Chill Out, Peaches!

Yesterday I noticed the first peach blossoms of the season on one of my peach trees, and that got me thinking about the topic of "chill hours".  For today's blog I'll be talking mostly about peaches, but the concepts still apply to many other types of trees.

What are chill hours?

The simple answer is the amount of time that the outdoor temperature is above freezing but below 45* F, which is especially important for fruit and nut trees.

 What does that mean for my fruit trees?

For trees like peaches, which shed their leaves each fall, falling temperatures are one of the signals that winter is coming**.
But how does the peach tree know when spring is coming?  Experiencing a critical number of chill hours -- remember, that's above freezing, but below 45* F -- is a signal for the tree to wake up from its winter hibernation.  We call this "breaking dormancy" in the plant world.

**Kudos to you if you caught that Game of Thrones reference.

My poor peach tree thought it was spring yesterday.  Today it's in the 40's.

How many chill hours does my tree need?

It's important to purchase fruit and nut trees that are matched to the number of average chill hours in the area where you live.  You can usually get this information from your state or county extension agency's website, or from any good nursery in your area.

Planting a tree that requires fewer chill hours than your area typically gets means the tree may think winter is over before it actually is, therefore, it may bloom too soon, and those blossoms are likely to get frozen and damaged -- and if the blossoms freeze off, that means no peaches.
This is what's happening with one of my peach trees right now.  It got plenty of chill hours, so when the weather warmed up for a few days, it "thought" it was spring!

Conversely, if you plant a variety that requires more chill hours than it will get in your area, your tree will be "confused" and this confusion can result in other problems, like deformed fruit.

Here in Central Texas I have seen nurseries selling peach varieties requiring anywhere between 200-750 chill hours.

Texas A&M's guide for peaches categorizes peaches as low-chilling (150-400 hrs), medium-chilling (450-650 hrs), or high-chilling (700-1000 hrs).

Best peach varieties for Central Texas

Medium-chill varieties are going to be your best bet!  Personally I've had the best luck with "Texstar", and "La Feliciana", which need around 450 and 600 chill hours, respectively.  If you have the space, I recommend doing what I did.  Planting at least 2 varieties with different chilling requirements, because some years one tree will have the better harvest, and other years the other tree will.

If you're in the Austin area, I recommend avoiding low-chill varieties with names like "Florida", "Gulf", or "Tropic".

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Houseplants for Plant Killers

Hi guys!
I took a bit of a break from blogging during the colder months, but I'm so ready for spring, and my blog is also ready to grow, too!

I was invited to speak to 2 garden clubs in the next month about the topic of Houseplants!
The general consensus is that people kill them and don't know why, so in this post I'll be addressing the following topics in regard to houseplants.

• General care, including:
• Lighting, water, fertilizer, soil, containers/drainage
• Common mistakes
• Common pests/diseases
• Plants to improve indoor air quality
• Easiest low-maintenance house plants
  
• Plants beginners should stay away from

Light

All plants prefer bright light, some just tolerate low light better than other.

When I am asked "What kind of light does this plant need?", I generally give the same answer.

Bright, indirect light is my go-to, regardless of species. Some plants can handle direct sunlight through a window, but there are other factors to consider, like how hot the plant will get when placed directly in front of a window. Again, the takeaway here is that all plants prefer bright light, and bright, indirect light is always a safe bet. Your plants will let you know if they aren't getting enough sun if its stems start stretching toward light, a phenomenon called etiolation.

Fertilizer

There are specialty fertilizers available for some plants, like orchids and African violets, but in most cases those are not necessary. For most houseplants, an organic, all-purpose fertilizer with a balance of N-P-K (nitrogen, phosphate, potassium) is going to work fine. I prefer organic liquid formulas -- I LOVED Ladybug brand products, produced here in central Texas, but unfortunately, these products are no longer produced, so I've been bouncing between products in order to find a new favorite. I'm currently testing out organic formulas from Agrothrive, Espoma, Medina, and Dr. Earth. If you are sensitive to smells, stay away from fish emulsion or liquid seaweed in the ingredients, or simply use them outside and allow your plants to dry before returning them to the indoors. Organic fertilizers won't contain things like synthetic urea, which can "off-gas" into ammonia, an indoor air pollutant -- more on that later! They'll also help you avoid the salt accumulation that can happen with repeated use of fertilizers like that popular blue powdered synthetic fertilizer, which is detrimental to important soil microbes, and eventually can be damaging to your plant.

