10 January 2009

Timely Tips For January

January is the time to contemplate the coming gardening season. To have the most successful gardening experience, whether it be on a windowsill, patio, or in the garden, take the time now to review your successes and failures and prepare your plan for the coming year. Prepare a list of annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, vegetables and seeds for your containers and landscape. Visit the information center at VanPutte’s to help you make the right choices. Don’t throw out those spring gardening catalogs! They’re also a good source of information to help you plan. VanPutte’s is open year-round and we have a huge selection of seeds and seed starting supplies in stock now. Check the back of seed packets to determine the best time for starting in our area. Think Spring!
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Dreading the snow that is sure to come? Don’t. The snow that we get in our northern areas acts as winter protection for your plants: it insulates, reducing deep freezing in the soil and protects the roots and crowns.
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A WORD ON HOUSEPLANTS
Check houseplants for mites, mealy bugs, scale and whitefly that may have been brought in from the outdoors. Consult a professional at VanPutte’s to select the proper treatment. Increase humidity by placing sensitive plants on trays of pebbles filled with water or by running a humidifier. Signs that humidity is too low are browning tips and leaves that are smaller than normal or are misshapen.