During the mosquito season, we pretty much have to stop breathing to not attract the attention of a mosquito since a big attractor for these buggies is the carbon dioxide from our breathing. Spending merely a few minutes in our garden without using any mosquito repellent may result in red splotches covering our arms, legs and anywhere else that is not fortunate enough to be covered by clothing.

Last week, I have shared some tips of mosquito bite prevention. Here, let me share with you some mosquito bite itch relief tips that I have used or heard of.

• Wash the mosquito bite with warm water and soap as soon as possible. This is my favorite mosquito bite remedy for it often works and the relief is nearly instant.
• Wrap some ice in a towel and apply it to the mosquito bite. The ice will help to minimize our swelling.
• Use calamine lotion to the mosquito bite to help with the itching. A common home remedy involves mixing baking soda and water. Mix equal parts of baking soda and water and stir until the mixture becomes a paste, then apply it to the mosquito bite. This will help to soothe itchy skin. It also works well on poison ivy, wasp stings, as well as other minor skin irritations.
• I know it’s itchy, but don’t scratch. Every time we scratch, histamine is released, which causes the skin to itch even more. Frequent scratching can also cause small breaks in the skin that allow bacteria to enter and cause infection.

Hence, instead of figuring out the most effective way to relief mosquito bites, we should first try to reduce the risk of being bitten. Prevention is the best mosquito bite treatment. And here are some tips to share.

Clothing

Covering up ourselves not only protects us from the strong burning sun, but it also prevents us from being the yummy meals of the hungry mosquitoes. Therefore, we should wear long-sleeves shirts and long pants, and these clothing should be light colored. Dark colored clothes attract more mosquitoes. Also, don’t forget to wear a hat, shoes (instead of sandals), and socks.

Stay Out of the Peak Hours

Avoid staying outdoors in the early morning or evening when mosquitoes are more likely to bite.

Avoid Standing Water

We should not keep standing water in our garden as mosquitoes lay eggs and breed in these areas.

Mosquito Repellent Products

Mosquito repellents containing DEET are very effective and can keep these little buggies at bay for hours. Yet, there are pros and cons. There are researches reporting that DEET can causes harm to our health in the long run. And before use, carefully read the precautions of the product for these products can irritate our eyes, etc.

In addition, mosquitoes can bite through thin clothing. Hence, besides spraying mosquito repellent on our skin, we should also spray it on our clothing.

For me, mosquito repellent incense (or mosquito repellent candle) is probably the most effective way for preventing mosquito bites. Because I sweat so much, I often wipe off not only my sweat, but also most of the mosquito repellent cream and spray that I have applied just a few minutes earlier. But with mosquito repellent incense, I don’t have to reapply any cream or spray even when I am all sweaty and stink.

LEFT: Mosquito repellent incense RIGHT: The kind of case I use to carry around the burning mosquito repellent incense

Phalaenopsis orchids are very suitable for city dwellers who have limited space and no gardens. Since Phalaenopsis orchid is quite easy to grow and generally likes the light and temperature condition of our homes, it is an excellent choice for the first time orchid growers, as well as indoor gardeners.

Below are some tips of growing Phalaenopsis orchids.

Light

Phalaenopsis orchids do well near bright window, without direct sunlight. If we place our Phalaenopsis orchids indoor, an east facing window is ideal, while shaded south or west facing windows are also acceptable. I grow my Phalaenopsis orchid outside my north facing balcony and it grows very well. If we grow our Phalaenopsis orchids outdoor under direct sunlight, the growing area will need to be covered with 70-75%  shade cloth.

Let the foliage be your guide. If there is excessive dark reddish pigmentation on the leaves, the leaves probably have been burnt. In this case, we should move our orchids to an area with less sun exposure. On the other hand, if the leaves are long and floppy, the Phalaenopsis orchid may not be getting enough light.

Watering

If we grow our Phalaenopsis orchids in pots instead of by hanging, the orchid roots will not be exposed to the air as much, and hence will dry up slower. We should water our Phalaenopsis orchids only when the roots are dry (but don’t wait till bone-dry). Be aware not to overwater our orchids, the roots will rot and the orchid will not survive. In addition, water our Phalaenopsis orchids early enough in the day time so that the leaves will be dry by nightfall. It is especially important not to let water stay in the crown of the orchids for this will lead to crown rot.

Fertilizer

Phalaenopsis orchids do well with regular fertilizing, yet will suffer if over-fertilized. As a rule of thumb, fertilize our Phalaenopsis orchids every 10-14 days with a balanced formula like 20-20-20 in only half the strength as instructed on the fertilizer package.

Temperature

Phalaenopsis orchids grow well in temperature between 20-30 degree Celsius (65-85 degrees Fahrenheit), and the orchids will stop growing when the temperature is above 35 degree Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) or below 10 degree Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit).

Humidity and Ventilation

Phalaenopsis orchids love high humidity, around 70%. Yet, the moth orchids also need good ventilation and air circulation in order to grow well, particularly during very humid conditions when fungal and bacterial disease can be a real threat. In this case, an oscillating fan that moves air constantly at low speed will be very helpful.

