The Staghorn fern has always been a favorite plant of mine and once you get used to its care it’s easy to grow. My biggest mistake with my first one was over watering it. I called a friend of mine who owns a greenhouse and she helped me set up a good watering and care system for my zone 5 climate. I still have the plant to this day and have removed many new plants from the original.
photo credit: robstephaustralia

I have had many questions about the Staghorn fern. I have written two articles before,  Indoor Plants: The Staghorn Fern and its Care, and the other, How to Grow and Ariel Theme Garden. 

But recently I had a question on how to divide a Staghorn fern that was bought in a pot. Some people grow the Staghorn ferns this way and they are beautiful.  The question was how to divide a plant that was bought this way and place it on a board.

I also like the look of the Staghorn fern on a piece of wood and to me it adds to my home décor and can be hung anywhere where the growing conditions are correct. In warmer climates many people hang them on fences or trees and leave them out year round.

If you get a Staghorn in a pot and want to divide it and place it on a board you need to check the plant and make sure any division or “pup” as they are referred to has at least two fronds or stems. Division is best done in the spring or summer when the sterile “shield” fronds are brown.

First thoroughly water the Staghorn to be divided. Next, use a sharp knife and cut through the sterile fronds at an equal distance between the parent plant and the pup. I pack wet moss around the new section of the plant immediately and also pack the area with moss where I removed the small plant form the original. This encourages new root growth and keeps the area from drying out.

Make sure the pup is oriented (placed up) the same as it was on the parent plant when placing the plant on a board.

Squeeze most of the water out of the moss and pack it around the pup. Using the fishing line, cross back and forth tightly over the shield on the pup, close to the fronds, hooking the line around the nails. When it is securely fastened tie the end onto one of the nails. Using the technique described above apply a “patch” of moss into the area where you removed the pup from the parent plant.

Your new plant should thrive. And if by change you need to wait for a bit for you plants to develop more fronds before separating they will do well in a hanging pot. Care for them as you would a plant placed on a board

Shamrock plants are beautiful delicate plants that are a favorite of many people.

photo credit: audreyjm529 Overall, if given a rest period during the year and watered and fertilized properly the Shamrock will live for many years. If you notice your plant looks a little weak or seems to be suffering there are two plant diseases that affect the shamrock plant.

Shamrock Plant Disease

Fungal Rust can be diagnosed when you notice an obvious orange color on the underside of the leaves. Treatment: I remove the plant from the pot and clean the pot thoroughly. If you feel the plant needs repotted this it the time to do so.

Before placing the plant back in its pot wash the plant carefully with a mix of neem oil. Neem oil is not one of the toxic chemicals that many people use so I feel its safe to use and its good for several other forms of plant diseases too.

After placing the plant back in the pot remove the top layer of soil and replace with fresh soil. Water the plant lightly with a chamomile tea mix. If your plant has really suffered you may want to take extra measures. This site has information on common plant disease

Spider Mites are a common problem on the shamrock plant.  These insect parasites are small mites that are almost not visible. They produce a little white webbing that is sticky. They seem to choose to hide and live under leaves and in the joints of stems.

You need to remedy the problem as quickly as possible or they will spread. A spider mite sucks the juice out of the plant and weakens it. If left untreated the plant will slowly die.

If you suspect mites, there are two treatments.  A home remedy of water a few drops of dish soap and a touch of garlic will stop the mites. If the mites are quite large touching them with Sea Breeze that is placed on a Q-tip will kill the bug.

You can treat the plant with Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insecticide.  Mix this product with water as directed and pour on the soil around the base of the plant.  It will kill the bugs within a week or so.  The plus to this product is that it provides protection from reinfestation for up to a year.

Note: Make sure you remove any old or infected soil from the top of the pot.

For more information on this plant check Shamrock Plant Care and The Shamrock Plant

Technorati Tags: indoor plants, plant care, shamrock plant care, shamrock plant disease

It’s fun to grow different plants, particularly plants that people don’t expect to see growing in your yard or home. So when a friend offered me cotton seeds I couldn’t turn them down. I received 12 white cotton seeds and 12 pastel cotton seeds. Now living in my zone 5 climate these plants need to be planted indoors.
photo credit: cliff1066

Once started the cotton plant is not that hard to care for. I started my seeds in four-inch pots with rich fertilized soil. You can also use regular potting soil but add plant fertilizer to enhance the soil.

Place 4 seeds in each four-inch pot. Water the seeds and place in a sunny area. I often will cover new seeds with a plastic cover to keep in the moisture. It acts like a greenhouse and helps the seeds to sprout quicker. When the seeds begin to sprout remove the plastic so that the plants can breath.

Once the seedlings have begun to grow, leave the healthiest looking seedling to grow in each pot. I remove the smaller ones and repot them. My nephews always enjoy these plants or I will take them to a retirement home for them to grow.

When the plants outgrow their original pots transplant them into 12-inch pots. Usually when the plants are developing their second set of full sized leaves they are ready to be transferred. After you transfer the plants, water them well and add some fertilizer to help with transplants shock. I give the plants a few days with less sun to recover then move them back into a sunny area.

Cotton plants thrive with a typical tomato feed that can be found in most garden centers, nurseries or online stores. The tomato feed is high in nutrients, which benefit the cotton plant.

Water the cotton plants regularly, usually once a week. I grow my cotton plants on my patio and bring them in the fall at night when the temperatures start to cool. Cotton is more of a warm weather crop so if your climate is a cool climate they may benefit from being brought in at night.

When the flowers of the cotton plant begin to die off, the ‘bolls’, which hold the cotton seed, begins to form. Cotton plants that are grown outdoors will drop their bolls at the end of the season when the plant is dying. Indoor cotton plants need to have the bolls picked.

Cotton plants are fun and unique, particularly the pastel colored cotton, but the plants have prickers and can scratch you so you need to take care around them.
photo credit: chadmiller

I remember my first time I picked cotton at my cousins farm in Georgia. The cotton took a little getting used to in order to pick it properly without scratching yourself and ripping the boll. But it was a fun adventure and a field of cotton is a pretty site.

Technorati Tags: container gardening, cotton boll, how to grow cotton indoors, indoor plants, plant care, starting seeds