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| Issue No. 12.03 | January 19, 2012 |
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Get Social!
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Grow Poinsettias All Year: Part II
 Last month, in Part I of this article, we discussed how you can give your poinsettias a great start to enjoy them for years to come. Attempting to grow a poinsettia as a perennial houseplant can be quite a challenge, but for those adventurous enough to attempt it, it can be a fun challenge. The easiest way to know when to do specific care tasks is to do them on holidays throughout the year. Here is what needs to be done:
NEW YEAR'S DAY-- Fertilize with an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer at recommended rates. Continue to provide adequate light and water for prolonged bloom for several weeks.
VALENTINE'S DAY-- Check your plant for signs of insects such as white fly and treat if needed. If your plant has become long and leggy, cut back to about five inches tall.
ST. PATRICK'S DAY-- Remove faded and dried parts of the plant. Add more soil, preferably a commercially available sterile soil mix. Keep the plant in a very bright interior location.
MEMORIAL DAY-- Trim off two to three inches of branches to promote side branching. Repot to a larger container using a sterile growing mix.
FATHER'S DAY-- Move the plant outside for the summer; place in indirect light.
FOURTH OF JULY-- Trim the plant again. Move it into full sun. Continue to water and fertilize but increase the amount to accelerate growth.
LABOR DAY-- Move indoors to a spot that gets at least six hours of direct light daily, preferably more. As new growth begins, reduce the amount of fertilizer.
AUTUMNAL EQUINOX-- Starting on or near Sept. 21, give the plant 13 hours of uninterrupted darkness (put the plant in a closet, basement, or under a box) and 11 hours of bright light each day. Maintain night temperatures in the low 60 degree F range. Continue to water and fertilize. Rotate the plant daily to give all sides even light.
THANKSGIVING-- Discontinue the short day/long night treatment. Put the plant in a sunny area that gets at least six hours of direct light. Reduce water and fertilizer.
CHRISTMAS-- Enjoy your "new" poinsettia. Start the cycle all over again.
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SPRING IS COMING! Here at Bob's HQ in Mason, WV we are getting underway with the spring growing season. Soon the greenhouses will be packed with millions seedlings, but at the moment we are just getting started. Here are some photos of what's happening:
Thousands of newly sown trays are being produced each week. This week alone we are sowing nearly 16,000 trays!
Above we see trays of salvia for Bob's own finished flat production that are just beginning to sprout.
Here we see thousands of dianthus seedlings.
We're also shining up our fleet of trucks to get them ready for hundreds of shipments to other greenhouses and garden centers across the US.
At our Uptown Facility in Mason we are busy constructing the newest addition to our 20 acre complex of greenhouses. |
January 2012
5th-7th Poor Days For Planting. Seeds Tend To Rot In The Ground.
8th-9th Favorable Planting Days: First Day For Above ground Crops, Especially Peas, Beans, Cucumbers And Squash, Where Climate Is Suitable. Last Day For Root Crops. Both Days Good For Starting Seed Beds And Flowers And For Transplanting.
10th-13th A Barren Time. Best For Killing Weeds, Briars, Poison Ivy, And Other Plant Pests. Clear Woodlots And Fence rows.
14th-16th Favorable Days For Planting Root Crops. Fine For Sowing Grains, Hay, And Forage Crops. Plant Flowers.
17th-18th Plant Carrots, Turnips, Onions, Beets, Irish Potatoes And Other Root Crops, In The South. Lettuce, Cabbage, Collards, And Other Leafy Vegetables Will Do Well. Start Seedbeds. Good Days For Transplanting.
19th-20th Seeds Planted Now Will Grow Poorly And Yield Little.
21st-22nd Good Planting Days For Root Crops, Where Climate Permits.
23rd-24th Good Time To Kill Plant Pests Or Do Plowing. Poor For Planting.
25th-27th Fine For Planting Any Above ground Crop, Where The Climate Permits. Extra Good For Peppers, Tomatoes, Peas, And Other Vine Crops.
28th-29th Barren Days. Do No Planting.
30th-31st Fine For Planting Beans, Peppers, Cucumbers, Melons And Other Aboveground Crops, Where Climate Is Suitable.
"Up, sluggard, and waste not life; in the grave will be sleeping enough!"
-Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack, 1741
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Watch Bob's Market LIVE, our UStream show, each Friday at 4 pm. You can watch it on our blog, our Facebook page, or directly on Ustream.
Click Here for Last Week's Show
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Twinkie Pie by: Anna McDermitt
Ingredients -1 box of Twinkies  -Vanilla Pudding, prepared -1 large can of Crushed Pineapple, drained -6 bananas, sliced -1 tub whipped cream -Maraschino Cherries -Chocolate Syrup -Chopped Pecans Directions Slice Twinkies in half lengthwise and line a 13x9 pan cream side up. Spread pudding evenly over Twinkies, and then layer pineapple, bananas, and whipped cream. Top with cherries, nuts, and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Send your recipes to ask@bobsmarket.com |
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Picture of the Week
Thousands of Fern Baskets
Photo by: John Morgan
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Bob's Market & Greenhouses
Mason, West Virginia 25260
1-800-447-3760
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