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In this issue: seeds and some of our favourite indoor plants
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Your favourite Seedy event is back at Carling Heights Optimist Community Centre this year after a 2 year hiatus. Many familiar vendors are back with plenty of new ones too!
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For a complete list of this years vendors and exhibitors,
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Seedy Saturday Seed Swap
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The Seed Swap at Seedy Saturday is very popular. Curious about what a Seed Swap is?
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Click here to see our poster with all the ins and outs of exactly what a Seed Swap is.
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Seed Viability: What you need to know
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Spring is the time of year when we are itching to get back out into the garden. The days are getting longer, the sun feels warmer and we are tired of being inside. It’s also the time of year to think about starting your veggie seeds. The big question is do you purchase new seeds or are the ones from …
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Did You Know...
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Seedlings do not need to be fed until after they produce their first real set of leaves? A young seedling has all the food it requires within its embryo. When the plant germinates, the first set of leaves that emerge are called cotyledons. These cotyledons are not true leaves. The cotyledons provide food for the developing plant. When the first true leaves mature, they take over producing food through photosynthesis and the cotyledons shrivel up.
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Your Master Gardeners' favourite indoor plants are...
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Common Name: Philodendron
Botanical Name: Monstera deliciosa (Araceae family)
Light Requirements: They like bright indirect, likely best in an east or south facing window.
Moisture Requirements: Warm humid tropical conditions and moderate moisture but prefers to dry out between watering.
Size & Growth Rate: Eventually get very large but the grow rate is slow.
Oddities: This plant likes to be cramped in a pot so only needs repotting every few years. One extra tidbit - if you have lots of growth, cut a leaf or two to display in a vase or in an arrangement.
Why I like it: This is a very low maintenance plant that makes a striking focal point. Each summer I bring mine outdoors to the deck (slightly shaded) and it thrives! Mine is now almost 40 years old!
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Common Name: Variegated String of Hearts
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Botanical Name: Ceropegia woodii f. variegata
Light Requirements: This plant likes bright light and works best close to a south or west facing window.
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Moisture Requirements: Low, String of Hearts is a succulent and prefers to have its soil dry out between waterings.
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Size & Growth Rate: These trailing plants can grow very long - mine grew a little over a meter in a year. However, to keep a full looking plant, most people will prune it shorter and add the clippings to the pot.
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Why I like it: String of Hearts and I have a relationship that thrives on neglect - I often forget to water my houseplants and String of Hearts can go a couple of weeks between waterings. I have mine in my southeast facing window and it gives me a green view to look at all year long.
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Common Names: Jade, Pepperomia, Succulents
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Botanical Names: Echeveria spp, Crassula spp, Peperomia graveolens
Light Requirements: Echeveria and Crassula: full sun to part shade; Peperomia: partial sun to partial shade in summer and full sun in winter.
Moisture Requirements: Do not overwater in winter; keep barely moist. Water moderately in summer while growing. Peperomia appreciates moderate to high humidity. The soil should be free-draining with less moisture retention than would be needed by other plants. These plants are grown in a mix of crushed gravel, potting soil, and fine pieces of bark.
Size & Growth Rate: Echeveria up to 15 cm tall by 10 cm wide; Crassula up to 20 cm tall; Peperomia 25 cm tall by 61 cm wide
Oddities: Most of these succulents will produce flowers in spring. They are all easily propagated by leaves or stem cuttings. Most cultivated Crassulas are from the eastern Cape of South Africa, while Echeverias are from semi-arid regions of Mexico through northern South America. Peperomias are found globally in tropical and subtropical rainforests. Succulent plants have thicker waxy coverings on their leaves compared to non-succulents (called the cuticle). They also store more water in their leaves; the vacuole (a water-storing organelle in cells) is 90% of succulent cell volume, but only 70% in non-succulents. Specialized pores on leaves called hydrathodes might allow water to be absorbed directly from humidity in the air!
Why I like it: These are easy to propagate and they take some neglect. I enjoy their colours and overall unique appearances. They will outgrow this terrarium. When that happens, I will re-
propagate the plants by cuttings for the terrarium, and put the larger plants into pots to give away.
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Common Name: ZZ plant or Zanzibar gems
Botanical Name: Zamioculcas zamiifolia
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Light Requirement: They prefer bright, indirect sunlight.
Moisture Requirements: ZZ plants like well-draining soil with neutral or acidic pH. Only water when soil is bone dry. This about every two weeks to a month. The plants grow from rhizomes which store water under the soil. This makes them drought resistant.
Size & Growth Rate: ZZ plants are slow-growing perennials that grow 2-4 feet tall and 2-4 feet wide. They have spotless, waxy green leaves. The cultivar “Raven” has dark purple-maroon foliage.
Other info/ Oddities: No green thumb required. Thrives with minimal care. Native to East Africa namely Zanzibar and Tanzania. It’s a long-lasting plant often referred to as an heirloom plant because you can pass them from generation to generation.
Why I like it: Low maintenance and beautiful.
NOTE! These plants are toxic to humans and animals if ingested.
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Want more? Here's a couple blogs you might like
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Fungus gnats - Winter houseplant pests
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Nope - those are not fruit flies. They're called Fungus Gnats. And they're coming from the soil of your houseplants. These pests feed on decaying organic matter and living materials such as root, root hairs, and stalk tissue. Fungus gnats have been known to spread detrimental mites, viruses, and fungal spores to plants. Identification The tiny black flies that look …
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Seed Starting - Get the best results!
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Seed starting can be tricky but there really are just a few things to know. Learn to read the seed packet. Know your 'last frost date'. Understand what seeds to start when.
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Master Gardeners of Ontario Inc. (MGOI)
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The Master Gardeners of Ontario (called MGOI for short) is a registered charity in Canada. MGOI is the parent organization of the London Middlesex Master Gardeners. MGOI is now set up to accept donations via their website at this link:
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Donate to MGOI Look for London Middlesex from the drop down menu to donate directly to us.
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North American Native Plant Society
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March 21, 2023 at 7:00 pm
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Native plants are gaining popularity for both ecological and aesthetic reasons. As they become more available, deciding which species to add to your garden can be overwhelming. In this webinar, we will take a close look at the plants “in between.” Not the giant trees, nor the small trees, but the shrubs. Species in this group vary greatly in form, size and habitat, meaning there are options for each and every application or situation in your garden – shade or sun, wet or dry, specimen or hedge, naturalized or formal.
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Canada is home to hundreds of native shrub species; however this webinar will consider only a small selection of mostly wide-ranging species that work well in gardens and can be found in nurseries.
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Stratford & Area Master Gardeners
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March 16, 2023 at 7:00 pm
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There are still two more webinars in this series that are open to anyone. The Stratford & Area Master Gardeners in conjunction with the Stratford Public Library are offering their Gardening in a Changing Climate Series.
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We love to hear from gardeners and answer questions. Don't be shy.
We were all new to this once!
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