Danny Lipford » Houseplants

The Vanishing Portulaca Mystery

Julie Day — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:24:36 +0000

All summer I have been scratching my head over this one. I have a large concrete planter on my porch that I filled this summer with a mix of portulaca. At first, it seemed like a winning combo – the drought-loving plants settled right into that sunny, dry planter and bloomed like crazy.

Then, one day, my happy portulaca looked a wee bit wilted. The next day, it looked downright discouraged. Within a couple of weeks, the plants were completely dead, rotted away to stubs. All summer, I have been scouring my sources to find answers, and yes, there are some fast-acting diseases out there, as well as a thriving online support community for survivors of sudden portulaca death.

Finally, though, near the end of the summer, I happened to open my door at just the right moment, and the answer to my question was looking me right in the eye – literally:

Meet Houdini, who generally runs the place by using his 14 pounds in whatever ways he sees fit. In this case, he declared eminent domain over a cozy napping spot, and as you can see by the look on his face, I was disturbing his peace and quiet. Next year, instead of the portulaca, I’ll just put in a blanket and the TV remote.

Watering House Plants

Danny Lipford — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:49:20 +0000

House plants in containers depend on us for food and water, so it’s important to recognize the warning signs indicating that they have received either too much or too little water.

How to Grow African Violets

Danny Lipford — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:28:07 +0000

To grow new African violets, use a sterile knife and cut off a healthy leaf as near the base as possible. Dip the stem in rooting hormone then push it through a piece of paper and place the stem in water until it develops roots.

Water Without Splashing Foliage

Danny Lipford — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 20:14:54 +0000

Many fuzzy leafed plants, such as African violets, don’t like water on their foliage because it leaves spots and can cause fungus. Deliver water past the leaves and directly to the roots with a simple funnel made from the handle of a plastic milk jug. Make two cuts in the jug: one near the top of the handle, just below the curve, and the other where the handle flares out to attach to the main body of the jug. The funnels are even small enough to leave in place.

Painting Clay Pots

Danny Lipford — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:23:09 +0000

For a quick and easy way to paint clay pots give them a spin! Before you begin, you’ll need to cut a wooden disk with a hole saw. Place a carriage bolt in a drill (one with a speed adjustment knob works best) and attach the wooden disk on top of the bolt. Position the drill in a vice so that the carriage bolt and disc are upright. In order to make the pot fit snugly over the wooden disk we filled the pot with a couple pieces of bubble wrap. Situate the clay pot on the wooden disc by lightly tapping into place. Turn on the drill and the pot will spin (you may have to adjust the speed so that its not spinning too fast). Apply a small amount of paint to your paintbrush so that the paint doesn’t spin off, and hold the paintbrush against the pot. The spinning motion will distribute the paint, giving you a quick and cleaner way to get a nice even coat all the way around and down to the rim of the pot.

Humidity Helper

Danny Lipford — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 20:10:12 +0000

A good way to increase humidity around potted seedlings is to set a couple of seedling pots in a larger container of pebbles. The pebbles should be about fingernail size, and there should be just a small amount of water in the pebble container- enough to create humid conditions but not enough to touch the bottom of the pots. (If potted seedlings are left in standing water all the time, the roots will rot.) You’ll want to place the seedlings in a shady area that will get a hint of sunlight. As the water evaporates you simply add more water.

Mossy Pots

Danny Lipford — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 16:18:53 +0000

Moss covered planting pots can give your garden an old world charm. But if you live in a dry climate you may be out of luck. Here’s a trick to help out Mother Nature. Wet down an unglazed clay pot and then brush on a generous coating of plain unsweetened yogurt. If you keep the pot damp and in a shaded spot you will soon have the mossy patina your looking for.