Winter Sowing Soon

I’ll soon be winter sowing, and compared to growing seedlings indoors or under lights, it’s less finicky and costs almost nothing. Winter sowing produces tough, sturdy plants, unlike the weak-kneed specimens grown on a windowsill. You can start anytime over the next couple of months.

Most annuals and familiar perennials, and cool season vegetables can be winter sown, but you won’t have any luck with tender plants or exotic species. A good choice are plants that are referred to as hardy, or come with instructions to direct sow outside in fall or in early spring. These are plants that would normally cast their seed in fall, and then sprout up the moment conditions are right. Sure, in the garden many may be considered weeds, however in my garden they’re more likely to be popular garden plants that I grew the previous year. I look on these as free plants — or grandchildren.

When we grow plants indoors, some seeds come with instructions for special treatment that simulates what they typically experience in their normal outdoor environment. They have to be soaked for a time or scarified, that is, nicking or using sandpaper to wear down the hard husk. Others have to be given a spell in the freezer for the purpose of cold stratification. This freezing and thawing or cool dampness outdoors is what breaks down the tough husk of the seed, allowing it to germinate. To reproduce the same process indoors can be tedious and not always reliable.  Winter sowing takes care of this naturally.

You’ll be pleased to hear there’s no need to go tramping through the snow, but simply plant seeds in jugs and set them on the deck or patio. All you need are a few clear or opaque containers and soil and seeds. Gallon jugs are perfect, and all those windshield washer jugs are fine, just rinse well. Some use two litre water bottles. I really like the large water dispenser bottles. 

First, drill or cut a few small holes in the bottom of the container. This is to allow excess water to drain but not so large that the soil could fall out. If the container has only a very narrow opening, make a couple of extra holes or cuts near the top to allow for air circulation. Next step is to slice open the container about two thirds up on three sides, leaving one side (or a small section if the container is round) to act as a hinge.

Now place soil in the container. Garden soil is fine, but you don’t want to be out digging in the garden at the moment. Most any potting soil will do. Moisten the soil then sow your seed. Cover them as per packet instructions, or if unsure, about the same as the diameter of the seed. Close up the container and tape it shut along the sides but leave the screw cap off. Now all you have to do is set them outdoors. 

If snow buries them, don’t worry. A little snow will fall in and that’s okay too, however, check occasionally to be sure the soil hasn’t dried out. If the weather is especially warm in early spring, remove the tape and open the containers for a while during the day. As the seeds sprout in early spring, you can open them up and leave them open. When the seedlings are large enough they can be planted in the garden.

There, you’re almost gardening already. What a great start to the new year.

Here they come again

 Are you and your houseplants troubled by fungus gnats, those pesky bugs that look like fruit flies, or mini mosquitoes? They come with the territory and your houseplants are their territory, or to be more precise, the soil in which your plants are sitting. If you’ve never been bothered by them, either you’re lucky, or all you grow are cactus and other desert plants — we’ll get to that later.

Fungus gnats are not a threat to animals or children, but they can seriously upset an adult. You’ll know you have them when they rise to greet you as you approach your plants, and they’ll head for your nose because after damp soil they have a fondness for the carbon dioxide you’re emitting. Fruit flies, however, are attracted to fruit rather than soil. Leave a grape on the kitchen counter too long and fruit flies are soon rolling it out the door. Their bodies are orange or brown and a little plumper than the gnats.

The only function of a fungus gnat is to mate and then lay tiny eggs on the soil of houseplants. Adults live about seven to ten days and deposit eggs on the moist soil surface or in soil cracks. Females lay from 100 to 300 eggs in batches of 2 to 30. Eggs hatch in four to six days; larvae feed for 12 to 14 days. The pupal stage is about five to six days. So as fast as you wipe out one batch, there’s another group hatching. The gnats don’t live long. After a week or so it’s off to the undertaker but then new ones arrive and it becomes an endless cycle — unless you take action.

Since you take loving care of your plants and never forget to water them, you’re providing perfect conditions to support them. They love that damp soil full of organic matter, which is why fungus gnats aren’t attracted to the sandy cactus soil of succulents. 

Soaking the soil with a variety of solutions is often suggested, although some can be just as toxic to the user. A safe one is mosquito dunks, which contain BTI, a type of bacteria that kills mosquito larvae, and it is effective on the fungus gnat larvae.

Other advice will recommend you let the plants dry out as much as you dare between waterings, at the same time fluffing up the soil surface with a fork, allowing it to dry quickly. This makes the environment uninhabitable for eggs and larvae. That’s fine if you only own one houseplant, otherwise the task becomes tedious and time consuming. Watering only from the bottom, however, can also help.

An easier solution that I’ve found effective is to add a layer of grit or fine gravel to the soil surface. This simulates a desert, and acts as a barrier to the egg-layers. It’s an attractive mineral mulch. Add a yellow sticky trap to catch the frequent fliers and that usually takes care of fungus gnats. You might even catch a few fruit flies too.

