Garden Detective

Should Montauk daisies be cut down the same as perennials at the end of the fall season? My plants are brown and dry, and I'm inclined to cut them down, but I see some green buds on some of the stems. It seems some pruning of the dead parts is necessary to make room for new growth, but I'm not sure what to do. They bloomed beautifully last year, and I don't want to ruin them. Your advice will be greatly appreciated. -- Libby Vittorio

Montauk daisies, also known as Nippon daisies (Nipponanthemum nipponicum), are fail-safe shrubby mounding perennials that prefer full sun but can tolerate partial shade and thrive in most soil. Reaching 2 to 3 feet tall, the late-summer bloomer continues to put on a show through the fall and is attractive to bees, butterflies and birds. You'll get the best performance from your daisies if you cut them almost to the ground in early spring. Don't worry, they'll grow back.

I plan to grow a large number of tomato plants to make tomato sauce and freeze it. I am tired of paying more than a dollar to buy a 28-ounce can of tomatoes. Plus it would be a welcome change of taste to have fresh tomato sauce like my father would occasionally make for me many years ago. I have a few questions: I saw a mention that it is good to add eggshells to the soil when planting tomatoes. Could you re-explain the benefits? What variety of tomato seed is recommended for sauce? I have heard of Roma, a plum tomato. What do you think? -- Charles J. Ritchie, Kings Park

Tomatoes require calcium to produce healthy fruit, which is why it's so important to incorporate dolomitic lime into their planting bed. But some people swear by placing a whole egg in the soil under the plant. Others crush up eggshells and mix them into the planting hole or side dress the plants with them. As the eggshells break down, calcium leaches into the soil, where it works to prevent the dreaded blossom end rot that can wreck tomatoes. And after boiling eggs, why dump all those nutrients down the drain? Pour the water into the garden to give tomatoes a nutritional boost.

Concerning sauce, this Italian says meaty plum tomatoes are the way to go - the riper, the better. Other larger, more gelatinous tomatoes would release a lot of liquid during the cooking process, making for a watery sauce.

I read with interest your article from several weeks ago about houseplants that you can't kill. I own a few on the list and can attest to their hardiness. You mentioned the need for fertilizing from time to time, and therein lies my question. I know that most sources state the importance of feeding houseplants, but I have some plants that have been in the same pots for years that haven't ever been given plant food but continue to grow and do well. They include pothos (15-plus years) and spider plants (5-plus years). So is plant food really that important? -- Andrew Keller, Whitestone

All plants require nutrients, and potted plants are no exception. In fact, they require more fertilizing than garden plants because their nutrient source is limited to the pot in which they live. When the nutrients in the potting mix are used up, their only hope for more is you. Having said that, not all houseplants are created equal, and the more light to which plants are exposed, the higher their fertilizer requirements. Pothos are low-light plants that can get by with little care. And though spider plants require a sunny setting, they're extremely low-maintenance otherwise. If you think they're doing well now, try giving your pothos a twice-monthly shot of fertilizer, diluted to half-strength (never follow package directions for fertilizing houseplants; you'll end up overfertilizing) during spring, summer and fall. Do the same for spiders during spring and fall.

Water houseplants with room-temperature water or leaves may drop.

So now you know. I'm a sucker for puns. I try to avoid them, mostly, because I know not everyone shares my penchant, but every now and again I get inspired with a really good one and I have to share. So there it is.

Truth be told, that headline is the only reason I'm writing about fish meal today, but as it happens, the timing is good.

Time is drawing near to repot houseplants. Move up to a pot that's 2 inches larger -- never more -- than the one it's living in now. And while you're at it, it's important to free up any roots that might be girdling (growing in a spiral, circular pattern around the root ball) or sticking out of the drain hole. Gently tease them apart with a fork or your fingers before replanting in fresh potting mix (half sphagnum peat moss-half perlite or vermiculite) in the next-size pot.

Then, just to make sure they're nice and happy, give them a dose of fish meal. In fact, give all houseplants a dose in March.

Fish meal is made from whole fish, including the bones (for calcium) and organs. The oils are removed and it's pressed into a powder. It's been used for centuries as an organic fertilizer and really gives houseplants a nice boost at the end of winter.

Try it.

