Hunt County Master GardenersTexas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Using Rose Hips

by

Using Rose Hips by June Morgan, Hunt County Master Gardener.

After the wonderful aroma of roses is over in the house, the petals have done their job of being tossed in weddings, and the bare stems are bereft of their former glory, one is tempted to trim away the ugliness. But wait, there is more to come; that is making use of the rose hips, the small round seed pods left on the flower stem after the petals have dropped.

While several species of Rosaceae can be used, it is the Rosa Canina (the wild dog rose), and Rosa Rugosa that are the most popular for both foragers and cultivators. They have been used for centuries for their food and medicinal properties. The plants are prickly climbers with white or pink flowers appearing in early summer, but the hips are not to be harvested until they are ripe and have turned red-orange. If left too long after a frost, they may start to rot, so to be ahead of the game, and to mimic a frost, they should be picked when still hard and put in the freezer for 24 hours.

To prepare the fruit for eating while they are fresh, wash them, cut off the stem and blossom ends, cut the hips in half and remove the inner seeds manually (as the small hairs inside are irritating to the bowel).  After cooking in water and straining, the juice can be used for jams, jellies, syrup and in various other recipes such as wine or they can be frozen for up to a year. Drying is the easiest way to preserve them and is less labor intensive. They can be dried in the sun on newspapers, or to protect them from the birds, in the oven or food dehydrator at 110 degrees for about 5-6 hours. Then grind them in a food processor just until they are chopped into medium size bits, not so small that they will fall though a mesh strainer where it can be shaken until the hairs separate and fall away. The hips can be stored in jars or in the freezer until needed.

To use the dried hips, simply cover them in a pot with water and simmer until soft. They can be used with other fruits such as cranberries or as flavoring in cakes, etc. For tea, put 1-2 teaspoons of the dried hips into a tea pot, let it steep for 15-20 minutes and strain into a cup. The taste will resemble that of apples with the tartness of crabapples. This makes a wonderful winter-time drink and a tasty addition to your natural apothecary.

Christmas Cactus

by

Christmas Cactus by Byron Chitwood, Master Gardener.

Guess what? Christmas cactus are named because they tend to bloom about Christmas time. However, they are also called Thanksgiving Cactus, Crab Cactus and Holiday Cactus. When I was a kid, we called them “live forevers”. Live forevers will be described later in this article.

The Christmas cactus is a native of southeast Brazil and primarily grows at an altitude of 2-7 thousand feet in mountainous areas. In Brazil, they are called “Flor de Maio” because they bloom in early summer. Christmas cactus are one of the cacti families. However, their growing conditions are similar to that of Orchids. They grow on the moss of trees and rocky environments where the humidity is relatively high. The flowers of the Christmas can range from white to red to purple with pink, yellow, and orange filling in the blanks.

Christmas cactus make an excellent house plant with minimum care required. They can grow in a shallow bowl filled with a soil consisting of a mixture of potting soil and coarse sand. They do require attention to their water needs. They do best if the soil is kept slightly moist. Too much or too little water can be detrimental to their overall health. Too much water can kill the plants and if left in a dry condition can do the same. To feed them, add a small amount of well composted vegetation to the top of the soil that they are planted in. The plants do not need a whole lot of sunlight so keep them in an area with a north window during the winter and a south window in the summer.

The plants can be made to bloom at the appropriate time such as Thanksgiving or Christmas. Cover the plants with a dark cloth or place them in a dark closet for at least 16 hours per day. The ideal temperature for this process is 61 degrees Fahrenheit. Start this dark treatment about 2 weeks before you would like the plants to bloom. After eight days of the darkness treatment, move the plant to its normal position in the house and the blooms that have set in the darkness will mature.

