Gardening

by Jennifer Poindexter

Cabbage is one of those vegetables you either love or you hate. Some people love how cabbage can be used in a variety of recipes. Other people can’t seem to get over the smell cabbage produces when it cooks.

If you’re a fan of cabbage, you may want to consider growing it yourself. Don’t feel unprepared. Simply follow the information I’m about to provide you to get your growing season off to a great start.

Here’s what you must know to grow cabbage.

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by Jennifer Poindexter

Can I share a secret with you? When I first began gardening, I was petrified of growing celery. I live in a southern climate, and it seemed as though celery wasn’t ever going to be in the “gardening cards” for me.

Years later I’ve learned celery can be grown by almost anyone, but you must be prepared to make certain adjustments to accommodate the crop. If you’d love to grow your own celery, stick around. I’ll walk you through each step of the process. Here’s what you should know to add celery to your garden this year.

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Poinsettias start to look a little bit sad after the holidays have passed. At this point, depending on where you live, you have several choices as to what to do with your poinsettia. The most common choice is to throw it out and buy a new one next year. They typically only cost around $10, and you get to enjoy them from whenever you bought them in late October or early November through the New Year. However, some people don’t like throwing out plants if there is an alternative, and with poinsettias, there is an alternative, in most cases. 

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There are a few different reasons that your poinsettia may develop yellow leaves. The most common reason for yellow leaves on a poinsettia is when the plant is getting either too much water or too little water. Make sure that you are watering your poinsettia when the top inch of soil in its pot is dry, but not before. When you give the plant water, keep watering until the moisture drips from the drainage holes at the bottom of the container. 

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Choose a location for your poinsettia where it will not come into contact with drafts or blasts of heated air (from your home’s climate control system or a space heater, for example). The best indoor spot for a poinsettia is in a west-facing or south-facing window. Your poinsettia should receive at least six hours of light each day, whether it receives sunlight or artificial light. 

Remove the foil wrapper that many poinsettias come with, or at least poke holes in the foil wrapper to allow excess moisture to drain out of the plant’s container. Place the poinsettia’s container on a tray or saucer to catch any moisture that drips from the drainage holes. 

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To keep a poinsettia year round, you will need to move it into the outdoor garden once there is no danger of the temperature falling below 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7.22 degrees Celsus). The best place to plant your poinsettia outdoors is a spot where it will get sunshine in the morning. When you move your poinsettia outdoors, also cut the plant back to six inches above the ground, but make sure to leave a third of the foliage intact.

If you like, you can pinch back the tips of new shoots once they emerge to encourage bushier growth from your poinsettia. Water the plant whenever the top inch of soil is dry, and fertilize it to keep it healthy while outdoors.

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Although many times poinsettias are treated as disposable holiday decor, there’s no reason to throw out your poinsettias after the holiday season has ended. With the proper care, you can keep your poinsettias so they’ll bloom again the next year. The plant needs to receive a certain amount of light in order to bloom again. 

Indoors, keep your poinsettia in a window that faces south or west so it will get enough sunlight. Provide the plant with water whenever the top inch of its soil has dried out. Once the temperature in your region is safely past the 45-degree-Fahrenheit mark, you can move your poinsettia outdoors for the summer. Be sure that cold weather isn’t forecasted to return, as temperatures of 45 degrees Fahrenheit or below will harm your plant. 

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