Aloe Vera Family

Look at aloe now. It's leaves are very green and succulent as when I saw it in its sorry state last May. This is the mother plant (the original one which was given to my mother a year ago).

After just about 2 months, 5 of the original plants almost doubled. The mother plant is the one from the right, 3rd pot. The smaller aloes are the newest ones.

Just beneath these two plants are 5 new additions to the family... and growing fast too. ^_^
Once these babies have produced a root of their own, I will transfer them in pots that they could call their own. =)

These are the newest addition (or should i say newly separated babies?). Once they have further develop a root system of their own, I will transfer them in one plot in the garden which receives full sun. I bet they will love that!

*****

I use aloe vera for my hair and face. At least, these plants help maintain my hairs' healthy shine., and leaving my face free of pimples! =)

Voila... It's a Viola!

How to Grow Violas

Violas are primarily cool season bloomers. They are perfect for starting and ending the season in colder climates and for bridging the seasons in warmer zones, where they can remain in bloom throughout the winter. So when to plant violas will depends on your climate.

Starting Violas from Seed Indoors - Violas are easy to start from seed. In fact they are quite happy to self-seed all over your garden. But if you would like to start your own indoors, the process is very straight forward.

Start seed about 4 - 6 weeks before transplanting. Violas can withstand some freezing temperatures, so cold climate gardeners can pick a transplant date that is about 4 weeks before your last expected frost date. Warm climate gardeners transplanting in the fall should start their seeds in mid-summer.

1. Use a sterile potting mix.

2. Moisten the mix and fill your flats or pots to about 1/4 inch below the top edge.

3. Sprinkle 2-3 seeds in each cell or pot and cover lightly with more moistened potting mix. Note: Violas need darkness to germinate, so cover the seeds completely.

4. Set in a warm (65 -70 degrees F. / 18 - 21 degrees C.) location and keep moist. On top of the refrigerator is a good spot. Seeds should begin to germinate in 10 - 14 days.

5. Once the seeds sprout, move them to a sunny window or place under plant lights.

6. When the first true leaves appear, thin the pot or cell to the strongest looking seeding by pinching or cutting the others at the soil line.

7. At this point, a temperature of 55 - 60 degrees F. / 13 - 15 degrees C. is fine. You can also begin feeding your seedlings with any good balanced, water soluble fertilizer.

Moving Your Viola Seedling Outdoors - When temperatures and weather permit transplanting outdoors, let the seedlings get adjusted to the change by hardening them off.

1. Move the seedling to a shaded or protected location outdoors.

2. Leave them outdoors for about 4 hours the first day and increase the time outside by 1-2 hours each day, slowly moving them into brighter light. The seedlings will tell you if they are unhappy by their appearance.

3. Make sure the soil stays moist. Outdoor winds can dry pots quickly.

4. Seedlings can be transplanted into the garden or containers after about 10 - 14 days of hardening. Just be sure the weather isn’t taking a down turn. Violas can withstand some frost, but not a late season snow storm.

Direct-seeding Violas into the Garden - Weather permitting, you can start viola seed directly in the garden.

1. Good well-draining soil with organic matter is recommended.

2. Loosen the soil in the planting area and moisten.

3. Sprinkle the viola seed.

4. Cover with about 1/4 soil and water well.

5. Keep the seed bed moist.

6. As seedlings develop, thin plants to about 6- 8 inches apart. Transplant excess seedlings.

Spacing: Mounding violas should be spaced about 6-8 inches apart. Trailing or spreading varieties can be planted 10-12 inches apart.

Days to Bloom: Violas begin blooming about 12-14 weeks after planting seeds. V. tricolor varieties bloom about two weeks earlier than V. cornuta. ‘Penny’ and ‘Sorbet’ will bloom 9-10 weeks from sowing.

I got this from another site. Basically, this will be my 2nd attempt at growing violas. ^_^

Wish me luck!

Marigolds

The marigold seeds are shaped like an arrow with a black or gray “tip” and white fussy “feathers” at the back.

The seed itself is the solid (black/gray) part. The white feather like fussy stuff is the “tail” which can be removed, if desired. (commercial growers will buy de-tailed seeds for their automatic sowing machines).

You can lay the seed flat and cover with mixture, or you can stick the seed vertically into the mixture with the solid part first so that the top of the tail is at the soil level. This is probably the easiest.

Start by moistening the growing media in a small bucket. It has to be damp, but not soaking wet. This is very important. Do not place the media into the trays dry. If you squeeze a handfull hard, no water should drip, maybe except for a drop or two.

Fill the trays with damp media without pressing it in. Just fill it and then tap the containers on the side of the potting bench to settle the mixture in the container. Then top off with more media if needed. This potting technique is very important. It insures maximum air in the growing media. Roots need air as well as water continously to grow.

A common beginners mistake is potting in a manner which excludes air which limits root growth and can lead to problems. Putting dry media into the pot will exclude air, as the media will expand when wetted and this drives air pores out of the growing media. Pressing the moist media down heavily into your container with your thumb/hand can also drive out air. Therefore, I recommend the filling and tapping procedure explained above.

Once the pots are full with potting mixture, stick the seeds into the mixture with the tail up, or lift out a 1/4″ of material, put the seed down and gently replace and pat the mixture back. Do not compress too heavily. you want to retain air in the mixture. Light firming of the mixture on top with your fingers is perfectly ok.

Next put the containers in a pan of water to wick up moisture from below. When the top surface of the growing media starts to turn black (from brown) and glistens, you can remove the containers and put them aside to drain. Then finally return to their place in a window or under fluorescent lights. Make sure the container has been given time to drain for a few minuttes.

It helps to cover the tray with plastic wrap or the plastic dome. This keeps humidity inside the container. most seeds germinate best - and the seedling is able to escape the seed coat - in high humidity. Check daily. When germination occurs (e.g. the seed sprouts) remove the plastic wrap promptly.

Warning: when covered with plastic, the temperatures inside the dome/wrap can sky rocket to unhealthy temperature levels if placed directly below fluorescent lights or in a sunny window. Keep at least 1 foot away from fluorescent light bulbs or in a northern facing window, or behind sher curtains during germination face. once germination (sprouting) is underway, remove the plastic and then put the seedlings in bright direct sunlight (or directly below fluorescent light bulbs).

Marigolds usually germinate fast at temperatures around 70-75 deg F. A warm place in the house gives best result.