How to keep Christmas cactus from blooming before Santa arrives

Q: I have a Christmas cactus that is already finished blooming. Some years, it blooms even earlier or not at all. What can I do to make sure it blooms at Christmas?
A: Christmas cactuses (Zygocactus cultivars) are true cactuses, but they grow as tropical jungle dwellers. They will bloom when the proper growing conditions are met. Cool night temperatures will often initiate flower production. If the plant is outside for the summer, cool September temperatures will begin the process.
To slow the production of flower buds, you might consider bringing the plant indoors before night temperatures drop below 55 degrees. Keep the plant in bright light. About mid-October, place it a cool location away from warm radiators or heat vents. Buds should form in time for the holidays.
If you have trouble getting Zygocactus to bloom, make sure you are treating it well during the growing season. Poor growth will hinder flower production. Zygocactus prefer well-drained, evenly moist soil. Do not let it dry out too much between waterings. After it blooms, allow the plant to dry out a bit more than before blooming. Ongoing cool, winter temperatures will extend the bloom season, and you may see flowers sporadically through the winter until spring.
Q: There are stinky little berries under my Ginkgo tree. What are they? Can I make them go away?
A: Congratulations! It’s a girl! You have a female Ginkgo tree. The fascinating Gingko is an unusual relic of prehistoric days. They are dioecious, which means the trees have separate sexes, male and female. Females produce seeds. Ginkgo trees are related to pine trees, and the berries you are seeing are from your tree. Unfortunately, the fleshy portion of the fruit produces a rather disagreeable smell.
In horticultural literature, it is often referred to as “disagreeable,” “evil,” “offensive,” “disgusting,” “repulsive,” and “abominable” and is often compared to the odor of vomit. It is due to the malodorous chemical compound butyric acid produced within the fleshy coat. Once the soft coat and the hard nutshell are removed, the interior kernel is quite delicious and can be found as an ingredient in more esoteric Asian recipes.
There is little you can do to prevent seed production. Some years, there will be few seeds to collect. In other years, you will see bumper crops. If you like the tree but refuse to have berries, you will have to cut down the tree. You can opt to purchase a known male variety like “Autumn Gold.” This cultivar (cultivated variety) will be a fine landscape specimen without the production of fetid fruit.
Q: I planted a new flower garden this summer. Will the snow hurt it?
A: Snow will act as an insulator from wind and oscillating temperatures. It will protect perennials from heaving out of the ground when temperatures freeze and thaw the surrounding vicinity. I allow leaves to cover the beds and then snow to cover the entire area. Newly planted perennials or those in very loose soils may pop out of the ground regardless of snow cover. Gently push them into the proper place as needed.
Be careful of poorly drained areas in the garden. Snow accumulation and ensuing wet soils during melt can cause root system death, and plants will suffer. Avoid piling snow on poorly drained areas when shoveling.
When shoveling or blowing snow, aim the snow away from shrubs. Snow lying on boughs may weigh down or break branches.
Call a master gardener for advice from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday and Thursday at 216-429-8235 or e-mail your questions to mgdiagnostics_cuya@ag.osu.edu anytime. Gardening information is also available at www.cuyahoga.osu.edu and www.webgarden.osu.edu. Loos is the horticulture educator of the Ohio State University Extension, Cuyahoga County, 9127 Miles Ave., Cleveland OH 44105.