When lighting a tree, start at the top of the tree and work
your way down. It’s easier to use up extra lights at the
bottom of the tree rather than at the top. To help
eliminate the sight of cords, start at the center of the
tree with your lights. Go out on a branch and then
back in on the same branch. When you get to the
center of the tree, repeat back and forth on another
branch. To add depth, place inexpensive glass
ornaments towards the center and your more
cherished ornaments on the edge. No space for a
tree? No problem! Take down artwork or wall hangings,
put up a wreath and decorate with your favorite
ornaments. Visit bachmans.com for our “Top 10”
Holiday Decorating Ideas of 2008.
Growing Paperwhite Narcissus
Easy as a dish of stones, paperwhites will bloom in just a short
time in almost anything that will hold water. Use pebbles to help
anchor the bulbs. It’s that easy! Start batches at two-week intervals to keep blooms going from now until March. Don’t give them too much water-the water level should be just below the basal plate of the bulb. Keep the growing bulbs cool and well lit for shorter,
stronger plants. Another tip to keep paperwhites short is to give them a little alcohol. If you use liquor with 40% alcohol, mix 1 part alcohol to 9 parts water. Use Gin, Vodka, Whiskey or Schnapps (do not use beer or wine as they could kill your bulbs). Look for the traditional white or try the butter yellow or yellow and white.
Tree Pruning Time
With the leaves off most trees it’s an okay time to prune
many varieties of trees. Prune your trees if the branches
are hanging too low or if they are rubbing the house or
other plants. Pruning is best done when the trees are
dormant. Some are best pruned in late fall/early winter;
others can be pruned any time during the winter and
even in the spring.
One benefit to pruning when the trees are dormant is that
you can see the structure of the tree. When pruning off limbs of trees, cut them at the branch collar. A branch collar is where one branch meets a larger branch or the trunk of the tree. Branch collars are raised rings around the branch. Don’t prune the collar off the tree and don’t prune so there is a stub remaining on the tree. The prune should be just after the collar on the branch. When you preserve the collar the tree heals faster. If you leave a stub it could
introduce fungal infections.
Below is a list of popular trees and when to prune them
•Ash-any time fall or winter
•Birch-this fall or by mid-winter
•Crabapple-late fall to late winter
•Elm-late fall to mid-winter
•Ginkgo-fall to late winter
•Hawthorn-fall to late winter
•Honeylocust-fall to spring
•Linden-fall to spring
•Maples-fall or by mid-winter
•Oak-late fall to late winter
•Magnolia-prune after flowers are done
Kalanchoe for Indoor Gardens
You may want to skip trying to pronounce
Kalanchoe (ka-lan-ko-ee), but you sure
don’t want to miss the opportunity to add a
few to your indoor garden. There are several
types of Kalanchoes grown as houseplants,
some are grown for their beautiful flowers
and others are admired for their foliage.
Among the flowering Kalanchoes, the bloom colors include red,
yellow, orange, white, lilac and pink. There are also double flowering Kalanchoe called Calandiva and grow just like Kalanchoes.
Once in bloom, the flowers last a long time. They can be difficult to bring into bloom again but are well worth the try. If you want to try to rebloom Kalanchoe, cut off the dried flowers and put the plant under grow lights (setting the timer to keep the lights on for 14 hours a day). Keep the plant on the dry side for about a month. With 14 hours of artificial light, Kalanchoes will grow new leaves. When the plant has 3” to 4” of new growth, set the time to only eight hours of light which will trigger a new flowering cycle. Kalanchoe naturally blooms in spring, though it is brought into flower commercially at any time of year in greenhouses.
When selecting flowering Kalanchoes, look for plants that fill their containers and are just coming into bloom. They need to be watered thoroughly and then allowed partially to dry out before watering again. If Kalanchoe are grown in a decorative container without a drainage hole, be very careful not to let water accumulate or the plants will rot. Kalanchoe prefer full sun but will also do well in
a situation with very high light. If grown for very long without
enough light, they become leggy and weak. When Kalanchoes
are purchased in bud or in flower from Bachman’s they won’t need fertilizer. However, if you are trying to rebloom your Kalanchoe use
a water-soluble fertilizer like Bachman’s Excel-Gro™.
TIPS
There is still time to plant tulips and other spring flowering bulbs and if you need a little incentive all Bachman’s spring flowering bulbs are 75% off regular price. This does not include Amaryllis or Paperwhites.
Amaryllis can be timed to bloom at Christmas by counting back the weeks. It normally takes amaryllis about 4 to 6 week to bloom. The timing depends on the temperature and the variety. Pink and apple blossom bloom quicker that red or orange amaryllis.
Flowers and gifts from Bachman’s make any day a special one. When you order your flowers or gifts online, you know you’ll be getting a beautiful fresh floral arrangement from a trusted florist known for outstanding floral design, plus quality and service.
If you’re sending flowers or gifts out of town, you can rely on us to choose the best florist from either the FTD or Teleflora nationwide flower network. Florists who can be counted on to deliver the best fresh floral arrangements and gifts, even when doing a same day delivery.
