Tropical garden # 93

Dave: I forgot to mention earlier that I really love that big orange Brownea bloom and the "Sacred Ficus", F. religiiosa! I've seen that particular Ficus down in South Florida ... wish it would grow here on the east central coast, but unfortunately it wouldn't survive our winters. Nice shot of the Temple, sure looks like a big building. I've never heard of the Sausage Tree or seen one. I've spent a lot of time in the Miami/South Florida area but don't recall ever seeing that one and it sure is a cool looking tree!

As mjsponies stated earlier, it's been a real dreary day here in Central Fla, windy and cloudy all day ... so I spent some time re-arranging plants in my terrariums. I had a fern and purple passion plant that were getting too large for the 10 gal terrarium so I moved them over to the 45 gal Hexagon tank. I completely emptied out the 10 gal tank and put in fresh soil ... need to get plants back in there in the next day or so.

I can't seem to get very good pictures because of the glare on the glass but this is the large hexagon terrarium:

Xanthosoma Sagittifolium in Charlotte. Awesome plant!

Nice Ears!

Why thank you Plantladylin!

homer, what is the name of the plant to the right of that photo? I have about 4 pots of it here..

Yours is really nice, mine hasn't gotten that big YET. But I bet it will this summer.

Lin, Please tell me how you have the soil arranged in there so I can copy you. *blush* you know the best compliment is when someone copys you, right?
As far as prices on some of the plants at the Garden Show, it was really ridiculas, but, people will pay big bucks if they have moola right then and there.
Why, they had a small Fig Leaf Ficus much smaller than mine for about 70 bucks. I was astounded. The prices on the Monstera were reasonable I thought at around 35.00 for a nice big plant.
This one was a private owners plant, it was very large, and he had it as a decoration for his sales area..

Rita, very nice Philodendrons you showed and Dave, I also think the fruit and flowers from a Kigelia africana are cool and unique to view.

Lin, pretty Orchids and Debra, I sure have enjoyed viewing the pictures from the show. The Paphiopedilum's are real beauties to view and I bet if I ever tried to grow one it would need a guardian angel or two, too. Keep on showing more photos as I sure am enjoying them.

Nice Xanthosoma sagittifolium, homer1958 and welcome. Do you grow any other Aroids?

I forgot to ask, Rita : http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=8403051 what is this varigated plant? Is it a brom?

Jackson goes to yoga class, at the Kea'au Community Center.

The variegated Brom looks like Neoregelia carolinae 'Tricolor'.

awwww... Jackson is so beautiful!

Jackson looks like another horney guy I used to know, only the guy wasn't nearly as cute as Jackson!!!!

Joes wife,

It is a species of papyrus can't recall exactly! SORRY

The plant on the right in homer's photo is Cyperus involucratus, Umbrella Sedge.

Huntersville, NC

March 5, 2011
08:09 AM

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RachelLF,

I grow a lot of Aroids, Succelents, Musa and Ensete. I have about 25 species of Alocasia right now trying to pull everything through in my garage. A few more weeks and I should be good to go!

How bout you?

homer1958
Huntersville, NC

March 5, 2011
09:09 AM

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prita,

I am no expert, however; I would repot the small one to the right in the picture. I would dig up the large plant and cut off just above the offset that is growing at the bottom of the tuber. That gives you 2-plants.

Next cut off the top of the main tuber about 3 to 3-1/2'' down; keep top 3/4'' of tuber above the soil line when repotting; there is your 3rd plant. You will have some tuber left over; if it is more than 6'' cut in half and place the two pieces vertically at the soils surface in a new sterile pot. Soil ammendment percentages should be about 60% potting mix and 40% med coarse perlite for new starts. This picture shows the pieces of an A. Calidora That I repotted a couple of months ago. the key is not to much water to rot the piece of tuber and to place in the smallest pot possible until; I would say, one entire new leaf.

Click the image for an enlarged view. Sorry placed everything on the wrong thread(still asleep) this A.M.

The photo is in the last thread at the bottom of the page!

Thanks for the help, Metrosideros! Debra, these Cyperus involucratus will get huge. 8-9 feet here in the Charlotte area. They will take as much water as you want to give them. This height may be elongated due to the fact they only get sun in the late morning to mid afternoon in the dead of summer. Clumps will enlarge quickly in a few years.

There is also a dwarf variety that stays a manageable size.

Debra, I planted the Helleborus "Lenten Rose" in my daughter's garden in Salt Lake. It likes shade, and blooms as soon as the snow goes away. The blooms last a long time, then the foliage is very good looking for the rest of the season. They used to be pretty unimpressive, but recently there's a huge influx of new hybrids with bigger flowers and better colors that are really gorgeous. You wouldn't have to baby them in the basement over winter, either.

I think the blue spiky thing you said had no tag might be Sea Holly.

My 'Bogota' amaryllis finally is blooming. Pic doesn't do the color justice, it is a smoky sort of burnt orange-y red. Smallish flowers but each bulb has 2 flower stalks and 5 buds on each stalk. Good value, I figger.

homer, I am very glad to read your posts. Thank You!
Dizzy, that is one gorgeous Amar!!!
it got down to 23 last night, and down to 25 tonight, I am so cold!

dyzzy: that is a very pretty Amaryllis!

Debra: Wow! It sounds like it's still really cold where you live! The past few days we've had mid to upper 70's during the day and mid 50's at night. I don't think I could survive long in a real cold climate.

Tried to get a pic of the Oxalis this afternoon ... this still isn't the greatest picture, I have trouble with white and lighter colored blooms.

