Tropical Garden # 94

I've got mango and lychee trees in bloom 'way down here. Stinky pollen right now, but oh! the fruit in summer. Yum.

Does anybody think I should re-pot my little tropical water lily, or just stick a few fert. tabs in the pot and let it be? It's a dwarf variety, 'Dauben' so doesn't get very big. It's been in the same pot for 2 years, but did very well last year and put up a couple of little flowers right through December until the water got too cold. It's making new leaves now. Hate to disturb it if it doesn't need it.

Here's what happens in my garden - plants that I completely ignore bloom and flourish.

Big red hibiscus outside the back gate. Hasn't had water other than rain or any tlc in livid memory.

We did have a nice rain last Thursday, and here we are, covered in blooms (but few leaves . . . ). Maybe I'll sneak it a bucket of fish fert when it's not looking?

dyzzy.. gosh, I hafta get moved to florida asap! I would LOVE to totally ignore some of my plants...I'M sure they would thrive better..

Debra, all your plants are growing well for you and don't give up on getting a Philodendron Mcdowelli. It's a pretty Philodendron to have. The moonvine seeds I planted are up and growing. Wish me luck as I am not very good with starting seedlings indoors.

Homer, very nice Monsterea deliciosa and AeAe. Do you bring the Monstera indoors for the Winter months or are you able to overwinter it in the ground there?

Rita, that is one extremely nice size Alocasia and Philo. giganteum you showed and let us know if your Okinawa silver grows better in a pot instead. Here is one of my newest " I just had to have it plant", from Brian Williams.

Syngonium chiapense.

Rachel, those seedlings will do fine if you just keep them in light and water them when almost dry. I do mine in water bottles so they sit on the window ledges . My stictocardia leaves have littlecrystals on the undersides which tells me it doesn't like it's new location..They will turn black in a few days or so.. it s normal..

RachelLF
I left the 45 gallon contained plant out one too many cold nights and killed it (so I thought) About 5 years ago. I dumped the container in a new area of the compost pile and this past fall I was turning some of that area and a little leaf on a vine appeared. Dug it up this past fall and I guess I will grow another until it gets"Monstrous". It is really cool how these guys are so tough; hardly any light(if any) and 4 winters, never planted, and a new compost pile.

I'll get a shot of him today and post his picture later.

Debra, real estate down here is really cheap right now . . . Not sure if you could afford the move with all those plants, though!

That shot of the crystals on the strictocardia is interesting. Are they salt crystals? Some plants leach salts (fert.salts as well as NaCl) out of the soil and get rid of it that way - mangroves down here do that at the seaside - growing with their feet almost in the salt water at high tide. Their leaves have crystals hanging down like that until rain or dew washes them away. When we have a run of "dry" weather here (less than 30 dew point) they sparkle.

Have you tried washing them off with a water spray or under the tap? Might prevent them turning black.

Oh No.. it is a form of edema and is a natural thing for the stictocardia, as well as the I.batatas.. temperature changes cause this . Washing it off is not needed.. it is a defense mechanism from what I looked up in the Morning Glory forums. As it gets Used to it's new location the other leaves will not experience this.
Looking forward to more shots of tropicals from everyone, home on lunch and have to get back..

This is a bloom from last summer from a canna from Rita..

I have been enjoying all the pics and talk.
Prita, The blooms on my Ox Tongue haven't opened yet but it is getting close should have a pic for you in the next few days.
I could use a little advise on my Prince of Orange. I have had it for years and it is getting a bit spindly looking. Lost quite a few of the older lower leaves this winter. I was wondering do I cut it off and will I get a new sprout, can I root the top?

Hello Everybody!!

I totally enjoyed viewing everyones pictures.
tonight might be our last cold night for a while, I hope .

pensacolagarden, I did not plant any tulips last fall. I sure will enjoy seeing yours.


Metrsideros, your turtle seems to be waiting for a pat on the head.