Liquid Seaweed is another wonderful addition to your gardening toolbox, since it contains 60+ trace elements present in the same concentration as plants (since seaweed is a plant!), so it's readily absorbed by plants, and it can be used in combination with your fertilizer. Try it on your outdoor plants, too -- it's amazing! As a bonus, liquid seaweed repels some bugs and improves heat and drought tolerance, reducing water usage by up to half, which means your houseplants will be more forgiving if you forget to water them! *Remember liquid seaweed can be kinda stinky, so it's best to apply outdoors.*

Water

My general rule of thumb is simple. Let the soil dry out between waterings. How dry is where things can get confusing. Some plants, like Sansevieria (a.k.a. Snake Plant or Mother-in-law's Tongue) thrive when the soil is almost crispy before the next watering. Other plants, like Spathiphyllum (a.k.a. Peace Lily) prefer to dry out only slightly. Knowing how much to water your houseplants will come with experience, but some plants are more forgiving than others, so stick with those easy plants until you get the hang of it. (I've made you a list toward the end of the blog!) Overwatering kills more houseplants than underwatering. If you're unsure if it's time to water, it's safer to wait another day, rather than to cause the plant's soil to stay wet for too long. When there is too much water in the soil, there usually isn't enough oxygen around the roots, and that is where your problems start. When the soil is too wet, the roots begin to rot, and that can further add to the confusion because a plant with rotten roots often looks exactly like a thirsty plant. When the roots are damaged (rotten), they can't deliver water to the plant, therefore, it wilts, just like a plant without water. Rainwater is always better than tap water, if that's an option for you. And of course, remember to water the soil, not the leaves.

Containers

Poor drainage contributes to root rot, so it's important to choose a container with drainage holes.  Use a saucer beneath the container to manage any water/soil that leaks from the drainage holes.
If your favorite container doesn't have a drainage hole, and drilling a hole isn't an option, you can opt for the pot-in-pot method.
Keep your plant in a container with drainage holes, and set it inside the pot that does not have drainage holes.  The outer pot will act as the saucer.

New Earth Top Shelf Potting Soil

Soil

*Steps up onto soapbox.* Potting soil is a pet-peeve of mine. I cringe when I see someone purchase a beautiful plant and then reach for a $2 bag of potting soil (or even worse, a $1 bag of topsoil -- double cringe!). Most people don't understand the difference, and I feel like it's my responsibility as the professional to educate people about this. Have you ever heard the saying "you get what you pay for"? This seems to be especially true for soil. A good quality potting soil will be made with a variety of ingredients, like peat moss, perlite, compost, bark,, etc., and when the bag of soil is dry it shouldn't weigh 40 lbs. (If it's sold by weight, that's your first clue to avoid it!)  My current favorite potting soil is New Earth's Organic Top Shelf Potting Soil. I usually buy mine at H-E-B, and I use it for all my indoor and outdoor potted plants. (New Earth also makes some great products for the garden. I also love that New Earth's Potting Soil comes enriched with Medina's Growing Green Fertilizer, another Texas product, and it's a great value at around $5 per bag.
Houseplant "Don'ts"

1. Don't overwater. Most houseplant deaths are water related.
2. Don't leave plants in their original nursery container. They're almost always "root bound" and ready for a larger container.
3. Don't forget to fertilize. Fertilize every 1-3 months, depending on the formulation. If you're using organics (and I hope you are!) usually that's once a month for liquid. Check the packaging if you aren't sure.
4. Don't panic. Remember, when you bring a new plant home it's going to experience many changes -- temperature, light, soil, water, humidity, and damage to the roots (when you repot them), so it's understandable that a plant might shed a few leaves. Don't panic and make matters worse by relocating the plant every time it drops a leaf. Following the tips on lighting, watering, fertilizer, etc. will help you avoid most major problems.

Common pests and diseases

Disease and pest problems on houseplants, while not rare, are less common than they are for outdoor plants, and when they appear they are usually a symptom of a larger problem (water stress, root bound, etc.)

1. Spider mites. These tiny critters suck the life juice from leaves, leaving them looking faded and decorated with fine strands of spider webbing. If you aren't sure if your plant has spider mites, tap the leaves onto a white piece of paper and then check it for tiny, moving dots (usually red). These seem to be more common on thirsty plants, especially if you frequently wait for the plant to wilt before watering it.
2. Aphids. You'll usually see the bugs on leaves and stems. Their biggest giveaway is a sticky, shiny residue left on leaves.
3. Gnats. Most common in soggy plants. Cut back on the watering and they'll often go away. You can also spray the soil with insecticidal soap to speed up the process.
4. Scale insects. Usually hard, not moving, waxy bumps on plant stems (sometimes leaves, too). They pop off easily with a fingernail, or you can squish them or kill them with rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab.
5. Fungus - More common in humid conditions, but generally less common in the home than bugs. Usually manifests as a white, black, or rusty powder on leaves, or as leaf spots.

