What's Growing On - Winter Newsletter

Master Gardeners of Ontario

Serving Ontario for Over 25 Years

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Clivia

In this Issue....

Split-leaf Philodendron

21 Indestructible Houseplants

Thomas McCavour, Simcoe County Master Gardener

I challenge anyone to maim, injure or destroy my houseplants. I will give the first person that succeeds one half of my favourite Coffee Crisp chocolate bar. Read more...

The Fourth Gardening Season

Alexandra Wiens – Prince Edward County

Ficus Benjamina

This is the fourth season in the gardening calendar: the time when houseplants refresh our senses. Whether it is a window ledge with several different colors of African violets, or a clump of paper white narcissus or the glossy green leaves of the Benjamina fig; indoor plants bring a little of summer to our environment during the cold season. Most gardeners are familiar with several of the more common houseplants sold at nurseries and garden centers. At one time or another, most of us have own a spider plant... Read more...

What do House Plants Know?

Edythe Falconer - Ottawa

Book Review “What Plants Know” by Daniel Chamovitz

If “intelligence” is a biological property how does it work in plants? Current research is subjected testy dialogues over interpretations where disagreement rests not as much on results as it does on interpreting them. Having read “What Plants Know” I wonder if I’ve been taking plants for granted... Read more...

We Are Hanging Up the Pencil

Dianne and Gary Westlake, Editors

This will be our last issue of the Master Gardeners of Ontario Newsletter. It has been 7 years since we took over for Lorraine Flanigan, and after this one, we will be retiring to take on other tasks. To all those of you who provided us with articles and information on your activities over the years, and to Kelly Noel who checked the text and gave us many helpful suggestions, a big thank you. We are off to Key Largo for a week or so of R&R. In future you can get us through our website dianneandgarywestlake.com and for future submissions to the newsletter use editors@mgoi.ca

MGs in Action

Prince Edward County – is doing a radio segment once a month on County FM 99.3.

Milestones

New MGiTs

Grey County – Roseanne Illman

London Middlesex – Monica Delmage, Jennifer Houston, Jane May

Prince Edward County – Julia Lamoca, Susan Warrack

Successfully Completed MG course

London Middlesex – Lee Anderson, Cheryl Losch

Successfully Completed the Certification Exam

Haliburton – Carolyn Langdon

London Middlesex – Sarah Ragalyi, Amy Turnbull

5 Years

Grey County – Karen Young

Prince Edward County – Kevin Bazkur, Sandy Goranson, Kathy Macpherson

10 Years

Quinte Tweed – Cathy Pogue

20 Years

Stratford – Kim Brodhagen, Gord Piggott, Ruth Seyffert,

25 Years

Prince Edward County – Barbra Stock

London Middlesex – Jennifer Grant

30 years

London Middlesex – Eva Norman-Vestergaard, LMMG is privileged to have such a knowledgeable, dedicated person as our member. Eva brings vision, inspiration, skills, advice, experience and friendship to our gardening community.

Transfers

London Middlesex welcomes Anne McFee

Peterborough welcomes Sue Flinders-Adams who transferred from Haliburton

Emeritus

Halton Region – Lorne Sparrow (a member since 1987)

Events

January 26 

8:00 p.m. at St. Luke's Lutheran Church 3200 Bayview Avenue (north west corner of Finch and Bayview) – Photography in the Garden – Laura Mills

February 23

8:00 p.m. at St. Luke's Lutheran Church 3200 Bayview Avenue (north west corner of Finch and Bayview) – Dwarf Conifers – Darren Heimbecker

March 5 - 8

The 15th annual ever-popular Stratford Garden Festival and the Stratford Master Gardeners’ who have been there from the beginning will again welcome winter weary gardeners with plenty of free advice. For details and a list of exciting speakers, check out http://www.stratfordgardenfestival.com/

March 7

10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. – Seedy Saturday at Carling Heights Optimist Centre, 656 Elizabeth St, London ON. London Middlesex Master Gardeners host their 8th Annual Seedy Saturday offering "Seeds to Buy or Swap, Plants, Supplies, Exhibits, Free Advice, Speakers and Demonstrations". Cost for entry is $5.00 Adults, Children under 12 free. Interested Vendors or non-profit Exhibitors may contact us at lonmidmastergardeners@gmail.com or register online at www.londonmiddlesexmastergardeners.com

