walterandersen.com facebook.com/walterandersens twitter.com/walterandersens online store videos San Diego’s Independent Nursery Since 1928 TM AUGUST 2017 IN THIS ISSUE Solo Effort Helps Restore Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies By Melanie Potter Solo Effort Restores Butterflies 1 Summer Watering Tips 1 Houseplants Bring Outdoors In 1 Can’t Go Wrong w/Succulents 3 Old Ben: Rarest Bird In World 4 Old Ben’s August Specials 4 Walter: Outdoor Favorites 5 To Do List: August 5 Water Lettuce 6 Grow Up, Plant A Wall 7 August Garden Classes 7 Don’t Miss These Classes 7 In May, there was big news out of San only food source, the California Pipe- Summer Francisco. So big it made the national vine (Aristolochia californica), also Watering Tips morning news and was also featured known as California Dutchman’s Pipes. on internet news services. It was all This news proves that with a little By Kate Karam, Monrovia Nursery about a special butterfly making a effort and some patience you can giant comeback. change the world for the better. You can see the story here: www.cbsnews. Watering the garden seems simple Sadly, the California Pipevine Swallow- com/videos/rare-butterfly-makes- enough, but it actually takes a tail populations were almost extinct stunning-comeback. little finesse to do properly. Follow because nobody was growing their these few simple rules for watering continued p2 your garden to keep it healthy throughout the season. To make sure you really do need to Bring The Outdoors Inside water, use that handiest of garden With These Houseplants tools, your finger, to test soil mois- By Walter Andersen, Jr. ture levels before grabbing the hose. If the soil surface looks dry, probe Walter, Jr. longs to take care of growing things down a few inches to see if the soil inside his house that are peaceful in nature. is dry several inches down. If it is However, he shares his home with three ram- dry, then water; if not, wait a day. bunctious, loveable dogs and a one-eyed cat So, your garden does need a deep (who rules the roost). Perhaps he dreams of drink. When’s the best time of these plants and thinks they will be perfect in the day to water? You have two your home! opportunities: early morning or late Anthurium andraeanum afternoon. Early morning is best Commonly known as just Anthurium, it makes when water can soak into the soil Anthurium andraeanum a very attractive indoor plant. The blooms are rather than evaporate due to heat continued p2 continued p2 08.17 2 Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies continued from p1 So, what exactly is this California area. Because it is a vigorous grower, Pipevine? You may know it as Dutch- provide a trellis, fence or arbor to man’s Pipes. Pipevine is a vigorous, grow on. It can grow to be as tall as climbing, woody vine without tendrils. 20-30 feet! It has pipe shaped flowers and heart- The flowers have a musty, unpleasant shaped leaves. The flowers are curved, odor that attracts fungus gnats, which like a pipe. It is native to central and are suspected of being the successful northern California and should be pollinator of the plant. planted in a somewhat shady to sunny • Houseplants continued from p1 Watering Tips continued from p1 or wind. Missed that window? Late afternoon is also fine, but not too late. Water on foliage needs to dry before the sun goes down to avoid developing fungal diseases. While it’s pretty satisfying to stand, hose in hand, and blast the garden, it’s vital to deeply soak a plant’s Crossandra infundibuliformis Spathiphyllum ‘Peace Lily’ entire root system (which is probably large and spectacular. Colored red, blooming. Mature plants bloom almost the same width as the plant and white and pink, the blooms are heart- continually if you fertilize them once a may be a foot or two deep), and not shaped and 5 to 6 inches wide. The month with a good liquid indoor plant just spritz its leaves. A thumb over a leaves are quite large and very shiny; food. Plant foods with formulas for hose aimed at the roots works, but they almost look like they have been African Violets will work well also. To a watering wand, drip irrigation, or waxed. Blooms last for about six weeks encourage them to grow larger repot soaker hoses better directs water on the plant and you can expect them into 8” containers. right to the root zone. The payoff for this extra effort is that deep to bloom off and on all year when Spathiphyllum grown indoors. Larger plants can sup- watering encourages plants to port more than one