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THAT SOUTH WINDOW
BY GLADYS JEURINK
Now that winter
and cold are closing in on us, the windows are all full of plants. My
big South one is the best for most of my plants, even though they need
to be watered twice as often as the north window.
In March when the days start getting longer, they will respond
faster than now and need fertilizer.
I have two very different
CROTONS there. One is striped yellow, red, and green, with thick
leaves. The other has yellow dotted leaves. They will survive with less
light but their colors will not be as bright.
The older they get the more they resent being moved and respond
by dropping lower leaves, so bring home a small plant if you have a
choice. They need to be turned to prevent them from getting lop-sided.
I generally give a half turn when I water.
Many times the leaves on the same plant will not match.
Spider mites like to make a home there so it is a good idea to
put them in the shower now and then.
When happy they can grow to be a 6 foot shrub but they don’t like
dry or wet feet or drafts.
Let the water run through and dump the extra water out.
The
DWARF POMGRANATE (Punica
granatum nana) must have much light and likes humidity.
By surrounding it with other plants or putting it on top of a wet
gravel pebble tray, will help this.
Even so, I think it requires a rest period.
Ever winter it becomes very “ratty” looking, drops its fruit, and
waits for longer days. The
fruit is edible but very small. A big
POMGRANATE is hard enough to
eat let alone a small one.
Once or twice I have seen it as a bonsai which is quite spectacular with
its bright red flowers and tiny fruit on such a small plant.
I have never tried to bonsai anything. They require a lot of
attention and careful care as their roots occupy such a small space.
Bonsai almost requires a special set of tools.
DRACAENA is a genus from
which we get many different looking plants in the house.
LUCKY BAMBOO, not a real
bamboo, is a tiny twisted plant often sold in a vase of water and is
suppose to bring good luck and will survive almost anywhere.
Dracaena cincta, the tricolor
RAINBOW PLANT is another
member. As usual with most house plants, do not fertilize or water very
often during winter. A happy
plant can get 5 feet tall.
Since I like
variegated plants whose bright leaves replace bloom in winter’s shortest
day, I have several. Dracaena fragrans is slow growing and will reach 20 feet, has light
green, dark green, and white stripes the full length of its leaves,
coming directly out of the main trunk.
All of the Dracaena
tend to drop their lower leaves. They can be cut off near the pot edge
and will grow again or chunks of the stem, with the nodes present, will
grow a new plant unless you put them in upside down. Some of the
Dracaenas are called “SONG
OF INDIA”, some are called “CORN
PLANT”, and some are called “DRAGON
About three
years ago I found a small, two leaf
SAGO
In the same
south window I have an AGAVE and an ALOE, both
of which have wickedly sharp spines on the ends or sides of the leaf so
I have them tucked against the window with another plant or two in front
for protection.
AGAVES have a reputation for causing dermatitis. One of their by
products is a steroid. On the other hand
ALOES are known for their
healing sap.
Aloe
Another
“weirdo” I have is Dioscorea elepantipes from Copyright 2012 |