image from blogspot.com

     I noticed I had a couple of comments yesterday about they couldn't get their amaryllis to rebloom.  See if this helps. 

Reblooming Amaryllis Flowers – Care To Get An Amaryllis To Bloom Again
Very few flowers can match the majestic presence of the amaryllis in bloom. The trick, however, is how to make an amaryllis flower rebloom. While many people discard the plant after its initial bloom, with a little know how and the right care, you can enjoy a reblooming amaryllis year after year. Let’s look at how to make an amaryllis flower rebloom.


Reblooming Amaryllis Flowers
How do I get an amaryllis flower to rebloom? Amaryllis plants in nature live in a habitat that alternates between nine months of moist wet weather, and a three-month dry season. The trick to make an amaryllis flower rebloom is to mimic the natural cycles of its habitat. When the last flower fades, take care and cut the stalk near the top of the bulb. Make sure you leave the foliage on the bulb and try not to damage them while cutting the flower stalks.
Care to Get an Amaryllis to Bloom Again
Once the flowers are gone, the amaryllis goes into a growth phase, where it begins to store energy for next year’s bloom. While it can be difficult to give the plant enough sunlight in the winter months, move it to the sunniest location you can, or get a good plant light. Give the plant plenty of water and fertilizer during this time. Ensuring that there is enough sunlight, water, and fertilizer during this period is key to make an amaryllis flower rebloom.
As soon as the last frost of the year is finished, move the plant outside to a sunny location and water daily. Although some of the leaves may die in this transition, don’t worry, new ones will regrow.
Since, most people want to make their amaryllis bloom during the holidays, typically you should bring the plant back indoors by the middle of August. Once you bring the plant inside, put it in a cool location (50-60 F. or 10-16 C.) and stop watering the amaryllis. Once the leaves die, move it to a dark spot for its rest period. If you like, you can remove the bulb from the soil before you store it for it’s resting period.
Watch your bulb, and when you see the tip of the new flower stalk, it’s time to prepare for the reblooming amaryllis. Move the bulb to a warmer location for three weeks. This encourages the leaves and stalk to develop simultaneously. Repot the bulb in fresh soil (but not too deep) and place it in a sunny location.
This process can be repeated every year and, if done correctly, you can make an amaryllis flower rebloom again and again!
taken from https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/amaryllis-hippeastrum/amaryllis-bloom-again.htm
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net

image from blogspot.com

      ​     As a gardener we need something to plant and watch grow when it is cold outside and snowy.....so try these.
Amaryllis Christmas Bulbs
Amaryllises are beautiful Christmas bulbs that are easy to care for. Find out how to buy the best amaryllis bulbs, how to plant the them, how to care for amaryllis, and how to make sure they bloom again next winter!
 
No one gets more excited about amaryllis than a first-time grower. These big bulbs are easy to bring into bloom, and even a novice can expect success.
 
Buying Amaryllis: Types of Bulbs
When shopping for amaryllis bulbs, you can buy the boxed kits which contain not only a fat bulb but a pot and some soil. These make a nice gift, but there are not a lot of color choices—generally they offer red, pink, and white. Some garden centers offer large-size, bare bulbs which give you more variety, and each one usually produces 2 or more flower spikes. Each spike will produce 2 to 4 large trumpet-shaped blossoms.
 
Amaryllis bulbs are classified by size, which is determined by measuring around the outside of the bulb at its widest point.
 
Another good reason for choosing a bare bulb is that you can see the condition of the bulb without having to rummage around in a box. Make sure it is heavy and firm, not moldy or squishy. It should have some fairly long fleshy roots attached.
 
How to Plant Amaryllis Bulbs
If you can’t pot it up right away, store it in a cool, dry, dark place.
 
Before planting, soak the roots in lukewarm water for a few hours to rehydrate them. Amaryllis like to be slightly potbound. The pot needs to be only 2 inches wider than the bulb so that when it is planted there is only an inch of soil between the bulb and the edge of the pot. Put a layer of soil in the bottom of the pot and position the bulb so the top sticks up above the rim of the pot. Firm the soil around the edge, leaving the top third of the bulb exposed. If planted too deeply it will rot. Water sparingly at first, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings.
 