Treatment

Evaluate the plant for underlying problems that could be contributing to disease or pest issues. Does the plant need water more frequently? Are the roots running out of space? Is it sitting in soggy soil? Correct the issues instead of only treating the symptoms. When you do treat pests/diseases, choose the least toxic solution. For pests, sometimes more than 1 treatment is necessary, since the pest's eggs may hatch after the treatment. This doesn't mean the treatment didn't work.

1. Insecticidal soap.  This is my first choice for pests, because it is a low-toxicity product, but it still does a great job.  
2. Neem oil.  This is my first choice for scale insects. If you have been unsuccessful in treating for other pests several times with insecticidal soap, try neem oil.  Warning: Oils get hot when exposed to sunlight (think of people tanning on the beach with coconut oil), so don't use this on plants that are exposed to direct sunlight when temperatures are 90 degrees or higher.
   Neem oil also works well as a fungicide.
3. Pyrethrins.  This is made from Chrysanthemums, but don't let that fool you.  It's quite harmful to beneficial insects, like bees and ladybugs, so only use this as a last resort.

Plants to improve indoor air quality

In 1989 NASA tested common houseplants for their ability to remove common indoor air pollutants, like trichloroethylene, benzene, and formaldehyde. Wait, are these things actually in my home? Yes, they're there with other yucky chemicals, like xylene and ammonia, and they come from very common things like attic insulation, carpet adhesive, paint, wood varnish, paper products, foam in mattresses and furniture, laminate floors, cleaners, printing ink, leather....and fertilizers*. Ok, back to our topic! Indoor air pollution is a problem, especially because newer, energy efficient buildings are tightly sealed, therefore, the air pollutants are trapped inside with nowhere to go, resulting in indoor air quality that is often worse than outdoor air quality.

Major takeaways from the NASA study

1. All the plants tested removed some air pollutants
2. Some plants remove some chemicals better than others
3. There is some link between the removal of toxins and the microbes in the soil* (Fun fact: Did you know soil microbes can adapt to use these air pollutants as food?!)

*Remember me saying it's a good idea to use organic fertilizers? Conventional, synthetic fertilizers harm soil microbes and can contribute to air pollution.

Top 10 houseplants for beginners

This is my updated 2021 list of plants that are low maintenance and forgiving of mistakes, in no particular order.

1. ZZ plant
2. Snake plant/mother-in-law's tongue - available in many colors
3. Pothos ivy
4. Spider/airplane plant
5. Philodendron
6. Hoya
7. Pilea peperomiodes
8. Syngonium
9. Diffenbachia
10. Monstera deliciosa

    

    ZZ plant from Wikipedia

    

    Snake plant via proflowers.com

Pothos ivy from Wikipedia

Spider plant from Wikipedia

Split-leaf philodendron from Lowe's

 15 houseplants for newbies to stay away from

These plants are not difficult -- many people will tell you they're easy -- but they're on this list if they're unforgiving, challenging to water, picky about soil, or for other reasons listed below.

1. Ficus (F. benjamina, F. lyrata, etc.) - They tend to shed and it's difficult for less experienced plant lovers to decipher normal shedding from problem shedding.
2. Orchids - Too many variables with potting medium, container type, species, etc.
3. Palms - Not forgiving of over watering. Bugs.
4. Ferns - Not forgiving and some are messy.
5. African violets - Finicky about watering. Rot easily.
6. Peace lily (Spathiphyllum)- Once they wilt, they look ugly forever.
7. Cacti/succulents - Super easy outdoors, but they tend to stay too wet for too long indoors. This includes string of pearls, string of dolphins, string of hearts, or outdoor succulents.
8. Begonias - Watering issues, rots easily.
9. English ivy (Hedera) - Spider mites, root rot, easy to overwater.
10. Crotons - Spider mites common and hard to see, watering issues, root rot.
11. Nerve plant (Fittonia) - Watering issues, root rot.
12. Polka dot plant (Hypoestes) - Watering issues, root rot.
13. Creeping fig ivy (Ficus) - If it dries out once, the whole plant goes crispy.
14. Flamingo flower (Anthurium) - Unpopular opinion, but they're picky about soil moisture and drainage.
15. Air plants - Don't get me started. :)
    
    Bonus: Mixed planters/dish gardens - Too hard to keep all plants happy together.

Quick Recap!

1. Lighting - bright, indirect
2. Fertilizer - regularly, using organic all purpose & seaweed
3. Water - let soil dry out a little (sometimes a lot) between waterings
4. Potting soil - always buy good quality
5. Containers - with drainage holes
6. Repot newly purchased plants into a larger container
7. Houseplants improve indoor air quality
8. Treat pests/diseases with least toxic option
9. Try to figure out the root of problems, instead of just treating symptoms
10. Stick with easy plants until you are more experienced.  A green thumb just means you've killed enough plants to become a pro!  

Updated August 25, 2021 

For information about private consultations in the Austin area, text GARDENHELP to (512) 540 - 8785