Plant Highlight

Narcissi and the Reflections of Spring

Posted on March 8, 2025March 10, 2025 by Zidack, Heather

By Abigayle Ward – Soil Science Graduate Student, UConn Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture

Daffodils in bloom — Photo by: Rebekah D. Wallace, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org

According to an ancient Greek myth, all those who had fallen in love with the young man Narcissus were met with contemptuous rejection. On a hunting trip, Narcissus stopped to drink from a pond and became enamored with his own reflection. Cursed to never experience a requited love of his own, he stared at himself until his death, and his place was taken by a flower.

While it remains disputed whether the character was named after the flower or vice versa, the enduring significance of the narcissus as a harbinger of spring is uncontested. With a native range spanning throughout most of Europe, northern Africa, and parts of Asia, legends describing this culturally significant early-season perennial have been told since antiquity. In China, daffodils are carefully grown to bloom for the Lunar New Year, which began this year on January 29^th. Their Mandarin name, shuixianhua, literally translates as “immortal water flower”, attesting to their resilience throughout the early season cold.

The Royal Horticultural Society in the United Kingdom describes 13 different types of narcissi based primarily on morphological appearance and when they bloom. Some have long trumpets, while others have multiple flowers to one stem. Others have small trumpets and many petals, called ‘double daffodils’, while others still have few petals dwarfed by large, bowl-shaped trumpets. Daffodils also come in many interesting color combinations – while most of us are familiar with the classic yellow petals and orange trumpets, they also come with white petals, white trumpets, and some even have shades of salmon pink. As one of the earliest-blooming flowers in your garden, they add a lovely splash of color to an otherwise brown landscape. In beds, they go well with red or pink tulips. By themselves, daffodils make good borders, particularly if different color combinations are intermixed to create visual intrigue.

While it is too late now to plant daffodil bulbs with the guarantee of blooms, they can still be safely planted. If you have some bulbs and want to give them a try, be sure to plant them in a sunny spot with well-drained soil at least 6 to 8 inches below the surface. They may sprout, but not form a flower. Do not fear: Daffodils are quite resilient and will likely flower the next spring. If you want to wait, the ideal time to plant daffodils for blooms in the spring is November.

If you find an already-blooming daffodil at your local garden center, it can be planted in the ground any time after the blooms themselves have faded. Both the bulbs and the foliage are frost-hardy well into sub-zero temperatures, making them well-suited for growing in the unpredictable winter weather of Connecticut.

After the flowers have bloomed, you may wish to cut the flower stems and bring them indoors for some bright colors. If you leave the flowers on the plants, be sure to deadhead them as soon as the flowers begin to wilt. If daffodils are allowed to go to seed, the plant will divert precious nutrients and energy away from the bulb. Once the plant has finished flowering, only the foliage remains. While it is tempting to remove the foliage, the leaves are collecting energy and creating food for the bulb via photosynthesis. If the leaves are removed too early, the daffodil may not flower the following spring. Some gardeners like to tie up the leaves in rubber bands or braid them to keep them out of the way, although it is generally best practice to leave them alone until they turn brown by themselves. Damage to the leaves could introduce pathogens or attract pests, which could impact the ability of the plant to flower next year.

With proper care, daffodil bulbs can multiply, ensuring many blooms come back year after year. As we move forward into the season of renewal for ourselves and our gardens, consider planting some daffodils to add a bit of sunshine to your home landscape.

The UConn Home & Garden Education Center supports UConn Extension’s mission by providing answers you can trust with research-based information and resources. For questions about spring bulbs like daffodils or other gardening questions, contact us toll-free at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or reach out to your local UConn Extension center at cahnr.uconn.edu/extension/locations.

Yes, You Can Grow Orchids!

Posted on March 1, 2025March 4, 2025 by Zidack, Heather

By Dawn Pettinelli, UConn Home and Garden Education Center

Some favorite booths at the CT Flower and Garden Show this past weekend were the ones filled with orchids. Orchids are becoming more popular as houseplants and many folks are finding that they can be grown successfully in the home without elaborate care or special equipment. If you’re in a traveling mind, check out the Orchid Exhibit at the New England Botanic Garden in Boylston, MA that runs through March 23, 2025.

Purple orchids in flower — Phalenopsis orchids at the CT Flower & Garden Show in 2025. Photo by Dawn Pettinelli

Orchids are grouped into two general divisions. Epiphytic orchids naturally grow on trees in the tropics. Trees are used for support. Water and nutrients come from rain, bird droppings and organic debris collecting around the roots. Terrestrial types will grow in a highly organic soil. While epiphytic orchids may tolerate or even enjoy a dry, dormant period, terrestrial species, in general, need to be kept moist throughout the year.

Two styles of growth are exhibited by orchids. Monopodial orchids grow in an upright direction from the central stem on which aerial roots and flowers develop. Sympodial orchids generate new growth from the base of the plant. As the new stems mature and bloom, younger shoots once again are produced and the cycle is continued.

The orchid family is organized into several genera (each called a genus) which may contain from one to many species. Much hybridization has occurred and the names can be baffling to a novice. For instance, hybrids resulting as a cross between Cattleya mossiae and C. warscewiczii are labeled Cattleya x Enid, the ‘x’ indicating the plant is a hybrid.

Some of the easiest orchids for beginners are phalenopsis, paphiopedilum, epidendron, oncidium and cattleya. Not every member of each genera can be successfully grown in the home so be sure to check with your source. Almost all colors are available and blossom size may range from very tiny to several inches in diameter.

The basic requirements for orchids are good ventilation, 40 to 50 percent humidity, light, proper watering and a well-draining potting mix usually composed of fir bark. Often osmunda fiber, tree fern and/or perlite are added to the fir bark.

Specific cultural requirements vary as to the species. Some tolerate higher light levels than others. Many varieties of the orchids listed above prefer 55 to 60 degree F nights and 65 to 68 degree F days although cattlyas, epidendrons and oncidiums like it about 10 degrees warmer. If growing on a windowsill, put the varieties that like it cooler closer to the window. Make sure leaves do not touch the glass.

Ways to increase humidity include grouping plants together, placing on gravel lined trays filled with water, frequent misting or use of a humidifier. Plants should not sit in water and the foliage, if misted, should be dry by evening. Don’t keep plants too close together as good air circulation helps prevent diseases.

Watering is perhaps the trickiest part of growing orchids. There is not accurate rule for when to water because it depends on the size of the container, the type of growing medium, temperature and light conditions. Obviously, plants will have to be watered more often in hot, dry weather and less during cool, damp periods. When watering, soak the potting material thoroughly. Do not water again until the medium feels dry to the touch. If in doubt, do not water.

Since fir bark contains virtually no nutrients, plants have to be fertilized on a regular basis. Some recommend fertilizing at every third watering with a half strength orchid fertilizer. It is best to place plants in the sink and water until it drains from the pot, not putting the plant back in its saucer until it is thoroughly drained. Special orchid pots are available with enlarged drainage holes. Fertilizers should just be applied when plants are actively growing.

Orchids are a plant you have to experiment with but once you’ve experienced success, you will find that as a hobby, they can be quite contagious. Those seeking more orchid information might want to check out the Connecticut Orchid Society (www.ctorchids.org) or the American Orchid Society (www.aos.org).

If you have questions on growing orchids or any home or garden topic, contact the UConn Home and Garden Education Center, toll-free, at 877.486.6271 or visit us at www.homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu or call your local Cooperative Extension Center.

Preparing for Spring on CRIS Radio

Posted on February 21, 2025February 27, 2025 by Zidack, Heather

Transcript

00:00:01 Stephen Thal

Hi, welcome to another segment on focal Point. This is Stephen Thal and I'm your host for today's program.

We're going to be learning a lot about getting ready for the spring when we realize the weather is still not quite ready for spring flowers, but we want to get everybody thinking about it. So when the time comes, they'll have some ammunition and be prepared to get in there and get their hands dirty.

00:00:31 Stephen Thal

To help us understand that we have Heather from the plant and science program at the University of Connecticut. Welcome back Heather.

00:00:41 Heather Zidack

Hi Stephen. Thanks for having me back!

00:00:43 Stephen Thal

Yeah, it's great because you gave everybody some spirits to think about and encouragement. One of the things that we've been reading about lately is about climate control. And we were curious, you know, as we look around the country, different things are happening. People can't seem to explain why the weather has changed so drastically, and we're sure that this will impact the way we think about our flowers and the way we want to put a garden in and do herbs. Can you help us understand what climate control may be doing to this?

00:01:22 Heather Zidack

Yeah. So there are some things that we are noticing, especially from people just calling into our office with , um, in relation to climate change and a couple of the big things that have happened in 2023, I believe it was the fall of 2023 they did change the USDA hardiness zones. Which, when you're shopping for plants, your zone is actually going to tell you the coldest temperature that plants can tolerate to survive in your area. And so Connecticut, we're about a Zone 6 at this point, is the safe one. But it did shift and so there are parts of the state that are even seeing some warmer. Especially Shoreline is a little closer to zone 7.

And you can look that up through the USDA to see the change from the zones. But that's a big change. Part of that happened because they had more data points and they could actually get more weather stations to report on what was going on, so it became a little more accurate in that sense. But we are also seeing some climate change effects happening as well.

We’ve seen you know a lot of flooding over the past couple years. Remember up in you know, Vermont, New Hampshire, they had some of those floods that led to crop loss and contamination of fields. Storms with heavy winds can damage a lot of crops sometimes.

And higher heat and humidity can affect your gardens as well.

