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Experienced gardeners are well aware of this reality and have even come to enjoy the ephemeral nature of their outdoor spaces.
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Peruvian lily from the Alstroemeria group of plants is a perennial with stunning flowers that last long as a garden and cut flower. Once you have the care down, they can be multiplied each year for a continuous supply. Kevin Espiritu will take you through the steps to grow these pretty flowers.Alstroemeria is a beautiful Peruvian lily in many colors, sure to delight and please the most uptight acquaintances. It can be grown in the ground or in containers, and it multiplies over time. That means you can have unlimited lilies! Simply divide them in spring, and propagate. With fairly easy care, members of the Alstroemeria genus are a lovely sight in the garden and are fun to grow. Though you could buy this popular cut flower as a bouquet, why not grow a passel or pretties yourself and have ready-made gifts for your nearest and dearest all year long?The Alstroemeria lily was named after the Swedish botanist Clas Alströmer, who brought the seeds to Europe. Recognized by its upside-down, twisty leaves, this feature is how the Peruvian lily flower came to be associated with the rollercoaster ride that is friendship: the ups and downs, twists and turns that the most devoted friends stick through. How to Grow The care this plant requires is well worth the effort when you see those gorgeous blooms opening to the sun. The look on your best friend’s face when you present this gift will be well worth taking a picture of so you can make fun of the expression in the future. Light A shot of pink colored flowering plants alongside the same flower with a different color in the background, all basking in bright sunlight outdoors Select a location that has full sun or dappled sunlight. If your soil temperatures soar above 70°F (21°C), pick a spot where it will be protected from the sun in the afternoon. Otherwise, go for a full-sun area (dappled sun can also be a tolerable choice). This gives you the best chance for blooms. Water Water stream pouring out of silver watering can in the vegetable garden. Keep the soil moist but ensure the flowers do not get waterlogged. At first planting, keep the rhizomes well-watered until the first shoots appear. After that, a one-inch deep watering every week until well established should be fine. Too much water can create conditions where fungal diseases can proliferate. Therefore, keep the soil somewhat moist, but do not let your lilies get waterlogged. If there has been regular rainfall, additional water may not be necessary. Container-grown plants may need more water than in-ground plantings. Soil Use an organic, well-draining soil that can be amended with perlite. Start with the ground cleared of all debris. A soil of 70% organic material and 30% perlite is a good idea if you have heavy clay soil. However, this might not be necessary as long as the soil provides enough air and excellent drainage. To protect against summer’s heat, add a three-inch deep ring of mulch, either bark or compost, around the base without placing it directly on the plant. In areas where winters are cold, apply a couple of inches of mulch in fall for root protection through frosts. Temperature Ideal temperatures for these plants will depend on the season. Autumn and spring are usually the best times for planting, before the soil gets hot. In early spring when the temperatures are changing, a greenhouse can be handy for avoiding scorched leaves. You can ventilate and heat as needed whenever humidity rises above 85%. You can dig up your tubers and overwinter them in regions with constant subfreezing winter, or simply grow them in containers and move them indoors. Fertilizer Person pouring liquid fertilizer into a small measuring cap with a green plant in the background. Use a high-potassium liquid fertilizer every week when blooming begins. When your plants have reached two years of age, it’s a good time to supplement the soil with nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium during the growing season. Pay close attention to your soil’s pH levels; higher than seven will result in iron and manganese deficiencies, and a yellowing of leaves. For both in-ground and container lilies, feed with a high-potassium liquid fertilizer every week when blooming begins. Cease at the end of the bloom period, and do not apply during dormancy, in late fall through winter. Maintenance Trim off stems of dead flowers or diseased foliage. It’s a good idea to trim the stems of dead flowers and save the plant’s energy for making new ones. Otherwise, not much pruning is needed. Good thing, too, so I can save my energy for gazing at these glorious blooms from the comfort of my porch swing. Of course, if any damaged or diseased leaves crop up, remove them as needed. Propagation The plant can be propagated by seed of division. You can propagate using two methods. By seed is one way. Another way is to dig up the Peruvian lily bulbs and divide the rhizomes in fall. Cut the plants six inches above ground about ten days before you intend to dig them up. A one-year-old plant may yield up to 15 rhizomes, a two-year-old up to 25. In the fall, you can overwinter your tubers if you’d like. Having a space to store roots in freezing weather is great for gardeners outside the plant’s hardiness range. Put the tubers in a box with coconut coir or peat moss and leave them in a cool, dry place. Then, replant the tubers in spring. Common Problems While the Peruvian lily is a fairly hardy plant, there are a few common issues. Here are the ones you want to keep an eye out for. Growing Problems Overwatering and temperature imbalances will result in growth issues. If you live in an area with very cold winters, and you don’t protect or remove tubers in fall, your alstroemerias may die. Those tubers can be stored over winter, or covered with a thick layer of mulch for winter protection. Overwatering is the number one way to put your Peruvian lilies in peril. This invites pests and diseases which can weaken or kill your flowers. