Monthly Archives: August 2010

Following These Simple Guidelines to Grow Phal Orchids Successfully

Posted on August 31, 2010 by admin| Leave a comment

The phal orchid is relatively easy to take care of so long as you observe some basic guidelines.

Environment

The phalaenopsis orchid likes a fairly warm and quite humid environment; somewhere with a temperature that does not fall below 58 F (15C) so most heated homes would be quite suitable. They do enjoy light but not strong direct sunlight as this could scorch the leaves. If the temperature becomes too hot or if the humidity drops they can be misted daily with a spray bottle.

Compost

Phal are epiphyte orchids and can be found growing on trees in the tropical regions of Asia. In their natural habitat they get the bulk of their water and nutrients from the atmosphere and from decaying matter that falls around them and not from the earth. They should never be planted in regular house plant soil but should be grown in a fairly open mix of medium sized bark pieces and sphagnum moss or tree-fern fiber. Once they have started to become established their aerial roots will start to extend and will eventually cascade of their pot. These aerial roots should not be cut back.
Watering

Phals store water in their large succulent leaves and do not produce bulbs so they must be watered regularly. They should be watered once or twice a week in summer and only about once a week in winter. To water them place them on a draining surface, your kitchen draining board for example and pour a large cupful of water into the top of the pot. Orchids should never be watered from the bottom as this will run the risk of the roots become water-logged which is a sure way of killing your beloved plant. Let the water drain free before you return them back to their normal home.

Humidity

Phalaenopsis orchids like a humid environment and the best way of providing this in the home is to place them on a humidity tray. A humidity tray is simply a tray or container that your fill with gravel or medium sized pebbles on which you place your orchid pot. Pour water into the tray to about half the depth of the gravel or pebbles. Water will then naturally evaporate around your plant creating the humid environment. The water in the humidity tray should never be allowed to touch the bottom of your orchid pot and seep in and around your orchid’s roots which could result in root rot.

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Prevent Home Flooding

Posted on August 27, 2010 by admin| Leave a comment

In this article we’re going to look at three tips to help you prevent flood damage in your home. First, we’ll examine one of the most common causes of home floods – the washing machine. Next we’ll discuss ice damming on your roof. Finally we’ll finish up with preventing a leaky toilet. After reading this article, you’ll be able to prevent the most common causes of a flooded home.

First let’s go over the washing machine and proper maintenance of water lines.

Because the water lines are generally constantly under pressure, a broken water line to a washing machine can release a tremendous amount of water in a short period of time. Manufacturers generally recommend replacing water lines every 3-5 years, but a more effective solution is to replace the standard hoses with wire-braided, high pressure hoses available at almost any hardware supply store.

Next let’s cover ice damming on your roof. If you live in a location that gets snow and ice storms this is something that you should watch out for.

Heat loss from improper insulation in your attic can begin to melt snow or ice on the roof, which runs into the gutter. During night or at times of colder temperatures, the water re-freezes, forming ice in the gutter. After a period of time, the ice will move up the slope of the roof, potentially penetrating under the shingles and sheathing and into the attic or living area. Water damage then appears on the ceilings of rooms under this area. To prevent this, your attic should be properly insulated and ventilated.

Finally we’ll cover leaky toilets.

A leaky toilet can waste as much as 100 gallons of water each day. The easiest way to test for leaks is to put a few drops of food coloring in the tank and see if the color appears in the bowl – if so, you need to repair your toilet.

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How to Care for Jade Plant?

Posted on August 25, 2010 by admin| Leave a comment

The Latin name for Jade plant is Crassula argentea, that is native to South Africa. It is a popular plant in American homes as it can tolerate household environment. The jade plant is a slow grower and will reach a height of about 5 feet when grown as an indoor plant. If you follow the jade plant care instructions carefully, your plant will thrive for many years to come. After many years, it may produce small, white flowers during spring. The plant remains evergreen throughout the year. The following jade plant care instructions will help you take good care of your plants.

Instruction #1
You need to place your plant in direct sunlight. If you need to move the plant from a low light area to full sun, you should keep it under direct sun for a few hours everyday. This will help the plant get accustomed to the new light settings. Also, the leaves will not get sunburned.

Instruction #2
The air temperature for jade plant is to be kept around 65 – 75ºF during day time and 45ºF at night. The plants need low humidity conditions.

Instruction #3
The plant needs to be watered once a week and for that, pour water in the pot till it drains freely from the bottom. When the top inch of the soil seems dry, its time to water.

Instruction #4
You need to add a water soluble liquid fertilizer to your jade plant containing trace elements. You need to feed the fertilizer from April to October. Once every month, you need to feed 10-10-10 fertilizer to the plant throughout the year.