Young Christmas cactus plants can be purchased at your favorite nursery or gardening center. However, if you have a friend that grows them maybe if you talk real nice to him or her that person will give you a few leaves which are actually the stems of the plants. Plant each of the leaves in a potting soil made up of 1/3 each of coarse sand, and well composted leaves or other organic plant matter and native soil. Plant the each of the leaves to a depth of about 1/4 of its length in the potting soil. Keep the soil moist, but not wet, and within about two weeks the leaf will develop roots. Transfer to a larger pot and it will grow.

As I mentioned before, Christmas cactus were sometimes referred to as “live forevers” because you could start with one leaf or segment of the plant and over the years, harvest some of the leaves and repot them for gifts or to perpetuate your own plant virtually forever.

Bluebonnet Seeds Are Available!

by

Sharing information from the Upper Sabine Soil and Water Conservation District:

Bluebonnet Seeds are on sale now with Upper Sabine Soil and Water Conservation District!

The Upper Sabine Soil & Water Conservation District is happy to once again make bluebonnet seed available to the public for purchase so that everyone can enjoy these beautiful flowers, next spring. Upper Sabine Soil and Water Conservation District will be selling seed until October 31. The Upper Sabine Soil and Water Conservation District will offer 1 pound and ½ pounds bags. The cost for one pound of seed is $35.00 including tax and will cover an area of approximately one thousand square feet or $20.00 for a half pound which will cover approximately 500 square feet. An acre requires 20 to 30 pounds.

Fall is the time for planting Bluebonnets to enjoy next Spring. Plant seeds now through mid-November to allow seeds to germinate and achieve best results. Soil preparation is not necessary, but direct seed to soil contact is necessary for a strong root system. This soil contact is one of the most important keys to the success of planting Bluebonnets. After seeding, cover seeds with soil no more than ¼ inch deep to protect seeds from birds and being “baked” by the sun. Water thoroughly and keep lightly watered for the first 3 weeks if rain is not present. Fertilizing is not recommended as it only produced more leaves not blooms. Flowering period is about a month, with first blooms appearing between the end of March and first of May in North East Texas. Allow two weeks after the full bloom for seeds to develop. Mow, when the dead brown foliage offsets the floral display, to aid in seed dispersal and reduce weed and grasses competition. Bluebonnet seeds are hard-coated seeds that have to be worn down by the environmental forces for seedlings to sprout. This process can take over 18 months or more so germination rates may be low the first year or two.

If you are interested in purchasing the seed, you may call 903-455-6212 Ext. 3 and make arrangements to pick up the seed or simply stop by the USDA Service Center at 2206 Traders Road behind the Wal-Mart Super Center, in Greenville, 8:00-4:30, Monday thru Friday.

Hanging Baskets

by

Hanging Baskets by June Morgan, Master Gardener.

Hanging baskets can add much to the outdoor porch and deck summer decor, but it can be a challenge to keep them looking their best. Proper siting, basket design and proper watering are key elements of good management.

The best setting is a protected area which allows sunlight from above or the sides such as a deck canopy out of the strong winds which will tear the plants apart.  In contrast to the ordinary solid plastic container, the larger mesh basket is the most visually effective while also holding the most soil and plants. Also, coco fiber or sphagnum moss looks more natural when viewed from below. Coco fiber is a natural insulator against the heat and helps to keep the soil evenly supported inside the fiber liner. Some ambitious gardeners have their baskets made to order from a metal shop using special ornamental effects.

To set up a basket from scratch, start with a fiber layer, then a plastic sheet with holes in the bottom. Add a soil-free potting mix that includes water holding crystals, then add a slow-release fertilizer. If using sphagnum moss soak it overnight before using. Now, one can get creative with plants. Try an upward growing plant such as coleus and surround it with a vine such as one of the many ivies or trailing pelargoniums. Further plant additions can be made by wrapping roots in paper for protection while slipping them through side slits into the potting mixture.

Watering baskets is more challenging than for ground plants. Quite often, using a hose will simply result in water immediately running out of the bottom. One solution is to soak the whole basket in a container such as a wash tub of water for several hours or even overnight. Another is to fill a large pan of ice and dump it into the basket, ensuring a slow melt of water. To care for your baskets during the season, deadhead the flowers, fertilize once a week and keep watered.

