Norfolk Island Pines: Living Christmas trees

Norfolk Island Pines(Araucaria heterophylla) is not a true pine but it is a tropical conifer belonging to the genus Araucaria which is represented by 19 species endemic to many Pacific Islands, Australia, New Zealand, and South America. The Norfolk Island pine is native to Norfolk Island in the Pacific ocean located between Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia. Sapling Norfolk Island pines are popularly sold as live Christmas trees and these plants can make excellent houseplants when small. They are also a popular landscape tree in warmer coastal regions of the United States, such as south Florida, coastal California, south Texas, and Hawaii. It is also a popular landscape tree in Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Brazil, Honduras, and South Africa. This tree is hardy in USDA zones 10-11 and possibly in zone 9 if it is planted in a protected microclimate. This species has high tolerance for salt and winds making it popular in coastal areas. This species when kept as a houseplant prefers moderate lighting. Never Keep this tree below 40 degrees F. Water once a week when the soil becomes dry. This species can be a bit challenging because it has relatively high humidity needs. When the tree gets to tall larger stems can be cut down and the tree will produce branching offshoots from the roots, or it can be replaced. This species is a slow grower and is moderately easy to grow. Overall this is one of my favorite houseplants to grow and makes a nice green houseplant and or a perfect live Christmas tree. I just picked up a seedling tree at Wal-Mart today. They are available around the holidays at most big box stores, supermarkets, and garden centers.

Cherokee Purple Tomato

I just wanted to share with everyone the heirloom Cherokee Purple Tomatoes I grew this year. They are delicious, they are very flavorful. They Probably are the best tomato iv ever eaten. They do look a little bit scary though because of their dark coloring reminds me of a poison apple or something. This variety reportedly originated in Tennessee among the Cherokee Native American Tribe.

It's ALIVE!!!! The Palm Tree Survived

The Chinese Fan Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) I planted last spring has survived the winter. I wasn't sure it would survive here in USDA zone 6-7, but it did.

Viola

I love these little cool season gems that come out and bloom in the spring and the fall. They really are cute little flowers. They remind me of something out of Alice in Wonderland. They are easy to grow as well and they reseed. The photo on the right is a 'Helen Mount' Viola that sprouted up as a volunteer.

Plant Facts

Common Names: Viola, Johnny Jump ups

Scientific Name: Viola cornuta

Life cycle: Annual, Biennial

Origin: Pyrenees Mountains in Spain, and France

Uses: Beds and Containers

Exposure: Full Sun, Part Shade

Height: 6 in

Spread: 6 in

Bloom Duration: 6 Weeks

Great Seed Companies I have Ordered from

So it's time for seed shopping and starting so I thought id share with you two great seed companies I have ordered from for several years.

www.botanicalinterests.com - I highly recommend this company. They have great quality seeds and they have good prices. They also have some hard to find seeds and many heirloom varieties.

www.burpee.com - This is a good company and they have been around a long time. They have a lot to choose from but are kind of expensive if you order online. This companies seeds are sold in many retail stores for much cheaper.

Palm Trees in Illinois?

Well I live in extreme Southern Illinois and I thought id try growing a Chinese Windmill palm outdoors so the year

before last I bought 2 of them on E-bay and they were shipped to me from N. Carolina. The first winter I kept them inside on an unheated covered porch. Sadly the next summer was really hot and dry and one of them died but the other one seemed to be doing well. So I left it outside put a tomato cage around it, stuffed it with leaves and straw, wrapped it in several layers of bubble wrap than covered the top with a trash bag to keep it try, because rotting I hear is a problem. When I checked it in January it still was green so hopefully it will pull through the winter. Here are some before pictures taken during the summer and pictures of it all protected outside in the snow.

Seed Starting 101

Now that it's late winter, spring is only around the corner, you may want to give your plants a head start, by starting seeds indoors. This is especially good for vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. These crops should be started 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. Starting your seeds early indoors is also good for many types of annuals and perennials, read the package instructions some plants need to be directly sown into the garden in spring, as they don't transplant well. Growing from seed is a cheap and economical way of growing many plants at a lower cost than buying starts at the nursery, as seeds are cheaper than buying already grown plants. Pick a Bright sunny area next to a window, that is warm, not drafty. You can also start seeds under florescent lights. I use a combination of the both.

First You will need some type of container to plant your seeds in, I prefer peat pots or pellets, as you can plant it directly into a pot or the ground outdoors, after the last frost, without disturbing the seedling's root system and the pot will just decompose.

Second get a good seed starting mix, if you use peat pellets you don't need this, as the pellets are made of seed starting medium.

Then you want to plant your seeds plant 2 seeds per cell, peat pellet, or peat pot. For small seeds just sprinkle on top of the planting medium and lightly press into the soil do NOT bury them , larger seeds need to be pressed into the soil more, slightly below the surface. Keep moist, I spray mine with water using a spray water bottle once every other day or so, you just have to check and see what the moisture level is like, you don't want it to dry out and you don't want it too wet either as this will kill the seedlings and or cause mold. Thin seedlings out after the begin to grow, remove the smaller seedling by breaking its stem, being careful not to disturb the roots of the larger seedling, this ensures that the larger seedling will grow healthy and strong. Read your seed packets or do research in book and or online before you plant your seeds some type of plants do better directly sown outdoors, as the do not like their root systems disturbed.

After your seedlings are a few weeks old and the last frost has passed you can move your seedlings outdoors, harden them off by placing them outside on cloudy days or in a shady spot, this helps let the seedlings adjust to growing outdoors, and so they don't get sunburned. Then you can transplant your seedlings into the ground or a larger container, when container gardening use an appropriately sized container with good drainage, only use potting mix, do not use potting soil or garden soil as these soils are to heavy and with hold to much water killing your plants, and garden soil may contain weed seeds. With these tips you should be able to grow many healthy plants from seed. Happy Gardening