Grower News

Amaryllis bulbs are a fun gift that can be re-bloomed for many years. Each fingertip has a large, curved, plastic claw, so you can dig, rake and plant without any other tools, according to the advertisement. They look a little scary to me, like something a peregrine falcon would wear if it were to take up gardening. Maybe if I had worn gloves more often while gardening, my hands would look nicer, but for now I’ll pass on the claw-tipped gloves. There are other items higher up on my Christmas wish list. When choosing gifts, don’t worry that a gardener might already have an item. We’d like a second watering can for the upstairs houseplants. And a second pruning shears is always welcome, which we’ll use until we remember where we set our other one. Gardeners tend to be thrifty, and we don’t always buy ourselves top-shelf items. We’ll appreciate a high-quality gift or tool that’ll last for years. Many new gift ideas for gardeners are introduced each year. One that caught my eye this year is the Seed Keeper, which is a three-ring binder with pockets for saving your garden seed packets. No longer will we wonder what variety we planted the previous year, and there’s also room for notes. Consider these gifts for houseplant enthusiasts: clay pots; potting mix; drainage saucers; rooting hormone for cuttings; an extra houseplant-type watering can; insecticidal soap; neem oil; systemic houseplant insecticide granules; kits for indoor herbs or microgreens; plant lights; houseplant identification books; small starter-type houseplants; an orchid plant; terrarium supplies; seed starting supplies; self-watering devices for vacation time; humidity gauges; and fern stands. For the fruit grower in the family, consider these: a long-handled apple picker; pruning shears or lopper; a pole pruner; tree wrap; home orchard spray; a pump-type sprayer; and a hose-end sprayer. For the vegetable gardener: a high-quality hoe; twine plus wooden stakes for marking rows; a soaker hose; a book describing square foot gardening; a raised bed construction kit; a soil thermometer; and tomato cages. Flower bed gardeners will enjoy: a reference book on perennial types; […]

Source: www.willistonherald.com