March 7

All day Saturday from 8:30 - 2:15 talks by Peterborough and Area Master Gardeners on Landscape Design, Soils (including Composting), Pruning, Square Foot Gardening, Edible Forest Gardening, Herbs. Cost $30 which includes lunch. Activity Haven 1280 Barnardo Ave, Peterborough. register at www.peterboroughgardens.ca/courses

March 10, 17, and 31

7:00 p.m. – Gardening in the City at Central Library, 251 Dundas St, London ON. ‘Gardening in the City’ Talks are free, fun and informative.
March 10 – Are you Ready for Spring? – Rhonda Persichilli
March 17 – How to have the best Vegetable and Herb Garden Ever! – Ron Rossini
March 31 – Taking the Mystery out of Garden Structures – Curtis Peterson
No pre-registration required. Information www.londonmiddlesexmastergardeners.com

March 17 - May 7

Tuesday’s, March 17 to May 5 OR Thursday’s, March 19 to May 7, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. – Seeds to Table, 2015 – at the London Civic Garden Complex, 625 Springbank Drive, London ON. Classroom instruction and hands on workshops cover everything from soil preparation and seed selection to planting, maintaining, harvesting and preserving. The focus is on gardens you can EAT as well as colourful and helpful companion plants. Cost of $100 for 8 sessions will include some basic planting supplies plus consultation for one growing season. Information lonmidmastergardeners@gmail.com Registration www.londonmiddlesexmastergardeners.com

April 2, 3, 4

Thursday, Friday, Saturday of Easter weekend The Peterborough Garden Show with two large arenas full of gardening related vendors, informative speakers all day Friday and Saturday, bus shuttle to parking and many more features.  Over 8000 gardeners come to this show annually - don't miss out. For more detail www.peterboroughgardenshow.com or www.peterboroughgardens.ca

What Do House Plants Know? - Book Review

Edythe Falconer - Ottawa

Book Review “What Plants Know” by Daniel Chamovitz

If “intelligence” is a biological property how does it work in plants? Current research is subjected testy dialogues over interpretations where disagreement rests not as much on results as it does on interpreting them. Having read “What Plants Know” I wonder if I’ve been taking plants for granted - not appreciating them enough for the wondrous creations they are.

Chapter 1

Plants “see” blue, red and far red as received by protein photoreceptors in a process called phototropism. Plant “sight” helps to regulate various plant responses. The Maryland Mammoth tobacco plant revolutionized the tobacco industry when growers discovered it would bloom earlier if they controlled the amount of light it received via a process called photoperiodism. This phenomenon continues to be useful commercially.

Chapter 2

Plants emit odors both pleasant and unpleasant. In nature these volatile chemical exchanges can function as plant Morse code for signalling impending danger. Plants can then change their chemical composition to make it less appealing and even toxic to predators. The parasitic dodder provides an interesting example of plant taste. Given a choice between wheat or tomato it always chooses tomato.

Chapter 3

Plants sense being touched. Humans have neuron mechanoreceptors powered by electrical signalling. Venus flytrap is a good example of a plant that senses and reacts to the touch of potential prey. The lobes of its flower are edged with cilia that respond to pressure from insect visitors. If electrical stimulus on hairs inside the lobes is sufficient the trap closes. Two need to be touched within 20 seconds.

Chapter 4

Research thus far doesn’t indicate that plants can “hear”. Human ears have hair cells that respond to sound while plant roots have root hairs that are sensitive to nutrition and moisture. Both capacities aid species survival. Most fascinating - both humans and plants possess deaf genes. Gene mutations may cause shorter root hairs and consequent reduction in root hair function. In humans these mutated genes cause deafness.

Chapter 5

Try to make a plant grow upside down and you soon discover plants know up from down. This is proprioception in a form called gravitropism. The upper part of the plant defies gravity while roots respond positively to it. Plants dance in circles. Darwin was correct when he asserted that circumnutation is a built-in behavior of plants. Plant statoliths in the centre of the root cap are similar to otoliths in our inner ear.

Chapter 6

Human memory is procedural, semantic and episodic memory. Plants demonstrate procedural memory. Venus flytrap possesses a 20 second memory. Plant memory is also indicated in Dosta’s study of morphogenetic memory in plants and Lysenko’s work with winter wheat beginning in 1928. Epigenetics research studies changes in gene activity that can pass from parent to offspring - season to season and generation to generation. Memory in plants is achieved by cell-to-cell signaling similar to that in human neurons communication.