So if you're looking for management techniques, the first thing that you can do is make sure that you're providing enough water and nutritional support to your plants to endure any stresses that they might see during the growing season. So get a soil test.

Have your your soil ready to go. Know what fertilizer you need.

And make sure you're watering. Not too much, not too little. But you're keeping up with what the plants need. That's going to help them build their defenses, just like when we take vitamin C in the winter to prevent colds.

If you're going to be seeing some hot weather come around and there's heat management strategies, one of the first things you want to do is remove weeds. It actually helps to increase air flow around the plants and also remove competition for some of those nutrients and water that I talked about a minute ago.

You can also use shade cloth or something to kind of keep the plants out of the hot hot heat of the sun, especially on those really hot days. If you're able to, If you've got potted plants and you can move them to a a sheltered spot on those hot days it works for them.

But those are a couple heat management strategies.

00:03:58 Stephen Thal

What about bugs?

00:03:59 Heather Zidack

For me? Oh.

00:04:00 Stephen Thal

What about anima-, little bugs like fleas, ticks, beetles?

00:04:04 Heather Zidack

Yeah, well, it's something that we notice in the garden and when we see these different fluctuations in heat and temperature. We see a lot of fluctuations in our insect populations.

So we do see there have been some instances where you haven't had the ability to really have a good kill off of everything in the environment. And so the next year we see more bugs coming out. Our office deals primarily with the garden insects and the pathogens. So seeing things like-Last year, there was a lot of Japanese beetles. Last year there was a lot of fungal infections.

Really, the best thing that you can do for that is again making sure any weeds are gone so they don't have anywhere to hide in your garden. You can also space your plants as they're recommended in order to make sure that you're having good airflow and good movement in between them, and again you're removing hiding places and you also want to prune all your woody ornamentals to encourage air flow too.

So if those are some good strategies for that.

00:05:09 Stephen Thal

You mentioned fertilizer and doing soil testing. Is there a phone number that people can call and how do they do that?

00:05:17 Heather Zidack

Absolutely, so soil testing can be done anytime that the ground is not frozen, so I think we're in the one time of the year where we can't do it right now, but once the ground thaws, the UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Lab is available for testing.They do a standard nutrient test and that covers all the basic nutrients that you would need for your home garden as well as pH so their phone number is 860-486-4274.

Again, that's 860-486-4274.

00:05:57 Stephen Thal

Ok, Great.

00:05:58 Stephen Thal

So we now got to prepare for maintaining our house plants. As well as taking care of those that we choose to go outside and give them some fresh air and not allow too much heat, how are we going to do this?

How do we prepare for it?

00:06:16 Heather Zidack

Yeah. So one of the things that you want to make sure that you're doing, it's still a little too cold to put anything outside just yet. You want to remember that our target is 50° at night before you're putting any plants outside.

What you want to do with your house plans inside is you want to check for water. Make sure that they're accurate adequately-They have enough moisture in the pot.

You want to check with your fingers, make sure that it's not clumping up too much in your hand. You want to make sure that it's also not like sand texture. You want to make sure there's an even moisture you might not need to water as much right now, especially if your plants are dormant, just like we don't think about hydration much in the winter, because we're not outside and in the heat, plants are the same way. So check before you water every time.

The other thing that you can do right now is dust the leaves to scout for pests and disease.

You can also start fertilizing your house plants when you see new and active growth. So like if there's new leaves, if there's new buds, if they're new shoots, those are signs your plant is waking up and you could use a little food at that point.

And you want to make sure that you're checking any bulbs or plants that you have in winter storage. So if you dug anything up from your yard, like Canna lilies or Gladiolus bulbs or anything like that, check those bulbs in storage.

Make sure they’re firm. Make sure there's no discoloration or smell to them and they should have some kind of humidity with them, but not too much. So if you had stored them in peat Moss, maybe missed in with the bottle for a second, but they don't need sopping water just yet. So you want to check all of those things.

00:07:56 Stephen Thal

And what kind of tools do we need to help us with our projects?

00:08:03 Heather Zidack

So big thing right now is going to be pruning season, so you can use-depends on the the size of the plant. But if you're outside, you want to have some some good hand pruners or some loppers- Depends on the size of your branches, but pruning right now is an advantage because there's low disease and low pest pressure outside, so plants can easily recover without being exposed to any other diseases.

In general, people use hand pruners or like I said Loppers which are a little bit larger to cut their their trees back.

And the rule that you follow is the rule of thirds. You don't want to cut off more than 1/3 of the entire plant if you want to leave 2/3 standing. And that ensures that there's enough of a ratio between roots and shoots that there's healthy regrowth.

With that being said there are some different pruning techniques that can be suggested for different species of plants.

So always consult with an arborist or landscaper or give our office a call. If you ever have any questions.

00:09:10 Stephen Thal

And what about choosing the right fertilizer?

I know there are many different kinds. I know I've heard of fertilizer from Maine where they save all of the lobster shells, crab shells and mix them all together. And that's supposed to be good too, for your plants.

00:09:29 Heather Zidack

There's all kinds of fertilizers out there and so. There's different products that are organic. You have things like manures and composts and things like that. Also have synthetic materials like regular. You have coast of Maine like you talked about. The important thing when you're looking for fertilizers, we always recommend getting that soil test first. Because you want to know what your baseline is, right?

You want to know where you're starting before you add anything else. Once you have that, the soil test is going to tell you in general terms you have 3 numbers on a bag. If you look at a bag of fertilizer, there's going to be usually something like the effect of 10-10-10, 5-5-5, 10-15-10 20-20-20, something like that.

Those 3 numbers there, those 3 numbers represent in this order nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. So when you're looking at those numbers, you're actually looking at a percentage of how much of that nutrient is in the bag.

00:10:31 Heather Zidack

So once you have your soil test for example and it says you are deficient in potassium. So, NPK, your third number there would be the one that you would want to add a little bit more of you would maybe look for something like a 5-5-10.

00:10:47 Heather Zidack

It all depends on what your soil test comes out as and what you're actually looking for with a specific crop, so it's hard to give a generalization, but knowing how to read that bag is your first step in knowing what to shop for when you're ready.

00:11:02 Stephen Thal

If we're going ahead and deciding to plant herbs, is this a good time of the year inside to get those started?

00:11:11 Heather Zidack

Absolutely. There's a lot of plants that you can start right now. Herbs are going to be great for kitchen gardens. You can pretty much start them any time of year.

Great for culinary purposes, but they're also loved by pollinators. The Swallow tail Caterpillar in particular loves things like dill and parsley plants, and they're all over them in my yard. So I actually grow a little extra just for them.

00:11:35 Heather Zidack

You get a lot of fragrance and texture out of all of the fresh herbs, which is fantastic, and it can be easily done, indoor or outdoor.

So right now you would want to start everything indoors that you want. The really cool thing with herbs is that there are some of them, like basil is an example. You know how they sell the basil plants in grocery stores, right?

00:11:56 Stephen Thal

Right.

00:11:57 Heather Zidack

So what you can do is you can actually cut off a stem of that basil, remove the leaves up to like the first leaf, maybe the first 3 or 4 leaves up there, put it in water, and it'll send out its own roots that you could then put in a pot yourself.

00:12:12 Heather Zidack

So you don't necessarily even need to do anything with seeds. You can do cuttings to keep your herbs going.

00:12:17 Heather Zidack

The only thing I would recommend is to plant if you're going to plant mint. Keep it in containers and keep it away from the ground. Don't put it outside unless you want to grow it for the rest of your life. It does have a pretty aggressive tendency, and once it hits the ground and gets rooted in, it can just grow and grow and grow. And then you have mint in that area forever.

But other than that, herbs are great to start right now.

00:12:43 Heather Zidack

A lot of people are starting, especially if they do cut flowers and small seeded plants right now. Like if you think snapdragons. If you think Cosmos, some of those they need to start now because they need a lot of time to grow. Veggie wise. People are starting things like broccoli and Brussels sprouts at this point.

Most people have started like onions and shallots by now, but you probably still have time if you were to do it like right now. And so really, there's a lot of different veggies that you could be starting right now.

00:13:19 Stephen Thal

Yeah, those are are very critical things that we have to keep keep aware of.

00:13:26 Heather Zidack

Yeah, timing is everything with when it comes to starting.

00:13:30 Stephen Thal

Right. And this is Stephen Thal with another segment on Focal Point and we're interviewing Heather from the Yukon plant and Science program and they offer a lot of help to citizens in the state. In terms of not only analyzing the soil, but talking to you about the different kinds of plants or herbs that you might want to consider starting and what has to be done to maintain them, and we know that Climate change has strongly impacted the way we have to do our season so that we can take all of our hard labor in to make sure we get some good results and not have it fail for us during the during the coming growing season.

00:14:20 Stephen Thal

I think it.

00:14:20 Heather Zidack

Yeah.

00:14:21 Stephen Thal

I think it forces us to have a have a little more time to work with this.

00:14:30 Heather Zidack

Yeah, it's really interesting. You know the frost date is a big thing that's important when you start planting seeds and when you start planting outside, especially with vegetable gardens and a lot of gardeners-

I remember, even when I was young, used to plant right around Mother's Day, which is in mid-May. In the past couple years, we probably could have done that, but you have to really watch the weather.

I've seen a few seasons where you're waiting past Memorial Day, which is the end of May at this point, and it's-For me, Memorial Day has become more of that target. Be like-this Is definitely the weekend things are going to go in.