bloom at a time. Sometimes called Peace Lilly, this is develop deep roots that find water They like a well draining potting mix. a remarkable plant for indoor use. in the subsoil when drought strikes. There are several varieties; the main To maintain, fertilize monthly with a Roots deprived of oxygen due to difference is in the mature size. The good indoor plant food. Even without waterlogged soil may lose their blooms, these are very attractive plants. most common grow to about 16” to ability to drink up. Watering slowly, 18” tall. Slender stalks grow into very deeply, and infrequently creates the Crossandra infundibuliformis wide leaves of deep green. The pure damp-but-not-soggy soil that most Commonly known as Crossandra, this white blooms are formed just above is a wonderful blooming plant that the leaves. Don’t let them dry out plants love. Aim for moist soil five grows to about 16” tall and wide. The and they will reward you with almost to six inches below the surface. If plant has a tropical look with its deep continual blooms. Almost any liquid soil surface is really dry, water may green leaves and flat-faced flowers plant food will keep them happy, if you puddle or run off. Start slowly, and that are peachy colored. It prefers don’t have any; try Gro-Power Liquid once the top few inches are moist, fairly bright light if you want it to keep once a month. • the water will be absorbed more easily. continued p3 08.17 3 Can’t Go Wrong With Succulents Watering Tips By Walter Andersen, Jr. continued from p2 You can help keep soil moist by covering it with a layer of mulch to help reduce evaporation and minimize runoff. Just remember that you can have too much of a good thing; if the mulch is too thick, it can prevent moisture from reaching the roots. Aim for about a two inch layer, and pull mulch back from the main stem to avoid rot. A Few More Things... • Resist the urge to water in the heat of the day, even if your plants are wilting. Plants sometimes wilt to conserve moisture, but they should Aloe Vera perk up again when evening comes. • If foliage edges are turning brown, you’re probably overwatering. Editor’s Note: It has been a hot summer and there have been days when we’ve had to water plants at the nursery multiple times. Those in small containers dry out quickly. Bear that in mind and give close attention to plants in containers as they may require more water than usual. • Euphorbia Euphorbia Whether you plant them in containers watering about once a week. It can be of pink, red, white, cream and other or in a drought-tolerant landscape, gown indoors in a bright room. Some colors. Blooms are formed in clusters these are a popular choice for gar- folks keep them in the kitchen to use at the end of branches. The stems and deners. They are used in wreaths and as a burn medication. When you cut trunk are very thorny so handle carefully. table top décor and best of all is how through the leaf there is a thick, gel- Leaves are deep green and 1” to 2” long. easy they are to plant and propagate. like center that you can spread on There are some varieties that do have Aloe Vera (A. barbadensis) burns, scrapes or rashes. Aloe Vera is foliage to perhaps 4” long, and are a very popular and useful succulent. larger growing. The two in the photos Often called the burn plant or medic- Euphorbia milii (E. splendens) are more compact varieties. These are inal aloe or just Aloe Vera, which is a popular in rock gardens or you can smaller growing variety. It has very Has the common name Crown of plant with other succulents and cactus. thick fleshy foliage with leaves to Thorns. This is a very bright, showy Believe it or not, these are related to the about 10” to 15” long when mature. plant that botanists have traced back common Poinsettia! • It grows well in full sun to light shade to the Spiny Forest of Madagascar. It in most areas of San Diego. This has been highly hybridized and there plant takes very little care other than are many varieties. You’ll find blooms 08.17 4 Old Ben: Old Ben's Specials The Rarest Bird In The World Valid August 1-30, 2017 By Old Ben Old Ben’s Nyger Seed The Staple food for goldfinches and many other small birds. In 1990, a group of Cambridge scien- tists arrived to the plains of Nechisar 20lb. bag in Ethiopia. On that expedition, they Sale $44.99 Reg. $49.99 collected more than two dozen spec- imens; saw more than 300 species of birds, and lots of rare butterflies, Old Ben’s Classic dragonflies, reptiles, mammals, and Nechisar Nightjar Wild Bird Seed plants.