Cattleya orchids are among the most beautiful and satisfying of all orchid species to grow and care for.  Since the care of Cattleya orchid is easy, gardening beginners who are interested in growing orchids but haven’t had any experience before, can start with Cattleya orchid.  With simple growing conditions, most of us can obtain outstanding results.

And here, let me share with you what I have learned about Cattleya orchids.

Light

The growing area of Cattleya orchids needs to be covered with 50-60% shade cloth. If the light is too strong, the leaves of the Cattleya orchids will be burned. On the other hand, if the light is too weak, the plant will be very weak, and won’t blossom.

Air Circulation

Air circulation is especially critical for Cattleya orchids that grow indoor in a greenhouse. Cattleya orchids are prompt to disease and pest when the air flow in the room is poor.

Temperature

Cattleya orchids are able to accustom to temperatures as low as 10-13 degree Celsius (50-55 degrees Fahrenheit) in the winter and as high as 27-33 degree Celsius (80-90 degrees Fahrenheit)in the summer. It worth noting that there should have some temperature variations of at least 5 degrees between day time and night time for the Cattleya orchids to grow strong and bloom beautifully.

Water

When an orchid is killed by a water problem, 99% of the time is due to over-watering. Water the Cattleya orchid only when the potting medium is totally dry.

Potting Mix

Cattleya orchids grow well in pumice stones. Pumice stones allow water to drain out quickly, which minimize the over-watering problem and keep the roots healthy at all time. Also, we can put a few pieces of styrofoam at the bottom of the orchid pot to improve the air circulation in the root area.

Fertilizer

Fertilizing our Cattleya orchids every 10-14 days with a balanced formula like 20-20-20 in only half the strength as instructed on the fertilizer package.

And after sharing what I know about Cattleya orchids, let me share what I know about Dendrobium orchids here.

Light

Compare with many other orchid species, Dendrobium orchids slightly requires more light than others. While the Dendrobium orchids in the bonsai workshop is covered with 30% shade cloth, Teacher Wong told me that Dendrobium orchids grow well even without shade cloth. In fact, the Dendrobium orchid will grow stronger and healthier if it grows without covered by any shade cloth since spring time when the plant is still a seedling.

Water

During the growing season, Dendrobium orchid like high humidity and lots of water. For abundant, beautiful blossoms in the next spring, we should water and fertilize the orchids less when autumn comes, and allow the Dendrobium orchid to dry out thoroughly during dormancy. The combination of longer, cooler nights, less water and no fertilizer creates the dormancy which can ultimately induce flowering. And once the flower buds mature in spring, normal watering and fertilizing routines can be gradually resume.

Temperature

The temperature requirement for Dendrobium orchid is similar to Cattleya orchid. During its growing season, Dendrobium orchid grows well in the range of 18-30 degrees Celsius (65-85 degrees Fahrenheit). And we should stop watering when the temperature drops lower than 15 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit).

Fertilizer

Fertilize our Dendrobium orchid every 10-14 days with a balanced water-soluble like 20-20-20 in only half the strength as instructed in the fertilizer instructions.

Mounting Dendrobium Orchid

We can mount our Dendrobium orchids instead of potting them. What we use to mount our orchids depends on the species we are growing. For example, we can use a piece of wood or bark. In addition, we also need plastic coated wire and sphagnum moss when we mount our Dendrobium orchids.

The Ingredients of Rooting Media

It is important to use a good sterile rooting media to get your plants off to a healthy start. While soil and compost are not good choices as the rooting media for cutting propagation since they may contain diseases, potting mix that is available in local gardening nurseries may also not be suitable for cuttings. Since it is not difficult to make rooting media for cuttings, we can just make our own as well.

A good rooting media contains equal parts of coarse, sharp sand and peat moss. Instead of sand, we can use perlite, and instead of peat moss, we can use vermiculite. However, I often will pot my cuttings with just coarse sand alone. By this method, the cuttings grow just fine. Indeed, since coarse sand cannot retain much moist, cuttings in this environment often grow very fine root systems in the attempt to seek more water. And if handled properly, the cuttings will be ready to transplant into soil and start to grow promptly. In addition, since coarse sand cannot retain much moist, the loss from damping-off is minimized.

This fig cutting has been potted in coarse sand for about 6 weeks time.  See all the fine roots that it has developed.

These are all fig cuttings that I have potted into individual pots from a growing bed.  In case you wonder, these cuttings are not for myself, but for the students in Teacher Wong’s gardening class

Collecting seeds of Zinnia Elegans is fairly easy. As the blooms fade, air dry the flowers by hanging them upside down.

(Left: Zinnia seeds that are not yet ripened  Right: ripe Zinnia seeds)

Seeds of Zinnia Elegans develop on the end of the petals. So, all we have to do is pull apart the Zinnia flower petals and check to see if any of them house a seed. Do not pull the heads too early. Else, the bees and other pollinators may not have had the chance to do their work, and the seed won’t be ready.

