Angel Trumpet / Brugmansia

Angel Trumpet
Brugmansia

The Angel Trumpet plant is a most unusual specimen that is sure to cause people to stop and stare. With it's pendulous trumpet shaped flowers, and it's vigorous growth habit, it makes quite a statement in your yard or in your house.
This tropical plant prefers moist, fertile, well drained soil in full to part sun. If grown indoors, give it as much indirect light as possible, or it may not bloom. Bloom time varies according to conditions, but in our area it blooms primarily in the fall after the summer temperatures cool down. Keep this plant outside in the spring and summer and fertilize on a regular basis during this time frame. It will need to be brought in when night time temperatures drop into the 40's, and can be cut back and allowed to go dormant for the winter. Water sparingly during this time and do not fertilize.
Blooms appear usually in fall after the plant has reached 3-5' in height. They can come in a variety of colors: white, yellow, red, pink, or orange. They have a distinct lemony fragrance that is strongest as evening approaches. Some of them may have double trumpets, and some may have variegated foliage dependent on the variety.
One important fact to note about the Angel Trumpet plant is that all parts of it are poisonous. Take precautions around children and pets when growing this beauty.

By: Sandy Weinkam
Gardening Expert at A.J. Rahn's Greenhouses

Night Blooming Cereus

Night Blooming Cereus

The eye popping white, very fragrant flowers on this cactus type houseplant more than make up for the uninteresting foliage this plant displays. As a result of the foliage, Cereus is difficult to find in most stores. The Cereus is, however, easy to start from cuttings, and once people see and smell the flowers, you will be getting lots of requests for a cutting. Easy to grow, this prolific cactus plant prefers well drained soil with organic matter and sand and wants to be pot bound to bloom.
During the spring and summer, this plant prefers being outside in filtered light. Feed monthly during this time with houseplant fertilizer and water when dry. It will begin to set bud in late summer- early fall along the stems, and as temperatures cool in mid to late fall, bring the plant indoors and keep near a well lit window. As the buds swell over time, you will begin to notice the elongated buds growing and approaching maturity. When fully mature, the buds will begin to open around 9 -10:00pm one night, and will be fully open by around midnight. Some who have watched them open, swear you can almost see minute by minute progress! You'll want to stay up long enough to see and smell this amazing flower display, because the flowers only last one night, and by morning will wither and fade.
With the conclusion of flowering, reduce watering and discontinue fertilizing through the winter months. These plants really do want to be root bound, and will only bloom when they have reached a certain age, (usually 3-5 years).
For an unusual yet easy to grow flowering cactus, the night blooming Cereus is one I would definitely recommend.

By: Sandy Weinkam
Gardening Expert at A.J. Rahn Greenhouses

Garden Winterizing

Garden Winterizing

Cold temperatures are now upon us, and a few garden chores need to be done before retreating to the inside. To help winterize your garden to get the best jump on next spring, and assure perennials' and trees' survival over the winter months, get out the rakes and clippers.
All annuals except fall Pansies and flowering Kale and Cabbage, need to be removed from your flower beds. As long as none of these plants had some disease such as mildew, they can be chopped up and put in the compost pile. For perennials, cut back the foliage to just ground level after the first hard frost, then cover them with mulched leaves to keep them from trying to come up during a possible warm spell in February.
Before the ground freezes, water evergreens, especially broad leaf evergreens such as rhododendrons, hollies, and azaleas, and newly planted trees and shrubs. These also will benefit from a mulch cover for winter.
Roses do not have to be pruned before winter unless the canes are very long and in danger of being wind whipped and broken off. If they are, only prune enough to keep this problem from occurring. Some winter die back usually occurs, and if you prune them now, you will most likely have to prune off winter die back in the spring, possibly stunting your bushes and causing them to struggle to regain their vigor. Clean all leaves and dead branches from the roses, both on the bushes and under them, throwing them away and not putting them in your compost. Any fungal diseases from this year will winter over and create havoc on your roses next season. Finally, to ensure your bushes do not freeze if we have an unusually cold winter, sometime in December mulch up around the base of your bushes to protect the grafted area.
Rake fallen leaves from the lawn to prevent grass mold and possible grass loss over the winter due to lack of sun on the grasses. If you have a mulching mower, you can mulch the leaves into the lawn as long as they are not heavily blanketing the grass.
Cover containers that will remain outdoors to prevent them from filling with water and then freezing and cracking. Clean terra cotta pots and concrete containers and store them in a garage or basement.
Drain and bring in garden hoses and turn off outdoor taps.
Finally, clean and sharpen all your garden tools before you put them away, and before you know it, it will be time to plant your spring garden and you will have a great head start!

By: Michelle Lynn
Gardening Expert at A.J. Rahn Greenhouses

Fall Color

Fall Color

Gardeners hate to admit defeat even when the opponent is the weather. Our water bills from this summer are proof of that! Many of us feel the same way about the approaching winter. We would rather end the growing season with one last burst of color. Fortunately there are many plants that do well in, and even love the cooler temperatures.
Familiar fall plants such as chrysanthemums, ornamental kales and flowering cabbages come in a wide variety of flower colors and leaf textures. The kales and cabbages will continue to look great even into the beginning of winter. Many become more colorful as the temperature gets colder. The hardy mums will bloom for weeks and are frost tolerant. Although the hardy mums are not considered to be perennial plants in our zone, they may reappear in your garden next summer.