You can keep an eye on the weather. And as long as the weather is staying above, you know, we're not getting frost. You can put your seedlings out, but you're taking a risk because we can have a frost anytime in that spring, part of May, and if you do you can lose your seedlings, so if you do put anything in the ground a little bit early do so with caution.

Keep an eye on the weather and be prepared to be able to run out and cover them if you need to. We always recommend like fabric coverings like either a towel or a sheet or a pillow case or something like that to cover your plants if they're in the ground and we have a frost coming. Using anything like plastic is definitely going to exacerbate the problem and cause more damage when it comes to frost and freezes than anything else.

So I would say. Look at your frost date.

I know the Farmers Almanac has a target frost date that you can look up, but if you want to play on the super safe side, I plant right around Memorial Day and that's a good time to plant, be outside and make sure that you're keeping an eye on the weather when you're putting things out.

00:16:21 Stephen Thal

Are there specific questions you should be asking the local gardeners or when you go in and buy things? To make sure you're getting the things that you want, especially the different plants.

00:16:35 Heather Zidack

Yeah, you want to look for quality seed whenever you're purchasing. In general, most garden centres have. Seed that is timely. So you're going to see, just like we have certain products in the grocery store that have like an expiration date. There are seeds that have that date planted on the back.

They should be packed for this year and I believe they have to sell seeds that are packed for this year, so that's not something that you have to worry about too much, but it is good to know where to look for that information. Look at where It will say “packed for” and then it will have the year on there.

It'll also show the germination rate, which is how well, the seed will actually sprout. That's advertised on the envelope as well as like a quality control and so you want to make sure that it's got a good germination rate.

I've seen seed products before that I've purchased where they had a note on the envelope that said last year we had a low germination rate. So this year we're giving you extra seed and in the envelope it was a little heavier pack than what it had been in previous year.

So you want to make sure you've got a good germination rate. You want to make sure that there's a a date that's packed for this year. Those are both more important than anything like brand. You want to make sure that you're looking for good seed when you're starting.

Something to keep in mind is that there are- if you are someone who saves seeds from year to year, you want to make sure you're storing them well. Keeping them in a cool, dry area.

And if you do have seeds that are either seed that you've saved and you have a history of, like plant disease in previous years, or if you've bought untreated seeds and you have a reason to have concern that maybe you had some kind of, you know, plant disease a previous year. You can have your seeds treated with something called hot water seed treatment and our plant diagnostic lab does that.

00:18:37 Heather Zidack

To help make sure that there are no pathogens on the feed when you plant them in the ground to give them a healthy start. So that's an option, especially if you have a history of disease in your garden that some gardeners do like to take advantage of.

00:18:52 Stephen Thal

Oh, that's good.

00:18:53 Stephen Thal

Are there any special plants that some of the gardeners may be putting out this for sale that we need to be aware of, especially for the disease?

00:19:04 Heather Zidack

So you want to be careful with-I will say if you're looking at things like plant swaps and you're going to like Garden Club plant swaps and things like that, we did help out a lot of garden clubs last year as they were looking at how to do this while still being aware of the jumping warm issue. And so jumping worms are an invasive worm that are going from property to property and the best way to make sure that they don't transfer between properties is to make sure that your roots of your plants are cleaned off.

So. A lot of, especially at plant swaps, a lot of these garden clubs were having people dig their plants that they were willing to donate. Rinse the plants off at the roots. Repot them into soilless potting media.

And then they were willing to trade them and and exchange them at these swaps.

So you want to make sure if you are going to plant swaps, they are taking some kind of precaution like that and if they are not, you can still take the plant home but you want to make sure that you're doing the rinsing of the roots to make sure that nothing is coming onto your property.

00:20:18 Heather Zidack

We had a lot of garden clubs that were able to take some of these procedures and be very successful with their plant swaps and not have to worry about it at all. But education is that first step in knowing how to manage this issue right and so that way they knew that they had to rinse the roots. They had to keep their gardeners educated on how to prevent this from spreading, and they were able to still have plant swaps and stuff, so not encouraging any fear of plant swaps.

Just kind of giving you that heads up of tou may need to wash the roots if you bring some.

00:20:50 Stephen Thal

Yeah, those are very important things. And I think also as a person who may be out with your plants or just sitting in the yard admiring them, I think we need to remind people to wear their sunglasses and to wear a hat and use proper sun protection.

00:21:07 Heather Zidack

Very important. I always used to tell my colleagues when I worked at a garden center, I'd say water the plants and water yourself.

00:21:16 Stephen Thal

That's good.

00:21:17 Stephen Thal

Yeah. Good.

00:21:20 Stephen Thal

Any other items you'd like to have us our listeners be aware of and enjoy their spring fling in the garden and in their house plants.

00:21:32 Heather Zidack

Yeah. One of the things that I would love to make everyone aware of is that the Connecticut Flower and Garden show is coming up at the end of February. It's going to be February 20th to 23rd at the Hartford Convention Center and the Home and Garden Education Center, Myself and my colleagues will be there answering garden questions.

So if you have garden questions, please feel free to stop by and say hi to us. We've also got speakers that are going to be there every single day. And it's a nice taste of spring because a lot of local landscapers and garden centres will do full on displays.

00:22:10 Heather Zidack

It's very cold. We're starting to see Snow and it's nice to take a break and just have that smell of fresh flowers all around and everything. So it's a great opportunity to get a taste of spring. And get your garden questions answered. If you need to see us. So it's really good coming up.

00:22:29 Heather Zidack

The other thing that I have for advice, if you're looking for spring a little bit early is if you have anything like Dogwood, forsythia, crab apple in your house or in your property, you can take cuttings of them and put the branches in warm water.

And they could force the flowers to open right now. So you could get a little bit of spring early in your house by doing that.

00:22:53 Heather Zidack

The other thing that's really important to keep in mind is that if you are an avid gardener. It's a good time to take any of your tools that are in the shed and make sure they're in proper working order. Make sure that all of the handles are tightened.

Make sure everything is sharpened if it needs to be sharpened and paint the handles with a bright red or bright orange paint to help you see them when you put them down in the garden.

00:23:17 Stephen Thal

Yeah. And I think also lawn mowers or any working tools like that should be taken to a mechanic to make sure everything's working.

00:23:24 Heather Zidack

Absolutely anything with an engine. Don't do yourself.

00:23:30 Stephen Thal

Yeah. Sounds like you've had some experiences.

00:23:34 Heather Zidack

Yeah.

00:23:35 Stephen Thal

Now in terms of plants, we have to watch out for some of these poisons that may be used to help plants. Are there any that we should avoid?

00:23:47 Heather Zidack

So most of the ones, fortunately, that you want to avoid too much are not allowed for sale to homeowners. That's a really, really good thing.

What you want to make sure that you're looking at if if anyone is using any chemicals in the garden. Every single product has a label on it, and that label has to match whatever you're trying to to achieve, right?

So If you're trying to eliminate cabbage worms, for example, in your garden. That label needs to say that that product will take care of cabbage worm.

Otherwise you should not be using it whatsoever, and so we say this recommendation with any chemical, but also all of those home remedies that you hear about. We don't recommend using them because there's not that science to back it up that says this label identifies the cabbage worms. And cabbage worms are my identified problem so this is going to work. So that's one of the first things.

00:24:45 Heather Zidack

The other thing that's really important in making sure that you're monitoring regularly and looking for bugs. Because a lot of times if you can take care of the problem early, you don't necessarily need those chemicals. Or there could be other ways to manage it before you get to that point. So as soon as you see something, get a picture and we could help you or have someone at a garden center help you identify what's what's going on. And what you can do to treat it.

00:25:14 Heather Zidack

Reading that label is the most important thing that anybody can do, and it's the safest thing because you want to make sure you're doing targeted approaches to target species when you're using any chemicals in the garden.

00:25:27 Stephen Thal

Yeah. And also if you have a bug you're not familiar with, put it in a little container and send it up to you guys.

00:25:35 Heather Zidack

Yes, we can do that. We do insect identification-insects found in the garden. If, if they're found inside the home, we usually recommend like either a pest control expert or there's other resources available, but we are definitely able to do any garden pest.

00:25:53 Stephen Thal

Yeah. How about the got local garden clubs? Can they be helpful too?

00:25:58 Heather Zidack

Sometimes! They actually have some good resources.

00:26:03 Heather Zidack

If you're looking for an identification or a diagnosis, it really is good to come to the either the plant diagnostic lab or our office here because we have the connection to the diagnostic lab. But there are garden clubs. There are a lot of people with a lot of knowledge about gardening. The the reason that we we pride ourselves on is because we have a lot of research based information that we’re able to share with our clients.

00:26:31 Stephen Thal

Well, we want to thank you for coming in and sharing this vital information for getting your spring things started.

00:26:40 Heather Zidack

Thank you so much for having me.

00:26:40 Stephen Thal

And you know well, give us a call when the neck was a fall we have to get ready.

Or. If there's any alerts, we can send them out.

00:26:50 Heather Zidack

Yes, I will let you know if there's anything else.

00:26:55 Stephen Thal

Well, I thank you very much, Heather, for coming on again. At the program we really enjoyed.

I'm sure I got a lot out of it and I'm sure people here got a lot out of it.

Appreciate you and your staff for all you do, why don't you give your number one more time?

00:27:12 Heather Zidack

Yes, if anybody has gardening questions for us, they can call and our number is 877-486-6271. Again, that's 877-486-6271.

00:27:31 Stephen Thal

OK, very , good. Thank you. Everybody thank you.

Thank you for all you do to help make us a successful spring season.