How to Care for Amaryllis
Place in a warm spot until the first green shoot appears, then it can be moved to a bright sunny location. Rotate the pot a quarter turn each time you water to keep the spike from leaning toward the light. Stake it if necessary to keep it from snapping—these plants tend to be top heavy. Putting the pot into a larger, heavier cache pot will not only keep it from toppling but will balance the look of the large flowers. Once your amaryllis is blooming, you can move it to a cooler location out of direct sunlight to make the blossoms last longer. Get more tips for caring for amaryllis in the winter.
 
How to Care for Amaryllis After Flowering
One of the most frequently asked questions after the holidays is, “Now that my amaryllis has finished flowering, how can I get it to bloom again?” Those big bulbs can take center stage again next Christmas if given proper care.
 
After blossoming, the bulb needs to grow and store food for next season’s bloom. Often the bulbs actually shrink in size from the stress of blooming and need to recover lost nutrients.
 
Once the blossoms have faded, cut off the flower stalk but keep the leaves growing by placing the pot in a warm, sunny spot. Water regularly and fertilize weekly with a balanced houseplant fertilizer. This is when next year’s buds are formed within the bulb.
 
It takes a minimum of four leaves to produce one flower stalk, because the buds form in the axils of every fourth bulb scale. Keep the plant growing all summer long; you can even move it outside for the summer. Bring it in at the end of August and let it dry out to induce a period of dormancy. Put the pot in a cool (around 50 degrees) dark place. Pull off any dried up leaves.
 
To induce flowering in time for Christmas, bring the plant into a warm, sunny location and resume watering around November 1st. If you wish to rejuvenate the soil around your bulb, you can repot it at this time or just scrape off the top 2 inches or so of loose soil and replace it with fresh soil. In about 4-6 weeks it should be in full bloom.
 
Now is the time to treat yourself and your friends to a spectacular plant that is practically foolproof.
taken from https://www.almanac.com/news/gardening/gardening-advice/amaryllis-how-grow-amaryllis-bulbs#
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net
 

image from almanac.com

       ​Also for a nice Thanksgiving, I am still hoping for Indian Summer.  OK you are going to say you are crazy lady with the temperatures this week setting all kinds of low records.  See what happens. 
With Thanksgiving on the horizon, two things are on the mind: turkey and travel! For the latter, weather makes a big difference. What conditions should you for expect for this year’s fall feast?
 
This year, Thanksgiving occurs very late in November—on Thursday, November 28.
2019 Thanksgiving Forecast: Weather to Be Thankful For
 
Thanks to a swathe of early winter storms and cold fronts, a good part of the country has already seen snow and freezing temperatures this fall. Will we see more “Frost on the Punkin” in time for Thanksgiving?
 
Well, we have good news for those who aren’t big fans of the white stuff: According to our long-range forecasts, much of the United States will avoid receiving more snow on Thanksgiving, and will instead be graced with sunny, clear skies for the holiday. This, along with colder-than-normal temperatures (but not colder than last year’s frigid temps), will make for a pleasant yet chilly Thanksgiving Day—something to ultimately be thankful for!
 
However, while we do predict that most of the country will experience nice weather on the day of Thanksgiving, we are expecting snow and rain showers to move through the country prior to the holiday, and for a few regions to see snow or rain on the day itself.
 
More Snow and Rain Expected Before Thanksgiving
Across much of the northern U.S., including the Northeast, Atlantic Corridor, Appalachians, Lower Lakes, and Ohio Valley, we’re expecting a mix of snow and rain to hit in the week leading up to Thanksgiving, but for sunny, clear skies to be revealed in time for the actual holiday. Good news for this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC!
 
In the Heartland and Upper Midwest, look for flurries on and around Thanksgiving.
 
In the southern U.S., including the Southeast and Deep South, expect a sunny Thanksgiving to be bookended by bouts of rain. Sunny Florida will remain so, with clear skies and cooler weather in store for the holiday.
 
Out west, in the High Plains and Intermountain regions, we foresee periods of rain and snow occurring on and around Thanksgiving. In Texas-Oklahoma and the Desert Southwest, this will manifest as scattered rain showers accompanied by milder-than-normal temperatures.
 
Along the Pacific coast, including in the Pacific Northwest and Pacific Southwest, expect periods of rain in the days leading up to the holiday—precipitation which may extend into Thanksgiving in the north, but clear up prior to the feast in the south.
 
