Warming up here in Texas! Yeah!
I am brand new to this site as of today. I have a banana plant. Probably 12Ft tall. Has two babies coming off of it from last Spring. Did my best to wrap it in blankets and keep it dry this past winter since we had a freeze. Should I cut it back or leave it alone? Looks awful just there without any green leaves. IF I cut it back, will it green up faster? Any of ya'll know?
Tropical garden # 93
chelineboston: Welcome to DG, you will love it here! There are so many interesting forums here and really wonderful folks. Please post photo's of any of your plants ... we love to see what everyone is growing.
Debra: I forgot to say Great job! on that rescued Ficus lyrata ("Fiddle Leaf Ficus" tree). They are nice plants. If it grows too tall you can prune the top and root it for another plant. I had to cut mine back last year and rooted two cuttings. I can't find one so I'm assuming it kicked the bucket over winter.
My sister and brother in law in south Fla had a really huge Fiddle Leaf Ficus in their backyard that they cut down because they didn't like it .. that tree was @ 6' around and 8' tall, it was so beautiful. If the base and root system hadn't been so huge I would have brought it home!
This is mine. The little pot in front is a cutting from the big plant.
My large Dischidia ruscifolia ("Million Hearts") is losing a lot of little leaves but still doing okay after our cold winter:
Hoya carnosa 'Chelsea' that I received as a cutting in a trade here on DG a few years ago. It hasn't bloomed for me yet but I'm assuming the flowers will resemble other carnosa's.
Rhipsalis elliptica:
Cheline, If your tall mama banana plant had a flower or fruit last year, it is done. You should cut it off down low and let the pups come on. They have very watery stems and you can cut through them with a serrated knife. Bananas are not really trees, even though they sure look like them.
If it hasn't had a flower or fruit yet, you should leave it alone and it will put new leaves out the top. Just cut off any brown leaves, and fertilize and water the clump as soon as you're sure the weather's going to stay warm.
Send us a picture!
Hoya obovata
and this one looks like it is orange with yellow according to the pic. I haven't seen this one bloom/
dyzzypixxy thanks for your reply. Just joined today and am overwhelmed to see all this info on here.
I just bought and planted it last year. I put in a pool last year and began my quest for tropical plants. Being in Texas, figured it would be easy enough to do. The banana is huge now--just a lonely stalk-but very tall. LOVE it! So tropical looking and I am glad to see it has babies. I cant wait to see it green up again. My queen palms too! We had a pretty bad winter here so i am waiting to see what comes back and am planting new plants and started trying seeds as well. Started a garden. I have two girls that I want to teach gardening to and let them experience the thrill of growing and caring for plants. I am going to try corn, tomatos, lettuce, herbs, grape vine, etc. So....as you can see...this will be my new site for info!
Do you know what kind of bramiliads can take really hot summers and direct sun by chance?
GAgirl: Nice Clivia's ... I've tried growing those with no luck!
chelineboston: Good for you, teaching your children about the joy of gardening! One of the Queen Palms in our backyard died in the winter freezes of 2009/2010 and another very small one in the backyard did just fine ... no frond damage that I can see at all. We have three huge Queen's in the front yard and one of them has totally brown fronds, no green showing at all. I'm hoping to see new green shoots on it soon.
My banana tree looked like this on November 10th:
And this is what it looks like today. It has one new leaf unfurling and I did spot one pup at the base.
This Bromeliad has gotten real purple in color since moving it to full sun:
cheline: I know Ananas (Pineapple): http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/b/Bromeliaceae/Ananas/none/cultivar/0/ can take sun.
If you ever buy a whole pineapple at the grocery store, ask them to shell it for you and ask them for the top. Plant it base side down in a well draining potting medium and it should take root and grow. I grew one many, many years ago when my family lived in Miami. I planted the pineapple top on the side of the house and I don't remember how long it was but one day I noticed a cute little pineapple growing from the top and couldn't wait to see how large it would get ... unfortunately someone chopped it off and took it!
I've had this Hoya carnosa 'Krimson Princess' since 1976 and it reverted to solid green:
"Birds Nest Fern" ... can't remember which one:
plantladylin--My banana is 10x bigger than that--truly has a "trunk" to it! Planted in the ground. No green showing yet. :( I water it, baby it, talk to it! Ha! I am hopeful it will be big and beautiful again-just not the most patient person.