Hello Everyone!!

plantladylin, thanks, good job on the terrerium, remember to show your 10 gal. tank on completion. I hope tht the 45 gallon tank was not your DH's prized fish aquarium.
Great news concerning the AC as well, that was lucky getting it fixed on the first visit. We have had 3 visits so far on a refrigerator without any luck.

mjsponies, Those oxalis are as close to the perfect plant as you can get.
Right now I would trade you a dreary yucky day for this cold, almost freezing temps we are having.

Metrosideros, thanks for identifying the Bromeliad for Joeswife. I did not have a clue.

GAgirl1066, I appreciate your first response, it shows that you are a kind giving person. Without hesitation you offered to help and yes, I sure would like to have a start of that bright orange Brug.

dyzzypuxxy, Love your Bogota Amyrillis
I wish that you woud have said smething before buying 'Charles Grimaldi'. I would have started a plant for you, if you need a replacement, send me a d-mail.

Philo.$19.99 last spring.

Joeswife, congrats on your Brug. bloom, it is lovely!!
What a show! I felt like I was walking the aisle with you, saying look at that one, and that one.
The Milky Way Philos were very popular last spring, maybe they will be back this spring.
Try to be there on the last day of the tear down, they will usually throw a lot of plants away, or give you a good price.
I worked the trade shows for over 20 yrs.

RachelLF, this little Philo. (I forgot the name) is doing great, it has a new leaf. thanks

homer1958, Welcome!! I hope that you can stay a while. Thanks for the help with the A. Lautebachiana.
Good job growing the X Sagittiflium to that size. Love your garden! Have you had any luck with The Colocasia Thai Giant ? Those are my new favorite.

Rita: That Iochroma is so pretty, I love that color! Is that a variegated Monstera that you say was $19.99?? I've never seen the variegated variety for sale anywhere around here, but we only have two nurseries left in town and they mostly carry common landscape plants and perennials, no Aroids.

LOL, nope the 45 gal tank was an unused aquarium given to me by my friends son who moved to California @ five years ago. He didn't want it anymore and it sat in his parents garage until I finally brought it home last summer and planted it up! My husband's baby is a 150 gal. marine aquarium home to live coral, live rock and a few fish. I think it would make an Awesome terrarium but I don't think I can talk him into getting rid of the fish etc.

Linda, that tank is awesome!

Rita, got the Variegated Vitex from another Texan. I was looking for plants that could take honest to goodness full sun here in Florida. So I hope it's got the goods ! Don't know about the bloom but I think probably lavender.
Short post tonight...tired we've been putting up new fencing all day.

Kay: Thanks! I don't really notice it anymore, it's just there. I don't think about it until we have company and they talk about how relaxing it is to sit and watch the fish.

Prita, thanks for the offer of a brug start - my kids never know what to get me for gifts, so I send them a running 'wish list' of plants that they pick and choose from. "Charles Grimaldi" is my birthday gift for this year. It's become kind of a nice thing, having a garden with gifts of lovely flowering and fruiting plants. I can walk through and say "oh, the kids gave me that amaryllis for Mother's Day years ago" etc. A living legacy! I got two (!!) clivia plants for Christmas one year. What a treasure.

btw, everyone, the silly screen name dyzzypyxxy is a funny thing my daughter came up with years ago and I adopted. Please feel free to use dyz, or . . . well my name is Elaine.

Here's a picture of my 3 Bogota amaryllis - maybe this one will be in focus? That last picture, seems the camera outsmarted me (not unusual) and focused on the canna leaf in the background. . . . I keep telling my dh that I don't want a smart phone 'cause I'm worried it will be smarter than me but maybe it would take better pictures.

Dzy, I'm sure that you already know this, but if you plant those Amaryllis in the yard, they will multiply like crazy.

Multiply like crazy!

Prita,

That $19.99 Monstera Deliciosa was a steal. Is it climbing on a post?

Our big box stores around Charlotte do not carry many tropicals, especially Aroids.

Prita, and all the Aroid lovers,

This photo was taken in September '10. All these came in 4''pots in late July('10), except the Agaves. (5-Gal. bucket as scale) I can only Imagine how big they will be in the fall of '11. The A. Sarian can attain 12' in height, with 3' long leaves. The C. Thai. Giant Has been reported (in the natural habitat) to attain a leaf size of Over 7'x 5' with a height of 10-12'. The A. Borneo Giant is said to attain a height of 12'-15', with a 6' long leaf. Of course, they are all miniscule in comparison to the largest undivided leaf in the world; held by the Alocasia Robusta, at a mere;
GET THIS.... 12'x8'... with a total height of some 25'.

(These are all natural habitat sizes)


L-R; Front Row: Misc. Agave, Alocasia Sarian, Colocasia Thai Giant, Ensete Ventricosum

L-R; Back Row: Alocasia Borneo Giant, Ensete Ventricosum "Maurelii"

Yup, I have clumps of amaryllis around the yard, but when I first get the bulbs, I like to let them bloom in a pot so I can move them around for best effect. These will go in the ground after they're done.

Anyone else find that they revert to plain red quite often? Maybe that's because they're crossing with my Aztec Lilies, which have also sort of reverted to a plain amaryllis shaped flower from the cool 'fleur de lis' shape they originally had. Think I'll find an isolate spot for these and see if they remain true.

Elaine luv your Bogota amaryllis! Homer I can't believe the size of your plants. Huge and lush!!

Here is an Alocasia stingray I picked up yesterday.

Here is the Gardenia vietnam.

Stingray is one on the list for sure PerennialGirl! It looks very healthy. I have seen pictures of a ladys down in Florida that was over 6' tall with huge Petioles.

Some of my Aroids in the garage!

Thanks! Wow....6' tall. I wonder if I can get it to grow that tall. Is your garage heated? Homer your plants still look healthy!