In Alaska, flurries and periods of snow will occur prior to Thanksgiving, but a cold yet clear holiday is expected. Hawaii will receive sunny, pleasant weather for Thanksgiving, followed by rain showers to cap off the holiday weekend.
https://www.almanac.com/content/thanksgiving-weather-forecast
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net

image from iowachase.com

            I found this interesting about Indian Summer because Larry just said we haven't had those times with lots of fog.  Guess what that is a sign of Indian Summer.  Also the time is from Nov 11 to Nov 20.  So let us hope here in Northern Iowa we will get the true Indian Summer.  Like I have said before, we are 25 degrees below the average so sometime this month we need to be 25 degrees above average. 
 
In the fall, it seems that almost any warm day is referred to by most people as “Indian summer.” And while their error is certainly not of the world-shaking variety, they are, for the most part, mistaken.
 
What Is an Indian Summer?
Here are the criteria for a true Indian summer:
•As well as being warm, the atmosphere during Indian summer is hazy or smoky, there is no wind, the barometer is standing high, and the nights are clear and chilly.
•A moving, cool, shallow polar air mass is converting into a deep, warm, stagnant anticyclone (high pressure) system, which has the effect of causing the haze and large swing in temperature between day and night.
•The time of occurrence is important: The warm days must follow a spell of cold weather or a good hard frost.
•The conditions described above also must occur between St. Martin’s Day (November 11) and November 20. For over 200 years, The Old Farmer’s Almanac has adhered to the saying, “If All Saints’ (November 1) brings out winter, St. Martin’s brings out Indian summer.”
 
Why is it Called an Indian Summer?
Why is Indian summer called Indian summer? There are many theories. Some say it comes from the early Algonquian Native Americans, who believed that the condition was caused by a warm wind sent from the court of their southwestern god, Cautantowwit.
 
The most probable origin of the term, in our view, goes back to the very early settlers in New England. Each year they would welcome the arrival of a cold wintry weather in late October when they could leave their stockades unarmed. But then came a time when it would suddenly turn warm again, and the Native Americans would decide to have one more go at the settlers. “Indian summer,” the settlers called it.
 
Source:   The 1985 Old Farmer's Almanac
taken from https://www.almanac.com/content/indian-summer-what-why-and-when
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net
 

image from bunches.co.uk

       ​How to Care for Peace Lilies (Spathiphyllum)
Peace lilies are one of the most common houseplants because they’re easy to grow and beautiful, too! Here’s everything you need to know about caring for a peace lily in your home.
 
About Peace Lilies
Peace lilies are tropical, evergreen plants that thrive on the forest floor, where they receive dappled sunlight and consistent moisture. Replicating these conditions in the home is the key to getting your peace lily to be happy and healthy.
 
With enough light, peace lilies may produce white to off-white flowers in the early summer and continue to bloom throughout the year.
 
Most household varieties of peace lily grow up to 16 inches tall, but larger outdoor cultivars can reach 6 feet in height. Peace lilies are not cold-hardy plants, so they may only be grown outdoors in warm, humid climates.
 
Is the Peace Lily Plant Poisonous?
Yes. All parts of the peace lily plant contain calcium oxalate—a substance that may cause stomach and respiratory irritation if ingested in large amounts. Keep peace lilies out of reach of small children and pets. Other common plants that contain calcium oxalate include daffodils, true lilies, and hyacinths.
 
Planting
How to Plant, Transplant, and Divide Peace Lilies
•Use a well-draining, all-purpose potting soil.
•Repotting annually in the spring is good for the peace lily, as the plant will appreciate the refreshed soil.
•Eventually, the peace lily may grow too large for its pot, at which point it can be divided. Remove the plant from its pot and split it into smaller plants, being sure to leave several leaves per clump. The peace lily grows from rhizomes, so it can tolerate a bit of tough treatment during dividing.
 
Can Peace Lilies be Grown in Water?
Yes, peace lilies can be grown in water; they are often sold in vases without any soil. Ideally, the base of the plant should be suspended above the water line, either by a specially-made insert or a layer of small stones. This allows the roots to grow into the water, but keeps the base of the plant and its leaves from being constantly wet, which can cause rot.
 
