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Season’s Greetings

COQUITLAM

in your neighbourhood

Priscilla Amaral Laurette Anderson Alex Aragon Taryn Aragon Brian Ashford

Lisa Baiton Mike Carlos Bobbi Crandall Greg Curtiss Logan Eskesen Harvey Exner Richard Getty

Adam Harceg Andy Holland Angela Judge Abbas Khayam Mike Li Michael Lim Joanna Luan

Arnold McLaughlin

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Wayne TullisJennifer TullisAshley Tullis

Lynn McRae

Elena Surayeva

Bob SteevesDenis SleightholmePat SimpsonHarry Parhar

Friday, December 24, 2010 Tri-City News 29

As we just passed theshortest, darkest day ofthe year, now is one of

the worst times for our indoorplants. Due to the reduced day-light, the extra warmth fromheaters and fireplaces and thelow humidity inside our homes, keeping ourindoor plants thriving can be a real challenge.

But things get better as we inch along withone more minute of light each day, and thereare a number of important things we can doto get our plants back in shape.

One of the most important, yet oftenoverlooked, ways of helping our plants is tochange the air inside our homes. Open thosedoors and windows, even for a short while,to get some fresh air inside. A fresh supplyof air is essential for plants, especially atthis time of year. Even on the coldest days ofwinter, we always open the air vents of ourgreenhouses during the warmest part of theday to allow an exchange of air. The move-ment of air is also critical to prevent mildewand other fungal diseases. Many folks simplyswitch on the summer fan in their furnace,but a small circulatory fan can do the jobnicely. With both fresh air and air movement,you too will find the atmosphere in yourhome feels better.

It is also time to give your plants a goodshower. Any dust that has collected on themcreates an ideal breeding ground for pests.Washing it off with a soft, warm shower isone of the best things you can do to promotetheir health. Do not get the soil saturated,

just wash the foliage. This only applies tosmooth leafed plants, not to violets and otherflowering plants. Your plants will be cleanand fresh, and the moisture will discouragespider mites. It might also be a good idea,once the plants are all in the shower, to spraythem with a safe, organic pesticide, such asSafer’s soap products. Preventative organicprograms, when used on a regular basis, willprevent most pest problems. They should,however, be applied with a small pressuresprayer as the spray must completely coverall parts of the plant, especially the under-sides of the leaves, if it is to be effective. Useonly warm water when you spray to avoidshocking your plants.

When you put your plants back in their tra-ditional location, be sure to rotate them regu-larly so all sides of the plant receive light.At this time of year, it might be wise to keepthem close to east or north windows, or atleast open the curtains wide to brighten yourrooms. Extra lighting for 16 hours a day fromPower Smart fixtures will also promote morevegetative growth on many plants.

Proper watering is the most critical factorfor the survival of all your plants. The onlytrue way of telling if a plant needs water isby lifting the pot and feeling its weight. If thepot feels light, the plant needs water; if it feelsheavy, do not water. At this time of year, youmay only need to water two or three timesper month, but when you do, really soak yourplants thoroughly with warm water, then letthem dry out. This only applies to root-boundplants. If your plants are not root-bound,downsize.

Plants that are under severe stress shouldbe covered loosely with a clear, lightweight

poly bag to create a micro-climate. Placingthree or four bamboo stakes in the pot willhelp keep the poly off the leaves. Mist theplant frequently to increase humidity. You willbe surprised to see how this treatment will im-prove the condition of struggling plants.

This is one of the most difficult times ofthe year for our indoor plants, and they dorequire some help. Please give them the atten-tion they need now to get them through therest of winter so that come spring, they willbounce back with full, lush, healthy growth.

If you want to introduce some fresh lifeto your home by adding new tropicals, thereare some very low light tolerant and resilientplants. The entire dracaena family, especiallythe Dragon Plant (Dracaena marginata), istops. Philodendrons, from the low spreadingP. selloum and the staked and narrow Pothosto the many new and colourful lime and bur-gundy varieties, are attractive and easy. ThePeace Lily, with its elegant white flowers, thespiky sansevieria and the beautifully colouredfoliage of ctenanthe are also amazing.

REVIEWHome ShowcREEVVIEWVVOpen the windows and let your plants breatheIN THE GARDEN Brian Minter

30 Tri-City News Friday, December 24, 2010

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