Christmas Cactus After Holiday Care

If you love indoor plants that have beautiful flowers and are easy to grow, then a Christmas cactus may be the perfect plant for you.

I received a Christmas cactus that was covered with buds but had no blooms. So I fertilized it with Miracle-gro bloom booster every two weeks and in no time I had beautiful pink blooms. The flowers only lasted one day but I had many buds to enjoy during the Christmas holiday.

Unlike other cactus, the Christmas cactus will thrive in cooler temperature. An ideal temperature would be 68 degrees. So a cooler room with moderate light is best for your Christmas cactus. Do not put your cactus in direct light and a southern exposure would be too hot and would burn the leaves. I prefer to set my cactus off to the side so that the light is moderate and not direct.

Know that over watering your cactus will kill it. Evenly moist soil is not good for your Christmas cactus. I would recommend that you let your cactus soil dry. before watering. Allow the water to drain out of the pot. Do not allow the water to collect in the saucer. Instead of watering your plant daily you should lightly mist the leaves of your plant daily to maintain a level of humidity around your cactus plant.

After Christmas caring for you cactus is easy as long as you keep the plant in a cool room away from a draft or a heat source, provide it with moderate light and do not over water then your plant should thrive and live a long life of 20 to 30 years.

If you have cats or dogs you do not need to worry about the Cactus plant. According to the ASPCA poisonous plant database the Christmas cactus is not toxic or poisonous to cats or dogs.

Learn how to force your Christmas cactus to re-bloom by viewing this video.

Grow Bee Balm Flowers for Late Summer Blooms

The Bee Balm flower a native perennial in North America is commonly called horsemint, Monarda, and wild bergamot. This plant is in the mint family and has a unique white, pink, purple or red flower that blooms in mid to late summer.

The entire bee balm plant is very fragrant, the leaves, stems, and flowers have a mint/oregano aroma. So if you enjoy fragrant flowers then I would recommend that you grow bee balm close to your outdoor living space.

I have red and purple bee balm growing close to my garden path and flagstone patio. Butterflies and hummingbirds find the bee balm to be attractive and we enjoy watching the wildlife.

Here are some photographs of bee balm

 flowers that grow in the garden.

The bee balm in this photo has powdery mildew 

due to excessive rain in June.

Bee balm growing wild in a field

My bee balm flowers bloom at the end of June and continue to bloom through August provided I deadhead all spent blooms. In late summer I will not deadhead because the seed heads provide a source of food for the sparrows and finches during the fall to the winter season.

Bee Balm Growing Tips

1. Grow from seed, cuttings, and root divisions.
2. Plant in spring or in late summer / early fall
3. Choose a planting area that has ample area for this plant to grow and spread. Grow plants 20 inches apart in loamy soil that is slightly acidic. Soil should be moist but well-drained.
4. Plant in full sun, however, this plant will tolerate part sun in the late afternoon as long as it has six hours of direct sun daily.
5. Grow bee balm in an area that has good air circulation. Avoid planting next to a wall or a wooden fence as these structures will prevent proper airflow and powdery mildew will form on leaves and stems. Excessive watering will also cause powdery mildew.
6. Water plants to prevent soil from drying out.
7. The bee balm is hardy in the USA growing zone 3.4.5,6,7,8,9

Care and Maintenance

1. Fertilize in the spring and weekly with a bloom booster flower food. I use Miracle-Gro a water-soluble weekly throughout the blooming season.
2. Apply a layer of mulch around the stem to help to retain moisture and to prevent weed growth.
3. Water plants to prevent soil from drying out. Soil that is moist but well-drained is best.
4. After a hard frost cut back the flower stems to 2 inches above the soil. (or leave seed heads throughout winter for the birds.
5. In spring when plants start to grow check your plants for overcrowding. Divide and transplant when needed or every two years.
6. If not maintained in your garden this plant can become invasive.

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Removing Weeds From Flower Garden

Today I worked in the yard and garden by pulling the crabgrass and chickweed from the backyard irises I had weeded the bed in the fall but suspect that the leaves that had fallen onto the garden over the winter caused the weeds to grow in the spring.  

