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Gardening in Small Spaces

Gardening in Small Spaces

Container garden.  Image:  Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS

Container garden. Image: Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS

Living in a condo, apartment, or home with small yard does not mean you can’t garden at home.  Whether you are interested in edible plants or ornamentals you can create a fit that is right for your space by using containers.

The first step in container gardening is the same as for traditional landscaping. First, asses your site to determine the cultural situation.  Is it sunny or shady?  Is water available from rainfall or from a nearby spigot?  Will salt or wind be a factor?  Are there height and width limitations?  All of these need to be taken into consideration when you are planning to plant.   These are elements that we have very little control over, so it is best to choose the right plants for the place you have.

Choose a container that will allow for adequate root growth and good drainage.  If growing annuals, perennials, or small vegetables, a pot that is 12-18” deep should be sufficient.   For shallow rooted or plants that like dry conditions you can go smaller.  If plants grow tall make sure that the weight of the soil and pot is enough to keep it upright in gusty winds.  It is not necessary to buy a container, you can reuse something as long as the water will drain and it is sturdy.  Large containers may not need to be filled completely, but can be filled with a lightweight filler such as upside down nursery pots, water or soda bottles with lids, or packing peanuts.  Choosing a light weight filler material makes the container easier to turn or relocate if needed and reduces the cost of potting soil.

Once you have determined site conditions, select the type of plants you would like to grow.  When choosing edibles, the amount of sunlight available may be a limiting factor.  Although some herbs and vegetables may benefit from a little bit of shade, they still need a bright location in order to produce well.  If your site is very shady, consider shade loving ornamentals such as fern, hosta, and impatiens.

Understand  the sunlight, water, and fertilizer needs of each plant.  Group plants together that have similar requirements because they will receive the same care.  Most herbs like a hot, dry situation and very little to no fertilizer.  Grouping one of these herbs with a tomato plant that needs consistent watering and regular fertilizer will create a situation where one plant will perform poorly.

Container gardens require more care than plants in the ground because they dry out faster and may get no water from rainfall, if placed in a covered area.  Consider using micro irrigation designed for containers or choose plants with low water needs such as the grasses and succulents.

To read more about container gardening read Container Gardening for Outdoor Spaces ENH1095.

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Common Myths about Spanish Moss and Lichen

Common Myths about Spanish Moss and Lichen

Lichen on trunk of oak tree.  Image:  Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS

Lichen on trunk of oak tree. Image: Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS

Spanish moss and lichen have earned an inaccurate reputation for damaging trees and shrubs in the Florida landscape.  Although they may be found in plants that are in decline or showing stress symptoms, they are simply taking advantage of space available to survive.  Both plants are epiphytes and are obtaining moisture and nutrients from the atmosphere rather than from the plants they rest upon.

Spanish moss 5-17-2013 6-49-28 PM

Spanish moss. Image: Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS

Lichen are more commonly found on plants that are in poor health because they need a plant that is growing slowly and access to sunlight.  These conditions can typically be found in thin canopies of trees and shrubs under stress.  Although they are firmly attached to the surface of the plant, they are not taking nutrients from the tree or shrub, but rather from the air and other sources such as organic debris and bird excrement.  If you find lichen on your landscape plants, look further into what stress factors might be causing the plant to grow slowly such as compacted soil, extreme weather conditions, drought stress, disease or insect pressure.

Spanish moss does not harm trees and many people find it an appealing asset to their landscapes.  Common misconceptions about Spanish moss include that the weight causes branches to break and that it is a host site for chiggers.  Spanish moss is very light and any additional weight is typically insignificant.  Although it may harbor some insects and provide nesting material for birds and other wildlife, Spanish moss in trees is not a site conducive to chiggers because they favor low-lying moist environments.

To read more about Spanish moss, lichens, and other common epiphytes please read the EDIS publication “Spanish Moss, Ball Moss, and Lichens – Harmless Epiphytes.”

Rosemary Doesn’t Mind a Forgetful Gardener

Rosemary

Rosemary

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is an attractive evergreen woody perennial and a culinary herb that grows well in the Florida Panhandle with very little attention.

Rosemary is quite tough and thrives in hot, dry spots with well-drained soil.  All plants require some water to become established (the time it takes to grow enough roots to support the plant without watering).  Once established, it responds well to neglect as long as it is given sunlight, drainage, and air circulation.