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings. In rainy weather, don’t add extra irrigation. Pests A close-up of a leaf surface showing small brown thrips scattered across the green foliage. Thrips, aphids, spider mites, slugs and snails are the common pests of the plant. Most of the diseases your Peruvian lilies contract can be carried by thrips and aphids, so do your best to control these populations to prevent infection. Both pests feed on the sap of plants, causing overall weakening of the plant and yellowing and/or curled leaves. Insecticidal soap can be used to treat these pests. Spider mites may attack your lilies, and drink the plant’s juices as well. If you see masses of tiny mites on leaves or notice tightly woven webs, wipe these off with a damp cloth, and follow up with a misting of insecticidal soap or neem oil. Slugs and snails may also feed on leaves when the soil remains moist for too long. In an especially rainy spring or summer, there’s no getting away from them. You can hand pick them off your plants at night or trap them with slug bait or a beer trap. Diseases A close-up of a plant's roots affected by a fungus, showing discolored, decaying roots and dark soil. Fungal and bacterial diseases cause severe damage to the plant. Pythium root rot causes wilting, stunted growth, and weak stems that collapse. This occurs when the soil is heavy and moist for long periods. A clean bed with one part composted pine bark mixed with four parts of soil is a good start. Allowing the soil to dry out may also give the plant a chance to recover. Remove and dispose of any affected plants. Rhizoctonia root rot causes wilted leaves and dried stems that don’t respond to watering. Double-check that the soil is well-draining. You may need to improve this by working some compost into the top ten inches. Get rid of the infected ones and concentrate on keeping the healthy ones healthy. Botrytis blight is better known as gray mold. It shows up during the warmer, damp days as furry, gray-brown spores. They transmit on wet plants, so keep space between them for air. Also, direct irrigation away from stems and below the leaves and flowers, and remove any debris or damaged plants. Diseases like tomato spotted wilt virus and mosaic virus cause patterns of lines and spots on foliage, and they have no treatment. Not only will you have to destroy the affected plants, you’d be wise to disinfect your gardening tools with a diluted bleach solution as well.
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Willow trees have a graceful, almost magical look to them. They are well suited to moist locations near ponds and wetland borders. In this article, gardening enthusiast Liessa Bowen introduces the diverse world of willows and how to best grow these trees in your landscape. Willows are a group of trees and shrubs in the genus Salix that includes over 350 species worldwide. While some willows blend into their surroundings without standing out or being noticed, other varieties are highly ornamental and useful in the landscape. The weeping willow is probably the most easily recognized, known for its long, graceful branches. As a general rule, willows are fast-growing trees that love wet areas. They aren’t suitable for all landscapes, but if you live near a pond, lake, stream, wetland, or occasionally flooded area, a willow could be an ideal tree. Willows thrive in these wetter areas where other tree species struggle. A few willow species are more tolerant of occasionally dry soils, but all willows appreciate constant moisture. If you decide to use a willow tree for your property, consider it more than just a tree. Look for a willow with an appealing structure. These trees often appear very elegant during the growing season when they are leafy and green. In the winter, the bare branches have their own unique appeal. Many willows have fascinating forms that you can appreciate all year round. If you have a plot of land with plenty of space and moist soil, let’s dig right in and look at the details of how and where to grow a willow tree. There are around 350 species of willows worldwide. Willows are found in many temperate regions around the world, including Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America. Many of the more ornamental willows, such as the weeping willow and pussy willows, originated in Europe and Asia. These trees have been widely cultivated for landscaping, erosion control, and the floral industry. Willows typically grow in moist to wet soils. They thrive along the edges of ponds, lakes, streams, and wetlands and are very tolerant of occasional flooding and saturated soils. They are fast-growing but often short-lived. Many species of willow spread to form small colonies along waterways, creating a natural floodplain erosion control. All willows are deciduous shrubs or trees. Smaller varieties, such as the pussy willow, can be pruned into a bush-like form, while larger varieties, such as the weeping willow, grow to be impressive, thick-trunked trees. The weeping varieties are highly ornamental, with long, gracefully drooping branches that cascade downwards, overlapping each other like elegant fringes. Most willow varieties have an upright growth form with a rounded or vase-like crown. These trees and shrubs tend to have similar leaf shapes. Many long, thin, lance-like leaves line the thinner woody stems, giving them a densely green overall appearance. Willows tend to leaf out early in the spring and hold their leaves until late fall. In the autumn, willow leaves typically turn from green to yellow before dropping for the winter months. Willows bloom in the spring. Most species are dioecious, having separate male and female flowers on different plants. Both trees have showy catkins, often with a white, fuzzy appearance. Male and female flowers bloom at the same time, both attracting pollinators, which then help these plants cross-pollinate. The female plants then produce seed pods, sometimes releasing the seeds with tufts of white fluff to help them disperse in the wind. These trees are remarkably easy to propagate. Willow seeds are ready to germinate as soon as they mature, and willow cuttings readily take root with minimal effort.
