Winter is such a good time to tackle those indoor houseplant chores.
I love container plants, and over the years I have amassed quite a collection of potted specimens. To keep them looking their best, it is important to check their condition regularly, feed and water according to their needs, and repot those that have outgrown their current vessels. Recently, I instructed my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, to repot a group of dracaena - delicate plants with strap-like leaves that emerge in fountain-like clusters from thick woody stems.
Enjoy these photos.
I often display interesting and eye-catching container plants in my Winter House porch or in my kitchen where I can see them every day. Among them, the dainty dracaena.
There are more than 170 different species of dracaena and they all have grass-shaped leaves that grow from one or more thick, cane-like stems.
Dracaena’s narrow foliage may be completely green or may include stripes or edges of green, cream, red, or yellow.
Dracaena is a low-maintenance, easy to maintain plant that does best in bright, indirect sunlight. Here is a selection of dracaena that have outgrown their current pots.
Under the foliage, the stems on these dracaena plants are thick with nodes indicating where leaves emerge. The stem color depends largely on the species, but can range from green to brown to reddish-purple.
These plants need more soil and more room.
The root ball is pulled from the pot showing some overcrowded roots, sometimes called potbound or root bound. This is a sign the plant needs repotting. Lacking the space to stretch out, the roots of a root bound plant are congested and overgrown.
The new, larger replacement pots are made by master potter, Ben Wolff. These pots are a perfect up-size for my dracaena plants. The number on the side refers to the wet clay weight, which in this case is 10-pounds.
I save all the shards from broken pots for repotting. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, these shards come in very handy.
Ryan places the shard on top of the pot’s hole to maintain good drainage and to prevent soil from escaping.
Dracaena plants thrive in a well-draining, slightly acidic potting soil mix with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5.
Ryan adds some fertilizer and mixes it in thoroughly. We use Miracle-Gro Osmocote. The beige shell on each prill coats a core of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Ryan starts by putting a few inches of soil into the pot.
Then he teases the root ball just a bit to stimulate new growth. When transplanting, the roots should also be inspected for any signs of disease, rot, or pest infestation.
Ryan places the plant in the pot at the same height it was in its previous container. If needed, he adds a bit more soil.
Once the container is filled, Ryan tamps down on the soil gently to ensure good contact with the plant.
Ryan adds some pea gravel as top dressing. This gravel not only looks pretty, but it will help to anchor the stems.
This gravel is native washed stone in a blend of gray tones.
Once the plants are all potted, Ryan carries them next door to the greenhouse where they can be thoroughly watered.
During the growing season of spring and summer, these plants can be watered once a week. During fall and winter, they can wait a few days more. Dracaena plants prefer drier conditions, so it’s best to let the soil surface dry out between waterings.
If you want an easy to care for, appealing houseplant, that is also known for purifying the air, consider a species of Dracaena.
Among the main ingredients in my daily green juice is celery - and the flavor from homegrown celery is a treat not to be missed.
I grow celery all year long - in my outdoor garden and in my vegetable greenhouse. I also grow cutting celery or leaf celery, as well as celeriac, the warty-looking globe vegetable with gnarly roots that grows just beneath the surface of the soil. All of these are grown from seed and started early indoors.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
My garden always includes a bed of organic celery. Celery is nutrient-rich with vitamins A, C, and K, and when homegrown – more flavorful than store-bought varieties.
Here are some delicious stalks freshly picked from my garden last summer – so lush and green.
This is celeriac. Celeriac is also known as turnip-rooted celery or knob celery or celery root. It isn’t the most beautiful vegetable, but its distinct celery-parsley flavor is amazingly delicious, and hard to ignore.
Celeriac is a long-season vegetable that takes more than 100 days to mature from seed. I love to use it for soups. It’s also high in vitamins A, C, and K.
I also grow cutting celery, which is also good in my green juice. This herb is often mistaken for flat-leafed parsley, but the flavor gives itself away. It tastes more pungent than store-bought and can be used as a celery substitute.
My celery and celeriac are both started in my greenhouse. Many of this year’s seeds, seed trays, and other supplies are from Johnny’s Selected Seeds in central Maine – a company I’ve been using for quite some time.
Starting after the holidays, I along with my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, sow thousands of seeds. The process is easy and quick, so we’re able to get a lot done in preparation for the growing season. Here is a packet of seeds with its corresponding marker.
The seed pack itself contains valuable information such as plant type and variety, seed type, number of seeds in packet, germination rate, and days to maturity. Always refer to it when starting vegetables and flowers from seed.