Mature plants can grow to be over four feet tall by four feet wide, but may be kept a little more compact with pruning.  Leaves are harvested to use in recipes calling for fresh rosemary or can be dried for later use.  To read more about growing and cooking with herbs, please read the following EDIS publications.

Herbs in the Florida Garden

Cooking with Fresh Herbs

Top 15 Gardening in the Panhandle Articles of 2013!

king sago palm with manganese deficiency symptoms

King Sago Palm. Photo credit: Mary Derrick

The wordpress-platform version Gardening in the Panhandle began in May of 2012 and had 188 views from its inception through the end of the year. This was a new online version of a long running and award winning traditional print newsletter. 2013 brought a new e-newsletter format and a ramped up effort to provide science based articles that you, the reader, find interesting and useful as you garden in the panhandle.  We have gotten your attention, you visited Gardening in the Panhandle 23,422 times in 2013!

Below is a list of the top fifteen most read articles from 2013 with links so that you can visit again if you missed it.  Please let us know if there are topics you would like to see covered by leaving comments or emailing one the editors Matthew Orwat mjorwat@ufl.edu or Mary Derrick mderrick@ufl.edu.

 

 

# of Hits               Title                                                                                                       Author

437 What’s Wrong with My Sago Palm? Mary Derrick
427 Palm Care Tips Blake Thaxton
390 Why Are My Tomatoes Cracking? Mary Derrick
354 Composting Recycles Yard Waste Makes it Beneficial Rob Trawick
347 Grow a Salad This Winter, Lettuce Easy to Grow, Delicious Romaine Rob Trawick
326 Proper Watering Means Difference Between Life, Death for New Plants Rob Trawick
307 We Had Plenty of Rain; Why Are My Trees Dying? Sheila Dunning
305 A Different View on Hydrangea Beth Bolles
303 Harvest Your Own Christmas Tree Mary Derrick
294 Fall Blooming Native Wildflowers Julie McConnell
291 Plant Deciduous Magnolias for their Spectacular Spring Flowers Rob Trawick
281 Spittlebugs:  An IPM Approach Blake Thaxton
280 Fruit Tree Options for the Florida Panhandle Blake Thaxton
279 Asian Cockroach – Is it a Pest of the Home or the Garden? Larry Williams
273 September is Here:  It’s Time to Prepare for Winter Weeds Larry Williams

Holiday Cactus

Christmas Cactus

Photo credit: Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS

 

If you are looking for an easy to grow, colorful indoor flowering plant, look no further than Holiday Cactus. The two main types are Thanksgiving Cactus and Christmas Cactus which have similar care requirements but as the name indicates, bloom at different times.

When purchasing a new plant, don’t assume that it is “Thanksgiving” or “Christmas” based on when it was blooming at the store, growers know how to manipulate plants for flowering based on market demand. Instead look at the leaf shape and anther colors for positive identification. Thanksgiving cacti have pointed teeth on leaf margins and yellow anthers in the flowers. Christmas cacti have flattened leaves with rounded teeth on the margins and purple anthers.

The best spot for your Holiday cactus is a bright location away from any drafts or heating and cooling vents. Keep soil slightly moist, but take care not to over water. They can tolerate some drying out, but too much can cause flower buds to drop. In Northwest Florida’s mild climate you may keep your Holiday Cactus outside most of the year, but protect it from full sun during the summer months and bring it indoors if temperatures are forecast to fall below 50° F.

Fertilize Holiday cacti with a general purpose houseplant fertilizer from April until August following label directions. To make your plants fuller, prune or pinch in June and this will encourage more branching. Holiday cacti are easy to propagate. Take those pieces you pinched off and place in a lightweight potting soil or vermiculite and they will grow roots and you will have new plants to share.

So, how do you control flowering time? Holiday cacti form flower buds based on two environmental factors, photoperiod (length of daylight) and temperature. They are considered “short day” plants which mean that they bloom when light is reduced to 8-10 hours a day, but this description can be a little misleading. The true influencing factor is not the number of daylight hours, but rather the number of hours in uninterrupted darkness. One way to initiate flower bud development is to place the plant in a dark closet from 5 p.m. until 8 a.m. for 20-25 days straight. This treatment will stimulate flower bud development. Another factor that influences flower bud initiation (even without light control) is the temperature at night. The ideal night temperature for flower bud formation is between 55 and 68° F. Temperatures above 68° and below 50° F can prevent flower bud development.

To learn more about caring for your Holiday Cactus visit the following link Thanksgiving & Christmas Cacti Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC1554.