THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 21, 1996 TAG: 9601190156
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G3 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: GARDENING
SOURCE: ROBERT STIFFLER
LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
I have two night-blooming Cerus plants that must be 40 years old. They look like disasters but bloom two or three times per year, always at night. Each plant has eight to 12 indescribable blooms. They usually bloom for about 28 days. I call them ``idiot plants'' because they are so crazy. Nothing seems to change their schedule. I have cut off leaves with blooms intact and preserved them overnight inside. But next day, the blooms are spent, like deflated balloons.
I carry the plants indoors during the winter, and they stay outside all summer. Slugs, squirrels and other pests keep the foliage scroungy looking. I have had many an ``idiot plant party,'' and people are amazed when they witness my ``blooming idiots.'' Very seldom do all the blooms open up the same night. I can tell when they'll bloom from years of watching. If anyone would like cuttings or viewing, please call me at 588-0070.
Juanita Kellam, Norfolk
``Cacti of the genus Cerus form ribbed columns up to 30 feet tall when growing in the wild,'' says the Readers Digest book, ``Success with House Plants.'' ``As a houseplant it grows 3 feet tall and 6 inches wide, after which it produces funnel-shaped flowers that are up to 2 foot long, often sweetly scented and opening at night and fading in early morning,'' the book continues.
I've never wanted a plant that bloomed only at night, but many folks adore this misfit of the plant world. If you want an ``idiot plant,'' Juanita Kellam is willing to help.
Due to lack of garden space, my tomatoes must be planted in the same area year after year. What do you suggest that would improve my yield and grow healthier tomatoes?
J.J. Crist, Virginia Beach
It sounds like your tomatoes are dying from wilt. You definitely need a raised bed, perhaps 12 inches high, filled with new top soil. That should eliminate wilt for a few years. Make sure it has good drainage to prevent root rot. MEMO: No gardening questions will be taken over the phone. Write to Robert
Stiffler, The Virginian-Pilot, 150 W. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Va.
23510. For an earlier reply, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope. by CNB