Due to the rainy weather, the weeds grew thickly and my husband would like to use a chemical on the crabgrass and chickweed but I do not recommend using a chemical weed killer or a natural weed killer like Vinegar, salt, and dawn dish soap in the yard or the gardens. It is best to keep those products away from your flower beds. Even if they have a safety cap to spray only the weed, the liquid seeps into the soil and can kill your flowers from the roots.

Know that at first I was overwhelmed because our flower garden is quite large. But made up my mind to remove the weeds by hand-pulling them.

The best way to hand-pull weeds is to do the following. For weeds with a shallow root, you can hold the plant by the stem that is closest to the soil and pulls up the weed gently.  Then for the crabgrass with the deep roots and the trailing grasses, you will need to use more care in removing it. The best way is to loosen the soil around the crabgrass. Then with a small hoe or hand-held shovel, you will dig the grass out a little to loosen it then grasp the stem close to the soil and pull out. Try to get the roots because crabgrass will grow back

It took me three and a half hours to complete the backyard irises. Then my husband and I stood at the front of the garden and admired the clean weed-free appearance.

Gardening Is a Natural Cure for SAD

Gardening is good for you because it makes you feel good. Weed a garden bed and your stress will go away. Plant a container garden and you will feel calmer and happier.

It's been a long winter and we have been indoors a lot. We keep ourselves busy when we are home by planning our spring and summer gardens but it is not the same as being outdoors with our hands in the dirt. 

My husband was feeling SAD last week and I suspected it was due to another snowstorm and too much time spent indoors.  So to put a stop to my husband feeling sad  I grabbed pots and soil from the shed and we planted seeds for an indoor garden. In no time we were talking and laughing and our entire mood had improved. This is why I say that Gardening is a natural cure for SAD.

For me, a day in the garden is a natural way to eliminate any anxiety or feelings of sadness.

Working with your hands in the dirt is the best natural antidepressant. There have been studies done on how dirt affects people. Did you ever notice that gardeners overall are happy and calm? The findings in the study showed that the bacteria Mycobacterium vaccae is found in dirt and it will mirror an antidepressant.  I guess dirt is a natural form of Prozac.

If you are having an off day, feeling sad or just in a mood then maybe you should plan to spend the day in the garden. If you do not have a backyard then you can shop for a container and potting soil so that you can plant and grow a flower, herb, or vegetable garden.

Growing Red Poppy Flowers

Red Poppies are vibrant flowers that can be grown as an annual or a perennial. This showy flower looks wonderful when grown in masses with other wildflowers in an open field or large garden area where you can enjoy watching butterflies.

Red Poppy flower/image by Pixabay

A few years ago I bought wildflower seed that was formulated with partial shade flowers. To my surprise, the red poppy was mixed in with this seed. 

I planted the seed in early spring (end of March) as it was in the time period recommended on the seed packet. (March-May)  The seeds were sowed on turned-over soil that was amended with organic matter. I did not cover the seed with soil. I watered the seed after planting them daily until the flowers were established in the garden. Then I watched to make sure the flowers did not dry out and watered the flower garden as needed. Be careful to not overwater as this flower does not grow well in soggy soil.

When fully grown your poppy will form a clump and the flowers will be 12 to 14 inches in height. 

My poppies bloomed in June and continued to provide my garden with color for four weeks. If you reside in an area that has deer know that they will leave this flower alone.

The poppy flower is beautiful when grown in masses or in a small garden. This flower does attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and honey bees. So you will want to plant and grow where you can enjoy viewing the flowers and the wildlife.

Note

1. Poppy flowers do not last long when they are cut for a floral arrangement or in a vase. On average they will last for the day but no more than 8 hours. You can try a fresh cut on the stem and fresh water and they may last a little longer.
2. Fertilize poppies in the spring. Use an organic fertilizer that is applied to the soil around your plants.
3. You can cut back the poppy flower when it dies off or you can wait for the seed pod.