Planting Today

 Although it has been cold, I have been able to do some planting here in SW Florida. Today, I put in a Coffee bush and a fig tree in for my mom at her house. These plants can both be found all over the country, and can be planted even in cold areas, although how you do it, will depend on where you live. 

Coffee, although a fun plant to think about having, is a tricky one. Of course, anywhere it is cold and actually has a winter, you can't plant it outdoors in the ground. However they can be in a container. I have found, however, that when potted, they are a super fussy plant, and don't like to be moved from spot to spot. So if using it as a house plant, I would suggest to find a spot that it likes and leave it there. I found out the hard way. 

The fig also can be found all over the country, but you will need to do some research as to the best one for your area. I have seen many figs successfully grown in the north in containers. They go outside in the late spring, summer till early fall, then brought indoors for the winter. My Dad said that when he was a kid in NYC, one of his uncles planted a fig tree outdoors, but wrapped it every winter in burlap to protect it against the elements, and was quite successful with it. 

A really nice thing about the fig, is that it easily starts from cuttings. So if you know anyone who has a fig tree, see if you can get a cutting, at least 8". I had success in starting cuttings by just sticking them in a pot full of soil, putting a soda bottle (with the bottom cut off) over the top of it, using it like a small greenhouse, and letting it do its thing. It was a pretty much "never fail" technique for me. Once established and rooting, you can then put into a larger pot as it grows or plant the fig in the garden or yard. (As soon as I find my photos, I will add to the page!)

                                                     Coffee

                          

                                                        Fig

Avocado Sprouted

After well over a month, the avocado pit that I have been trying to start, just sprouted. Hopefully avocado trees are slow growers, as they do get quite large and I'm really not sure where it will go.

Actually, this is my 4th attempt at trying to get one of these things to start, so in reality, I wasn't expecting too much this time either. Well....surprise!

I have tried burying the pit loosely in soil, sticking toothpicks into it like a small tripod, then standing the pit in shallow water.....nothing was successful. This time I left over half of the pit exposed, putting only a little of the bottom into the pot of soil, then kept a clear plastic cup over the top of it. It worked!

Hints for Keeping Rosemary Indoors

I have had problems keeping rosemay alive in the house during the winter for years. However, after some trial and many, many errors, I think I may have finally found a way to keep it going.

I bought a rosemary tree back in December. Instead of putting it in a southern exposure window, I put it in an eastern one that, while it gets plenty of sun, doesn't get the heat. I then spritz the greenery every other day and don't water until the soil starts to dry. I also remove the plant from the window at night. Seems to be working as I've always had a problem with the plant itself just drying out, no matter what I've tried. Now, I'm on my second "trimming" to help keep the topiary in shape.

If you're having similar problems, you mght want to give this a try.