Epilogue

Anthony Trewavas of University of Edinburgh comments “It is unlikely that intelligence as a biological property originated only in Homo sapiens.” Michael Pollan, in his essay “The Intelligent Plant”, reminds us that “Plants dominate every terrestrial environment, composing 99% of biomass on earth. By comparison, humans and all other animals are, in the words of one plant neurobiologist, “just traces.”

Reviewer Note: “What Plants Know” is fascinating. If you haven’t already read it – read it. If you have read it – read it again! It’s even better the second time around. EF

The Fourth Season of Gardening

Ficus Benjamina

Alexandra Wiens – Prince Edward County

This is the fourth season in the gardening calendar: the time when houseplants refresh our senses. Whether it is a window ledge with several different colours of African violets, or a clump of paper white narcissus or the glossy green leaves of the Benjamina fig; indoor plants bring a little of summer to our environment during the cold season. Most gardeners are familiar with several of the more common houseplants sold at nurseries and garden centers. At one time or another, most of us have owned a spider plant, wandering Jew or cactus. But, as Master Gardeners know, there are many other indoor plants not seen as often that are equally deserving of space in the indoor garden. Here are five of my favourites.

Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia splendens) this thorny plant has lovely branching stems with irregular spines, hence the name. It has bright green oval leaves lining the branches and red flowers. It is usually sold as a fairly small plant but can get quite large over time. Fortunately it is easily pruned. The best time to prune it is during the summer months when it can be done outdoors because the cut stems leak white sap, similar to that from poinsettias. I usually prune mine a bit before I bring it indoors in the fall. If you must prune it inside, do so on newspapers and cauterize the cut stems with a lit match to stop the dripping of sap. Crown of Thorns enjoys a warm environment so keep it away from window sills where the temperature fluctuates. It can go without watering for some time and is forgiving if you forget to water it. It will lose its leaves but they will return as long as the stems have not been allowed to shrivel. This plant is originally from the island of Madagascar.

Ficus Benjamina, the weeping fig or laurel fig is a tropical evergreen tree from India. It can be found at most nurseries and has arching branches and glossy oval leaves which taper to a point. Although generally sold as a small specimen, it can grow into an indoor tree over a number of years. Careful pruning will give it a graceful shape. It can often be found in a “braided form”: two trunks twisted together that gives it an interesting look. Ficus enjoy summering outdoors and usually grows profusely during our humid summers. They are less tolerant of dry indoor conditions so try to add extra humidity with a pebble tray (for small specimens) or a room humidifier. In our climate, the indoor humidity in the winter is usually about 20% which is drier than the desert! Ficus are long lived, but they do require regular watering and fertilizer. In the late fall and early winter they tend to lose leaves as the low light conditions require them to shed top growth. In late January, if in a bright sunny area they will begin showing new growth which is a signal to begin regular fertilizer. They can grow in the same container for many years as long as fresh soil is added from time to time.

Papyrus (Cyperus papyrus) this is plant used by the ancient Egyptians for making paper. This plant is a perfect choice for anyone who tends to over-water their indoor plants and I often recommend it for people who do that. Papyrus lives in water. It does best in a pot without drainage holes so it can constantly have “wet feet”. It has lovely vertical stalks which rise delicately from the root. The top of each stalk has an umbrella of green leaves. It can get quite tall but requires some time to achieve full height. It prefers a sunny location and is fairly tolerant of temperature fluctuations.

Tahitian Bridal Veil is one cultivar of several plants that go under the Latin name Bacopa. The plant has tiny delicate white flowers that seem to “float” over the foliage. It grows fairly quickly and likes to hang over the pot making it an ideal choice for a hanging plant. The light airy foliage contrasts nicely with other houseplants. It is fairly easy to propagate from cuttings so if you cannot find it at the garden center see if you can obtain a cutting from a friend. The cuttings can be rooted in water in a similar fashion to impatiens. It originates from South Africa and prefers a moist, humus rich soil. It likes frequent watering but prefers not to be left standing in water.