Photo by Photo by Antonie Van den bos

Why grow a a ficus when you can have a ylang-ylang blooming in your home? OK, so you'll need a cathedral ceiling and lot of room, but being unique is worth the sacrifice. You do want to be unique, don't you?

You're probably familiar with the name ylang-ylang from the ingredients list on shampoo bottles, skin care products and perfumes, including most notably Chanel No. 5. Its essential oil is used in aromatherapy and even as an aphrodisiac.

Cananga odorata is a tree native to tropical rain forests but can be grown outdoors in our most southern regions, such as Florida, southern California and southern Texas. Its twisted yellow flowers are highly fragrant (hence the name "odorata"), and in the wild it can grow upwards of 50 feet tall. Suited for growing outdoors only in zones 10 and 11, it prefers acidic soil and will thrive in sun to part shade. The plant attracts bees, butterflies and birds.

If you like the idea of growing Chanel No. 5-remiscent flowers and being the only one on your block to do so, but you don't live in a palatial mansion, you might consider Cananga's cousin, Desmo chinensis.

Desmo only grows 3-4 feet tall, so it's do-able even in apartments. This way, you can keep it outdoors during summer and bring it in relatively easily before the cold sets in.

Indoors, allow it plenty of filtered sunlight and protect it from drafts.

I have two spider plants, which get brown, ugly tips on long leaves. I once read that using distilled water would help, but it hasn't. What causes this? I don't overwater. One is in an east-facing window, the other faces north. They get lots of bright, indirect light.
-- Joe Daly, Westbury

Spider plants are notorious for having brown tips. They prefer bright, indirect light, which you'll get from southern, eastern and western exposures. I can help you troubleshoot, but in this case you'll have to be your own detective; symptoms can come from a variety of possible causes:

Too much light. Direct sun exposure can cause brown tips, though this doesn't appear to be the case.

Too much heat. Are the plants close to radiators?

Not enough heat. Are windows near the plants well insulated?

Overwatering. You've already ruled out this one.

Underwatering. Don't just water when the soil surface seems dry; stick your finger deep into the pot. If the soil is dry near the roots, you'll need to water. (Likewise, if the soil there is moist, don't water, even if the surface is dry.)

Too much fertilizer. Fertilizers contain soluble salts, and too much becomes toxic if allowed to accumulate, injuring roots and causing brown tips. Telltale signs include white crusty stuff on the soil surface, or white residue at the drainage hole or on the outside of clay pots. If present, remove the white crust with no more than 1/4-inch of soil. Spider plants should be fertilized with a 20-20-20 product at half-strength, twice a month during spring and monthly in autumn. Never fertilize when the soil is dry, and leach pots two or three times a year by placing the plant in the sink, pouring in twice as much water as there is soil (a six-inch pot holds 10 cups of water, so leach with 20 cups of water), and let it drain out. Distilled water certainly helps because tap water can contain chlorine and fluoride salts that can contribute to the problem. To save money, you might consider collecting rainwater.

Not enough fertilizer. See above.

Drafts. Are the plants near drafty windows or exterior doors that get a lot of traffic? Move them.

In my line of work, I've heard confessions of murder from dozens of otherwise decent folks. They've come clean about killing cactuses and lamented about offing orchids. The culprits typically accept their guilt and self-flagellate for awhile before ultimately swearing off houseplants forever.

But the truth is no plant was created to live indoors. Houseplants are really tropical plants that we've decided to domesticate, oftentimes many horticultural zones away from their homes. It's no wonder, then, that so many are massacred by good-intentioned homeowners who, through no fault of their own, lack sufficient sunlight or areas away from drafty windows or radiators. Here, then, are eight low-maintenance houseplants that practically take care of themselves. No green thumb required.

Click the photo to check them out:

Before buying an indoor plant, it's important to determine whether it's right for your home. Here are three points to consider:

LIGHT. Think about where your windows are and which direction the main part of your house faces. A southern exposure offers the brightest light. Eastern and western exposures will provide medium light, while northern exposures likely will produce lots of shadows and, therefore, lowlight situations. If there are a lot of trees outside, the available light indoors will be reduced.

DRAFTS. If windows aren't well insulated or if there's an air-conditioning unit nearby, plant foliage will suffer. Leaves might blacken, and some flowering plants will drop buds.