Care
How to Care for a Peace Lily
•Keep the soil moist, but do not overwater. Peace lilies can tolerate short periods of dry soil, but their leaves will start to brown if neglected for too long.
•Peace lilies are sensitive to chemicals commonly found in tap water, such as fluoride, which may cause brown leaf tips. Use filtered, room-temperature water, if possible.
•Peace lilies enjoy high humidity. Misting their leaves or placing their pot atop a moistened tray of gravel can help to increase humidity.
•Peace lilies are not heavy feeders, so fertilize only occasionally. To encourage spring and summer growth, fertilize every 6 weeks or so with a balanced houseplant fertilizer starting in late winter.
•Peace lilies are a tropical plant, so keep them in temperatures above 60°F (16°C) and away from cold, drafty windows. They do best in temperatures upwards of 70°F (21°C).
•Keep these plants out of direct afternoon sunlight, but in a well-lit area. An east-facing window is ideal, as they will be exposed to the warmth of the morning sun but avoid the intensity of mid-day rays.
 
Peace Lily plant
How to Get Peace Lilies to Flower
•Most often, if no flowers are appearing, the plant is not getting enough light. Peace lilies are very tolerant of low light, but low light does not mean no light! To encourage flowering, move the plant to a brighter location, where it will receive bright, indirect light.
•Green flowers, weak-looking flowers, or a general lack of flowers can be caused by improper fertilizing. In the case of green flowers, cut back on fertilizing. In the case of weak-looking flowers or a lack of flowers, try switching to a fertilizer made for flowering plants. This type of fertilizer will have a higher amount of phosphorous, which plants need for blooming.
 
Pests/Diseases
•Brown leaf tips are commonly caused by excessive light, over-fertilization, or lack of water and/or low humidity. Keeping the plant on a tray of moistened gravel or misting the leaves can help to increase humidity.
•Yellow leaves may be caused by overwatering, underwatering, or old age (of the leaf).
•Scale and mealybugs will happily take up residence on the plant, if given the opportunity. A thorough wipe-down of leaves with soapy water or insecticidal soap can be effective at stopping them, though repeated applications will be necessary.
 
Wit & Wisdom
•In NASA studies, it was discovered that peace lilies can help improve air quality, removing formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide from the surrounding air. Read more about air-purifying houseplants!
•The peace lily is said to have gotten its common name from its white flowers, which rise timidly above its green foliage and resemble small, white flags of peace.
•Despite the peace lily’s common name, it is not related to true lilies at all.
•The plant’s interesting blooms are also the source of its Latin name, Spathiphyllum, meaning “spathe-leaf.” The flowers consist of the spathe (the white, sheath-like leaf) and the spadix (the spike of small flowers located within the spathe).
taken from  https://www.almanac.com/plant/peace-
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net

image from organicpowerfoods.com

      ​     I have never seen this done before I am going to try this.  I have moved the carnivorous   and air plants into our house with a grow light so will put this celery with it to see what happens.  Have any of you tried this?  Let us know.  
Growing Celery from a StumpDid you know that when you buy celery at the supermarket, there are ways to recover the plant and get it to grow again? It’s an easy project to carry out on the average windowsill and a great way to show the children how plants grow… but it’s also a net savings for you, because the original celery plant will provide several more months of greenery. Here’s what to do:
The next time you chop up a bunch of store-bought celery, leave its base intact (aim for a height of about 2 inches/5 cm). Now place the stump in a bowl, cut side up, and add enough water so the base sits in it. Soon small white roots will appear and new leaves will emerge from the center of the stump. For good green growth to occur, you’ll need to place the bowl on a sunny windowsill… and add water regularly as soon as the level drops. The base must be moist at all times. The leaves produced rarely result in the long thick stalks you’re used to, but are still perfectly edible and you can chop them up and use them in any recipe that calls for celery.
Better Than Water
Growing a celery stump in water is a bit of a gimmick, though. It’s great for kids and seems to please non-gardeners who somehow feel that growing anything is just plain water is really cool. But it you want truly long lasting results, try growing it in soil.
To do so, fill a pot with moist potting soil and set the stump firmly into it. Now that it’s growing in an environment more like that of a vegetable garden, it will be much more productive and long lasting. Put the pot in a sunny spot, keep the soil slightly moist and you can usually get at least 4 to 5 months of growth, often more.
Of course, that’s on a windowsill. Still not ideal conditions for a celery plant. Better yet, therefore, when your celery stump is well rooted, plant it outdoors in the vegetable garden, in full sun (acclimatize it first) and rich, moist soil. It will take off and grow just like a seed-sown celery plant, giving a full-sized plant of supermarket quality, ready to harvest at the end of the summer. And then you can harvest the stump and start all over again
taken form https://laidbackgardener.blog/2016/04/30/growing-celery-from-a-stump/
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net

image from endemicfoods.co.za

       ​    I remember growing up Mom and Dad would go to the woods in Lansing Iowa and bring back buckets of dirt from the woods.  But it was lots of trees and leaves, so it was leaf mold.  She used it in her gardening.  So you can make your own.
 
