January 2003, Vol 2 Issue 1

Purdue Extension GardenTIPS E-Newsletter

Welcome to the Garden TIPS E-Newsletter. Listed below are tips and links to articles. Follow the links to the GardenTIPS Web site for more information and links at: http://www.extension.purdue.edu/gardentips/

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Plants prepare for winter by slowing down, and so does GardenTIPS.
The E-Newsletter will be sent once a month until spring.
Please continue to visit us through the winter as we post the same useful information!

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Thirst Aid for Houseplants
Rosie Lerner, Purdue Consumer Horticulture Specialist

It looks like cold weather is here to stay, so keep in mind that the typical household in winter is a hazardous place for houseplants. Although we grow them indoors, most houseplants are outdoor plants in their native climates. Tropical and subtropical species can be damaged by temperatures below 50° F, but being too warm in winter can also be a problem.

The air in most homes becomes extremely dry as furnaces force warm air through the rooms. It is not unusual for relative humidity (RH) inside the home to drop to 15 percent during the winter heating season. Most houseplants do best at about 35-45 percent RH.

Full Story, http://www.extension.purdue.edu/gardentips/

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Snow Is Good News For Gardeners
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/snowisgood.html

Roadside De-Icing Salts and Ornamental Plants (PDF)
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-142.pdf=====================================================

Recycle Your Christmas Tree
Rosie Lerner, Purdue Consumer Horticulture Specialist

Though it may give you the blues to take down your holiday tree, you can find solace in recycling your tree in the landscape. Winter birds will appreciate using the tree for cover in your backyard, especially if you decorate it with bird food ornaments. Be sure to remove tinsel, plastic and other non-recyclable ornaments.

Christmas trees can also be recycled to use as mulch around the landscape. You can chop or grind smaller branches for wood chips to use in flower, tree and shrub beds. Larger branches can be cut into smaller bundles for winter protective mulch around newly planted perennials and small shrubs. Be sure to remove the branches in spring, when the plants begin to grow again.

Full Story, http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/christmas_tree.html

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February Garden Calendar
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/garden_calendars.html
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More Information on:
Garden Flowers: http://www.extension.purdue.edu/gardentips/flowers.html
Landscape Plants: http://www.extension.purdue.edu/gardentips/landscape.html
Lawn Care: http://www.extension.purdue.edu/gardentips/lawn.html
Fruits & Vegetables: http://www.extension.purdue.edu/gardentips/fruits.html
Insects, Pests, & Diseases: http://www.extension.purdue.edu/gardentips/insects.html
Indoor Plants: http://www.extension.purdue.edu/gardentips/indoor.html

Visit the GardenTIPS Web site for more information and links:
http://www.extension.purdue.edu/gardentips/

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GardenTIPS is a Purdue University Extension gardening Web site. This E-Newsletter is sent out twice a month. Browse our garden tips, information, and links at: http://www.extension.purdue.edu/gardentips/.

If you are having trouble receiving this E-Newsletter, please contact the list owner at: owner-gardenht@purdue.edu

If you wish to unsubscribe or switch to the HTML version, go to the Garden TIPS Subscription page at: http://www.extension.purdue.edu/gardentips/subscribe.html.