Tag: Plant Care

Protect Your Plants from the Elements this Winter

Winter Garden [Day 11/365]
Protect your plants from the harsh weather this winter with these tips!

Have you prepared your home for the winter? What about everything outside your home? Have you taken any precautions to protect your plants from the harsh winter climate? If you’d like some great tips on how to protect your plants from the elements this winter, check out these tips, courtesy of The Augusta Chronicle.

•    Move your container plants inside your home, garage, shed, or greenhouse. This works for all container plants, with the exception of ferns. Do not move your ferns inside unless the temperature is going to drop to the 20’s or below, and if that happens, move them into your garage.

•    If you’re going to leave your container plants outdoors, you can protect them by pushing them together and covering the sides with mulch or a blanket in order to decrease their loss of heat. This is more effective than covering the entire plant with a blanket.

•    Keep your plants well-hydrated all year long, especially right before the temperature drops in the wintertime. Hydrating your plants will make them stronger and healthier, which will aid them in being able to tolerate the cold a lot better than they would if they were dehydrated.

Image courtesy of indigo_jones via Flickr

How To Care for Your Fig Tree

Contrary to popular belief, the fig tree is not a difficult tree to grow. In fact, they are among the simplest fruit trees to care for! Whether you’re a gardener who prefers contained or underground plants, the versatility of this beautiful specimen will be perfect for your plot. To help guide you though the process of fig ownership — from selection to planting and then straight on through to fruit picking — eHow.com has put together a quick fig tree how-to guide for those of you interested in adding one to your garden this year.

From eHow.com:

  • Choose a fig tree variety that will do well in your climate. Figs can be grown as far north as the coast of Long Island, but most do best in a warm climate, such as southern California.
  • Select a location for planting. Figs need some sun to propagate well and do best in full sun. The roots are vigorous so keep the tree away from septic tanks and sewer lines.
  • Start a tree from a hardwood cutting by taking a stem with three or four joints and place it in a container with well-drained soil. Keep the cuttings wet, but not too wet.
  • Remove the suckers that form at the fig tree’s ground level. The pruning of a fig tree is less work if you let it grow in a bush style rather than a single trunk.
  • Fertilize if you want to increase your fig yield. The fig tree does well without fertilization, but feeding the tree will increase its fruit production. If you’re going to fertilize, do it during the growing season from spring until late summer. Spread it around the base of each tree once a month and then water it thoroughly.
  • Water every week to every three weeks during dry spells depending on the soil.

Contact Marvin Gardens for more plant-care tips or e-mail MarvinGardensUSA@gmail.com.

Photo Credit: MyOpera