LandscapingNews
Plant of the Month: Cyclamen
If you’ re looking form something to brighten up you garden this time of year, Cyclamen is a great winter blooming plant for semi-shaded beds in our area. They like morning sun and shade in the afternoon.
It has three-inch heart shaped leaves and will grow to about one foot tall. The leaves are topped with flower stalks with white, red, maroon, or pink flowers. They will do best in a well drained bed, but they don’ t like to dry out. They will flower continuously until the temperatures warm up. If a freeze is predicted, cover your plants with freeze-cloth to protect the blooms.
Cyclamen also do well as a houseplant. Water faithfully when the soil surface dries down to one-half inch and fertilize with a soluble fertilizer every three to four weeks. Place them in a window with morning sun.
January Landscaping Tips
• Winter is the best time to prune your trees unless they are spring or winter flowering trees. When pruning your live oaks, spray your tools between cuts with one part bleach, nine parts water spray, to prevent the spread of oak wilt disease.
• You can also order soil for any new beds you plan on planting in the spring and get them laid out. This will give the soil time to settle.
• Before you store your tools, spray them with water and scrub with a wire brush and dry them before storing. You should oil any moving parts on pruners and loppers and while you’ re at it a light coating of oil on the rest of your tools helps protect them from rest.
• Fertilize your annual color.
• If a freeze is forecast, cover your tender plants with frost blankets or regular blankets or sheets. Make sure they have been watered as water in the ground is great insulation. Do not cover your plants with plastic to protect them.
• Leave any freeze damage on your woody plants until spring. Pruning it off now could cause more damage should we have another hard frost.
• Provide food and water for birds and other wildlife.
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