00:27:39 Heather Zidack

Yes, thank you for having me. Have a good spring!

00:27:41 Stephen Thal

Like this is Steven Thal and another segment on focal point and we wanted to thank you the listeners for listening to all of the focal point programs.

00:27:53 Stephen Thal

As we mentioned earlier in the program, please wear your sunglasses and a hat because the sun is going to be a lot stronger this year because of climate changes.

And also practice a family plan. If you don't know anything about it, contact a local fire department or go on the computer regarding emergency fire plans and involve everybody in in the House and doing a piece of it. And if you practice it a few times and also make sure that. Your fire alarm batteries or whatever are up to date cause a lot of them today are lasting 10 years.

So get involved because life you say may be your own.

00:28:36 Stephen Thal

Thank you for allowing us into your homes. Safe and stay healthy.

All-America Selection Winners for 2025

Posted on January 19, 2025February 4, 2025 by Zidack, Heather

by Dawn Pettinelli, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

Each winter the All-America Selection winners are announced. This non-profit organization has established trial gardens throughout the United States and even as far north as Canada. New varieties, species or strains of annuals, vegetables and bedding plants are grown and judged on their performance. Those chosen as winners are outstanding plants and deserve a trial in your gardens as well.

This year’s national winners include 3 vegetables and 5 flowers. ‘Green Lightening’ is a very attractive, striped pattypan squash that tastes as good as it looks. The 5-inch or so fruits weigh in at 1 to 2 pounds and are ready to pick about 50 days after planting from seed. Judges marveled at the abundant yields on these 2 feet high, bushy plants.

Kohlrabi ‘Konstance’ Image by all-americaselections.org

Kohlrabi ‘Konstance’ exudes a vibrant purple color as well as a sweet, crunchy texture. A curious but easy to grow and tasty addition to the vegetable garden, this kohlrabi matures at just 42 days from seed. Upright plants, about a foot high, produce round, purple 4 to 5-inch ‘bulbs’ that can be eaten fresh or served roasted or sauteed. Fruits are crack-resistant and plants resistant to several diseases.

Sweet pepper ‘Pick-N-Pop Yellow’ produces adorable, snack-size, extra sweet mini peppers. The pointed, conical fruits are about 4 inches long springing from compact 2-foot-tall plants. The prolific harvest begins about 65 days after transplanting. This variety shows great resistance to bacterial leaf spot.

One can never have too many dahlias and this year’s AAS winner, ‘Black Forest Ruby’ is a gem that can be started from seed. Since this variety is an octoploid (having 8 times the normal chromosome number) there is much variability in flower shape (ranging from single to double), plant height and structure. Most will be upright about 2 feet high with jet black foliage and ruby-red flowers. You can save tubers from the best-looking plants.

Dianthus ‘Interspecific Capitan™ Magnifica’ with its impressive bicolor pink and white frilly blooms looks as good in the garden as it does in a vase. Plus, the more you cut, the more blooms appear. Summer heat tolerance was impressive with the 2-inch flower heads also standing up to rain and cold. Plants range from 1 to 1 ½ feet tall and bloom all summer. Look for these vegetatively propagated plants at your local garden center.

Sunny sites will positively shimmy when planted with marigold Mango Tango. This rich red and primrose yellow bicolor blooms all summer long even without deadheading. Reaching only 8 to 10 inches in height makes it perfect for edging garden beds, containers or window boxes. Seeds can be started indoors and plants set out after the danger of frost has passed. Fertilize and water regularly for bountiful blooms.

Can there be too many petunias? ‘Petunia Shake™ Raspberry’ will convince you that there’s always room for one more. The fantastic flowers are reminiscent of a blended raspberry milkshake swirled with lemon-lime green sorbet. The 5 to 8 inch mounded plants can do front of the border duty, serve as groundcovers or billow over hanging baskets. Plants will bloom about 70 days from seed and hold up to heat and rain.

Snapdragon‘DoubleShot™ Yellow Red Heart’Image by all-americaselections.org

I’ve never thought of snapdragons as fragrant, yet ‘DoubleShot™ Yellow Red Heart’ is said to have an amazing candy-like scent. Aside from this unusual trait, Yellow Red Heart promises to delight with vibrant yellow blossoms with a red throat that start early and continue through to a heavy frost. This snapdragon reaches about 20 inches in height with semi-double 1 to 1 ½ inch blooms produces all season long and able to tolerate light frosts.

Four regional 2025 Ornamental Winners well suited to the Northeast, include one petunia and 3 nasturtiums. If you’re looking for a vibrant pink petunia great for bedding and containers, try ‘Dekko™ Maxx™ Pink’. The vibrant pink 1 to 1 ½ inch starry blooms are produced all season long and hold up well to rain and heat.

Nasturtiums are top performers in garden beds and containers and are noted for their hummingbird attraction and edible leaves and flowers. New colors in the Baby series of nasturtiums to try out this year might be ‘Baby Gold’, ‘Baby Red’ and ‘Baby Yellow’. All can be grown from seed and start blooming about 50 days after sowing. Two-inch blooms cover compact 12-inch-high mounded plants. Colors are intense and plants stand up to drought, heat, cold, rain and wind. Considering our fluctuating summer weather, these are sure to do well both in the garden and in containers.

Check out these and past AAS winners. They were chosen because of their remarkable characteristics and they are sure to be winners in your yard too.

For your gardening questions, feel free to contact us, toll-free, at the UConn Home & Garden Education Center at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at www.homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu or contact your local Cooperative Extension center.

Plant Hazards to Avoid this Holiday Season

Posted on December 20, 2024December 18, 2024 by Zidack, Heather

By Nick Goltz, DPM, UConn Home & Garden Education Center, UConn Plant Diagnostic Lab

Tree with lights — Using low-heat LED lights is a great way to reduce fire risk while keeping things festive. The stewards of this tree took the extra step of installing a rope fence to discourage visitors from damaging the tree or lights. (Photo taken by Nick Goltz)

Using low-heat LED lights is a great way to reduce fire risk while keeping things festive. The stewards of this tree toko the extra step of installing a rope fence to discourage visitors from damaging the tree or lights. (Photo taken by Nick Goltz)

With the holidays upon us, many of us are focusing, with good reason, on last-minute gifts, travelling, reconnecting with loved ones, and all the joy and stress that will inevitably come with it. With all the hustle and bustle of the season, it can be easy to overlook some of the safety hazards that also come about this time each year, especially those involving the holiday plants that we rarely give a second thought.

On countless desks, coffee tables, and, in warmer climes, doorsteps, you are likely to encounter at least a dozen poinsettias this December. Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are some of the most conspicuous and popular plants associated with the holiday season here in the US. They are often thought to be highly poisonous if ingested. While ingestion may cause some mouth and skin irritation and gastrointestinal upset, sometimes with some associated vomiting or diarrhea in small animals, poinsettias are vastly “overhyped” with their supposed toxicity.

There is no documented case of human fatality associated with poinsettia ingestion, and most calls to poison control lines for ingestion report no adverse symptoms whatsoever. Medical intervention is usually unnecessary for people or pets that ingest the plant, except for those with allergic reactions to related plants (particularly those with latex sensitivity). For more information on poinsettias and their fascinating history, see Heather Zidack’s column from mid-November, “Poinsettias: The Story of a Holiday Treasure”. While poinsettias may be overblown with regard to their supposed toxicity, other common plants one might see around the holidays, including amaryllis and mistletoe, are quite toxic to humans and pets if ingested.

What we call “amaryllis” in most stores and garden centers is likely not the true South African amaryllis (Amaryllis belladonna), but rather a related South American plant in the genus Hippeastrum, which has been cultivated more extensively and has a greater number of cultivars on the market. Both are bulbous tropical plants that bloom in winter in the northern hemisphere, and both are poisonous if ingested. The bulb, commonly sold waxed or bare in stores around the holidays to be used as a table centerpiece or hostess gift, is especially toxic and should be kept away from pets and children. If you’re curious to learn more about the history and cultivation of this holiday plant, check out Dr. Matt Lisy’s recent blog post, “Amazing Amaryllis” on the UConn Home & Garden Center’s very own Ladybug Blog (https://uconnladybug.wordpress.com/).

Though in antiquity it represented fertility and offered protection from evil, mistletoe (usually Viscum album, European mistletoe and Phoradendron leucarpum, American mistletoe) has been associated with Christmas since some point in the late 1700’s. Though lovers may steal a kiss or two beneath the mistletoe this Christmas, be sure the mistletoe can’t be stolen by children or pets as you decorate for your holiday party! Although European mistletoe is more toxic than American mistletoe, both plants are dangerous if ingested, particularly by pets and children, who may be attracted to the small white berries that have a high concentration of toxin. If you know someone that accidentally ingests a plant not known to be edible, be sure to contact the poison control hotline by calling 1-800-222-1222 or by visiting https://www.poison.org. For pets, contact the ASPCA poison control hotline by calling 1-888-426-4435 or by visiting https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control. Conveniently, they have a poisonous plants list on this site that you can reference as you shop at your local nursery or garden center.

Though thankfully Christmas trees (typically fir, pine, or spruce) are not known to be toxic to pets if ingested, the sharp needles can cause injury if ingested and the trees themselves can pose other hazards if not maintained with care! If you have a pet that likes to chew through wires (there is a scene in a famous Christmas movie that likely comes to mind), be sure to keep those out of reach, or perhaps opt for battery-powered illuminating ornaments. For their safety and yours, cats and birds should always be discouraged from climbing or flying into your tree!