Beyond the run-of-the-mill baskets available in big box stores, check out the uncommon local nurseries, seed catalogs, the internet (google hanging baskets), and wherever herbs and tomatoes are available as possible basket material. So, don’t settle for just the common offerings. Put together your own combinations to bedazzle the eye!

Plants for Valentines

by

Plants for Valentines by June Morgan, Master Gardener.

Poinsettias for Christmas, lilies for Easter and red roses for Valentine are traditional flowers for gift giving. The first two are usually potted plants, and with the right care can give pleasure for a long time. Alas, it is not true for the beautiful long stemmed roses which are not only expensive but wilt within a short time. With proper care, potted plants with long lasting blooms and dish gardens can be welcome and practical alternatives.

Despite having a finicky reputation, orchids can be easy to care for. Their blooms are long lasting, and with the right lighting and fertilizing, can last for years, putting out new flower stalks when the old blooms are finished. Phalanopsis (Moth orchid) are readily available, do not cost a fortune, and come in many colors.

Cyclamen colors range from deep red to white and shades of pink. The blooms are long lasting and several colors together make a striking presentation. When blooms are over, the plants can be set outside and the bulbs saved for sunny weather. Pansies, with their many varieties, are an interesting addition to a green arrangement as well as loving the cool outdoors. Pansies are a close cousin to violets, the purple ones being a symbol of love. Traditionally, giving a bouquet of purple violets spoke of a prospective suitor to a lady. Violets are an ideal indoor hobby and are easy to reproduce.

More unusual floral gifts include bonsai trees and an assortment of succulents planted in an attractive dish. Both are easy care and suited for the indoor gardener, especially shut-ins. Not to be forgotten are children, especially those whose sweets intakes are severely limited. As an elementary student I was given a potted ivy at a gift exchange. I was thrilled because it sent two messages to me. One, someone thought that I was responsible enough to care for it, and two, I was now in the big league when it came to presents.

Big league or not, potted or not, flowers are always welcome. While florists and grocery stores will always have available “ready to go” plants, don’t forget the garden centers where you can make your own one of a kind creation for that special Valentine.

Poisonous Holiday Plants

by

Poisonous Holiday Plants by June Morgan, Master Gardener.

 If you have been following the columns by Master Gardeners, you are well aware of the main  toxic plants such as poison oak and ivy found in the summer. But decorative  winter plants also have their dangers, especially those prevalent during the holidays which can pose special threats to our pets and children.

Poinsettias have a reputation for being poisonous, but it would be unlikely for a pet or child to ingest enough of the leaves to be really dangerous as the sap is irritating to the mouth.  Holly and mistletoe have a higher level of toxicity to both dogs and cats, causing severe intestinal disturbances, and if large amounts are ingested, seizures and even death. Oils of a fir tree can be irritating to a pet’s mouth and stomach causing vomiting or drooling, while the needles can cause gastric irritation, obstruction and intestinal puncture. The tree’s water container may have dangerous preservative chemicals and bacterial growth.

Many gift plants are toxic.  Some lilies are more dangerous than others. Peace, Peruvian, and Calla lilies will only cause irritation and minor drooling, whereas Tiger, Day, Asiatic, Easter and Japanese Show lilies are highly toxic to cats. Even 2-3 leaves or petals ingested mandate an immediate trip to a veterinarian for aggressive treatment to prevent kidney failure.

It is hard to resist the stunning blossoms of cyclamen, but the ingested roots will cause severe vomiting and possible death. Amaryllis bulbs, often planted to bloom for Christmas and New Year’s, are even more highly toxic than the flowers and leaves, producing tremors, vomiting and diarrhea, intestinal pain, and lethargy. Other popular gift plants causing severe problems for pets include azalea, diffenbachia , daffodils, tulips, and kalanchoe. Ingesting any of these means a trip to the vet.