You are kidding me. So I can go to the grocery store, buy a pineapple, whack the top off and plant the top part I whacked off into dirt and it will root!? My girls would LOVE that! Do I keep it in the shade at first and gradually move it to the sun or just go ahead and put it on out there in direct sun? I am on my way to the grocery store. That is way cool! What other things do you know that this newbie can try! I am up to it. My husband says "I have issues" with gardening! Ha!
Pineapples are easy to grow, and they taste good!
Glad to see you back Lin!
This message was edited Mar 1, 2011 10:06 AM
Metro- I am jealous that you live in Hawaii! I have been there once. BEAUTIFUL!
So how do you grow yours? Like Lin? Just wack the top off and plant one from the grocery store?
cheline: Yes, as Metrosideros stated, Pineapples are easy and fun to grow! Take the cut top, strip off any lower leaves and pot it up in a well draining potting medium with the base just a tad below the soil line. I'd keep it in bright light until roots are established but after that it can take full, hot sun. An easy plant that doesn't need much water.
You can grow an Avocado tree from an Avocado pit too ... a lot of fun for kids:
1. Remove the large seed from the center of an Avocado and rinse.
2. Stick three or four toothpicks evenly around the sides of the large seed.
3. Place the bottom (broad end) of the seed in a glass of water. The toothpicks will hold it up so that the bottom of the seed/pit is just barely touching the water.
4. As water evaporates, refill just to the base of the seed. In a few weeks roots will appear, and in time a little sprout/tree will grow from the top and you can then plant it in soil.
Dave: Thanks, it's good to be back home. Nice pineapple ... pretty colors!
I've planted pineapples the way Lin says too, but I just put mine in the ground and they grew. Here in FL they like a little bit of shade, but will do ok in the full sun, too. I give them a sprinkle of fert in the spring and after that
I'll add that it does take usually almost 2 years before you will see a pineapple, though. Then, same as the bananas, each plant only bears one fruit, but then that plant becomes a mother and makes baby plants that bear. So what you should do is get a few pineapple tops from the grocery store, maybe every few months though the warm weather plant a few. If you have a fruit bar where they sell fresh pineapple already cut they give the tops away free.
Our Publix store gave a friend a whole garbage bag full of pineapple tops and she planted a fruiting hedge that is prickly enough to keep the neighbor's dog out of her yard. I just love that.
They do take very little care, except when the fruit starts coming make sure the plants gets enough water to make the fruit size up and get juicy. Also watch out for raccoons - they love pineapples.
Great photos everyone. I enjoyed them all.
mjs, nice Hoya collection and it is good to know that Passiflora is starting to grow well for you. It sounds like your African Mask plant is rotting from too much moisture. I let mine dry out before I water again. Good drainage and soil that does not stay wet is a key factor with growing that Alocasia.
Debra, any blooms from your noid vine yet? I started seeds for the moon vine this evening and I hope they do well. I am not very good with starting seeds indoors.
Dave, the Lele'iwi coast and all of it's inhabitants were beautiful to view and Lin, I am looking forward to my Hoya chelsea looking as good as yours.
Rita, P. joepii has been a little slow at growing for me but is looking more mature with each new leaf. Thus far I can vouch for this Philodendron as very easy to grow;-)
I really have enjoyed all the pictures of your turtles and lagoon, Dave. I needed a little mind get away today.
Welcome to the bestest place on DG, Chel, and good to see all the signs of spring.
Rachel, I just poke the seeds in a little cup for my mgs, and plant the wole cup outside bottom out in spring after frost danger is over.
I have seedlings everywhere in this house. Lin, I hope my sago palm seedling grows up to look like yours.
Kaitlyn is driving me nuts and so is Alba, both of them are so swollen and about to bloom. I have to work the Lawn and Garden Show starting tommorrow so hope to have some cool pictures to post. I finally got all 500 packets of seeds packed up and ready to hand out to the people who are interested in a Honda. Sheesh, I told the boss that isn't wnough, but as far as I am concerned, I only want people to have them that will actually grow them. They are from my gardens.
Anyway, happy first day of March, or second day which ever..
Oh wait, I have a bloom to share, and thanks , Lin for the info on the ficus, I love it.