Finally, though we all can appreciate rustic and vintage holiday décor, another strategy to reduce the risk of fire this holiday season is to upgrade your string lights to low-heat LEDs. Whatever type of string light you use, unplug it before you go to bed to help reduce fire risk. If you use a live tree, be sure to keep it watered as dehydrated trees are more likely to catch fire.

With these tips in mind, the Plant and Soil Health team at UConn wishes you and your loved ones a safe, joyous, and restorative holiday season! For questions regarding winter plant safety or for any other gardening questions throughout the year, contact the UConn Home & Garden Education Center for free advice by calling (877) 486-6271, toll-free, visit our web site at www.homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu/, or contact your local Cooperative Extension Center.

Holiday Houseplants on CRIS Radio

Posted on November 25, 2024November 26, 2024 by Zidack, Heather

00:00:01 Stephen Thal

Hi and welcome to another segment on Focal Point. I'm Stephen Thal, and I'll be your host for today's program. Today we have a former guest who was on in the spring to help us about plants and from the UConn plant and science center out at Storrs. So, welcome back, Heather Zidack. It's glad to have you back.

00:00:25 Heather Zidack

Thank you. I'm excited to be back.

00:00:27 Stephen Thal

Yeah, we can learn more about what's going on because apparently, we have some sort of drought. We've had some fires around the state. And I'm sure people are unloading a lot of questions for you guys up there at Storrs.

00:00:42 Heather Zidack

Yes, we're getting a lot of questions right now about the weather concerns and people are calling because their plants are in distress. Right now it's a really good time to make sure that you are watering especially for new plants that are getting established. Anything that you planted this year, you want to keep watering until the ground freezes. So we still got a little bit of a way to go with that. Other plants that are starting to drop their leaves and showing signs of stress. Some of those we're telling our clients to kind of just wait until next spring and see how they leaf out next year because they might have just decided to shut down a little bit early with the drought. But we really won't know until next spring when they're growing, whether it's a big problem or just a little hiccup on the in the road.

00:01:36 Stephen Thal

OK, so one of the things we'll be talking about is house plants inside. They're being moved inside. They said they had enough of outside. Gotta get in before the cold.

00:01:50 Heather Zidack

Yes! So right now is really good time. Most people have started to bring their house plants in what we're looking for and what we guide is 50° at night or lower is that threshold. So once we hit 50° at night consistently, you wanna start bringing your plants in. There are some that will take a little bit more, you know, a little bit of a higher temperature, they're a little more sensitive to the cold. There are some that will tolerate some lower temperatures, but that 50° mark is really the best guideline.

And so we, we tell people to bring them in and you want to kind of bring them in slow. So you wanna start with bringing them into if you have a mud room or a garage, or a three season room, or even somewhere like that's a little bit more protected than wherever your outdoor plants were in the summer to help them adjust to the temperatures inside. So they adjust to the lower light provided by maybe an overhang or something to that nature. And then they slowly move them in.

You want to put them into a place that's sunny. If they need sun. If you've had these plans for some time, you may have an area established already that they go to. If it's your first time giving this a try, you will probably know if they were in full sun when they were outside. They're going to need a really sunny place when they're inside as well.

And when you bring them in you want to avoid putting them in any locations that have temperature extremes. So near drafts, near heat vents, near entryways anywhere that the temperature we can get, a gust of wind come in, or a gust from when the heat kicks on. Those are all things that the plants are going to not enjoy as much as we would, you know, you go in from the grocery store, you get that big gust of warm air. The plants may not like that as much. So it's the same kind of thought for them.

00:03:57 Stephen Thal

Now, well, many of these plants are coming in, are showing growth again?

00:04:03 Heather Zidack

Some of them do. What's really happening, and it's actually interesting, is because we've had these drought conditions, plants bringing them in right now, they may have a little bursting growth. You may notice the opposite where they're going to start having a little bit of a decline. Plant stress is always- They always speak in one way, and that's to either wilt or drop leaves, no matter what's going on. So you will see that they may have a little bit of a temper tantrum as you move them, but that's totally normal and just keep to doing what you've been doing with them, make sure your watering is consistent, make sure that they're in the right spot.

And it really depends on what kind of house plant you have. So some of them will slow growth and they'll kind of just stay the course while they're indoors. They will stay green. They'll stay upright. It'll look like they're almost like an artificial plant where it's like they haven't done anything for a while.

Some will go dormant. So, like I said, they'll drop their leaves. They'll look like sticks and pots. They won't look very good at all.

You'll feel like you don't have a green thumb anymore. That is also natural, and some plants like hibiscus have a cycle where some years they will be in flower, and they will do really well. And then some years they will have that dormant period. So, it can be a very wide range.

If you're ever unsure, go ahead and scratch your thumbnail into the stem of the plant. If you feel very, if it feels very dry and it breaks easy like a stick, that's probably a red flag. You want to feel some kind of fleshy texture. You want it to feel a little bit soft, not mushy, but a little bit so that you feel your nail digging into that tissue you want to. If you're able to get a closer look, you want to look for signs of green and feel some moisture. Those are all signs that even though there's not a leaf on it, it is still alive, and it will come back in the spring.

You know, so like I said, if anything is other than that where it's it snaps easy or it's incredibly mushy when you push your finger into it to it those are all signs that there could be something bigger going on and then you really have to take a look and see if there's disease or other things that are causing stress to the plant at that time.

00:06:36 Stephen Thal

And that doesn't mean necessarily throw a lot of water at it?

00:06:41 Heather Zidack

Correct. That's actually something that happens a lot. People will tend to over love their plants and I'm even guilty of it myself. If there's a plant in my home that I haven't watered in a week or two, I will put a little bit extra just to keep it going and that's something that we really want to avoid doing. You want to make sure that you're always consistent when you're watering your plants. Feel the soil with your fingers. If it feels-you want to poke your finger in a couple inches-If it feels moist in that depth, you're good. If it feels like it's dry or sandy or scratchy. It's going to be something that you need to add water to at that time also.

That's the caveat of knowing what kind of plant you have. For example, Cactus can actually survive those drier temperatures, right? So, you want to know what you're taking care of, what it needs and be able to kind of check that. Water regularly. Too much moisture in the soil is going to lead to issues like root rot, pests, those fungus gnats that are everywhere. Those are teeny, teeny, teeny tiny black gnats that sometimes we see in the winter time. Those are actually not even feeding on plants. They're just feeding on the decaying root material. And so that's a sign that there's too much moisture.

You can mist your plants, but it's not always necessary. You need to just know what you have and research the specific needs of the species of plant you have.

00:08:17 Stephen Thal

And where would you go to find that information from a flower shop or?

00:08:23 Heather Zidack

You can. Usually when you purchase the plant, it will come with some kind of tag.

It does depend on where you're looking, but usually they have some kind of tag that at least has a common name on it, so that is the very the colloquial name. So, a common name is like a fiddle leaf fig or a Benjamin fig, whereas the botanical name is going to say Ficus benjamina for a Benjamin Fig and what you're gonna do with that information is then you would, you could call our office at home and garden and we can help you get some information on how to take care of it or you can go ahead and do some of that research yourself to see what those plants are going to need. Really, you need just the name. The common name is good. The botanical name, so it's usually on on those little labels in italics. That's even better. And if you're not sure, we can always take a look at some pictures and try to help you out as well.

00:09:23 Stephen Thal

Why don't you give them your phone number since you mentioned it mentioned that they can call you.

00:09:29 Heather Zidack

Yeah, sure. So, at the UConn Home and Garden Center, you can give us a call. Our number is 860-486-6271. Again, that's 860-486-6271.

00:09:49 Stephen Thal

What about house plants? Do we have a sort of categories of house plants we can review?

00:09:55 Heather Zidack

Yeah. So I actually have a list that I had ready for us today to talk about house plants that are going to be common now that we're going to be moving into the holiday season. We're already getting ready to talk about Thanksgiving and Christmas and seeing the decorations in the stores. So I thought it would be a good idea to bring up some of those plants that people might be seeing at this time of year.

00:10:18 Stephen Thal

OK, which one would you like to start with?

00:10:21 Heather Zidack

So the first one that I have is called an amaryllis, that is given as a bulb as gifts at Christmas I you know, I've gotten those for Christmas gifts before you see them in displays and windows.

These are the kind that have a very thick large single stem that emerges from a bulb that's probably the size of your fist. The larger the bulb, the more flowers and the more stalks you're going to get, right? Those flowers at the top are very large. Those are probably about the size of your open palm for a lot of these species, they have 6 petals. On those flowers. It's kind of an organization of three and three yo make that cluster. Tou can have two or more flowers in a cluster, they're very, very big, very vibrant. They're very attention catching and you see variants of red, pink, white, all of those colors and solids, stripes and everything in between.

It is something that if you have a green thumb and you wanna start them yourself. You want to start them in early to mid November and you'll make sure that you'll have blooms for the holidays. You just use regular potting soil. You don't use dirt or anything, you use potting soil and you keep the soil moist and you keep it in a sunny window and from there that plant will come out of the bulb. You'll see the green stalk and the green leaves first and then up at the very top, you'll get that flower to bloom right at the holidays. So that one's really, really cool.

00:12:02 Stephen Thal

Do you have a second one that's common?

00:12:06 Heather Zidack

Yeah. The next one, we'll talk about the holiday cactus. There are a bunch of different holiday cactuses and this one I like to talk about because we have a Thanksgiving cactus. We have a Christmas cactus and there's actually an Easter cactus as well. They're all house plants that people have.