Rabbit’s Foot Fern (Davallia fejeensis) has become harder to find in recent years but is one of the easiest indoor ferns to grow. It thrives in indirect light and average room temperatures. The plant has elegant fronds which create lush mounds. The most striking feature of this plant is its long furry rhizomes which resemble rabbit’s feet. These rhizomes crawl across the surface of the soil and hang over the edge of the pot. Rabbit’s Foot Fern prefers to be in temperatures above 55 degrees F (12 C). In the winter, cut back on watering and keep it away from heat vents which will cause the “feet” to dry out. In warm weather the rhizomes can be misted every day. If it loses leaves, try raising the humidity with a pebble tray.

When growing any plants indoors try to match temperatures and light conditions to the particular specimen. Temperature can vary widely within a room, hot and dry near heat sources, cold next to windows (even those with storm windows) and drafty near doors or fireplaces. Window ledges above vents are especially prone to extreme fluctuations. Never locate plants there for fear of shocking them. Plants grown in air that is too dry will begin to look pale and their leaves will curl under and may turn brown around the edges. Giving plants more water will not help; what they need is moisture in the air around them.

Take time to explore the wonderful variety of houseplants available to us in Canada. Experiment with some new types this winter. You may find a new favourite to lift your spirits and enrich the fourth season of gardening for you.

21 Indestructible Houseplants

Split-leaf Philodendron

Thomas McCavour, Simcoe County Master Gardener

I challenge anyone to maim, injure or destroy my houseplants. I will give the first person that succeeds one half of my favourite Coffee Crisp chocolate bar. 

Take my attractive Purple Heart with its violet downy leaves and matching flowers. It has lived in the west windows of my home for 15 years. It grows like a weed in Mexico with only occasional watering. A Split-leaf Philodendron, also from Mexico requires regular watering and occupies a moderately lit corner. It likes to climb; Tarzan used to swing on its aerial roots. A Heart-leaf Philodendron keeps it company.

My Jade plant with origins in southern Africa and Asia would not win a beauty contest; in fact it looks jaded. As a succulent it is watered sparingly.

The Syngonium with its pure green or variegated leaves is another climber and trailer. It prefers moderate light and can be grown hydroponically or in soil. A Chinese Evergreen sits in a dark corner and requires spraying and watering weekly. My Phothos is a show off, regularly competing and winning beauty contests. Its leaves can be solid green, yellow or variegated.

A Croton sits in a sunny spot wishing it was home in the tropics and continuously changing colour like a chameleon. I call mine Joseph. Keep it sprayed and don’t be alarmed when it does a strip-tease in November. The leaves will regrow.

My Snake Plant or Mother-in-Laws Tongue is one of the easiest to grow house plants. It is not fussy, tolerating full sun or full shade. Mine has never flowered and has never practiced birth control; but it has learned to multiply. The Dieffenbachia or Dumb Cane is another native of Brazil. It is easy to care for requiring low light and high humidity.
Our African Violets are rock dwellers from Tanzania and Kenya. They sit in a moderately lit east window and also require high humidity.

The Peace Lily comes from the rain forest and can tolerate poor lighting in a north-facing window. It produces pretty white flowers with a pale yellow spadix. The Dracena, which is sometimes called the Dragon tree, hails from the rain forests of Africa and flourishes in moist soil and bright indirect light. The handsome Cast-Iron Plant has broad, dark green leaves. It is a tough oriental plant and takes its name from its ability to survive and grow in spite of low light, little water or food and neglect.

The Hoya or Wax Plant has sat faithfully in our indirectly lit hall for many years, watered sparingly; relying on its succulent leaves to survive.

Our Christmas cactus has its own calendar and usually flowers at Halloween and Easter. It is watered occasionally and lives in a basement window while recovering. The Wandering Jew is an attractive creeping or hanging plant with beautiful leaf markings and thrives in high humidity and regular watering. It is an easy plant to propagate. A native of the rain forest the Prayer Plant folds its attractive leaves at night in a praying position. Make sure to obtain a variety that grows in the home.

I have run out of friends who want Spider Plants. It is an excellent plant for beginners and requires no special room temperature and can grow in light or shade. My Swedish Ivy is actually misnamed. It is not ivy and comes from Africa and Australia, thriving in bright light at normal room temperature and humidity.

Since ancient times, the thick sap of the Aloe has been used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. A native of Africa it needs little water and likes room temperature or lower.

Good luck with your indestructible house plants. I really don’t want to give away that Coffee Crisp.