Fallen leaves can be time-consuming to deal with, so don’t waste all that hard work by throwing them out. Use them to make precious leaf mold instead.
 
What is Leaf Mold?
Leaf mold is incredibly useful in the garden, and can be used to improve soil, suppress weeds, or as a component in your own potting soil mix.
 
Leaf mold is made from the leaves of deciduous trees and shrubs (that’s one that drops its leaves in winter). Thicker deciduous leaves and evergreen leaves take longer to rot down, so they should be added to your main compost heap where they’ll rot down faster due to higher temperatures.
 
Some leaves should not be used for leaf Mold, as they release chemicals that can stunt plant growth. These include black walnut, eucalyptus, camphor laurel and cherry laurel.
 
How to Collect Leaves for Leaf Mold
Collect leaves from almost anywhere they fall, but don’t collect leaves from busy roads as they may contain pollutants that could harm your plants.
 
Using a spring-tine rake or a leaf blower, collect leaves into piles then scoop them up by hand or using improvised grabbers.
 
A quicker method is to mow them with a lawnmower on its highest height setting. The blades will chop the leaves into small pieces that will turn into leaf mold faster than whole leaves. If you’re collecting the leaves as you mow them be aware that the collection bag can become heavy quickly, particularly if the leaves are damp, so you’ll need to empty the bag often.
 
How to Make Leaf Mold
Leaf mold is simple to make. First construct a leaf mold cage to contain your leaves while allowing plenty of air to reach them. Hammer four corner posts into the ground, then staple chicken wire or mesh to the posts. It will normally take about two years for leaves to rot down into leaf mold.
 
An even simpler solution, for small amounts of leaves, is to stuff them into sturdy garbage sacks. Squash the leaves right down into the sack, tie it shut, and puncture it several times with a garden fork. Pop the sacks somewhere out of the way where they will remain undisturbed for a couple of years.
 
How to Use Leaf Mold
1. Improve soil. Within two to three years, your leaves should have rotted down into dark, crumbly leaf mold. Spread it thickly on the soil surface and lightly fork it in. Beneficial soil organisms will then incorporate it fully into the soil. Leaf mold will enhance any soil type, improving drainage in heavy clay soils and helping to retain moisture in light, sandy soils.
 
2. Mulch. Leaf mold that is between one and two years old will only be partially broken down, but at this stage it can be spread as a mulch to suppress weeds and gradually improve your soil. Lay it 1-2 inches thick around fruit trees and bushes or other perennial plants.
 
3. Potting soil mixes. Sieve finished leaf mold to remove any lumps and debris. Mix the fine sieved leaf mold with compost and weed-free topsoil, and use it for growing crops in containers or when transplanting young plants.
 
taken from https://www.almanac.com/video/how-make-leaf-mold
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net

image from almanac,com
​This is what you should not do with mulching.  Making a volcano mulch around the plant.

    I would question a couple of things in this article.  Let me know what you think.  Robin says use coffee grounds as a mulch????  and ground up corn cobs, wonder where we would get them? 
Mulching Guide: Benefits of Mulch By Robin Sweetser
Mulching is a common gardening practice with many benefits. But using mulch incorrectly can have the opposite effect. Here’s how to mulch a garden—and get the most out of mulching.
 
What is Mulch?
At its simplest, mulch is a material that covers the soil for variety of reasons, usually controlling weeds.
 
