frost damage look too far gone?
Second, if you want to try it or re-grow, it may be time to pull out the clippers or fully take the plant away from the frozen ground.
Check The Bark
Look at the bark-like on a Ficus tree. Is it black, shriveled, or separated from the trunk? (it’s most likely beyond help) Don’t look just at the top but down at the base.

Scrap The Bark
Next, start high and scrape the bark. If you find brown at all, keep moving lower until you see green; believe me, you’ll know when you find it.

When you find an area of green, cut off everything above it on that stem or branch. When you get done going over this, you may have a plant that stands a chance of coming back.

Remember, the foliage, branches, and stems were exposed to the cold, as were the roots. No matter how hard you try, the plant may not survive. The root damage may be so severe that you’ll be fighting an uphill battle.

NO FERTILIZER
After you’ve performed all this surgery, don’t start pouring water and fertilizer on the plant. Maintain regular plant care with the exception of water and fertilizers. You’ll most likely need to reduce the quantity and frequency of watering.

I know many people can become attached to their plants and want to try and do everything possible to recover their treasure.

After most indoor house plants suffer exposure to extremely cold temperatures, you’ll find it very difficult to regrow the plant to its old stature, even under optimal growing conditions.

The quantity of effort you’ll put into saving plants that suffered extreme cold damage may be better suited to replacing and caring for a new one, just my thoughts. But learn from this lesson. Keep houseplants indoors all year long.

Comment by Chief Walks on November 8, 2023 at 11:07am

To ensure your leftover garden seeds thrive next year, safeguard them with a simple yet effective method.
Place the seeds in an airtight container, like a mason jar or a sealed plastic bag. Enhance their longevity by tossing in a couple of silica packets, commonly found in shoeboxes.
These desiccants absorb moisture, preventing your seeds from succumbing to unfavorable conditions. Stored in a cool, dry place, your seeds will patiently await their moment to flourish in the next gardening season.

Comment by Chief Walks on November 8, 2023 at 11:07am

Never underestimate the power of a banana. These yellow wonders aren't just a tasty snack; they're also your ticket to a happier mind.

Bananas boast tryptophan, an amino acid that transforms into serotonin, the famed "happy hormone." Embrace the joy by indulging in this natural mood booster.

A single banana can work wonders, alleviating irritability, taming anger, and lending a helping hand in the battle against depression.

So, next time you need a pick-me-up, reach for this cheerful fruit and let the serotonin surge begin!

Comment by Chief Walks on November 8, 2023 at 11:03am

You can accelerate your tomato ripening by placing them in a box alongside a ripe banana. When you do this, you're tapping into the science of ethylene gas.

Bananas are natural ethylene producers, and ethylene acts as a plant hormone, triggering the ripening process.

The gas interacts with the enzymes in your tomatoes, promoting the conversion of starches into sugars. And before you know it, you’ll have a box full of ripe tomatoes… and one REALLY ripe banana!

Comment by Chief Walks on November 8, 2023 at 11:02am

How to Keep Livestock Water from Freezing Without Electricity
By Susan Hartz

Knowing how to keep livestock water from freezing without electricity can make use of tires, saving you worry and work come winter.

The past few winters have been brutally cold on our homestead in northeastern Pennsylvania. The frigid temperatures have caused my goats’ water buckets to freeze solid in just a few hours. I don’t have electricity in the pasture to supply heated buckets for the animals, so I needed a low-tech, inexpensive way to keep the water from freezing so fast.

How to Keep Livestock Water from Freezing with Used Tires
My husband stacked two 14-inch tires together, drilled holes through the sidewalls, and connected them with bolts. He used large washers to prevent the bolts from pulling through.
We had some leftover spray foam insulation from a previous project, so we used it to fill the tires to the edge of the top bead.
After the foam was cured, we trimmed it flush to allow our 4-1⁄2-gallon water bucket to sit securely inside the protective tires. The rim of the water bucket, being a little wider than the tire opening, allowed the bucket to stay suspended within the tires.
A small amount of space remained between the ground and the bucket, so I filled it with a piece of leftover Styrofoam packing material for additional insulation.

The insulated tires have worked wonderfully. The black tires and bucket absorb the sun’s warmth during the day. Even on frigid days, only a thin layer of ice forms on top of the water, which isn’t enough to prevent the goats (or birds!) from drinking. This season, I plan to place a buoyant object into the bucket, such as some kind of thick ball that the goats won’t be able to bite, to cause enough agitation on the water’s surface to prevent ice from forming altogether.

Comment by Chief Walks on November 19, 2022 at 11:57am

Six foods that have been shown to improve your mood include oatmeal, cereal, salmon, milk, dark chocolate, and bananas.

Comment by Chief Walks on September 7, 2022 at 11:14am

I love carrots fresh from the garden. They just don't compare to the ones you get at the store.

And while carrots "store" quite well in the ground- if you want to grow a lot for extended storage, then you need to know how to store them for the longest life.

First, carrots can be preserved by freezing, drying, and pressure canning. But they can also last quite a while if kept in the correct conditions. So how do you store carrots?

Carrots store best between 32-38°F. For most of us, that means keeping them in the fridge. Place the carrots (tops removed) in freezer bags, remove as much air as possible and place them in your crisper drawer.

Be sure to check them often and use or toss any that are showing signs of aging. Carrots can keep for 2-3 months like this.

Alternatively, if you have a root cellar, basement, or garage that stays in the 32-38°F range, you can store them there. Layer the carrots in bins or buckets with moist sand. Keep layering sand and carrots until the container is full.

And finally, if you live in an area where the soil stays close to freezing all winter, you may be able to store your carrots in the ground. You can also add a deep layer of straw to insulate the beds and carrots
. This isn't an option if you live where the soil is warm or has a lot of hard or deep freezes.

Comment by Chief Walks on August 24, 2022 at 4:25pm

Old Farmer Wisdom!
Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight, and bull-strong.
Keep skunks, bankers, and politicians at a distance.
Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
Words that soak into your ears are whispered, not yelled.
The best sermons are lived, not preached.
If you don't take the time to do it right, you'll find the time to do it twice.
Don't corner something that is meaner than you.
Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.
It won't take a very big person to carry a grudge.
You cannot unsay a cruel word.
Every path has a few puddles.
When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
Don't be banging your shin on a stool that's not in the way.
Borrowing trouble from the future doesn't deplete the supply.
Most of the stuff people worry about ain’t never gonna happen anyway.
Don’t judge folks by their relatives.
Silence is sometimes the best answer.
Don‘t interfere with somethin’ that ain’t botherin' you none.
Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.
Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
The biggest troublemaker you’ll ever have to deal with watches you from the mirror every mornin’.
Always drink upstream from the herd.
Good judgment comes from experience, and most of that comes from bad judgment.
Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is much easier than puttin’ it back in.
If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.
Live a good, honorable life. Then, you’ll enjoy it a second time when you get older and think back.
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
Most times, it just gets down to common sense.

Comment by Chief Walks on August 24, 2022 at 4:23pm

Comment by Chief Walks on June 2, 2021 at 7:57am

While some insects and animals are obviously unwanted in your garden, others are a welcome sight. Bees, in particular, don’t pose a threat to your plants, and their pollination techniques are crucial for the environment. Invite these little workers into your garden with a DIY watering hole.
Take a small dish and fill it with a tiny bit of water. Put rocks at the bottom of the dish to give visiting bugs somewhere to stand. Place it near your garden so the bees that visit your plants can take a fresh drink without drowning. The simple addition of water won’t cause bees to flood your bushes, but it will be a nice treat for any insects who decide to fly by.

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