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Conifers are all around us, but what exactly are they? These trees play an important role in the ecosystem and the economy. In this article, gardening expert Liessa Bowen gives a brief introduction to coniferous plants. Conifers are well represented in the fossil record, dating back over 300 million years ago. In fact, conifers evolved before flowering plants. Given that conifers have been around for so long, it’s no surprise that there are now a great number of coniferous plants on the earth. Conifers occur on every continent except Antarctica. There are over 600 unique species of conifers. If you count the many additional conifer cultivars that have been introduced by plant breeders for cultivation, there is an incredible number of these amazing plants! The name “conifer” comes from the fact that these trees reproduce by cones, as opposed to flowers and fruits. “Con” comes from the Latin word conus, referring to the cones. And “fer” comes from the Latin word ferre, meaning “to bear.” Therefore, a conifer is a plant that bears cones. Most conifers can also be easily recognized by their needle-like or bristly modified leaves. So what, exactly, is a conifer? Keep reading for more details about this fascinating and unique group of both ancient and modern plants. All living conifers are woody plants, and most are trees, although there are numerous small trees and shrubs as well. You’ve probably seen coniferous trees before, and you may even have furniture or household objects made from the wood of conifers. There’s no absolute one way to describe a conifer because they look different, grow in different habitats, and have different uses in the natural and human environment. Coniferous trees also often have a characteristic conical shape, but certainly not all. All true conifers have needles, but these needles can look quite different from each other. Pines typically have elongated needles, but even these are highly varied. For example, short-leaf pine needles are dramatically different than longleaf pine needles. Some species grow their needles in dense tufts, while others develop more sparse needle arrangements. Fir trees tend to have very short needles that line the stems. Those species that don’t have elongated needles, such as cypress and cedar, have more bristly clusters of blunt, sometimes almost feathery-looking needles. Almost all conifers produce cones, and this is one of their most defining characteristics. Cones vary widely in shape and size. Cones are round to oblong, containing a series of overlapping scales. They often feel rough or bristly. The seeds are typically nestled in the center of the cone so that when the cone reaches full maturity and opens, the seeds are released and drop to the ground. A few conifers, such as the juniper, have more berry-like cones. Male junipers produce more traditional-looking cones, whereas the female cones are fleshy and round but still technically cones with merged scales. The bark of a mature conifer plant is usually rough or scaly, although some, like the eastern red cedar, have soft, peeling, almost paper-like bark. Conifers are known as “softwood” trees, but not because they have weak wood or because their wood is soft. Softwood trees typically contain a different internal cell structure than hardwood trees. Many conifers also have fragrant and sometimes very colorful wood that contains a thick, sticky sap. Conifers are a part of a group of plants known as “gymnosperms.” This means they are seed-producing plants that reproduce by an exposed seed (as opposed to angiosperms that reproduce with seeds formed inside fruits). The male pollen-producing parts produce copious amounts of pollen. All the conifers of a particular species release their pollen in a mass synchronized release. This wind-blown pollen then blows around the air until it meets the female cones, which may be on the same plant or different plants, depending on the species. The seeds then form within the cones before releasing at maturity. Coniferous trees are immensely valuable for wildlife. They host a number of specialized insects and are the larval food plant for various butterfly and moth species. Conifers are a favorite foraging tree for many species of birds that climb up and down the trunks and forage in their dense needles for insect prey. They provide food for many species of hungry wildlife that eat the seeds from the cones. Conifers also provide shade, shelter, and nesting opportunities for many wildlife species throughout their range. Coniferous trees are very important economically as well. Christmas tree farming is one of the ways that people cultivate and harvest conifers. Various species of fir and spruce trees make up a majority of commercially grown Christmas trees. The lumber used for building construction is typically from pine