Garden Doctors: Helpful tips and tricks

Becky Williams writes and offers a few of her gardening tips:

I found that I could extend the growing season of my container-grown, Sweet 100 cherry tomato and protect some of my succulents from the lower winter temperatures simply by purchasing a very inexpensive mini patio greenhouse that sits against a south facing wall. This is a product that sets up and breaks down easily and has a zipper closure that allows you to open it for good air circulation.

I run a string of Christmas lights (the old type that gives off heat, not the LED type). Don’t discard all of your old strings of Christmas lights! I also use the old strings of lights on my Meyer lemon in addition to covering the tree with a non-woven frost blanket.

Here’s a tip that a friend tried and passed on to me. So far, it has discouraged deer from browsing on my roses: Apply a very small-sized dollop of Vicks VapoRub to each rose bush and other plants that the deer enjoy. This seems to be most effective when the tender new growth appears in the spring and also in the fall when the deer are very hungry.

I also place a small amount of Vicks on a piece of bark at the base of newly planted annuals and perennials in the spring.

Each year I make garden notes on one of the many give-away calendars. It is located in a convenient place along with soft, No. 1 pencil. I save and refer to these old calendars and it has become a great yearly reminder of plants purchased, spray schedules, etc. In general, it is a valuable reference and much easier than referring to notes in a spiral bound notebook or even keeping track of garden memos on your iPhone when your hands are dirty. Keep your old calendars!

Thanks Becky!

Edith asks, what is causing my Thanksgiving cactus to drop most of its buds?

It is a beautiful specimen that was given to me by a friend who moved away and I don’t have the heart to tell her about her cactus that she so lovingly grew. Help!

Common causes of bud drop are: Overwatering and allowing excess water to stand in a saucer below the plant, placing and exposing the plant to a cold draft, or positioning the plant too close to a heat source such as a vent or fireplace.

Low humidity is often a problem for houseplants that are brought inside during the winter and can cause bud drop/leaf drop. These problems can all be remedied, so what to do?

Water sparingly and don’t allow water to stand.

Next fall, fertilize very lightly with a liquid fertilizer once a week after the first buds appear and mist for low humidity if necessary.

Setting the pot on a saucer filled with small rocks is another solution for humidity problems, but keep the roots out of standing water.

Try moving the plant for better light exposure and fewer drafts from cold and heat exposures.

Thanksgiving cactus as well as other commonly known Christmas and Easter cacti are very forgiving and some bud drop is normal when there is an overabundance of buds.

Joseph asks: What is the difference between pinching versus pruning a conifer bonsai?

I was told that pinching was the recommended technique for correctly training a conifer.

I am new to this hobby and am anxious to form and grow a beautiful bonsai.

According to the Bonsai Primer, “Conifers differ in that one should NOT PINCH, since pinching will cause any damaged needles to go brown and spoil the looks of the tree. Conifer tips should be PLUCKED out between the ball of the thumb and the first finger.”

Yes, “plucking” is the correct, gentle shaping technique.

Check with local nurseries that carry bonsai and can demonstrate plucking conifer bonsai.

Dana Lozano and Gwen Kilchherr are garden consultants. Send your gardening questions to The Garden Doctors, at pdgardendoctor@gmail.com. The Garden Doctors can answer questions only through their column, which appears twice a month in the newspaper and online at pressdemocrat.com.