Select the right kind of tray based on the size of the seeds. The containers should be at least two-inches deep and have adequate drainage holes.
Ryan spreads the soil mix across the seed trays completely and evenly, filling all the cells of each tray.
Using his fingers, Ryan makes a hole in each cell, and then drops seeds into each one.
Ryan does this for two trays, each containing 72 cell compartments.
Seeds are small, so be very careful when pouring them out of the packet.
These seeds are pelleted. Each seed is coated with a layer of clay to increase its size and make them easier to handle.
Ryan drops one to three seeds into each cell. It’s always a good idea to keep a record of when seeds are sown, when they germinate, and when they are transplanted. These observations will help organize a schedule for the following year.
Look closely to see the seeds in the cell. These seeds will be selectively thinned in a few weeks. The process eliminates the weaker sprout and prevents overcrowding, so seedlings don’t have any competition for soil nutrients or room to mature.
The markers clearly identify the varieties in the tray.
Ryan covers the seeds with more Miracle Grow Seed Starting Potting Mix.
And then levels the soil mix gently with his hands.
After the trays are fully seeded, Ryan gives them a good watering and places them into the Urban Cultivator until they germinate. If you haven’t yet started your vegetables from seed, start some now – the growing season will be here before you know it.
It's a week of snow and freezing rain here in the Northeast, but inside my greenhouse, I'm forcing bulbs - a technique used by gardeners to bring the beauty of spring blooms indoors during the depths of winter.
I force amaryllis bulbs every year, but this year I decided I wanted to force others, such as checkered Fritillaria meleagris and the beautiful blue star-shaped Camassia. I love both these flowers and grow them outdoors in abundance. Last week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, filled three pots of these bulbs from Colorblends Flowerbulbs - a third generation wholesale flower merchant in nearby Bridgeport, Connecticut. Soon I will have them blooming wonderfully in my home. I can't wait.
Enjoy these photos.
Every spring, my pergola garden is filled with light blue and purple Camassia. Camassia forms clusters of linear, strappy foliage around upright racemes. Camassia is a genus of plants in the asparagus family native to Canada and the United States.
The flower stalks stand 24 to 30 inches tall and display dozens of florets that open from the bottom up. Camassia is also known as camas, wild hyacinth, Indian hyacinth, and quamash.
I also grow lots of Fritillaria around my farm. Commonly known as Guinea Hen Flower, Checkered Lily or Snake’s Head Fritillary, Fritillaria meleagris is an heirloom species dating back to 1575.
Each Fritillaria bloom has pendant, bell-shaped, checkered and veined flowers that are either maroon or ivory-white with grass-like foliage on slender stems.
To force both these bulb types, Ryan fills wide mouthed planter pans that can accommodate all the bulbs. He’s using Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix, which protects against any over- or under-watering.
Ryan also mixes in Osmocote fertilizer. The slow-release prills filled with nutrients feed the plants for up to six months.
Ryan plants the Camassia bulbs first. Ryan gently pushes each bulb down into the soil, so it is well-anchored. And, just as it is done outside, always plant bulb roots pointed down.
Any bulbs used for forcing should be dense and heavy and free from mold, mildew, discoloration, or a peeling outer shell.
The bulbs can be placed close together. They will hold one another upright and show beautifully in maximum bloom.
Ryan covers all the bulbs with another layer of potting mix.
These planter pans are made by master potter, Ben Wolff. I have the largest known collection of planters made by Ben and his father, Guy.
Ryan covers the soil with a layer of pea stone. It looks decorative and will also help to bolster the stems as they grow.
Next, Ryan fills another pot with ‘Snake’s Head’ Fritillaria bulbs.
These bulbs are smaller and each one produces grassy foliage and one or more stems topped with a single dangling bloom.
One by one, Ryan places the bulbs on top of the soil, point up, next to one another. Don’t worry about crowding – the more the merrier.
Forcing bulbs essentially means to create the conditions needed to trigger blooming. And forcing needs patience – it can take six to eight weeks or sometimes as long as 13 weeks for the bulbs to come into flower.
Once again, Ryan covers the bulbs with potting soil.
He pats it down slightly to compact the soil mix. Because Fritilllaria meleagris is more delicate, Ryan leaves this vessel as is. The flowers will emerge through the soil.
The potted bulbs are brought into the greenhouse for a thorough drink.
…And then placed on top of the head house windowsill where they will get ample light.
And the wait is on… What bulbs are you forcing this season? Forcing bulbs is an uplifting project during an otherwise cold and dreary winter.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