PerennialGirl, thanks, I do not remember if the Ruellia colorata makes seed or not, I know that they root quite easily. I bought mine from Zone 9 in Houston, or I can root you a start, they will bloom at the same time as the YTT and make quite an attractive combination.

Joeswife, I have not paid much attention to the underside of a hibiscus flower, that is a outstandng picture of yours.
I would go ahead and repot your amaryllis bulb, I did mine earlier his year and they are fixing to bloom any day now. The ones that did not get repotted are just now showing a little green.
I learned about the edema from reading the dialogue between you and dyz. Thanks!
you can find a Philo. McDowelli here at neominnie e-bay. I have bought plants from them before and was very pleased.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Philodendron-McDowell-/220750553388?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3365c2212c

dyz, Isn't it nice to have all that color and sunshine, thanks for sharing it with us!
I usually will just stick a few fertilizer tablets into the water lilly and colocosia pots every year, hopefully someone else can advise you as to repotting them.

RachelLF, It is good to see you! I hope by no you are enjoying a few warm sunny days.
I will have to research your new Philo. From Brian Williams.
I have not gotten aound to transplanting the A Okinawah silver, but promise to keep you in the know.

homer1958, that is a good recovery story! I did leave a Red Abyssinian and a Xanth. mickey mouse, out last winter for an experiment . I lost the banana but the bulb on the Xanth is nice and firm.

No new plants today. This is a oldie but a Goodie.

Oldie but a goodie

HollyAnnS, In my openion that Philo looks very healthy.
I have always had the lower leaves to turn yellow and fall off on the more mature Philos.
I read somewhere that if they are exposed to hot and cold drafts or overwatering this could cause them to turn yellow as well.

homer1958 might be able to advise you as to the cutting and rooting or the solution to the foliage loss. I would hate for you to lose any more foliage from that beauty.

HollyAnnS,

I could write it all down from memory;(or lack of) but, all you have to do is go to this sight!

http://www.ehow.com/how_2095743_propagate-philodendron.html

It will tell you how step by step!

If you have any other ?'s give me a shout.

Sorry HollyAnnS,

Did you water more than usual this year? You know they like it kind of dry if the temps are cool.Any change in light and ferts?

When was the last time you did a soil change?

Just kinda give me an Idea of what is going down.

Prita,

She definitely is a beauty! I love that marbled type of variegation!!!!!!!!!!!!!

me too!
I just read on another thread that if you divide or repot a water lilly or lotus, not to touch the bulb tip or it will die?
ugh.. to much work to be that careful.


I just had DH carry IN all the plastic see thru tubs of seed cups with babies in them , since it is getting down to 28 tonite. I am so tired of being cold.

Thanks guys, I move some of my plants into an upstairs bedroom about 2 weeks before Christmas to make more room. I fondly call this the room of death. Not all the plants come back once they have gone there. The plants have a good bit of light but they are crowded, watering is spotty and any insect issues compound in the crowded conditions. After New Years I start moving them back down but some stay up there for quite a while. Of course it gets much less crowded and the plants that stay up there for long period get better care as the over crowding decreases. Here is a pic of the lower part of the plant. Top looks good and I have lost a few leaves from it before but this last winter it lost quite a few.

Debra, thanks for the tips. I think my problem may be due to over watering seedlings while indoors.

Homer, I enjoy reading survival stories about Aroids and your Monstera deliciosa sure is a tough one. I am looking forward to a picture.

Rita, love those Philodendrons and I also see your Anthurium veitchii in the last photo growing tremendously. Please show more photo's of him in the future.

HollyAnn, your Philo. appears to be healthy to me as well. I would not worry myself about it, if it was my plant. Your plant appears to be showing typical older leaf defoliation and maturing quite nicely.

