What to do about ice on your roof

[JAN. 6, 2001]  With the weather we have been having, there have been several questions regarding ice dams on house roofs. University of Minnesota Extension has a great publication on the web dealing with ice dam causes and cures.

The publication is at http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housingandclothing/DK1068.html.

[John Fulton]


Pointers on keeping poinsettias

[DEC. 26, 2000]  The poinsettia is a plant that is native to Mexico and has become the traditional potted plant at Christmas time. While many believe that the red, pink or white color is the flower, it is actually called a bract. Bracts are colored leaves. The true flowers are there, but they aren’t very showy.

Many of the improved varieties offered today last an amazingly long time. To help them last and keep them looking good, keep the room temperatures between 60 and 68 degrees (if possible) and with very high humidity. Temperatures over 75 are really hard on poinsettias, especially with low humidity. Try to place your poinsettia by a bright window just out of direct sunlight. Remove it from the window at night if there is a danger of chilling. Keep soil moisture at moderate and uniform levels, and never let the pot stand in water.

 

Re-blooming poinsettias is a common goal, but bear in mind that this is one of the most difficult plants to succeed with. If you’re a gambler, or a die-hard horticulturalist, here are the basic steps to improve your success.

After you are done displaying your poinsettia, gradually withhold water. The leaves should soon turn yellow and drop. Store the dried-off plant in a cool (meaning 50 to 60 degrees), dry, dark basement room until April or May. During this period, water lightly with just enough to keep the roots and stems from drying out too much.

 

When you bring the plant back up, prune stems to about six inches. Remove from the pot, take some old soil from the roots, then repot using a well-drained mixture. If there are several plants in the pot, separate and pot them individually. Use a pot that provides plenty of room. Water the plant well and place in a warm, sunny spot for renewed plant growth. You can put the plants outside when frost danger has passed, but be wary of direct sun during the hottest part of the day. You may have to repot the plant if it becomes root bound.

If you’re into starting cuttings, you may have decent success by starting new plants from the shoots that appear on your old cut-back plant in the spring.

 

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Keep the plant actively growing during the summer months by watering regularly and applying a complete liquid fertilizer every couple of weeks. As new shoots form, pinch them back so that two nodes (leaf pairs) remain on each. Stop pinching off shoots in August. Also, you may want to remove some of the weaker stems completely, allowing only a few of the stronger ones to develop. Control insects as they appear, and if plants become diseased they should be pitched.

 

Before cool weather in the fall, place the plant inside in a south window with full sun through the day. Watch the temperatures and moistures. Temperatures should be 60 to 65 during the day and 70 to 75 at night. Moisture should be moderate. Starting the last week of September, your plant should only be exposed to natural sunlight (this means no house lights after dark). Probably the best method is to put the plant in a closet overnight. Once the leaf color forms, you can increase non-daylight light.

With these recommendations, and a little bit of luck, your poinsettia should be ready for the holiday season.

Office closed for holidays

The Extension office will be closed for the holidays, beginning Dec. 23, and will reopen on Jan. 2. Best wishes for the holiday season!

[John Fulton]

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