Advantages of Mulching
Mulch has been called the gardener’s friend—and for good reason. It offers three major benefits:
•Suppression of weeds
•Conservation of moisture in the soil
•Moderation of soil temperatures, keeping it warmer on cold nights and cooler on hot days
There are also many other benefits of mulch:
•In winter, protect plants from the cycle of freezing and thawing (which can heave them out of the ground)
•Prevent soil compaction and crusting
•Slow down runoff and erosion, especially on slopes
•Break down and feed the soil (if organic mulch such as grass clippings)
•Warm the soil in spring, allowing the gardener to plant days or weeks before the soil would normally be ready
•Keeping plants off the ground, especially tomatoes and melons, to avoid plant disease
•Keep plants clean, especially lettuce and celery, preventing rain from splashing soil that could carry disease onto plants
•Making gardens “spiffed up” and attractive
 
Disadvantages of Mulching
Although using mulch has many benefits, it can also be detrimental to the garden in mainly two ways:
•Overmulching can bury and suffocate plants
•Mulch provides a convenient hiding place for pests
•Bake your plans with excess heat if done incorrectly.
 
With most organic mulches, a layer of 2 to 4 inches is plenty. The finer the material, the thinner the layer needed.
 
Unfortunately, mulch provides the perfect place for slugs, snails, and other pests to hide. Use shallow cups of beer to attract and drown them, or sprinkle wood ashes or diatomaceous earth around the base of precious plants to keep the slugs and snails at bay.
 
Impervious mulches, like black plastic, don’t let air or water in. Even matted leaves can have that same effect, so shred or chop them up first.
 
Light colored, wood-based mulches, like sawdust or fresh woodchips, can steal nitrogen from the soil as they break down. Counter this effect by adding a nitrogen-rich fertilizer, such as soybean meal, alfalfa, or cottonseed meal, to the mulch.
Types of Mulch
The ideal mulch should be dense enough to block weed growth but light and open enough to allow water and air to reach the soil. Factors to consider when purchasing mulch are cost, availability, ease of application, and what it looks like in the garden. There are lots of materials of various colors and textures to choose from.
 
Here are a few of the more popular mulches:
Organic Mulches
Organic mulches insulate the soil. Mulching crops that prefer a cool soil like lettuce, peas, and spinach can lengthen the harvest period or improve the harvest.
•Shredded or chipped bark. Keep it away from the base of trees and shrubs to prevent wood boring insects and decay from attacking the plants.
•Shredded leaves and leaf mold eventually break down and feed the soil with beneficial materials.
•Straw and salt marsh hay are free of weed seeds.
•Grass clippings should be dried first or spread thinly to keep them from becoming a hot, slimy, stinky mess. Don’t use clippings from grass treated with chemicals.
•Pine needles are slow to break down, so don’t worry about them adding to soil acidity.
•Local byproducts, such as spent hops from a brewery, cocoa hulls, ground corncobs, coffee grounds, newspaper, or cardboard. Get creative!
( wonder about the coffee grounds, and ground corncobs where will they get them?) 
taken from https://www.almanac.com/news/gardening/gardening-advice/mulching-guide-benefits-
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net
 ​

image from identifythatplant.com

     ​Sorry I missed yesterday Nov 2, Saturday but was working on baking and we made a trip to Waverly in the afternoon to help a friend.  So got back last night and just too tired....but I need help.  I have never heard of this plant.  How about you gardeners have you?
                                                                                         
Grow Wintergreen Plants for a Splash of Winter Color
 By Jamie McIntosh  Jamie has written about gardening and special occasion flowers since 2011. She has years of experience in caring for flowers and plants.
 
If the word wintergreen sounds like a made-up marketing term used to sell more gum and mints, think again. The wintergreen plant is a real species possessing its own unique sweet-spicy flavor distinct from mint or cinnamon. Although artificial flavorings have largely replaced wintergreen as a commercial additive to foods, wintergreen plants still grow abundantly in North America, and make a showy ground cover in shady gardens. The bright red berries of wintergreen plants are a welcome sight in the winter months when there's little to look at in the landscape.
■ Botanical Name: Gaultheria procumbens
■ Common Names: Boxberry, Deerberry, Ground Berry, Spiceberry, Wintergreen
■ Plant Type: Evergreen ground cover
■ Mature Size: Seven inches
■ Sun Exposure: Partial shade
■ Soil Type: Low nutrient and good drainage
■ Soil pH: Slightly to very acidic; 4.5 to 6.5
■ Bloom Time: July and August
■ Flower Color: White or pale pink
■ Hardiness Zones: USDA growing zones 3 to 7
■ Native Area: Eastern North America from Georgia to Newfoundland
 
Caring for Wintergreen Plants 
Native plants like the wintergreen are primed to grow without any special tending, provided you have the environment they need to thrive. In their native habit, wintergreen plants grow in the dappled shade of temperate forests, where they creep along and form dense colonies among other acid-loving plants like mountain laurels and rhododendrons. Wintergreen plants don't need a nutrient-rich soil, but they do appreciate good drainage.
 