The Animal Poison Control Center is available 24/7 at 855-764-7661. Here’s hoping that you never have to use it.

Christmas Cactus

by

Christmas Cactus by Stephanie Suesan Smith, Ph.D., Master Gardener.

Christmas cactus has segmented stems that are flat and have spines along the edge of the sections.  Most of the year, it is just a slightly odd green plant.  However, when it blooms the blooms are beautiful and unusual, and more than make up for the wall flower appearance of the stems.

The Christmas cactus is native to the South American rain forests.  This means that it expects a rather high degree of humidity.  It would be impractical to keep your house at a humidity of 50-60%, so use this work around:  Take a saucer one size bigger than the saucer you use for the plant.  Place it where you want the Christmas cactus to live and fill it with pebbles.  Fill the saucer with water but leave the tops of the pebbles dry.  Place the Christmas cactus on top of this saucer.  As the water evaporates from the pebble tray, it creates a high humidity zone around the Christmas cactus and keeps it happy.  Make sure you refill the water around the pebbles on a regular basis so the humidity around the Christmas cactus does not get too dry.

The Christmas cactus is picky about soil moisture, too.  Water the cactus by pouring water at the base of the cactus until it begins to fill the saucer under it.  Discard the water in the saucer and put it back under the plant. Do not water again until the top inch of soil is dry.

You can use any balanced water soluble fertilizer that is for potted plants.    Be sure and follow the label instructions.

Blooming is controlled by how much light the Christmas cactus gets.  The plant should be in indirect light most of the year.  However, if you want the Christmas cactus to bloom at Christmas, you will have some work to do.  You will have to duplicate the length of day and night that it would encounter in the wild.

Christmas cactus will only bloom when kept in complete darkness for thirteen hours a night if the temperature is between 55-70 degrees or in complete darkness for fifteen hours of dark a night if the temperature is above 70 degrees.  Eight weeks before you want flowers, you start putting the plant in a totally dark space for the time indicated above.  Do not fertilize it or overwater it.  When you see buds on the Christmas cactus, you should start giving the plant water every day, but smaller amounts of water each time you water it.  Too much water will cause the buds to drop.

When the cactus starts to bloom, set in an area of indirect sunlight.  The cactus blooms for four to six weeks.  Each individual flower lasts six to nine days.  After the Christmas cactus quits blooming, prune back every stem to a uniform size.  Use the sections you pinch off to start new plants. Go back to the regular fertilizer and water routine when new growth occurs on the stems you left on the original plant.

Mistletoe

by

Mistletoe by Madeline Sullivin

Mistletoe is the common name for obligate hemi-parasitic plants in several families in the order Santalales. These plants grow attached to the branches of a tree or shrub by a structure called the haustorium.  Through this structure, they absorb nutrients from the host plant.

European mistletoe is easily recognized by its smooth-edged oval evergreen leaves seen in pairs along a woody stem with waxy white berries in dense clusters of 2 to 6.  In America, while the genus Viscum does not grow wild, the eastern mistletoe is similar, but has shorter, broader leaves and longer clusters of 10 or more berries.

Mistletoe is a poisonous plant. However, both European mistletoe and the North American species are commercially harvested for Christmas decorations.  When Christianity became widespread in Europe after the 3rd century AD, religious or mystical respect for the mistletoe plant was integrated to an extent into the new religion. In a way that is not presently understood, this may have led to the widespread custom of kissing under the mistletoe plant during the Christmas season. The earliest documented case of this custom, which apparently became very popular at the time, dates from 16th century England.  According to custom, the mistletoe must not touch the ground between its cutting and its removal as the last of Christmas greens at Candlemas (the ancient Christian festival of lights on February 2); it may remain hanging through the year, however, to preserve the house from lighting or fire until replaced the following Christmas Eve.

The American author, Washington Irving, in 1820, said “The mistletoe is still hung up in farm-houses and kitchens at Christmas, and the young men have the privilege of kissing the girls under it, plucking each time a berry from the bush. When the berries are all plucked the privilege ceases.”