Instruction #5
You need to drench the plant once every month with water for about 2 to 3 minutes. Make sure the water drains out of the pot as this will help in removing any excess fertilizer residue in the soil.

Instruction #6
You need to watch out for jade plant disease like bacterial soft rot, that can spread and kill the plant. This disease is caused by bacteria Erwinia that is related to E.coli and Salmonella. If you discover a soft rot, you need to remove the affected plant part to prevent it from spreading further. Another jade plant disease includes powdery mildew, that looks like scabs on the waxy leaves of the plant. This is caused by a fungus Sphaerotheca that can be treated by application of thiophanate methyl. You can purchase these pesticides from a garden store or plant nursery.

Black ring disease is another disease that causes black rings on the underside of the leaves. This disease does not cause plant death and all one can do to treat the condition is to remove the affected leaf.

Mealy bugs are parasites that infect the stem and leaves of jade plant. These are wholly aphids that cause damage to the plant. You need to take a cotton swab and dip it in alcohol. Then apply it to the plant to kill the mealy bugs.

Instruction #7
One of the important jade plant care instructions includes the pruning process. Pruning jade plant needs a lot of care as any damage can make the plant susceptible to bacterial or fungal diseases. You need to prune only over grown or older jade plants. You should remove only 20 to 30% of the branches while pruning. Use a clean, sharp pair of pruning shears to trim the branches. The best time for pruning jade plant is spring or summer. However, you can prune the plant anytime around the year, if required. You can use the plant cuttings to grow more jade plants and gift it to your family and friends.

These were some jade plant care instructions that will help your plants grow healthy and happy. A little bit of attention from your side, will be enough for your jade plants to thrive. I hope this article has been able to answer your question how to care for a jade plant.

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Rose Types

Posted on August 22, 2010 by admin| Leave a comment

The various species of roses are the Rosa canina, known as the dog rose or briar bush, the Rosa dumalis, known as the Glaucous dog rose, the Rosa gallica, known as the Gallic rose and French rose, the Rosa laevigata, known as the Cherokee Rose, the Rosa multiflora, known as the multifrola rose, the Rosa rubiginosa, known as the sweet Brier, the Rosa virginiana, known as the Virginia Rose and the Rosa rubiginosa, known as the Rugosa rose and the Japanese Rose.

Roses are the most commonly sold flowers. Since there are many species of Roses, along with the hybrids and cultivars, no single system of classification of roses exists. However, the various groups that roses can be placed in are:

Alba: The alba are white roses which are derived from the Rosa arvensis and the Rosa alba. They are the oldest garden roses. These flowers flower once every year in the spring. They mostly have blossoms of white or pale pink.

Damask: The Damask bloom once in summer. They have more vicious thorns than many other rose types. The Damask rose was first seen in 1254.

China: As evident from their name, the China roses were grown in East Asia. These roses bloom repeatedly in summer and in late autumn. These flowers also tan in time. They are smaller and less fragrant than other roses. They also bloom poorly.

Bermuda Roses: These roses were found to be growing in Bermuda for a century. They are highly resistant to plant diseases and loss like nematode damage and fungal diseases.

Bourbon: These roses are said to have originated off the coast of Madagascar. These roses have semi climbing shrubs and a purple tinted cane. They are probably the result of a cross between the Autumn Damask and the Old Bush China rose.

Noisette: The Noisette is a result of a cross between the China Rose’s Parson’s Pink and the Rosa moschafa. It produces huge cluster of roses from spring to fall.

Moss: These are mutations of damask or centifola roses. They flower once, though some Moss flowers do exhibit repeat blooming.

Gallica: The gallica roses come from the Rosa Gallica, coming from the central and southern Europe. They flower once in summer. These roses may have shades of red, crimson, maroon and deep purple.

Centifola: Centifola are also called cabbage roses due to the globular shaped flowers. These flowers are a result of the damask roses crossed with albas. They are once-flowering.

Portland: These roses are the result of a cross between the first China roses and European roses. They are named after the Duchess of Portland. Portland rose is the first rose to have repeated-flowered ever. Their plants are short and shrubby.

Tea: Tea is the result of crossing China roses with various Noisette and Bourbon roses. They are more tender as compared to Garden roses. Their color range includes yellow, white and pink. Their petals tend to roll back at the edges, and therefore the petal at the middle has a pointed tip.

Other than these, there are some modern garden roses. However, they can be quite confusing because the modern garden roses do have old garden roses in their ancestry. The Hybrid Tea is one such modern garden rose. The hybrid tea were bought about by hybridising Pertpetuals and Tea. They have colors like apricot, copper, yellow bicolors, lavender, brown, gray and deep yellow.

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