Unexpected Pairings
Surprise and delight your guests with three courses created around the soft, sweet, sensuous, rich, and unexpectedly versatile flavor of the season—vanilla.
 
Light 
Winterberry plants are shade-tolerant, and may even grow in dense shade, but will produce few or no flowers in shadier locales. Bright filtered sunlight will keep plants from scorching, but give them enough energy to produce blossoms and fruit.
 
Soil 
The wintergreen plant is a member of the heath (Ericaceae) family, and as such needs very acidic soils for plant health. You can perform a soil test to check the acidity of your soil, and if the pH is higher than 6.5 you must lower it with acid-rich amendments like peat moss, which also help with drainage issues.
 
Water 
Regular moisture is important to the health of wintergreen plants, especially during berry production. The more sunlight your plants receive, the more moisture they will require. If rainfall is scarce, irrigate your wintergreen plants to the equivalent of an inch of rain per week.
 
Temperature and Humidity 
Areas with mild summer temperatures and average to high humidity, as found in the Northeastern United States, are favorable to wintergreen plants. The plants fare poorly in the hot, dry sun of the Southwest.
 
Fertilizer 
No supplemental fertilizer is necessary for wintergreen plants. These native plants are adapted to grow in areas with poor soil lacking in nutrients. One way they compensate for low soil nutrition is by keeping their leaves from the previous season, conserving the energy it takes to grow new foliage.
 
Potting and Repotting 
Grow your potted wintergreen plant in a mix of peat and sand, which will mimic the drainage and acidity the plants prefer. When you see roots coming from the drainage hole of the container, it's time to repot.
 
 Propagating 
Wintergreen plants spread by creeping rhizomes, and as such, are easy to propagate by division or cuttings. Stems will form new roots as they spread along the ground. Cut one of these new stem sections with roots attached and replant. You may also take a tip cutting from new growth in the spring. Plant the cutting in sterile seed starting mix, and keep moist until new roots form.
 
 Toxicity of Wintergreen Plants 
The berries of wintergreen plants are edible for people and animals, and make good forage for deer, birds, rodents, and bears. Wintergreen plant leaves are used in herbal tea. Wintergreen essential oil is much more concentrated, and is not safe to ingest in any amount.
 
 Harvesting 
You can take wintergreen leaves for tea anytime during the growing season. Although wintergreen plants are evergreen, the leaves turn reddish during winter months and contain less of the volatile oils that make a good tea during this time. Harvest wintergreen berries as soon as they are fully red in the late fall. Berries remain viable on the plants throughout winter, but become somewhat desiccated as the winter wears on.
 
 Being Grown in Containers 
The glossy green foliage and red berries of wintergreen plants make a festive holiday gift plant. Keep the plants in bright filtered light, and keep them moist. A cool room will be less stressful for the plants than a hot window.
 
 Growing From Seeds 
Stratification is necessary to grow wintergreen plants from seed. That refers to a period of cold dormancy that triggers germination. Place some seeds in a plastic bag filled with peat moss for 12 weeks before last frost. After the cold treatment, move the seeds to a bright spot and press them into a mix of potting soil and peat. Transplant outdoors after two sets of leaves form.
 
 Common Pests/Diseases 
The volatile oils of winterberry deter most insect pests. Poorly draining soils can lead to root rot or mildew. Aphids may present an occasional problem in the spring, but are easy enough to blast away with a jet of water.
 
 Wintergreen vs Lingonberry 
Lingonberry plants (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) look very similar to winterberry plants with a low-growing habit, oval-shaped leaves, and red berries. Both plants need acidic soil, and grow in areas with cold winters. Lingonberries have a tart flavor that makes a good jam when sweetened, while fresh wintergreen berries have a menthol flavor that isn't suitable for cooking. Lingonberry plants grow with a more upright habit rather than as a ground cover, and will reach about 16 inches in height.
taken from https://www.thespruce.com/grow-wintergreen-plants-for-a-splash-of-winter-color-
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net