The common misconception with these guys is that their bloom time is the only thing that identifies them. So, your Thanksgiving cactus is going to bloom in November. Your Christmas cactus will bloom in December, and your Easter cactus sometime in the spring.

The actual difference between the three is the shape of their flowers is slightly different, and the shape of their leaves is different. When you look close. The Thanksgiving cactus has deeper lobes or indents into the leaf. Right, it looks sharper. It almost looks like it has a pair of cat ears on the top of the leaf that's emerging.

The Christmas cactus is going to be similar to the Thanksgiving cactus, but it's a totally flat or square top to that leaf, so there's no cat ears on it. It's just totally flat.

The Easter cactus is round. So that leaf is rounded at the top and the colors of all three of them will vary. So you'll have your Reds and your whites and your pinks. I've seen some in like salmony orange colors and with all three of them, you can purchase them from the store, or you can start them from cuttings. And what you can do is you can actually take a small branch. Dip it in. They have a product called rooting powder.

And put it in some sandy potting soil and it should be able to produce some roots for you. So they're really easy. If you want to get into plant propagation. If you want to have something that's a low water need to take care of, these guys are really good because they are in the cactus family and they're just very colorful and very seasonal. Depending on what time of year they bloom.

With the three, the time of year, the light can actually affect when they bloom or not too, so that can be a really interesting thing. So always look for the shape of those leaves.

00:14:25 Heather Zidack

Do you want to hear the one I have next?

00:14:27 Stephen Thal

Sure

00:14:28 Heather Zidack

All right. So then I have a plant called paperwhites. These are tiny. They are actually Narcissus bulbs, which is a relative of the daffodil. So if you're familiar with the daffodil shape that has those petals that are kind of like a wide open starburst with that circular set of petals in the middle. That's what it looks like, but it's on a very small star shaped scale, so they have tiny White Star shaped flowers, upright green foliage and stems. They're very delicate. They're very leafy looking.

Many varieties are fragrant and what you can do with them is you can start your bulbs between September and November indoors, and you'll get flowers during the holiday season and winter months.

Cooler temperatures help them root for the first few weeks, so if you're putting them in two pots yourself, you want to keep them at 50 to 60° to help them develop their roots in those first couple of weeks.

And then temperatures above 70 are going to cause them to kind of flop over. They're not going to hold their shape as well. So if they get too warm, they can also throw a little bit of a fit about it. And so they will be much happier if you're able to stake them up if the room is too warm and they start to do that, flopping over, they like the cooler 50 to 60 kind of temperature for them, so that's something to keep in mind.

00:15:57 Stephen Thal

Yeah. What kind of pots do you use? I know some people use clay pots. Some people use plastic ones or other types of.

00:16:04 Heather Zidack

Really, the pot material isn't the important thing. What you really want to make sure that you have is the right size. So for paperwhites, you would probably want maybe a six inch pot or like a geranium pot to put your bulbs into. You want to make sure that whenever you have for house plants-and this is even stuff that you bring in-You want to have your pot be a little bit wider than your root ball. So once the roots start getting too expansive, you're going to have what's called a root bound plant. And so it's kind of going to be outgrowing itself, kind of like when we outgrow our shoes, when we're kids, right. So you want to put a new pot there.

You want it to be just an inch or two bigger than that root ball so that it has enough room to continue growing. That's really what you want to pay attention to more than the material.

00:17:05 Heather Zidack

And then the last one that I have is poinsettias. Do you want me? To go into that one.

00:17:08 Stephen Thal

Sure.

00:17:08 Heather Zidack

All right. So for pointsettia is for the holiday. This is our traditional holiday plant that we have. What's really cool about these guys is that they were discovered in Mexico where it actually grows natively. The native poinsettia doesn't look at like anything that we know from what we've seen in stores. It's actually tall, it's a little bit what we call leggy. So it actually spreads out.

You know, and it's very wild looking and it's more shrub like it. It is a very different plant altogether. It was something from Aztec culture. They had a lot of symbolism behind this plant where it represented purity and new life earned by warriors who had died in battle.

It was used for dyes and other products and then it didn't come to the US until the 18 hundreds and then it started to become a a holiday staple over the years. There's a lot of people that can go out, and purchase them.

The growers start those plants in August or September, sometimes even earlier. We're still all in summer mode thinking about getting those last few days at the beach, and they're already putting these points that is in the pots. So it's something that is it takes a long time to grow. They love heat and they love warmth. So that's something to keep in mind when you have them in your house.

They come in tons of varieties and colors now and they've really done a lot of breeding projects to get them to change from what they originally were with that wild native plant.

And so the new colors have all sorts of different stripes, splashes, solid colors, Reds, whites, pinks and everything in between. There are ones that are blue, and some of those can actually be painted. You have to kind of take a look and see real close if they're painted or if it's a a color that's true from actual breeding but you'll be able to tell if you look close.

00:19:11 Stephen Thal

Hmm. Wow.

00:19:13 Heather Zidack

They're really cool.

00:19:13 Stephen Thal

Yeah. Yeah, I would agree with you. Yeah, yeah.

00:19:18 Heather Zidack

Yeah.

00:19:18 Stephen Thal

What people tell me they are. Yep, you're right.

00:19:22 Heather Zidack

Yep. And they have. They have a really, really nice history from them too. So it's always cool to see what plants start as and what they end up becoming. That's a, that's a really cool field to look at with plant breeding and how plants have changed over time.

00:19:40 Stephen Thal

Yeah. OK. Well, these are exciting. And the one day they get all nice colors and and they also have it used to be used for dyes. That's interesting.

00:19:50 Heather Zidack

Yeah, they used to use the color they they used the petals for dyes and all sorts of different uses when they would use the native plant.

00:20:03 Stephen Thal

And I bet you the fragrance is pretty nice.

00:20:06 Heather Zidack

They actually the ones that we have now don't have too much fragrance. I don't know about the wild or the native ones, how fragrant they were. But the other thing that's really interesting about poinsettias is the fact that they have their flowers and what we know to be their flowers are actually the tiny itty bitty yellow spots in the center of the plant. So if you ever look at a whole Poinsettia plant and you see the little tiny yellow pieces in the middle, those are the actual flowers. What we see is changing colors and different petals and things like that is actually called a bract, which is a modified leaf.

And so, they're all leaves that have changed color. So that's another really cool fun fact about them.

00:20:56 Stephen Thal

Yeah, yeah. No wonder people flock to the poinsettias and they're around the holidays a lot.

00:21:05 Heather Zidack

They're very popular.

00:21:06 Stephen Thal

Yeah, also about. Any what about poison plants? We know sometimes during the holiday season there are some plants that children, adults and animals should be cautious.

00:21:21 Heather Zidack

Yeah. So, one of the things that we tell our clients is that our office and with the home and Garden Center, we can identify a plant for them to tell them what it is. And we can say that is a poinsettia, for example, right?

Other professionals need to be the ones to deem it toxic and give you those warnings. So the best advice that I can give to you is to do your research before purchasing any plant. You want to kind of like I talked about with the house plants before. Know the species of what you're purchasing and that'll help you to determine whether it's toxic for people, for pets, for anything like that. There is a really good resource from the ASPCA. They have a database of plants that are toxic to domestic animals, and they have a 24 emergency hotline, a 24 hour emergency hotline. Now that's for pets. I do have that number. Would you like me to share that with you?

00:22:22 Stephen Thal

Yes, please.

00:22:23 Heather Zidack

OK, so that is 1-888-426-4435 again, that's 1-888-426-4435.

00:22:41 Heather Zidack

Now on the people side of things, when you're looking at plants that could be toxic again, I can give you the identity of what that plant is, but then we would refer people to the Connecticut Poison Control Center for human toxicity. And I have that number as well. Would you like that?

00:23:00 Stephen Thal

Yes, please.

00:23:01 Heather Zidack

Alright, so that number is 1-800-222-1222. Again, that's 1-800-222-1222.

00:23:19 Heather Zidack

And any plants that you have done your research on and found that they could be toxic house plants, anything like that, you want to make sure that they're kept out of reach of children and pets-if you're going to bring them into the home. If you do that background homework and figure out if it's toxic to your pets or children or whatever you, you know, are concerned about the toxicity of. You can also just not bring them into the home. So the best thing to do is to know what the plant is, have those emergency numbers on hand.

And keep anything out of reach or just don't bring it home at all. If you have any concerns.

00:24:01 Stephen Thal

OK, this is Stephen Thal with another segment on focal point and we were speaking with Heather from the UConn plant and Science Center up at stores, Connecticut. We have to remember many years ago, as I remember, as I recall from history is that that was one of the first universities in Connecticut to start as an agricultural college, didn't it?

00:24:27 Heather Zidack

Yes, we have a very deep history here at the university and the College of AG, which is now the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. We call ourselves CAHNR for short C-A-H-N-R. That college was one of the first ones started here at the University of Connecticut as well.

00:24:48 Stephen Thal

What are some other plants that you'd like to end the program with?

00:24:57 Heather Zidack

I think one thing that we could talk about real quick is growing herbs indoors because that's something that a lot of people can do. You can still grow your herbs right now whether you want to dig up the herbs that you have in your garden and bring them inside.

And get a whole grow light operation and everything else, which is what I do because I am a very, very intense gardener at home. I bring my plants in. Or you can start herbs. Herbs are one of the easiest things that you can grow on your window sill indoors. It's very easy to start and restart and regrow them from time to time.