Some of the other annual plants that thrive in cool temperatures are calibrachoa (million bells), argyranthemum, snapdragon and dusty miller. The adorable pansies, violas and panolas that are so popular in the spring will also do beautifully in cool to even cold fall conditions. Annual and perennial grasses can add height and texture to fall gardens and container plantings. Where many perennials have already had their blooming time, asters are just beginnig to show off their color. Huechera, with their palette of colors of foliage, will also add to your fall landscape.

By mixing some of these cool weather annuals and perennials in your garden or containers with colorful gourds and pumpkins you can enjoy a new growing season of fall color.

By: Gayla Parker
Gardening Expert at A.J. Rahn Greenhouses

Fall Vegetables

Fall Vegetables

With cooler weather on the way, now is a good time to make room in your garden for fall vegetables. If some of your summer vegetable crop is finished, perhaps it's time to send them off to the compost pile and plant a few of the various cole crops and lettuces. Cabbages, Broccoli, Collards, Kale, Turnips, Radishes and a variety of lettuce types will keep you supplied in fresh vegetables long after the summer crop is finished. Seeds can be started indoors now, then transplanted outside. Many garden centers have already started these seeds for you and you can purchase seedlings two or three weeks in growth and ready to transplant. Be sure to offer some protection from hungry critters with a fence or special cloth cover that allows light and water through, or try planting in containers to foil their little appetites.
Cool weather crops tend to do better in the fall than in the spring, due to fewer insect pests and the temperatures moving toward cooler rather than toward warmer. If frost is a possibility overnight, you can cover the plants and still have good crops for quite a few weeks more. No extra fertilizer is necessary, however a bit of compost around the plants will give them nutrients that may be depleted from the summer crop. Of course, if no rain is occurring, water when necessary.
These plants require little attention and offer lots of great eating for many more weeks before it will be time to shut the garden down for the winter.

By: Sandy Weinkam
Gardening Expert at A.J. Greenhouses

Hardy Hibiscus

Hardy Hibiscus

It is hard to beat the beautiful mid summer bloom of the perennial hardy hibiscus. The flowers can be anywhere from 4 to 12" in diameter. Often called rose mallow, the hardy hibiscus blooms in mid summer and continues blooming until mid September. They are relatively easy to grow, and once established will delight you year after year with their huge showy blooms. Colors range from white to deep reds, purples and pinks, as well as a new variety of yellow. Foliage colors also appear in many shades of green as well as copper and burgundy.
Hardy hibiscus need a sunny location and moist well drained soil to be their best. They can be planted from May to as late as Labor Day, giving them plenty of time to get rooted in before winter. Although they have a woody stem, they may die back to the ground during the winter. They frequently don't reappear in spring until mid to late May, but grow quickly once they appear. Give these plants lots of room to grow and expand, as some can reach up to 6 feet tall and 3-4 feet in diameter. A slow release general purpose fertilizer applied as soon as they begin to appear in mid spring will assure a strong, healthy, showy specimen all summer. Watering is usually not a problem unless two or three weeks goes by without rain, in which case you will have to water them as you would any woody plant. This is, of course, after they are established. New plantings will need more frequent watering until they are well rooted in.
For an easy, showy perennial to have in your landscape, Calico recommends you find some space in your flower bed for one or two of these magnificent specimens!

By: Gayla Parker
Gardening Expert at A.J. Rahn Greenhouses

Drought

Drought

Drought conditions can occur at any time of year, but tend to occur most frequently during the summer and fall months. Most gardeners will recognize the effects of even a short term drought on annuals, lawns, shrubs, and perennials in their landscape, and will respond appropriately and in a timely manner with a thorough watering of the affected plants. Many people, however, may not recognize early symptoms of drought in landscape trees until those plantings are in severe stress. Symptoms of drought injury to trees may be sudden, or take two or three years to be revealed. Symptoms can include wilting, curling, yellowing or even browning of foliage on both deciduous and evergreen specimens. Often drought stress may not kill a tree outright, but may weaken it to the point where infestation of insects or diseases takes it's toll. Considering the fact that replacement of a tree specimen in your landscape can be quite costly, it is wise to pay even more attention to your trees than your lawn or plants.
How much water a tree should receive depends on the tree size. Small trees (one to seven inches in diameter) and medium trees ( eight to fifteen inches in diameter) should be watered deeply at least three times per month April to September if significant and/or frequent rainfall has not occurred for two weeks or more. Watering methods include: automated drip irrigation systems; soaker hoses coiled several times under the dripline; five gallon buckets with 1/4 " holes drilled in the bottom (place at least three under the tree if small, five or more for medium to large trees); watering bags; soil needles (deep root feeders). Remember the roots on established trees may be quite deep, so a light watering is not helpful, even if you do it every day. Water deeply and slowly for 4 to 8 hours based on tree trunk diameter size three times a month as mentioned previously.
Healthy, mature trees should be able to withstand a short term drought, but keeping them healthy is most important. Remember to look up for signs of drought in your trees, especially when you notice your landscape plantings suffering from lack of moisture.

By: Michelle Lynn
Gardening Expert at A.J. Rahn Greenhouses