The Old Farmer's Almanac Garden Musings

Some enthusiastic houseplants bloom in almost any situation. Others are finicky, needing conditions “just so” before they’ll blossom. Listen to learn how you can encourage these fusspot plants to form flowers.

This segment of The Old Farmer’s Almanac Garden Musings podcast series was written by George and Becky Lohmiller and is read by Heidi Stonehill, an Almanac editor.

 

            Why is it that so many people, even avid flower gardeners, often have problems getting plants to bloom in their homes?  Just as it is with outdoor gardening, successfully growing house plants and getting them to flower boils down to choosing the right plants for the conditions they will be living in.

            Houseplants need just the right mix of light, humidity, and temperature for dependable flowering.  Light is by far the hardest factor to control in your home.  To grow a variety of plants that may require different amounts of light, choose the sunniest room in your house.  Place plants that need a lot of light like geraniums, crossandra, and kalanchoe next to a window and display begonias, cyclamen, and other plants that have lower light requirements further back in the room.  If you need to add brightness to a room; try painting the walls a lighter color or hanging large mirrors.

            Many homes, especially in the winter lack the humidity that houseplants need.  Low humidity may cause buds to blast (dry up) before they open.  An easy fix is to set potted plants on pebbles in a tray of water to create a moist mini-environment around them.

            Most houseplants will flower over a broad range of temperature, but some have exacting requirements.  Gardenias, for example, are finicky and may produce malformed flower buds if temperatures fall much below 55°F and may drop them altogether if exposed to too much heat.  Before purchasing any houseplant be sure that it will grow under the conditions in your home.

            There are a lot of house plants that are just blooming idiots and flower almost continuously.  African violets, geraniums, begonias, and crown of thorns all fall into this category and are easy to grow making them an ideal choice for the beginner.

            Some plants like sansevaria, hoya and jade plant are reluctant bloomers and often their owners raise them for years never realizing that they are capable of producing dainty and extremely fragrant flowers.  By keeping them pot bound and skipping a few waterings, they all can be coaxed in to bloom.

            Bromeliads are tropical plants with colorful flowers, but they will often go years without blooming.  If your plant is shy about flowering, try sealing the plant, pot and all, in  a plastic bag with a cut apple for a day or two.  The ethylene gas given off by the apple usually will initiate a blossom.

            There are some plants that will decide for themselves when it’s time to flower.  The agave (century plant) may not take 100 years to bloom but it could take half that long, but considering that it dies upon flowering, we think it may have a good reason for waiting.

Gluttons for punishment, some people relish the challenge of swallowing the hottest chile peppers in the universe. Luckily, you don’t have to go to that extreme to enjoy chiles, which range from blistering hot to mildly spicy. Listen to learn more about these popular taste—and garden—sensations.

This segment of The Old Farmer’s Almanac Garden Musings podcast series was written by George and Becky Lohmiller and is read by Heidi Stonehill, an Almanac editor.

 

Who would eat something knowing that it could scorch their lips, torture their tongue, cause uncontrollable sweating and watery eyes, and require rubber gloves to prepare? They are the chile-lovers, or chile-heads, as they are known in the Southwest—people who trade chili recipes and attend chili cook-offs, which are the equivalent of New England’s pie-judging contests. (Here, we are using the word chile to refer to a hot pepper, and chili to describe the often-fiery dish made from ground meat, beans, and, of course, chiles.)

Unlike bell and other sweet peppers, chiles contain a pungent alkaloid called capsaicin, which is so powerful that it can blister the skin. Chiles range from the mildly spicy ‘Numex Big Jim’, with little capsaicin, to the three-alarm-fire taste of the orange habanero. In general, the smaller a chile is, the hotter it is. Some people believe that it’s only the red peppers that are really hot, but in fact, some green and yellow varieties can be even more potent than many red ones.

If you bite into a chile that brings tears to your eyes, don’t reach for water. Instead, try a spoonful of yogurt or sour cream, or drink a little milk. Milk products all contain casein, a compound that breaks down the bond between capsaicin and the pain receptors in your mouth.

Chiles are native to Central and South America and were not known in Europe until Columbus introduced them in 1493. Spanish explorers brought chiles north to Mexico and the Southwest. In their native habitat, chiles are long-lived perennials; but in our gardens, they must be treated as annuals. By carefully selecting the varieties, you can plant just the right chile for your taste buds. Chiles require a steady water supply—not too much, not too little—so that blossoms don’t drop before the fruit has set.

Besides being tasty, chiles are beautiful. Different varieties offer green, red, orange, yellow, and even purple fruits. Plant some of the more ornate ones along with annuals and perennials or in a shrub border. They are sure to be a hot topic of conversation.

If you would like to have a shady spot in your yard within several years rather than several decades, plant a few trees that grow quickly. Listen to learn more about these sprinters of the plant world.

This segment of The Old Farmer’s Almanac Garden Musings podcast series was written by George and Becky Lohmiller and is read by Heidi Stonehill, an Almanac editor.

Steeped in lore and superstition, Vinca minor is a plant of many names—and many uses. Listen to learn more about this popular, but sometimes invasive, evergreen ground cover.

This segment of The Old Farmer’s Almanac Garden Musings podcast series was written by George and Becky Lohmiller and is read by Heidi Stonehill, an Almanac editor.

Apples are prized for their flavor and versatility. Listen to learn a little of the history surrounding this delicious fruit, as well as for tips on how to grow an apple tree in your yard.

This segment of The Old Farmer’s Almanac Garden Musings podcast series was written by George and Becky Lohmiller and is read by Heidi Stonehill, an Almanac editor.

 

Since the time of the Pilgrims, apples have been America’s favorite fruit. As settlers poured into the New World, they brought with them the seeds and scions of their favorite apple varieties to plant around their homes and to establish commercial orchards. In 1625, William Blaxton planted the first orchard near Boston.

Apples were an essential crop, because they stored better than any other fruit and could be dried and preserved for winter use. This versatile fruit could be made into vinegar, cider, jams, jellies, and desserts, and was used in soups and stews when vegetables were in short supply.

Over the years, at least 7,000 varieties have been grown in the United States alone. About 1,000 of these  antique apples are still available from specialized nurseries. You can enjoy some of your grandparents’ favorites, like the crisp and juicy ‘Baldwin’, first called the ‘Woodpecker’ when it was introduced in 1740. You might even want to sample Ben Franklin’s favorite apple, the ‘Newton Pippin’, considered one of the best dessert apples of that time.

Today’s dwarf apple trees bear full-size fruit but are easy to prune and pick. For really cramped quarters, try a “pole apple.” It grows only eight feet high and two feet wide.

Some folks have shied away from planting apple trees, because of the spraying they require, but new resistant varieties have changed all that. Four flavorful no-spray apples are ‘Liberty’, a slightly tart variety that stores well for months; ‘Freedom’, a bright-red, early-ripening variety; ‘Gold Rush’, a sweet, late-ripening yellow apple; and ‘Jonafree’, a flavorful variety bred from the old-time ‘Jonathan’ apple.

Apple trees should be planted with generations in mind, so choose the site carefully. They require a sunny spot with well-drained, average soil. Dig the planting hole twice as wide as the root ball and no deeper. When back filling, add some peat moss or compost with the dirt. Water twice a week for a month in the absence of rain. Most dwarf trees will bear fruit in three to five years.