trees. Furniture and small wood objects are often made from conifer trees. There’s a surprising list of other common products that are derived from conifers, including paper products, such as printing paper, toilet paper, tissues, and cardboard packaging. Even various oils, turpentine, and soaps are made from conifers. Many commercially available mulch products are made from conifers. Coniferous trees are even used to make a variety of musical instruments! Conifers are popular trees and shrubs for landscaping. Go into any garden center, and you will find juniper bushes, pines, and spruce trees. You can use these landscaping trees to create a beautifully diversified habitat in your landscape. You can also use conifers as central accent plants, shade trees, and even potted bonsai trees! There are some natural ecosystems where conifers are the dominant species. For example, boreal forests in the northern hemisphere are conifer-dominated landscapes. The taiga biome is a boreal forest that is made up primarily of pines, larches, and spruce trees. The longleaf pine forest in the southeastern United States is an important forest type that supports a variety of unique plants and animals. It is entirely dependent on natural forest fires for its continued survival because natural fires reduce competition with invasive species. Longleaf pine trees won’t sprout until they have been through a fire. Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests exist in parts of Central America and Indo-Asia and consist primarily of various pine species. Cypress trees love wet habitats and are characteristic of temperate and tropical cypress swamps. The famous redwood forests of the Pacific coast of North America contain some of the largest and oldest trees on Earth. These giant sequoias and coast redwoods can grow over 300 feet tall and live over 2000 years! Not all conifer ecosystems are entirely made up of conifer trees, however. There are many mixed forest types that include a blend of conifers and an assortment of hardwood trees such as oak, hickory, maple, and beech. Each ecosystem and biome is unique and contains its own balanced mix of species that all thrive together. Conifers are a highly diverse group of plants and include the following familiar types. With over 600 species, you can expect a lot of very different-looking plants! The following are some familiar groups of conifers. Conifers are a diverse assemblage of woody plants found throughout the world. They occur in deserts, rainforests, and everywhere in between. You can safely guess that any tree that produces both needles and cones is a conifer. You can learn to identify the conifers in your area by learning their habitats, growth forms, and needle structure. If you want to grow some conifers in your landscape, look for those species that will do best in your area and with your specific landscape conditions. These trees are beautiful, easy to grow, and long-lived, making them practical and valuable plants.
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The Asian pear trees produces delicate, sweet fruit. It is also a lovely tree with beautiful white flowers in the spring and vibrant leaves in the fall. Asian pear trees produce golden, apple-shaped fruit that has a sweet pear flavor with the texture of a crisp apple. The Asian pear tree not only produces an abundance of delicious fruit, but it’s also aesthetically pleasing without taking up too much space. It has beautiful white flowers in the spring, lush green foliage in the summer, and colorful falling leaves in the fall. The species name, pyrifolia, means fiery leaves because of its intense fall color. Asian pears can occasionally be found at the grocery store in the United States, but the fruit is very sensitive to bruising. Growing Asian pears at home is the best way to have plenty of quality produce. Unlike European pears, apple pears are greatest when picked ripe, so growing them in your garden guarantees that you can pick and enjoy them when they’re perfect. Keep in mind, these trees are only partially self-fertile so they need to be cross-pollinated to produce satisfactory fruit yields. It’s helpful to grow two different varieties within 50 feet for optimal pollination or you can plant a cocktail tree with multiple varieties on the same tree. To extend the harvest season, choose varieties with different picking times. Most cultivars are cross-compatible for pollination, but it’s wise to confirm before planting. European varieties are also compatible for pollination. Make sure the bloom windows overlap to allow for cross-pollination. Asian pears are also commonly referred to as Nashi or apple pears. The Asian pear is in the Rosaceae family along with apples, cherries, apricots, and plums (just to name a few). Growth and development are similar to apple trees.
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