I know this is not a tropical, but it is a begonia I have brought in for the third year now.
Rachel: I love the looks of that Philodendron joepii ... never heard of that one and it sure is nice!
Debra: Great job on keeping that Wax Begonia going for three years ... pretty pink blooms!
Thanks everyone for the pineapple info. Def gonna try that and an avacado too! Anymore easy ideas like that, send my way! :)
FYI-took some pics yesterday of what I have coming up here in zone 9 as well as my banana. Have to get them on the computer then will post.
Enjoy your day!
Hello!!
plantladylin, the plant is a purple firespike, my very first trade from candela.
I hope that everything went well with the repairman yesterday.
I enjoyed the photo visit to your yard!! What color is your banana shrub?
I have a yellow one but have seen pictures of a white flowering plant. If I ever move, I am digging it up and taking my plant with me.
I too, have had a couple of high dollar variegated plants that have reverted back to all green (bummer).
Metrosideros, thanks, those were relaxing sweet photos, I wish that I could swim with the turtles as well.
mjsponies, I did not know that there was a variegated vitex. I have a pink and a purple flower plant . What color blooms on the variegated plant?
Love the Hoya display. I have a old wooden swing set that I was sentimental about, now I have a good reason not to throw it out. thanks!
GAgirl1066, you made me run out to check for blooms on the Clivia plants, nothing yet. I moved them to a spot where they will get a little more sunlight.
I can't wait to see your orange and yellow flowers, they might take a few more weeks to bloom (lucky you). I bought a new Clivia Caulescens, to add to the collection.
chelineboston, Welcome to the thread!! It is always good to meet a Tropical plant person.
I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of your plants and sharing in your successes.
dyzzypyxxy, have you seen any signs of life on your baby doll lotus as yet? There is nothing here, the water lilies are poking their heads up and looking good.
The days have been so very nice and warm here but the nights are awfully cold. I have had to run the heaters all last week and it seems as this week will be more of the same.
This message was edited Mar 3, 2011 2:10 PM
Joeswife, have fun at the show, take lots of pictures!
I hope that you get off in time to enjoy your flowers, I love this time of the year. I have lost my yellow trumpet vine and my pink turks cap, they were newly transplanted plants last fall. I should have waited until spring. (lesson learned)
There are no shoots on my pecan tree, a sure sign that winter is not over yet, according to old Texas lore.
RachelLF, thanks for the picture! such a rare unique beauty.
Beautiful photo's Rita, really nice philo in that last pic ... love the variegation!
Well,the repair guy came this afternoon and installed the needed part on our central air conditioning unit. Monday night was difficult for sleeping because it was warm and humid and the ceiling fans just didn't cool the house much ... but yesterday and today we've had cooler temp's and nice breezes so we've enjoyed having the windows open. By the weekend it's supposed to be back up to the mid 80's with higher humidity so thank goodness they didn't have to order parts!
Another Yellow Gerbera opened today:
And I found this blooming in a hanging basket out in a backyard tree today: ^_^
LoL..Lin, he's probably got an acorn buried in there....he's "weeding' for you !
mj: LOL ... he's eating peanuts or birdseed. I have quite a few bird feeders in the yard but there was a hanging basket in the tree (the plant died a few months ago) and I've been putting birdseed and peanuts on top of the soil! ^_^
Rita,
I have a gold/orange brug that I can send you. I took cuttings in the fall. It will look like this one...
OK sorry,...long day.... I just reread your post and it says"yellow trumpet vine". My brain registered the yellow trumpet and that's all. Oh well, I will still send it to you if you want.
Rita, I just got the new Baby Doll tubers a few days ago. Put them in a tub near the pond but then the weather got cooler, so no sprouts yet.
GAgirl, is that brug 'Charles Grimaldi' by any chance? My kids bought me one for my birthday (that has not shipped yet) and I'm so excited to see it.
I am waiting on my clivias, too. I have orange and yellow ones in the shady border under my biggest oak tree. I pruned a little too much over them last year and the sun burned them a bit so they had a slight setback. But this year they are recovering, thank goodness.
Kaitlyn has finally bloomed.. she smells heavenly. She will darken up to a very deep pinkish red.
I got 4 blooms on this nice Amrillys