Whenever you start them, you can start them from seed to anytime and many of them like basil for example, is really good. You can just put a sprig of basil in a jar of water and it will actually send out some roots and you can put that in a a pot of potting soil and grow your basil from that as well.

So you can do that. Most herbs do well by a sunny window. They are used for culinary purposes. It's also a really great fragrance in the wintertime. It's really nice to have fresh herbs all year round and it's easy to rotate them. Like I said, if anything happens-Disease or you get bugs, or you get anything like that-It's really easy to just kind of let them go and start fresh with new herbs. If you're growing herbs.

00:26:29 Stephen Thal

Now, do you-

00:26:31 Heather Zidack

Oh, go ahead.

00:26:32 Stephen Thal

Do you need a lot of light for these herbs? Put them in a lot of light area.

00:26:37 Heather Zidack

They tend to need a sunny window, herbs. The nice thing is that because they aren't producing flowers, they don't need as much sunlight and as much energy as some of the other house plants that we were talking about. So they do need a sunny window, but they can actually adapt pretty well to other conditions as well.

00:27:00 Stephen Thal

UM, that's wonderful. Herbs and anything else you can grow at home.

00:27:08 Heather Zidack

The other, the last thing with the herbs, that's really cool that we're seeing is a trend right now is that Rosemary plants are being used as mini indoor Christmas trees. And so people are purchasing Rosemary plants that are shaped to be like a Christmas tree.

Stephen Thal

Yeah

Heather Zidack

They decorate them for the holiday and then they end up having them throughout the rest of the winter for a-they can use it for the culinary purposes. They're fragrant. They're really pretty. So that's that's something that we're seeing is a new trend right now.

00:27:40 Stephen Thal

Right. And so they don't have to throw the tree out.

00:27:44 Heather Zidack

Right, exactly. They can keep it and they can go from there, yeah.

00:27:45 Stephen Thal

Recycling

00:27:48 Stephen Thal

Very good. OK. Heather, we want to thank you for a great job and a great wealth of information. We hope that people will take notes and if you want to leave your phone number one more time to regarding information or how they can assist you, how they can you can assist them.

00:28:06 Heather Zidack

Yeah. So if anybody has any questions about gardening, plants or anything that we talked about today, we we are here Monday through Friday, 8:00 to 4:00 give us a call. The number here is 860-486-6271. Again, that's 860-486-6271

00:28:28 Stephen Thal

We want to thank you very much for your information and we hope that the people online will find this helpful and also not only ask your question but maybe go online and show you the pictures on your computers, right. You might be able to do that.

00:28:46 Heather Zidack

Yes, that would be fantastic. We can do a lot with pictures, and we can help people with their gardening projects and questions that they have.

00:28:55 Stephen Thal

OK well, wishing you and your family and the school a happy, safe holiday. I know this Thanksgiving’s not too far around the corner.

00:29:06 Heather Zidack

Yes, thank you. You too.

00:29:07 Stephen Thal

Take care and stay well and thanks for coming back and give us a call in the spring so we can get you on again.

00:29:08 Heather Zidack

Thanks for having me back. Yes, I will. Thank you so much.

00:29:15 Stephen Thal

Yeah. Thank you. This is Stephen Thal saying thank you for joining us on Focal point. Two quick reminders. One where a hat and sunglasses while you're outside to protect your delicate eyes and also to develop an emergency plan no matter where you are, whether it's school or ome or traveling. You need to develop an emergency plan, so if an emergency happened, you know what to do. You need help. Call the fire department. Thank you again. Stay safe and stay healthy.

Poinsettias: The Story of a Holiday Treasure

Posted on November 23, 2024November 25, 2024 by Zidack, Heather

Poinsettias: The Story of a Holiday Treasure
By Heather Zidack, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

Princettia poinsettias in white, hot pink and light pink — Photo by dmp2024

It just isn’t the holiday season without a poinsettia. We adorn homes, churches, and other public spaces with them at this time of year. Their bold color and striking presence are hard to miss. With a story as spectacular as their seasonal color, the poinsettia is a plant to be treasured.

Poinsettias have a rich history and culture. While we associate them with the coldest time of year here in the Northeast, they actually come from a much warmer climate! Known as Cuetlaxochitl in their native region of Mexico, they were cultivated and used by indigenous peoples for medicines, dyes, and decorations. In Aztec culture, the Cuetlaxochitl held cultural significance as a symbol of purity and were also used to symbolize a new life earned by warriors who had died in battle. The Mayans called this plant k'alul wits. Many traditional uses for k’alul wits are still practiced by the Téenek people in southeastern Mexico, today.

Their association with the Christmas holiday started when Franciscan monks in Mexico began to use their bright red and green foliage to decorate nativity scenes. It became known as la flor de Nochebuena, translating to “the Christmas Eve flower.” It was brought to the United States by Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. minister to Mexico, in 1825. Poinsett was a man of many talents, having a career in politics, a passion for science, and an enthusiasm for agriculture. Through continuous plant breeding and developments, there are now hundreds of varieties of poinsettia.

Contrary to popular belief, poinsettia flowers are small and barely noticeable. The insignificant yellow flowers are surrounded by stunning, colorful bracts. Bracts are not flower petals, but rather, specialized leaves. The bracts of a poinsettia change color when daylight hours begin to shorten. Breeders have developed poinsettias that have bracts of various shapes, textures, and colors. Some are variegated or have speckles of color on them. These cultivated varieties (cultivars) are quite different from the straight species, Euphorbia pulcherrima, in its native environment, where it can grow over 10 feet tall, is semi-evergreen, and can sometimes grow a bit scraggly.

Poinsettia on greenhouse bench — Photo by H. Zidack

Greenhouses start poinsettia production as early as July. Tiny plugs get put into their pots while we’re all still soaking up the summer sun. (It makes sense when you remember that they’re originally from Mexico!) They grow as little green plants through the rest of summer and autumn. The fall equinox will naturally trigger these plants to change color, however, growers can manipulate their greenhouses to create ideal darkness/brightness to help time the coloring of their plants for holiday sales.

If you’ve got a green thumb and are trying to get a previous years’ poinsettia to “reflower,” simulating this dark period with an opaque container, paper bag, or moving the plant into a closet or dark location for 14-16 hours a day can do the trick! Make sure they’re receiving 8 hours of bright, direct light, and not a ray more! After about 4 weeks of these conditions, most poinsettias can go back to their life with your other houseplants, as normal, and you should see a change in color.

Shopping for a new poinsettia as a gift or decoration this year? Always shop for a plant that is brightly colored and has tight (tiny yellow) flowers that aren't already going by. Select a plant that has evenly moist soil, and a nice shape that doesn’t appear to have been crowded for too long. Here in Connecticut, make sure that your florist, grocer, or grower packages the poinsettia for you to help protect it from cold winds while transporting it to and from your car. When you get it home keep it away from entryways, drafts, fireplaces, or heating vents, and keep it in a room that is between 60° and 70°F. Water your poinsettia when the soil begins to dry out in the pot and enjoy the holiday season.

Whether you’re reviving an old poinsettia, shopping for a new one, or deciding that artificial is the best choice for your home this year, take the time to recognize the special journey these plants have taken to become such a treasure and staple in our holiday celebrations. There truly isn’t anything quite like it!

For questions about caring for your poinsettias or for other gardening queries, contact the UCONN Home & Garden Education Center, toll-free, at (877) 486-6271, visit their web site at www.homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or contact your local Cooperative Extension Center.

Berry Good Pick for Winter Interest

Posted on November 15, 2024November 22, 2024 by Zidack, Heather

By Dawn Pettinelli, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

Winterberry shrub with no leaves and bright red berries. — Winterberry shows winter interest with no leaves and bright red berries. Photo by dmp2024

Looking for a splash of color in your yard amid winter’s dreary landscape? Check out one or more of the many winterberry (Ilex verticillata) cultivars. This deciduous member of the holly family sports bright, shiny red berries from early fall through late winter. Branches may be cut and used in holiday arrangements.

Winterberry can be found growing throughout eastern North America from Canada down along the east coast and west to Texas. Look for the brilliant red berries when driving past marshy areas in particular. While winterberry will grow in well-drained soil, it is a great candidate for areas that stay moist and aren’t particularly well drained. These plants naturally occur in forested wetlands as well as along the banks of streams, ponds or other water sources.

There are several factors to consider when selecting a winterberry bush for your yard. One of the most important is the mature size of the plant. Cultivars are available that vary from dwarf, 4-foot, compact plants to 15-foot, more rangy specimens. ‘Red Sprite’ and ‘Berry Poppins’ are two red-berried, compact cultivars. ‘Winter Red’ and ‘Sparkleberry’ typically top 10 feet. Check out suggested cultivars for Connecticut with the UConn Plant Database (https://plantdatabase.uconn.edu/). While initially slow growing, winterberries may eventually form clumps through suckering and depending on the cultivars, may form dense stands if allowed.

The berries on most cultivars are a brilliant red. There are, however, some that have gold or orange fruits. ‘Goldfinch’ boasts golden yellow berries while both ‘Aurantiaca’ and ‘Afterglow’ offer delightful orangey fruit.

Do realize that plants are dioecious, meaning that individual plants may be male or female. Only the female plants produce berries. The male plants supply the pollen to fertilize the female’s flowers so that berries are produced. One male plant can fertilize at least 10 females if located within 50 feet or closer. Look at tags so a compatible male cultivar is chosen. Appropriate pollinators should be listed on nursery tags.