At the insertion point of each petal is a pointed tip, like an arrowhead. This is the seed. To be ripe, it should have darkened to a dusty brown or gray shade. White seeds are not yet ripe and should not be collected.

For storage, put the seeds collected in a paper bag. Paper bag will absorb any excess moisture as the seeds overwinter. It will be even better if we put the paper bag in a plastic bag for extra insurance. The goal is to store them in a cool, dry place through the winter.

Depending on the variety, each Zinnia flower can have dozens to hundreds of seeds. Once the seeds are collected from the heads and seperated from the petals, we can use the petals for potpourri or filler for a craft project

Real Life Example of Bad Fertilizing Practice

A few weeks ago, my African violet – Frosted Denim – was growing beautifully with many flower buds. Since African violets like to be continually fertilized during their blooming period, I diligently fed mine in a regular basis with diluted fertilizer. African violets are happy with weak fertilizer, so I always feed my African violets with diluted fertilizer solution at half of the strength recommended by the fertilizer manufacturer. Everything was fine, until one day when I was left with some diluted fertilizer that I used for my Pachystachys lutea (Lollipop Plant) which was extra-strong (stronger strength than what was recommended on the label). Since I didn’t want to waste, I used the leftovers to feed my African violet… and that’s how the tragedy began…

I actually diluted the extra strength fertilizer solution a bit before using it on my African violet. But since I have got the flower buds burnt, I guess the fertilizer solution wasn’t diluted enough… or I might have fed my African violet once too often.

Arrggghh, I should know better than this!

Here is how my African violet looks after a few months  – My Keep-Blossoming African violet

Root pruning can greatly increase the chances of successful transplanting, especially for big trees. We should prune the roots 3 months – 2 years in advance.  By severing the roots at or just beyond the drip line of the tree to be moved, the long unbranched roots will be broken. This will prompt growth of new roots near the main trunk, compact the existing root system, and increase the tree’s chances of survival once it is moved.

In addition, when transplanting the tree, the soil shouldn’t be too dry or too wet.  If the soil is dry, water the tree 3 days in advance (we need to give our tree some time to drink the water too).  On the other hand, if the soil is too wet, we can either wait for a few days till the soil gets drier, or dig a trench and drain out the excess water.

The diameter of the rootball should be 4-8 times the diameter of the tree trunk.  While we dig and form the rootball, we probably have to cut through some long roots. Make a nice, clean cut with a sharp shovel or pruning shears.

And since we have cut off so many roots from the tree, we need to trim off 1/2 – 2/3 of its leaves and branches in order to reduce the amount of water evaporates and escapes from its foliage.

Set the plant and its ball of soil on a piece of burlap, wrap the burlap around the soil to keep it from crumbling.  Moreover,we should get extra help when we move the tree.  Even small shrubs are heavy.  We don’t want to drop and crack the rootball when we are moving the tree to its new home.

It is preferred have the new hole ready before we dig up our tree or shrub. The width of the new hole should be twice that of the rootball. The depth should be 20 cm deeper.

When we reach the bottom of the new hole,do not break up the soil beneath, but keep a flat, solid surface instead.  Instead of allowing the roots to penetrate deeper into the ground, breaking up the soil may cause the tree to sink, inviting rot.

Gently slide the tree into the hole, and get it straight.  Take away the burlap, shovel the excavated soil back into the hole, and tamp the soil down firmly.

For trees taller than 6 feet high, they won’t initially have the strength to support themselves right being planted and will need to be staked to get off to a good start. Staking will help control the movement of the tree, while allowing its roots to grow and develop strong enough to hold the tree.

Although I often see trees get fastened with supporting stakes at 1/2, or even as low as 1/3, of its height up from the ground, my teacher suggests us to tie the supporting stakes at 2/3 of the tree’s height for strong support.

And last but not least, water, water, water!  Water the tree thoroughly.

Thru some research, I have learned that Flame Violet can be propagated by stolon cuttings. This is my first time growing Flame Violet. Everything to me is new and interesting. And surely, I would like to try stolon propagation. While I was wondering when I should cut the stolons of my Flame Violet for my experiment, my dear brother accidently cut off two stolons from the plant with the rotor blades of his newly bought remote control helicopter. Ok. That’s great! At least I was saved from thinking too much more before taking any action.

I removed all the leaves that seemed too big, and planted each stolon in a 2” pot.

For the first two months, I had kept waiting and waiting, and the two Flame Violet stolons showed little sign of growth. While I was wondering if I should give up on them, I found a tiny pair of leaves growing from the center of both baby plants! Yeah!

I have an impression that my two Flame Violet stolons have taken longer than normal to develop their root systems and grow their first leaves. I wonder why. Was it not the right season for propagating Flame Violet? Or did I leave too few leaves on the stolons for the plants to grow and develop their roots quickly? For some of the leaves, maybe instead of cutting the whole piece, I should cut only half of the piece, so for the plants to absorb more sun and moist in the air.

But anyways, my baby FlameViolets are growing strong and healthy now!

You can check out this post for more detailed instructions on how to propagate plant by cutting.