Mid Atlantic Tropicals

Oh Holly. mama Musa looks good where you have it! And it she's putting out a pup I think it means she want to stay! So glad you and Ric could give her a home. I see she is in a pot (pretty!!) so will you overwinter her this winter? How are the red absynian bananas I swapped to you doing? Mine have really put on growth in the last few weeks and are almost 4 feet tall now. I love their coloration.

Ruby, I was wondering why I hadn't heard you mention the bananas! If you give them fresh soil and pot up and fertilize each watering they will catch up in no time! Bananas love to eat!

If you and Holly feed yours (and any one else who got one!) they will eventually reach the size of the one in this picture (tallest reddish in center) taken at my friend's house about 4 miles from mine. They gree mant tropicals and now live in FLA. This is what their yard looked like about this time of year. Sure doesn't look like most mid- atlantic yards!

PS Ruby, forgot to add that you and John could always 'go native' and finish your roof with a banana leaf thatch!!!

red absynian bananas are doing great as well. I will get a picture of them.
I haven't decided about overwintering the Musa, yet. I think I will bring it inside this winter, we might have the GH heated for winter and I could put it in there. I would like to try overwintering one out side but I think I will wait till I have a few pups growing before I risk one.

Great photos Holly. Makes me want to come and visit again soon. I was just telling John this week about the temperature difference in the gazebo the day of the swap. It felt a good ten or more degrees cooler inside of it than outside of it. It is lovely too and now all the wonderful greenery around it makes it look even more like paradise.

Coleup, I suppose there were so many plants to deal with upon arriving home after the swap that things got put in places that I haven't been aware of until now. I knew of the one banana plant but am now really thrilled with finding the others too. Yippie!!!! That is a project for either today or the next couple of days. I too will have to try and snap some pictures of the other elephant ears you shared too. All are thriving currently. (Please don't anyone hold their breath when I promise pictures, because I am often very slow about doing it.)

Also Cole, I couldn't get the photo from Florida to enlarge, so am unable to see it very clearly. Would you mind trying to post it again and see if it might enlarge for me this time. Thanks hon!!!

Gonna wish all readers and very enjoyable kind of day.

Ruby

Maid of Orleans (aka MOO) and Lakeview Jasmine - doin' their vodoo

My pride and joy - Bouvardia longiflora - THIS one made it through the winter....whew

I am hoping that my Jasmine will bloom. It is growing very well but I haven't seen blooms yet. I do have it in a shadier spot do you think I should move it out into the sun a bit more?

Holly says"Sorry that there is all kind of background mess in this picture. " Maybe she needs to hire a new pool guy. ROTFL Ric

'new pool guy' LOL May I put in an order as well...and we can split shipping? Oh wait...I don't have a pool. Hmmm....I wanna pool guy any way! Holly re Jasmine - most of the jasmines with exception of Maid of Orleans like a lot of sun - you'll see many more blooms with increased sun. My Maid is in a locale where she gets bright indirect light - she just doesn't seem to enjoy the direct sun like the other jasmines do imho.

For those in VA - SALE alert - Meadows Farms is having a (crud, now I can't remember) either 25% or 50% off of all tropicals.... http://www.meadowsfarms.com/home.aspx well at least at the Stafford locale...maybe call your local one to see if they are as well...

This message was edited Jul 22, 2012 9:17 PM

Think I will move mine into a more sunny local.

I need a tutorial on how to remove and transplant banana pups!

Thanks to Chantell for referring me to this forum:
http://www.bananas.org/f2/time-separate-pups-spring-1814.html

But my dwarf cavendish so much smaller, so I'm afraid to dig in and pull out the pups like this. Does anyone have personal experience with this? I'd like to divide up all the pups that are coming up.

'Fraid you won't know how umch the pups have their own roots until you excavate some.

I take off pups when I dig up the whole plant in fall... best way, IMO, because then you can see all the roots. A pup with even a scrap of a root is way more likely to survive. :-)

See my "Going Bananas" article for photos of removing a pup from the main corm: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/299/

And, err, well... if you end up with an extra Dwarf Cavindish, I would love to have one! I can find you something fun to swap it for, I bet. The "dwarf" banana I ordered several years ago grew to 18 feet... LOL... be nice to have one that could just stay in a pot for moving in & out, maybe even get fruit. Speaking of fruit, you'll want to leave one or two pups attached I think. When the main plant fruits, it will die back, and then one of the pups will take over.

This bloom opened this morning. It is my disocactus x hybrid that was given to me. I have cuttings for sale on this one as well as some in pots that are not ready to sell just yet. This old plant is amazing.

The pink mandevilla is going wild too. See our baby Christmas Trees in the background of the Pink????They are so happy we had rain.
]
Stay safe in the storms. Old lady Hugs from JB.

JB--
Good to hear from you....
Your red Epi looks just like one of mine...don't have the name right now...

I have repotted all my small CC's in 4" pots. I think they are happier ti be in
larger pots and out of those 2" clay pots--that dry out once a day.
Hoping several of them will bloom this year--so I can actually see the colors.
I want to see the pink ones. Then i can send you a few more.

The rest of my garden turned into a feast for Spider Mites.
Too many plants just succumber! All my Brugs--hanging in--but not one
healthy leaf among them all.
Today I noticed my Morning Glory "Picotee" leafes all yellowing out.
Back sides look like someone sprinkled paprika on them. What is that???