Unless plants are in bloom or have berries, it is not possible to tell males from females, but they should be marked on their tags at the nursery. When in bloom, the female flowers have tiny green immature berries in the center while the males have fluffy, yellow, pollen-bearing anthers. Occasionally the female flowers have non-pollen bearing anthers, probably effective is luring pollinators to fertilize their flowers. Although not common in Connecticut, one native species of cellophane bee, Colletes banksi, is a specialized pollinator of winterberry.

Winterberry with full berry display. — Photo by dmp2024

Winterberries do best in full sun to partial shade. The shadier the site they are grown in, the fewer blossoms and berries they will produce. Being native New Englanders, they prefer acidic soils rich in organic matter. If your soil pH is between 5 to 6.5, plants should happily grow. Once plants are established, only minimal fertilization is usually required. For the first few years, about a cup of a complete organic or synthetic fertilizer could be lightly worked into the soil surrounding the plant each spring.

Plants can be used in foundation plantings, as a hedge, in rain gardens and when setting up areas attractive to wildlife. Not only are pollinators attracted to the flowers but over 48 species of birds feed on the berries, typically after they soften following periods of freezing and thawing.

Pruning can be tricky and is best kept to a minimum so selecting the right sized cultivar for your particular site is crucial. Winterberries have an upright growth habit but may sucker. They bloom on old wood meaning the flower buds that open in the spring were formed last fall. If grown as a multi-stemmed shrub, a few stems can be removed if plants seem crowded.

Complaints about little or no berry production may be due to lack of a male pollinator, too much shade, young plants that have not established a good root system, improper pruning or excessively dry conditions. In general, winterberries are rewarding, easy to grow shrubs that make quite the impact when little else in the landscape stands out.

For questions about selecting or growing winterberries or for other gardening queries, contact the UCONN Home & Garden Education Center, toll-free, at (877) 486-6271, visit their web site at www.homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu or contact your local Cooperative Extension Center.

Do You Dig Dahlias?

Posted on November 3, 2024November 5, 2024 by Zidack, Heather

By Dawn Pettinelli, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

Dahlias in a bed at Enders island — Dahlias at Enders Island. Photo by dmp2024

A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate to visit the spectacular dahlia gardens on Enders Island in Mystic. For those unfamiliar with this retreat, an 11-acre seaside estate was donated to the Society Edmund by Mrs. Alys E. Enders in 1954. This Roman Catholic religious community offers ministry, retreats and respite to many. The grounds are open to all for contemplation or just unbound appreciation of nature and horticultural beauty.

Gardeners will delight in the gorgeous, well laid out garden rooms but especially be entranced by the vast array of dahlias. The gardens at Enders Island are filled with over 300 varieties of prize-winning dahlias in all colors (except blue), shapes and sizes imaginable. A Dahlia Preservation Trust was established to preserve the dahlia collection that is rated as one of the largest in New England.

Any of us growing dahlias while appreciating their cheery, attractive blossoms lasting long into the fall, do realize they are not winter hardy, even with milder winters attributed to climate change. Dahlias are native to Central America. In fact, they are Mexico’s national flower. Those wishing to save the tuberous roots for replanting next year, must dig them up and store them over the winter.

Ideally, gardeners should wait until a frost blackens the foliage. Then, if possible, wait a week so any carbohydrates left in the above ground tissue can make their way to the roots to enable good sprouting next spring when the tuberous roots are replanted. This has been a particularly confusing fall to both plants and gardeners. Frosts have hit some areas but often not severe enough to affect all plants and dahlias in more protected sites are still blooming their heads off, a trait most appreciated by pollinators such as bees.

On the other hand, it is November. Time to reign in gardening activities and begin preparations for the holidays. What’s a gardener to do?

Since my plants were losing bottom leaves to disease and looking a little ragged, I just decided it was time to dig them and move the tuberous roots into the cellar. Before digging any dahlias, be sure to note their names. If tags were not written out when planting, make them out now if color and flower type are important.

Cut back stems to 2 or 3 inches and carefully dig the tubers starting at least 8 inches away from crowns so tubers do not get sliced or speared. Use a spade or pitchfork but dig in carefully. This year the soil is so dry that it was not necessary to leave the tuberous roots in the sun for a few hours so the soil clinging to them could dry and be shaken off. Every one I dug up was dry enough so that practically no soil clung to the roots. Each was placed in a separate container with repurposed labels.

Dahlia tubers with a white tag — Dahlia tubers tagged for storage. Photo by dmp2024

Perusing through online sources, many suggest washing tubers off with a hose and letting them dry before storing. I have let them dry out in wet falls and shaken dried soil from them before storing but have never hosed them off. Maybe follow the approach that makes most sense to you. If any remaining soil is washed off, the tuberous roots should most likely be stored in lightly moistened peat moss or other slightly damp organic material, so they will not desiccate over the winter. For me, leaving a bit of soil around the roots that are stored in pots in the cellar over winter helps to keep tubers from shriveling with only a sparse sprinkle of water once or twice a month.

When happy, dahlias will multiply but it is probably best to leave the whole clump together and separate it before planting next spring when multiple buds or eyes can be seen. Keep the tuberous roots at 45 to 55 degrees F and check every 2 to 3 weeks for signs of decay or desiccation.

For an early start, the tuberous roots can be set into beds usually by late April unless unseasonably cold weather is predicted. If you have questions about overwintering dahlias or for other gardening questions, contact the UCONN Home & Garden Education Center, toll-free, at (877) 486-6271, visit their web site at www.homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu or contact your local Cooperative Extension Center.

Gorgeous Grasses

Posted on October 20, 2024October 21, 2024 by Zidack, Heather

By Dawn Pettinelli, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

Autumn shines a spotlight on ornamental grasses. With their rustling blades and fluffy seedheads they are star performers in late season gardens going head-to-head with asters, mums, Montauk daisies and boltonias. Plus, they are great in fresh or dried cut flower arrangements.

The huge selection of grass species available is great for gardens but makes selecting difficult. Heights range from a few inches to more than 6 feet; colors from deep green to chartreuse, burgundy to black. Solid or variegated? Would a clump former, spreader, or self-seeder best fit your needs? Are seed heads important for fall and winter interest? Is this grass planted as an ornamental feature in your garden bed or landscape or are you looking for natives to support pollinators and perhaps serve as food for birds and others? Answers to these questions may guide you in grass selection.

Two favorite non-natives grown for their ornamental value are cultivars of Miscanthus and Pennisetum. While the miscanthus species has been listed as potentially invasive in CT, a number of attractive cultivars are available for purchase and can be striking if well positioned in the garden. Two outstanding selections are ‘Gracillimus’ and ‘Zebrinus’. The first has shimmering silver veined green leaves growing in graceful mounds. Reddish flower plumes emerge in fall changing to a light silvery hue. Plants are clump formers but can reach 6 feet or more in height.

‘Zebrinus’ is more commonly known as zebra grass for its definitive yellow and dark green striped foliage. This plant gets big over time. Mine is now 6 feet across and probably 10 feet high. I wrap a rope around it in the late summer to keep it upright through fall rains and winds. Stalks have been used quite effectively as a substitute for cornstalks around the lamppost.

My Pennisetum alopecuroides was grown from seed probably 20 years ago. These plants are absolutely gorgeous in the fall. Despite the many bottlebrush seed heads, I’ve never found a seedling. The fine, arching foliage resemble flowing water hence the common name, fountain grass. Cultivars of this graceful, flowing grass range from 18 inch ‘Piglet’ to 5 foot ‘Fox Trot’.

Native grasses are soaring in popularity and much easier to find at garden centers than they used to be. One switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) cultivar, ‘Heavy Metal’, is quite popular for its upright, striking blue-green foliage. If happy, it can reach 4 to 5 feet in height. The wheat-colored seed plumes are attractive to us during the gloomy winter months but also as a food source to a number of bird species.

Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is a favorite also of humans and wildlife, including both birds and butterflies. This upright native grass is pretty ubiquitous along roadsides and in fields and meadows. New growth begins a clean blue green but, by the end of the growing season shifts to deep bronze and chestnut hues. This is a tough plant content in sandy soils and reaching about 2 feet in height. The silvery seed tuffs are retained for most of the winter. Little bluestem combines well with a number of perennial wildlings like rudbeckia, pearly everlasting, goldenrod and species of asters.

Chasmanthum latifolium. Photo by dmp2024

Also commonly found along roadsides, purple lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis) grows on sites from full sun to part shade. This is a very well-behaved grass in the Poa (bluegrass) family. It is native to eastern and central U.S. and produces those airy pink seedheads you might admire as you drive.

Northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) has very distinctive, but attractive seedheads. Native to the eastern and southern parts of the U.S., it is hardy from zone 5 to 8. Northern sea oats is a clump former with showy panicles of flowers in late summer that mature into wide, drooping seedheads. This grass likes moist but well-drained soils and is a larval plant for several species of butterflies as well as serving as a food source for several mammal and bird species.

Other native grasses worth investigating include side oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), big bluestem (Andropogon geradii) and prairie dropseed (Sporabolus heterolepsis). Check out both native and exotic ornamental grass offerings for their varied textures, colors, forms and flowers.

For more information on growing ornamental grasses or selection or for other gardening questions, contact the UCONN Home & Garden Education Center, toll-free, at (877) 486-6271, visit their web site at www.homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu or contact your local Cooperative Extension Center.

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Contact HGEC

Phone:	(877) 486-6271
E-mail:	ladybug@uconn.edu
Address:	1380 Storrs Road, Unit 4115 Storrs, CT 06269-4115
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