 
|
 
Gardening Questions & Answers At Ray Hunter Florist & Garden we here to answer any and all gardening or landscaping questions. We receive quite a few questions over the years and we like to periodically post some of the most recents Q & A's. Question: I received a potted Amaryllis as a holiday gift last year and it was magnificent in bloom. How do I care for the plant after it has bloomed?
|
|||||
Answer: Many gardeners like yourself, are introduced to the plant as a holiday gift. Instead of discarding the plant after flowering, try these tips to bring your plant to bloom the following year. Like any other bulb, the amaryllis will restore its blooming power through water, fertilizer and sunshine. Remove the stems after flowering, so the plant doesn't waste energy forming seeds. Attention needs to be on feeding the foliage. Move the plant to a sunny window and continue to water. Use a water soluble fertilizer twice a month to create healthy leaves. Move the pot outdoors once the danger of frost has past. Select a spot where the plant will receive at least four to six hours of sunlight per day. When the foliage dies back, usually in late August, stop watering and fertilizing and lay the pot on its side. Bring indoors after the first hard frost. Sever the spent foliage and store the bulb in a cool, dark place for two months. With bulb still potted, remove and replace top soil, but do not disturb the root system. Do not repot! Time your blooms for 9-12 weeks from return from dormancy. Place plant in sunny spot and resume watering. Repeat process for repeat blooming.
Answer: Keeping the water crystal clear is easy with the right plants and filters. Floating aquatic plants will create shade in the water. This inhibits the growth of algae. A good rule of thumb is to have a minimum of 60-70% of your water surface covered with floating foliage. This can be achieved with a combination of water lilies, water hyacinth, parrotsi feather or water lettuce. Submersible plants act as natural filtering agents by absorbing pollutants and fish waste. Oxygenating plants, such as anachris, should be planted in bunches at a rate of one bunch per 2 square feet of water of surface. The same rate applies for snails, about one or two per 2 square feet of water surface. Trapdoor snails (Viviparus maniatus) are often useful in ponds as scavengers for overfed fish. Recirculating water through a natural filtering pond is a clean, effective way to reduce debris and eliminate waste. 
Copyright 2012 Ray Hunter Florist & Garden
|
 |