His column is updated every day or thereabouts, so check back to see what's doing in his garden.
Money Doesn't Grow On Trees, But Schlumbergera Do!
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Crab cacti, all members of the Schlumbergera genus, provide beautiful color during the winter.
These plants are native to tropical rain forests, where they are usually found growing on trees.
Their spectacular blooms are a welcome addition to any home, and with a little care, you can keep your Christmas cactus happy, healthy, and blooming for many holiday seasons to come.
During their prime blooming season (as early as mid-November through January), all these plants need is a bright, sunny location, and water when the soil feels dry.
After bloom (January through May), give the cactus a sunny location indoors.
Fertilize every four to six weeks with a complete houseplant fertilizer, and water when the soil feels dry.
These plants should be potted in a soil medium, which has some moisture retention, but also has good drainage.
The best mix is peat moss, commercial potting soil, and builder's sand.
SAP BUSTER
As you are cleaning up your garden, property, etc.(Of course, the sap might come from any number of sources, such as the branches of pine trees you've been pruning.), you may find yourself wrestling with sappy trees and brush, which calls to mind a great tip for getting sap off your hands.
To remove stubborn sap from your hands, try a little rubbing alcohol.
This is far more effective than attempting to get that sap off with soap and water.
Pull yourself up a shovel blade and sit yourself down for a visit with "Brother" and his "Wise" Sayings.
If you're on the lookout for a great gardening resource, check out Square Foot Gardening, by Mel Bartholomew.
Published by Rodale Press, this book offers very helpful information on garden basics such as soil preparation, planting techniques, and controlling weeds -- but it's much more than a general gardening manual.
Square Foot Gardening will introduce you to a system of designing gardens that are easy to maintain, that conserve resources, and that produce abundantly in less space.
Do you have some gardening knowledge to share or have a question for "Brother"?
You can Write to Brother!
Include your first initial and last name and put the word GARDEN in the subject.
I'll try to use your contribution in a future column.
(Please note that these columns are written several weeks in advance so publishing it will be delayed accordingly.)
See y'all tomorrow and remember:
"Brother"
Nowhere else in the world are we closer to the Creator than in the garden. Well, at least we're closer to His creation.