Holly I agree, it looks good! My MIL in Buffalo has her son bring all her tropicals to the main bedroom, and he covers the ed with a large plastic sheet, as well as all the other stuff and the floor, and since she is 84 and has bad hips, she doesn't get up there very often, but those plants have survived Buffalo, NY upstairs bedroom stays all winter for almost 35 years. I was amazed at how she sits in a chair outside, and cuts everything back a LOT, and it all grows so well. Even her grapefruit tree from seed has managed to get almost 5 ft tall. I constantly beg her to send her clippings to me, she just laffs .

KayJones, you are such a great Dg'r. Thank you for sending me part of your sunshine plants. It is nice to come home to a part of everyones gardens everyday.
Rita, the very first picture of this thread is the Philo I am looking for, right?

Thanks guys, guess I was worrying for no reason. I don't know anyone that has a self heading Philo this big. All the ones I've seen up here are much smaller.

Hey,HolyAnnS.

I would do a soil change with a new clay pot the same size. There is a vey large amount of salt build up on your pot there and I imagine there may be a fair amount in the soil also.

Just my opinion.

Good morning, everyone! Deb, there's more to come!

Good Morning Kay and everyone....

Look what is blooming today...three different clivia

two others

close up....so vibrant!

You are right Homer, That plant has been in that pot for several years. I have never done a soil change and I have an old Peace Plant and Chinese Evergreen that are practically busting out of their pots that really need to divide them.

Morning, my clivia (the one I didn't let freeze) has started blooming also and it is such a warm, happy orange, I hope my yellow one will bloom this year.

Debra, the water lilies are not so fussy but with the lotus, the growth tip on the tuber is brittle, if you snap it off it could keep the plant from growing. I still have some unpotted, I'll try and take a picture as soon as my son and his GF leave today.

Oldie but goodie picture of one of mine.

Ardesia your lotus is gorgeous! Did you start it from seed? How long can lotus seeds be viable?

GAgirl your clivia are beautiful!

Debra luv the color on your canna!

Prita if a rooted cutting would travel well to where I live, I would luv one.

Ardesia,
Love the lotus, I want one so bad...tried the seed thing and that did not work. If anyone has a extra, I would love to have one.

Ardesia Not only is the water lotus beautiful but it is displayed beautifully.

My peach plumeria has flower buds! And a couple of new leaves . .

Better picture, I think.

Gagirl1066,

That orange looks close to that Auburn Tiger Orange!

NAAH... Definitely Fluorescent though!!!! Very Beautiful!

HollyAnnS,

Don't be surprised if the Philodendron blooms a month or two after you do the soil and pot change!

Homer it has bloomed nicely for me several times. I'll be looking to see how it does once I do the change. I'm going to wait for a nice warm day when I can work outside in my potting area.

Thanks folks, growing lotus is ever so easy and most of them are pretty hardy. I bought mine a couple of years ago from Texas Water Lilies in a DG co op.

GAgirl, planning any trips to Beaufort? I did not get to divide my plants early enough this year, it was just too cold. By the time I got to them they had already started growing and the growth tips and leaves are very brittle. Just too brittle to risk mailing them but pick up is good if you feel like taking a drive.

PS to Homer - that could be Clemson Orange too. ;-)

This message was edited Mar 15, 2011 6:49 PM

Cross vine Tangerine Beauty is blooming. I'll take another picture in a week or so...it's loaded with buds. I took this picture a couple of days ago and it's already grown more and more blooms have opened. I've been outside alot doing clean up work, but now the darn Golf Cart is not working right. It's got a dump bed on it and it really comes in handy when your trying to clean up stuff all over the place ! The main "Yard" area is about 4 acres and I've got stuff planted all over the place that I'm still working on cleaning up "winter" die back from.
Everything is taking off now tho...


This message was edited Mar 15, 2011 6:11 PM

Martha, when you get your yard cleaned up, you can do mine!

"Monstera" about to have the 2nd of this seasons newest leaves. This is the plant I was talking about finding in the compost pile last November