elise's Blog

Taking care of orchids
Apr 4, 2007 | 3:51 PM PST
Tags: orchid , plant , grow , water , fertilizer , feed , indoor

Here's how I water and feed my indoor orchids:

1. Let the growing medium dry out between watering to discourage mold.

2. Water once about every 7-10 days, depending on the humidity level of the air. During the winter and summer when the indoor air is dry from sun or the heater, I water more often. In the fall and spring when everything is more damp and mildly warm I water less frequently.

3. When watering, I spray the growing medium  and roots with a spray bottle until the water starts coming out the bottom of the pot.

4. I use orchid fertilizer every time I water, but diluted to 1/4 of the strength recommended on the fertilizer bottle.

Tips: If the leaves get limp or wrinkly, water more often. If the leaves look brown and dried at the tips, use less fertilizer. If you see flower buds but they dry up and fall off before blooming, give the plant more water.

Growing tomatoes from seed
Apr 4, 2007 | 3:42 PM PST
Tags: tomato , seed , grow , propogate , start

This is how I like to start my tomato plants from seed:

1. Save some seeds from tomatoes going bad in the fridge.

2. Plant the seeds just under the top of the soil in a tray of dirt (or small containers) about 2 inches deep.

3. Place the tray / pots by a sunny window, any exposure will do

4. Water frequently to keep the soil damp but not wet

5. When the seedlings are 1-2 inches tall replant / spread out any that are less than 2 inches apart

6. When the weather gets warm and the plants are at least 4 inches tall, plant them outside in a sunny spot

Tips: If you can, transition them to living outside by planting them when you think it will be warm but cloudy for a few days so they don't sunburn, and if there is a lot of slug or snail activity in your planting bed, wait till the plants are at least 8 inches tall before moving them outside