Would you believe that I actually have a few plants throwing up a flower? I could hardly believe it myself when I walked into the plant room yesterday and saw color! So, when others give you a long list of 'what's blooming today', mine is short by comparison. But I have a good excuse. Actually I thought I'd removed all buds prior to packing the plants for the move, so either these plants are just awesome or I missed a few buds. Right now, I have at least one bloom each on: Rob's Jitterbug, Cupid's Jewel, Morgan's Little Linny, Lil' Runaround and Oksana. What troopers they are! Slowly I've been introducing a little fertilizer into their water, so I'm hoping it won't be long before I have even more flowers. It's going to be fabulous having color in the winter! Can't wait.
How are your plants doing now that fall is upon us? Do you find that you have to cut back on fertilizers when the temperatures start dropping? One major thing I notice as night time temperatures fall, is that some varieties are more susceptible to powdery mildew than others. If that's a problem for you, try moving them to an upper shelf where temperatures are generally a little warmer. Moving them to the front of the shelf where they will get more air circulation also helps. Use a fan set on low and try a great product called Funginex. Years ago I used Lysol, but Funginex is much more effective and doesn't leave spots on foliage. I still wouldn't recommend using it right before a show, because it's still possible to mar blooms, but it works great.
I'll catch all of you next time! Good growing.