Gardeners Supply Plant Care & Gardening Advice/Tips/Secrets @ HortChat.com®

Instead of a Christmas tree some may opt for a Norfolk pine (Araucaria heterophylla)which is usually available in stores before Christmas. It may be sold plain or decorated to serve as an alternate mini Christmas tree for those with little space. Once the holiday is over, the Norfolk pine can double as a patio or long-lasting houseplant.

Norfolk pine, belongs to the ancient genus of evergreen conifers, Araucaria, which includes the newly discovered extinct Wollemi pine. It is hardy in zone 10-11. In the wild this semi-tropical tree can get up to 200 ft. tall and grows a massive straight tree trunk with symmetrical lateral branches that produce an impressive sight in the landscape; but when grown indoors as a potted houseplant the diminutive version usually grows up to 8 ft. tall.

Care

Indoors, provide a cool, bright filtered light, humid environment with temperatures of 60-72F during the day and slightly cooler at night. They prefer a few hours of direct sun but can adapt to bright indirect light. Be sure to rotate the plant to maintain a symmetric shape and keep the plant from leaning over to one side. They also need 50% humidity which can be difficult to provide during the dry heating season in winter. Some ways to increase humidity is to run a humidifier or if possible use a pebble tray filled with water. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry and let the water drain from the bottom. Do not let it stand in water or saturate the soil, over watering will cause bright yellow needles that eventually fall off. Conversely, keeping the plant too dry with low humidity will cause brown tips. Keep it away from heating vents or cold drafts which can dry out the needles.
Feed your plant when it is actively growing (not winter) with a balanced houseplant fertilizer. Feed new, younger plants every 4-6 months and older plants every 3-4 months.
Repot every 3-4 years.
Prune only brown dead lower branches. Do not cut off the growing tips. If the growing top is damaged, it will not be replaced and you will get a misshapen tree.
Pests: Common pests that attack Norfolk pines are spider mites, scale and mealybugs.

Did you know: In nature, Norfolk pine cones take 18 months to mature, then break down.  The scales produce edible seeds that Green parrots favor.

BLEEDING HEART (Dicentra spectabilis)
A native of Japan, this beautiful delicate perennial produces arching branches with sprays of dangling heart-shaped flowers that are pink with white tips or solid white. The plant will bloom in the spring through summer and once established is relatively trouble-free. Bleeding heart is hardy to zone 3 -9 and will tolerate the cold winters in Northern states.

Care
Bleeding heart can be planted in the spring or fall in moist, rich, well-drained soil and in semi-shade to shade. Plant it in an area where is gets direct sun early in the day and avoid the midday full sun, as that will cause the foliage to dieback prematurely. Maintain even moisture during the growing season. If needed place a layer of 1-2 inches of mulch around the plant away from the base to keep the soil evenly moist. When the hot summer sets in, the foliage will turn yellow, die back and go into summer dormancy.

Divide the plant in the spring every 5 years to reduce overcrowding and produce new plants. You can also divide in the fall after the foliage dies back. A mature plant will produce seeds making more give away plants.
Bleeding heart is relatively disease free except for wilt and stem rot caused by a fungus from growing in water-logged, wet soil.

All parts of this plant are poisonous.

Jasmine polyanthum also referred to as winter jasmine, pink jasmine or Chinese evergreen jasmine is a native of China and a member of the Olive family (Oleaceae). It produces very fragrant, star-shaped white flowers that start as rosy, pink pointed buds. The woody trailer is a vigorous grower that can with support climb up to 20 ft outdoors. It is grown as a ground cover, on a trellis, in a container or in a hanging basket.

Care:
Jasmine prefers well-drained fertile soil. It needs at least 4 hours of bright direct sun and can be grown in full sun outdoors. Water regularly during the growing season and fertilize every 2-3 weeks with a high phosphorous fertilizer (15-30-15) to encourage blooming.
J. polyanthum is a seasonal bloomer that will set bud when exposed to temperatures below 60 F for 4-6 weeks. It blooms primarily in late winter into spring and then sporadically throughout the year.
In colder climates, bring the plant indoors when night temperatures reach 40 F or once the buds are set and place it in a sunny bright, cool location. J. polyanthum requires less water in the winter therefore water when the soil dries out.
Pruning
To control the vigorous growth, Jasmine needs frequent pinching. Cut the plant back after blooming and in the summer to control growth and prevent tangling. Repot into pots 1-2 sizes larger every 2-3 years in the spring after flowering.
Propagate in the summer from tip cuttings or by layering. They can also be started from seed which do not require stratification.
Problems
Spider mites aphids and scale. It can also be susceptible to iron chlorosis (yellowing leaves with dark green veins) which can be corrected by adding chelated iron to the fertilizer when needed.

More info on Confederate Jasmine

Spider plant

Chlorophytum comosum also known as spider plant, airplane plant, ribbon plant originally from Africa and is a member of the large lily family. It was a popular ornamental houseplant in the Victorian era and still is today.

The variegated, strap-shaped leaves which grow in a cluster send out pale, yellow, wiry stalks which can get over two feet long. Initially, the cascading stalks bear small white flowers which later form little plantlets referred to as spiders. There are many varieties of Chlorophytum, some of the most popular cultivars are: C. Vittatum which has a wide white band down the center of the leaf, C. Variegatum has a white stripe down the outer margins and ‘Picturatum‘ has a broad yellow center stripe and ‘Mandaianum‘, a compact form with dark green leaves and irregular dull yellow-green stripes.
Spider plant is primarily used as a foliage hanging basket but recently it is also used as a landscape bedding plant in mild climates. They are frost-tender and grow in zones 9-11.

Care
Spider plants are generally easy to care for. For optimal growth Spider plant grow in bright light with some direct sunlight during the winter. Keep it away from hot midday sun or you will scorch the leaves. It will also thrive in semi shade. It does well at room temperatures 65-75 but does poorly when temperatures are below 45 degrees.
During active growth in the summer, water as often as needed to keep the soil moist and feed it every two weeks with a balanced fertilizer. In winter, keep it on the dry side, water just enough to moisten and then allow the top 1 inch to dry out before watering again. Pale bleached leaves will indicate that the Spider plant is too dry and needs water.  A healthy, mature plant will send out plantlets (when the days get shorter) which can easily be rooted in water or when if placed in moist soil.
Repot when the thick, fleshy rhizomes and roots are pot bound and force the soil above the pot rim level making watering difficult. This is also a good time to divide  Spider plant.  Division will produce a mature plant much faster than from plantlets.

Brown tips or tip burn can occur when the soil is kept too dry or hard/fluorinated water is used. Spider plants are sensitive to fluoride which can be present in low-grade fertilizer and city tap water; to avoid this problem use rain water and a good quality fertilizer.
Common pests that attack Spider plants are: whitefly, spider mites, scale and aphids.