HEAT. Don't ever place houseplants on or near radiators. The constant heat will dry out the soil and the plant.

Click photo to launch slideshow.

Photo by Susan Struse

It's summer vacation time! Gradually begin moving houseplants outdoors for the season, starting with an hour the first day and increasing exposure to eight hours over the course of a week to get them accustomed to their new digs.

Then you can leave them out day and night until autumn, but you'll likely have to adjust your watering schedule to account for the drying hot summer sun as well as the rain.

This orchid plant was given to my wife in 2006. It had lavender flowers and green leaves at the time and was thriving. Within the last couple of months, the flowers fell off, and the leaves slowly yellowed and dropped off. I had transplanted it to a larger pot and applied some orchid-specific fertilizer. Even though I watered it regularly, the plant is now a series of erect tan shoots. I think I see some green behind the dry tan covering. Is there any hope for this plant? Stuart Koenig, East Northport

Your orchid appears to be a Dendrobium, and oftentimes people worry their plant is dead when it simply has lost its leaves, much like a maple tree would. Unfortunately, that doesn't appear to be the case with your orchid. Even the bare canes of deciduous orchids look green and plump. Yours looks, well, dead.

I shared your photo with Maria Mucaria Stankowski of the Long Island Orchid Society, who noted the dark bases and grayish color of the canes. "It probably was kept too wet when it wasn't growing and the roots died," she said, explaining that orchids should be watered most when they're actively growing -- in the summer when they aren't flowering -- and not watered much when they're in bloom. Repotting also could have contributed to its demise, as orchids should never be repotted when they're flowering. It's best to repot in the spring.

In addition, the decorative moss on your plant might have prevented air from getting to the soil, keeping it soggy and contributing to the root rot.

Although there is a small green shoot growing from the plant, unfortunately, it's no reason for excitement. The canes are brown at the soil line. It's not coming back. Sorry.

Oxalis regnellii, University of Connecticut photo

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone. No, I'm not Irish, but I do enjoy my annual corned beef and cabbage dinner and playing pranks on my kids. This morning, I sneaked some jellybeans into Julia's sneakers and told her to watch out for the leprechaun poop in her shoes.

But alas, at age 10, she's becoming too sophisticated for me. Instead of laughter and excitement, these days all I get is a groan. "Oh, Mommmmmmmmm," as if I should feel lucky she tolerates me.

What's worse, I won't be feasting on the fatty spiced brisket I love so much. I've been dieting for about 6 weeks now, and I'm determined to lose another 5 pounds before heading to Florida next month.

But still, I can get into the holiday spirit with -- what else? -- a Shamrock plant. Yes, the mystical-yet-common 3-leaf clover, which St. Patrick used as a visual prop to explain the complexity of the Trinity to the Irish. Three parts, one leaf. Three beings, one God.

I don't really know why 4-leaf clovers are the ones that are considered lucky, aside from the fact that they're so rare you'd have to be extremely lucky to find one. I Googled them this morning and learned -- from several sources, including Yahoo Answers -- that there are approximately 10,000 three-leaf clovers for every four-leaf clover out there.

The word 'shamrock' comes from the Celtic 'seamrog', which means little clover. We don't really know what kind of little clover St. Patrick used, but we assume, perhaps incorrectly, it was black medic or common white or red clover.

But if you're in the market for a potted Shamrock plant, perhaps to commemorate the day, what you'll find labeled as such in nurseries and plant shops today is Oxalis regnellii.

Oxalis regnellii. which spreads by rhizome, sends up three-lobed leaves, comprised of 3 triangular leaflets, atop 6-inch-long petioles. It flowers profusely in spring, sending up inch-long white, 5-petaled trumpets.

It's not guaranteed to bring you luck. But, if nothing else, it'll remind you that spring is on the way.

Aerial view of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault | Photo courtesy Cary Fowler/Global Crop Diversity Trust

When I start seeds indoors for my vegetable garden every spring, invariably some don't grow. Last year, I sowed an entire package of carrots and didn't get one viable plant.

What if those were the only seeds I had -- and there were no grocery stores? I'd be up a creek, I'm afraid, without the proverbial paddle.