Oklahoma uses mistletoe as its state floral emblem, and until 2004 the plant was presumed to be the official state flower.  In 2004, though, the Oklahoma Rose was designated as such.

Mistletoe was often considered a pest that killed trees and devalued natural habitats.  However, it has recently been recognized as an ecological keystone species, which is an organism that has a disproportionately pervasive influence over its community.  A broad array of animals depends on mistletoe for food, consuming the leaves and young shoots, transferring pollen between plants, and dispersing the sticky seeds.

In western North America, the juicy berries are eaten and spread by birds. When eaten, some seeds pass unharmed through their digestive systems, and if the birds’ droppings happen to land on a suitable branch, the seeds may stick long enough to germinate. This manner of propagation is reflected in its name–mistel is the Anglo-Saxon word for dung, and tan is the word for twig; it becomes dung-on-a-twig. Another popular name is “witches’ brooms,” and the Navajo name for mistletoe is “basket on high.”

A study of mistletoe in junipers concluded that more juniper berries sprout in stands where mistletoe is present, as the mistletoe attracts berry-eating birds that also eat juniper berries. Such interactions lead to dramatic influences on diversity, as areas with greater mistletoe densities support higher diversities of animals. Rather than being a pest, mistletoe can have a positive effect on biodiversity, providing high quality food and habitat for a broad range of animals in forest and woodlands worldwide.

Poinsettias

by

Poinsettias by Charles Bohmfalk

Poinsettias are native to Mexico and were brought to the US in 1828 by the first United States Ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett.  The Aztecs called poinsettias “Cuetlaxochitl.”  During the 14th – 16th century the sap was used to control fevers and the red bracts (modified leaves) were used to make a reddish dye.  In the early 1900’s the Ecke family of southern California grew poinsettias outdoors for use as landscape plants and as a cut flower.  Eventually the family grew poinsettias in greenhouses and today is recognized as the leading producer of poinsettias in the United States.  I grew up in the lower Rio Grand Valley and we had Poinsettias growing outside.  Poinsettias are very tender.  They will NOT survive cold winter weather in our area.

The plant you choose should have dark green foliage.  Fallen, low or damaged leaves indicate poor handling, fertilization, lack of water or a root disease problem.  The colorful flower bracts (red, pink, white or bicolor pink and white) should be in proportion to the plant and pot size.  Little or no pollen should be showing on the actual flowers (those red or green button-like parts in the center of the colorful bracts).  If the temperature is below freezing and the wind is blowing, it might be a good idea to be sure the plant is well wrapped when you take it outside on your trip home.  Exposure to low temperatures for even a short time can injure leaves and bracts.  Unwrap the plant as soon as possible because the stems of the leaves and bracts can droop and twist if the plant is left wrapped too long.

Place your poinsettia near a sunny window or other well-lighted area.  Do not let any part of the plant touch cold window panes.  Poinsettias do not tolerate warm or cold drafts.  Place your poinsettia in a cooler room at night (55 to 60 degrees F is ideal) to extend the blooming time.

Examine the soil daily and water only when it feels dry. Always water enough to soak the soil to the bottom of the pot and discard the excess water.  If you don’t water enough, the plant will wilt and the lower leaves will drop.  If you water too much the lower leaves will yellow and then drop.  If you keep your plant for several months, apply a soluble houseplant fertilizer, once or twice a month according to the manufacturers recommendations.  One easy way to water the Poinsettia is to remove it from the decorative foil wrapper and place it in a bowl of water.  (Do not remove the plant and soil from the pot.)  Let the water soak up into the plant from the bottom.  If it quickly soaks up all of the water, then add more.  Do not leave the plant sitting in water for a long period of time.  After the plant has taken as much as it will, remove the plant from the bowl and let the excess water drain (into the sink).  After it has drained, replace the plant back into the foil wrapper.

Enjoy your Christmas season plant