Short Hort Notes
March 22, 2005
Web Page News: The UW CES
publications web page has been redesigned and bulletins are now
separated by subject matter. To get to the subject list, go to
http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/UWCES/Pubs_Subject.asp. Our horticulture
bulletins can be found at
http://www.uwyo.edu/CES/PUBS/Horticulture/Horticulture_Publications_Main.htm.
Cut Flowers of the Year: Each
year the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers announces their cut
flowers of the year. The 2005 winners are
Ilex verticillata Winter
Red, in the fresh cut flower category, and
Nigella damascena Cramers’
Plum, the dried cut flower category winner. For more information on
these flowers, go the ASCFG web site at
http://www.ascfg.org/research.asp.
Holiday Plants: Easter lilies are here! How do you keep them healthy after the Easter holiday? Well, here are a few tips.
Look for a plant that has leaves all the way down the stem. Sometimes a pot cover will be used to hide bare stems.
Look for plants with several buds on them. The more buds there are to open, the longer they will flower. Five to six buds on a plant is not uncommon.
Check to make sure foliage is bright green and there are no signs of diseases or insects.
Easter lilies prefer high light – put your plant in a spot where you can easily read fine print during daylight hours.
Avoid high traffic areas – for Easter lilies and any other holiday or interior plant.
Put a saucer or waterproof container under the pot. Poke a hole in the decorative pot cover, if there is one, so water can drain freely after irrigation. Toss the water in the saucer out so roots don’t rot.
Keep the plant evenly moist as lower foliage will yellow and drop if the plant dries out too much.
Remove the yellow/orange pollen sacs when flowers open. This will keep the pollen from discoloring the bright white lily petals.
Easter lilies should bloom for 10 to 14 days, depending on care and bud number.
Easter lilies can be planted outdoors, but wait until after the danger of frost has passed. Until then, care for the plant as described above, removing spent flowers from the plant after they wither and brown. After frost danger has passed, plant lilies outdoors in a partly shady spot. Don’t expect the plant to flower again the same year – they require 1000 hours of cold treatment for flower buds to form and this won’t happen until next winter. In the fall, cut the foliage back. Keep the bulb moist during the winter, otherwise all the cold in the world will not induce flower buds to form.
A cautionary note: check this web site for further information on renal failure in cats caused by ingestion of certain lilies: http://www.aboutflowers.com/gandb/lily.html.
For further information, check our bulletin Care of Flowering Potted Plants (B-1146). It is available in hard copy at your local UW Cooperative Extension Service office or on-line at http://www.uwyo.edu/CES/PUBS/B1146.pdf.
Sweet Peat and Melon Year: The
National Garden Bureau (NGB) is promoting the sweet pea as their 2005
flower of the year and the melon as their vegetable of the year. For
more information on these and other promotions, go to
http://www.jgb.org.
Regional Master Gardener
Conference: The University of Wyoming State Master Gardeners are hosting
their regional conference, April 14-16, 2005, at the Parkway Plaza in,
Casper, Wyoming. This year’s theme will be "Specialty Gardening in the
Rockies” and the focus will be on helping growers adapt to Rocky
Mountain conditions. To see the brochure, go to
http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/EPPL/Horticulture/2005_Garden_Brochure.pdf.
And this isn’t just for Master Gardeners – all are welcome!
In the Panter Back Yard and Zoo: Spring officially sprung 3 weeks ago when our first little iris opened. The yellow crocuses have joined in the fun and the early tulips aren’t far behind. Much of the rest of the plant material around the house is still dormant, but once this latest snow melts (4” Sunday night/Monday morning) things will start to take off.
Plants in the house have changed a lot over the last months. We’ve got a new angel wing begonia that we rooted in water (easy to do), and we’ve started several new orchids. Maintenance on the prayer plants is constant as the older leaves insist on drying and browning. Every once in a while we get tired of looking at them and cut out a bunch of the old growth. It certainly doesn’t hurt them! The bougainvilleas in the south front window seem to always be in bloom. As long as they have plenty of water, they seem to love all the light they get in that window. It’s warm too, which they prefer. Another new addition is a grape ivy, which is in a west-facing window but doesn’t get a lot of direct light due to the big cottonwood tree on that side of the house. So far we haven’t killed it…
And yes, a few of the orchids are still in bloom.
We lost Lightning the praying mantis, Thunder the iguana, and Henry the Madagascar hissing cockroach, but still have all the hermit crabs and fish. The dog is happy spring is coming (she’s part Chihuahua and LOVES the sunshine) and Pete the cockatiel celebrates his 20th birthday this year!
*Upcoming Events
-Wyoming State Master Gardener Conference, April 14-16, 2005, Parkway Plaza Hotel, Casper. Contact: http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/EPPL/Horticulture/2005_Garden_Brochure.pdf.
-Wyoming Groundskeepers and Growers Association Conference, January 11-13, 2006, Parkway Plaza Hotel, Casper. Contact: WGGA at 307-234-7583, IIIwishes@msn.com, or www.wgga.org. (The program is not yet set.)
-ProGreen Expo, January 23-27, 2006, Colorado Convention Center, Denver. Contact: http://www.progreenexpo.com/index.htm.
-Trees, People, and Towns Conference, June 14-16, 2005, Plains Hotel and Lions Park, Cheyenne, Wyoming. Contact: http://www.cheyennetrees.com/.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Glen Whipple, Director, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071.
Persons seeking admission, employment, or access to programs of the University of Wyoming shall be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, political belief, veteran status, sexual orientation, or marital or familial status. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication or program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact their local UW CES office. To file a complaint, write the UW Employment Practices/Affirmative Action Office, University of Wyoming, P.O. Box 3434, Laramie, WY 82071-3434.
Where brand names are used, no endorsement is implied.
Karen L. Panter, Ph.D.
Extension Horticulture Specialist
Department of Plant Sciences
University of Wyoming