You probably don’t need to know this

Here’s a little trivia to share, however, it might only elicit a few murmurs of huh, okay, or how about that — if you’re lucky. The only occasion when it might be worth repeating is when a conversation has stalled and is almost beyond recovery. It might help if there’s an amaryllis handy, preferably in bloom, or at least sprouting leaves.

It’s then you could pipe up and say, "Although we might call them amaryllis, the correct name is Hippeastrum, a genus of plants from South America.” Right, you needn’t have bothered because few give a hoot about the botanical nomenclature of plants. Botanists do, although they don’t always agree. They long debated whether the ones we know and love belong in the genus Hippeastrum, a group of plants native to South America, or should they be classed as Amaryllis belladonna, a plant from southern Africa?

The argument went on until 1987 when the 14th International Botanical Congress decided our seasonal houseplant was indeed from the genus Hippeastrum. Fortunately, they agreed amaryllis would be a “conserved name”, meaning it was okay to continue calling it what we always have done.

Regardless, these plants that brighten our homes as days shorten are all the result of hybridisation of Hippeastrum species from Central and South America. They’re selected and bred for flower size and ease of forcing in a gorgeous range of colours that continues to expand.

As for Amaryllis belladonna, the one that caused all the confusion, it’s a plant that you’d more likely see growing outdoors. In more temperate regions around the world, it’s become naturalized. One of the common names for it is naked ladies (not the fall crocus), so named, not after the band, but because the flowers bloom before the leaves appear, like the fall crocus. It could be grown in our gardens as a summer flowering bulb, that is if you can find it. 

I’m afraid my suggestion of a garden plant that you can’t easily buy is about as useful as the bit of trivia, so back to our good old amaryllis. You might be unloading one with the groceries right now as they’re currently being sold everywhere. If you also bought a monster garlic or some kind of exotic root vegetable, make sure it’s the amaryllis that goes in a flowerpot, not the soup pot because it is somewhat toxic to humans, but only if you eat a lot. Dogs and cats, however, can become quite ill if they were to chew on a bulb or eat the leaves.

Now that I’ve sorted out the plant that no one was confused about until I brought it up, here’s how to care for it. Some come ready planted with complete instructions, but if you’re starting out with a bare (don’t mention naked) bulb, choose a pot that is slightly larger than the bulb, preferably a heavier one to avoid tipping.

Don't bury the bulb completely in the pot, just two thirds to three quarters deep leaving the shoulders exposed. A specific potting soil isn’t necessary. Place in a warm, sunny location and water sparingly at first as too much can cause rotting. Gradually water more as the leaves and flower bud appear and fertilize every couple of weeks. To prolong blooming, move it to a still bright but slightly cooler location.

Pinch off the blooms as they fade but keep the leaves growing for as long as possible to replenish the bulb. To get it to flower again next winter, sink the pot in the ground outdoors in spring. Cut off the foliage after it dies back, then leave it be until September.

Repot in fresh soil, bring it indoors, repeat the process as above and you can look forward to it blooming a second time — how about that, huh?

A rainforest indoors.

 

 Front opening reptile tank

Given all the high-rise condominiums going up, city residents without a backyard will soon outnumber those who do have a patch of green. It’s especially hard for those who are used to having a garden, so why not a mini garden, a terrarium. They can be easier to maintain than trying to keep houseplants alive in an arid home.

I have three or four terrariums on the go at different times. The mini gardens help me endure the long wait for spring to arrive. They range from the size of a light-bulb to as big as a double air fryer. A terrarium is like a small zoo for plants and are ideal for small houseplants that originate in the lower light humidity of a rain-forest, not in a toasty home. Once established a terrarium is easy to maintain. 

A typical plant terrarium is a closed eco system. However, if used for cacti or other succulents, then it must remain open to provide more desert-like conditions, otherwise they won’t last long sweating it out in sticky box. Here, I’m focusing on a closed terrarium. 

You can purchase a new one, although most of the ones I see are small, big enough for only a plant or two. My larger one is designed for housing reptiles. The plants are happy and take little care, especially as there’s no need to check every day to see if they need watering. If you have an old aquarium or reptile tank sitting around, it will only need a glass or clear plastic cover that can be opened slightly if necessary to control the humidity. 

The first thing you must do before starting to build yours, whether brand new or not, is to sterilize it, or at least clean it well, which is my lazy approach. Next is soil. Here’s where it can get controversial. Most books, magazines, and YouTube videos will recommend having a layer of gravel below the soil, even adding charcoal. I’ve never done either and I’ve never found it necessary. My terrariums are the happiest with simply a couple of inches or more of a soil-free medium. 

It’s easiest to mix and moisten the soil before placing and that avoids any chance of making it too wet. You can make a few hills and valleys in your mini landscape and add a rock or piece of driftwood to make it more interesting. The soil can be deeper in places depending on the plants you add. Almost any low growing houseplant is suitable, but don't mix light-loving flowering plants with ones that prefer shade. If you need colour add varieties of Fittonia, the nerve plant, with their beautiful, bright and colourful veining.

So, if the fish are floating or Iggy the iguana's been missing for a month, you might as well make good use of that tank. Has the snow melted yet?

Note: Shown above is a front opening reptile tank for easy access.