Yard & Garden

Some great choices for low light locations in the home include the following.   

1. Alumunim plant, Pilea cadierei 

2. Arrowhead vine, Syngonium podophyllum 

3. Bamboo palm, Chamaedorea seifrizii

4. Parlor palm, Chamaedora elegans 

5. Cast iron plant, Aspidistra elatior 

6. Chinese evergreen, Aglaonema spp.

7. Dumbcane, Dieffenbachia spp.  

8. English ivy, Hedera helix 

9. Fishtail palm, Caryota mitis 

10. Grape ivy, Cissus alata

11. Lady palm, Rhapis excelsa 

12. Peace lily, Spathiphyllum spp.  

13. Peperomia, Peperomia spp.  

14. Philodendron, Philodendron spp.  

15. Pothos or devil’s ivy, Epipremnum aureum 

16. Snake plant, Sansevieria trifasciata 

17. Spider plant, Chlorophytum comosum 

18. Swedish ivy, Plectranthus australis 

19. Inch plant (formerly wandering Jew), Tradescantia zebrina 

20. ZZ plant, Zamioculcas zamiifolia 

For more information on providing supplemental lights for your houseplants, visit Let There Be Light...For Your Houseplants. 

Tomatoes normally take about 6-weeks to grow into a good-sized transplant. Peppers require about the same amount of time, but slower growing cultivars may require 8-weeks. The correct indoor sowing dates for several popular flowers and vegetables are:

• early March - cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower;
• mid-March - pepper, eggplant, petunia, and salvia;
• late March - tomato, marigold, and zinnia;
• late April - muskmelon, watermelon, squash, and cucumber.

If unsure of the sowing date, check the seed packet.

Starting Seeds Indoors

Vegetable Garden Seed Storage and Germination Requirements

Late February or early March is the recommended time. For more information, visit Planning Your Garden Pruning. 

Use sand for icy spots on the sidewalk to increase traction. Or use products such as calcium magnesium acetate (CMA), calcium chloride or magnesium chloride products, which are salt-free, and safe for use around pets and landscapes. For more information, visit Winter Protection for Sensitive Plants.

Various types of oils have been used for many centuries to control hard-to-kill insects like adelgids, aphids, mealybugs, psyllids, scale and mites. These products provide good control of these insects and pose little risk to humans, plants or beneficial insects when the products are used according to label directions. Oils kill insects in several ways, most importantly by blocking the air holes through which the insects breathe, causing them to suffocate. Oils may also disrupt insect cell membranes, interfere with insects feeding or act as poisons by interfering with insect metabolism. Oils act like a contact insecticide and provide no residual control, so the insects must be present and in a vulnerable stage of development for an oil application to be effective. The development of insect resistance to oils is rare, since the mode of action is mechanical rather than chemical. 

Dormant oil gets it's name from the time of year the product is applied - during winter when plants are dormant. Modern horticultural or summer oils are more highly refined and can be safely applied to actively growing plants - IF label directions are following correctly. 

Horticultural oils have an emulsifier component added, allowing them to mix with water. Other types of oil, including vegetable oil or automotive oil, do not contain emulsifiers so will not mix with water; consequently, these products should not be used on plants and may cause plant damage.

There is a risk of phytotoxicity from oil products if they are not used correctly. To avoid plant damage, read label directions for use, application timing, and a list of plants products should not be applied to. Always make dormant oil applications plants before bud break to avoid tender plant tissue being damaged. Make applications when temperatures will remain above freezing, ideally above 40 degrees F., for 24 hours and continually agitate the spray solution. Avoid applying dormant oils to stressed plants as these are at higher risk of phytotoxicity. 
 
Dormant Oils, Kansas State University