To avert such a calamity should disaster strike, Norway has created a "Doomsday Vault," and placed within it 4.5 million seed samples from around the world. At a cost of $9.1 million, the concrete vault dug into the side of a mountain was built to withstand climate change, wars, natural disasters such as earthquakes, and nuclear attacks in order to protect those seeds, and will reside deep in the permafrost of an Arctic mountain. Its steel airlock doors ensure a tight seal.

Its aim? To make it possible to re-establish crops should they be obliterated or become extinct.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault will be officially inaugurated officially tomorrow, less than a year after crews started drilling for it in Norway's Svalbard archipelago.

Photo at left (courtesy Mari Tefre/Global Crop Diversity Trust) shows the inside of the Doomsday Vault.

But this isn't the first time anyone has thought of such a thing. There are some 1,400 other seed banks in the world. Svalbard is a Plan B of sorts, in case those others don't make it. A few have already bitten the dust: Seed banks in Iraq and Afghanistan have been destroyed by war, another in the Philippines was wiped out in a 2006 typhoon.

Though Norway owns the vault, each country that 'deposits' seeds will continue to own their contributions.

Armed guards protect against polar bears, but threats such as war aren't a likelihood in the isolated region, some 600 miles from the North Pole.

The vault is expected to last at least as long as Egypt's ancient pyramids.

It's good to know my carrots will have a backup.

Click the photo to launch the slide show.

I recently wrote about new trends in houseplants. As much as I love plants, I don't have many inside my home. It's just too much responsibility. I'm more concerned with feeding my kids, feeding my husband, feeding my dog. I just can't add any more to my plate. So, as you might guess, the few houseplants I do have are rather mangy looking. Outdoor plants are another story altogether. And when the season gets underway, well, let's just say my family goes hungry.

An interesting topic of concern to many these days, what with the whole 'Green' movement, is that houseplants actually can clean the air in your home. Research conducted by NASA scientist B.C. Wolverton has shown plants are the most efficient and cost-effective method of "indoor air pollution abatement." In other words, growing houseplants in your home will result in cleaner air in your home. And commercial properties have incorporated the idea in hopes of avoiding the so-called 'sick building syndrome.' Ever notice that hotels, office buildings and restaurants always seem to have a lot of plants scattered about?

Here are some common household toxins and the plants associated with removing them from the air you breathe.

In honor of this week's Westminster Dog Show, it's a good time to think about the well-being of our pets, and an important part of keeping them healthy is keeping them away from harmful plants.

Cornell University photos Three toxic plants, from left, Lantana, Dogbane, Daphne.

Cornell University photo Digitalis (Foxglove)

Many houseplants, perennials and shrubs are toxic to animals, and different species are affected by different plants. (The lists below include the most common plants, and should not be considered entirely complete. In other words, please do not assume that a plant is safe just because a plant isn't listed here.)

Below are the 10 most common toxic plants, according to the Animal Poison Control Center of the ASPCA, and the symptoms associated with them.

Marijuana (Cannabis sativa): Central nervous system depression, loss of coordination, vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, increased heart rate, seizures and coma.

Sago Palm (Cycas Revoluta): Ingestion of just one or two seeds can induce vomiting, diarrhea, depression, seizures and liver failure.

Lilies ( Lilium spp.): Very small amounts can lead to severe kidney damage in cats.

Tulip/Narcissus bulbs (Tulipa/Narcissus spp): Gastrointestinal irritaion, drooling, loss of appetite, central nervous system depression, convulstions, cardiac abnormalities.

Azalea/Rhododendron (Rhododenron spp.): Vomiting, drooling, diarrhea, weakness, central nervous system depression, coma, cardiac collapse, death.

Oleander (Nerium oleander): Gastrointestinal irritation, abnormal heart function, hypothermia, death.

Castor Bean (Ricinus communis): Severe abdominal pain, drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst, weakness, loss of appetite, dehydration, muscle twitching, tremors, seizures, coma, death.

Cyclamen: Significant gastrointestinal irritation, intense vomiting, death.

Kalanchoe: Gastrointestinal irritation, serious cardiac rate and rhythm abnormalities.

Yew (Taxus spp.): Central nervous system abrnormalities, trembling, loss of coordination, difficulty breathing, death.

Other plants that are harmful to pets

Houseplants and tropicals

Caladium, Colocasia , Philodendron, Umbrella Plant, Aloe Vera, Mistletoe, Lucky Bamboo