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THE LAZY BERKSHIRE GARDENER: Week of January 30, 2025

Days are getting longer, and houseplants will start to put out fresh growth in the weeks to come. Keep humidity up!

That was a cold week! We had a few days right around or just above freezing. I took my opportunity and had a look around the yard. I followed my advice from last week and searched for signs of wildlife sampling the plants in my yard. I noticed tracks of field mice (voles) in the recent snows. They are so unusual! They look like someone has created a perforation across the snow.

These “sewing needle” tracks led to my viburnum shrubs with tender bark. I didn’t see any scraped or missing bark on the shrubs, but I tamped down the snow around the plant to eliminate cover. Those voles can be sneaky! If I ignored the signs, the voles could return and sample more tender bark, eventually girdling and killing the shrub branch.

The shrubs in my shrub border have many young stems emerging from the crown. I will need to thin these out over the next few weeks. I want to funnel the growing energy into a few stronger, thicker branches and open up the inner sections by pruning out inward-growing twigs. This will allow more light into the shrub center. I will save those tasks for milder days in late February or early March. For now, I will check that my pruners have good, sharp edges. To sharpen, use a good sharpening whetstone or file and file the blade at the same existing beveled angle. Glide the file along the flat of the bevel to refine the edge.

Remember when you do some spring pruning for shape or structure, you can save the trimmings of spring-flowering shrubs or trees like forsythia, vernal witchhazel, willow or peach and “force” the branches to bloom indoors. Just put your freshly trimmed cuttings into water indoors. As the daylight gets longer, branches will sprout their blooms.

I am still checking for invasive shrubs, trees, or vines on my property. I will identify them and cut them back to the ground surface now then repeat frequently through the summer and fall. Repeated cutting is the best solution for many of our most invasive plants because they have roots that break easily and sprout new plants. Pulling the roots effectively produces more plants, not fewer! For example, Japanese knotweed grows from rhizomes deep underground by sometimes two or more feet. A Lazy Berkshire Gardener will not be able to dig deep enough or far enough to root out all the invasive plant material.

Invasive knotweed (Fallopia japonica) in its current form, reddish brown stands with no flower form remaining. Knotweed creates expansive stands of impenetrable roots that can be very hard to eradicate. Repeated cutting or mowing is often the best solution.

OK, it is still cold out. If you are eager to start a planting project, consider starting a terrarium. A terrarium can be a mini garden to enjoy when an outdoor garden is not possible. Go ahead and use an old aquarium or large fishbowl as a terrarium. By providing your terrarium with soil layers similar to a full-size landscape, you can install a miniature landscape scene that could become a small ecosystem. Plant small starts of tropical houseplants (especially ones that like humidity). Add a tiny figurine, rocks, or other features to finish the scene. With attention, you can create a semi-closed system where the plants grow and dead leaves compost into the soil.

While watering my houseplants, I confirmed my aloe plant needs a pot change. The plant leans against the side of the plant shelf practically uprooting itself. Aloes will send up mini plants or “pups” from the root crown. Replanting these is the most efficient form of propagation since flowers and resulting seeds are not very likely in our northern climate. I will remove the aloe from its pot and break it apart from the pup. Then I will replant both pieces separately in loose, quick-draining potting mix. They will root into new pots and grow well with a minimum of weekly watering as long as they have bright light close to a south-facing window.

The aloe plant in this photo has a second plant, or pup, emerging from the same root that can be replanted separately to grow in its own pot.

Days are getting longer, and houseplants will start to put out fresh growth in the weeks to come. Keep humidity up!

But what about the holiday houseplants? Your amaryllis isn’t dead once the flowers fade. One of the pleasures of a houseplant is seeing the plant’s life cycle up close. Amaryllis flowers fade, and if the base starts to swell, the flower has been pollinated. To encourage bulb growth, trim off the faded flower and its stem immediately closely above the top of the bulb. Any seeds that form will take many years before growing to bulbs of flowering size. I leave that task to professionals. Hold the stem over the pot for a few seconds once you make the cut because the stem has watery fluid that will suddenly spurt out!

Don’t toss your amaryllis. Bulbs will send out strappy leaves if they haven’t already. Keep the bulbs moist and in a location with indirect but bright light. Fertilize monthly starting in March and you can acclimate them to outdoor temperatures in June. Keep in a part-shade area of the garden. Some people transplant them directly into the garden; others put them in a fresh, larger pot. Grow the plants through the summer. The leaves will feed the bulbs and roots to form flowers for next year.

These dead amaryllis flowers were trimmed off while two more flowers on the same stem continued to bloom. The green swelling indicates that the plant is forming a seed, and that would take energy away from the bulb. Trim amaryllis flowers and whole stems after the flowers fade but keep watering the bulb to save the amaryllis for next year.

My orchid flowers have faded, and the amaryllis will go soon. I like the idea of adding a colorful house plant that stays colorful without blooms. There are many tropicals with unique patterns and variations. Today, I am loving Aglaonema and its common name of painted drop-tongue.

Not all colorful plants rely on their blooms. Aglaonema leaves have many shades and variegations to keep things colorful inside for months.

I am still thinking about my vegetable gardens for the summer and what seeds to start. I know I need to visit my seed-starting area. I have heating mats that fit under the seedling trays. Simple fluorescent shop lights are suspended by adjustable chains over each shelf. I can raise or lower the lights by looping chainlinks onto an “S” hook. At the moment, I have seed trays, plastic domes, inserts, and other assorted odds and ends filling my seed-starting shelves. I will get those cleared and ready for the trays next week. Reminder to self: Replace the lamps in those plant lights if they are several years old. They get dim—and less effective—over time.

Providing bottom heat speeds up germination and helps root establishment. Once two true leaves—not the first two seedling leaves—appear, keep the light strong and remove cover. If using fluorescent lights to start seeds, keep them four inches from the top of the pots and maintain the distance by raising the lights as the plant grows.

I suggested you might sow pansy or geranium seeds this week. Sow these seeds if your last frost date is closer to May 7. Otherwise, wait two to three weeks. You will need to acclimate any seedlings to cooler outdoor temperatures if you want to put the pansies outside in April. Don’t start seeds too early unless you have a suitable cold frame or greenhouse where plants can grow in bright light but stay protected before you transplant them into the garden.

Looks like we may be getting some ice on Sunday and then a warm-up. Don’t remove ice from plants, allow it to melt. I hope to apply what I have learned by spotting wild animal tracks in my yard. I need to apply deer and rabbit repellents around susceptible evergreens or fruit trees when temperatures are above freezing. Looks like we may have a warm-up on Monday where temperatures will be above 40 degrees for a few hours. That will be a good time to spray pest repellents or preventive copper fungicides on peaches and other stone fruit that had leaf curl last summer.


I call myself the Lazy Berkshire Gardener because I don’t want to work too hard in my gardens. I want to enjoy them. I find it easier to observe my landscape and let the compost happen, the water pool up, or daisies to self-sow. I look for ways to do the minimum task for the biggest impact. For example, mulching is better than spraying and much better than weeding all season. I look for beautiful, low-maintenance plants that thrive in or at least tolerate my garden conditions. Plus, I am willing to live with the consequences if I miss something.

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The Edge Is Free To Read.

But Not To Produce.

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The Edge Is Free To Read.

But Not To Produce.