Will take a picture tomorrow. I am at work right now....

Greetings back to MY favorite "Old lady".....:o) Gita

Paprika sounds like spider mites
; ^(

I guess you've tried soap, neem, etc. against the mites... One thing that knocks them back pretty well on my houseplants is rubbing alcohol... I take the 70% solution from the drug store and use it straight on any plant with succulent or waxy leaves, cut it maybe half and half with water on plants that I don't think can handle it full strength. The dollar store has little spray bottles that make a nice mist. It's the most effective thing I've found against spider mites, and I'm often surprised at how well it's tolerated by the plants.

I'm sorry you've had such a time with the mites this year. Spider mites are why I stopped trying to overwinter brugs after a couple of tries... I'd go 3 days without looking at the plants (down in my basement), and wham, all the leaves would have dropped off (again) with an attack of spider mites. I might try cuttings this fall if anybody is chopping theirs back... I think if I keep them upstairs (in a bubbler maybe) I can keep a closer eye on them and spray them as needed.

JB, have you overwintered mandivilla before? My MIL had a huge pot of it last summer, and I scarfed it up in fall because she had just stuck it behind the garage... it had gone dormant but didn't seem to be frozen to the root. I watered it (just a sip) every so often over the winter and was hoping to bring it back to her this summer. So far, it has refused to sprout this year. There are healthy-looking thick knobby roots in the pot, plenty of them, but no shoots. When I scrape the top of a root lightly, I can still see green color, so I just don't think it's "all the way dead." But I'm not sure what more I can do to encourage it to grow... ? Even if it started growing this late, it would be fine because I could put it downstairs under lights with my amaryllises or up in the sunroom.

I planted basil around the edges of the mandivilla pot and then put a metal pot stand over the center so I could add another potted plant in the center without disturbing the mandivilla's roots. So it's been getting regular water, and needless to say it's had plenty of heat this summer. Any ideas, anybody?

(((((JB)))))))

Jill--

I would have to spray all my Brugs and now my MG with Alcohol. Not sure how the plants
will like it??? May do some damage--to add to the damage already done.
I mean--I would have to do this with a sprayer--big time!

Is there not some other insecticide out there besides NEEM that will control Mites?
Something that is not so sensitive to hot weather?

Gonna do the NEEM again tomorrow AM. Just have to do something!

Jill--Now--RE Brug cuttings.

You talk about "bubblers". PLEASE don't do that! Been there--failed at all that!!1
Please trust me that the BEST way to root them is just to take 5"-6" stem cuttings, of decent thickness--
and shove them in fresh, moist potting mix--all the way to the bottom in about a 5"-6" pot.
You can use rooting hormone if you like. Does not matter....
Do not try to root the soft tips as cuttings--been there--tried that--it never worked! The die off.

In my early years dealing with Brugs--I listened to all kinds of "experts" and tried to do as they said.
WOW! The "Bubbler System" sounded so logical! DG'er from FL and from CA were toting it THE way!
Went out and spent $$$ on all the supplies. The bubblers--the pump--the "T" diverters--all the tubing, etc....
Uses a lg--top cut off- jug as my vessel.
Followed the advice about H2O2 in the water---changing it often (forgot many times)--and also did not
do all the required cleaning and sterilizing as needed. Watching for the white "bumps" on the stem--
which was supposed to be the start of roots. One could pot it up at this stage. Success??? Occasionally.

Basically--whether you want to or not--there will be slime growing in the water--as well as on the cutting's bottoms.
Then the fungus would start to affect the cutting ends in the water. The skin would get all slimy and separate
off from the wood. The cuttings will decline--Basically--sure death!
I do not think you would have the time to check all the water and the state of the cuttings every day.

I think I tried this for a couple of years--never succeeding--and then gave up and went to the "directly into the soil"
method. It has NEVER failed me! NO rot! NO fungus! NO slime! They just root and pass the "tug test"
in about a week. Even quite fat stems will root this way. Even the main trunk--IF you want to try it.

Gita

Pic is of Jan. 2012. ALL my brug cuttings growing like crazy. Took them in mid-October, 2011.
Since I do not use my light set-up in the winter--I use them for all kinds of cuttings.

Remember my insane success with all the Coleus cuttings a couple years back? Used the lights as well.

I know that slimy rot thing that happens with cuttings that don't get checked often enough! I do OK with most of my cuttings, have even overwintered coleus cuttings in rooting vases (mostly because I didn't get around to potting them up until spring LOL). I figure a bubbler might increase my chances, and I've got a couple air pumps, tubing, etc. I'm planning to use my 70G tank (that I'm breaking down and taking to the basement) to overwinter tropical water lilies and similar things... going to put a bubbler in there too, although the lilies would be fine without it. That could also give me an easy place to plop in a bunch of cuttings, and I'd just have one big "water bath" to top up and keep clean. Could work. We'll see!

I do remember when you kept taking set after set of coleus cuttings -- and rooting them all! Wild.

Good luck, Jill. Let me know how your Brug cuttings did. Gita

LOL, don't have any Brug cuttings yet, so I'm not counting them chickens! But I'm pretty sure the big tank will be a good place for other cuttings, like the ones that routinely crowd the back ledge of my kitchen island. Coleus, houseplants... we'll see how carried away I get.

I have two big tufts of leaves on my plumeria this year, probably the best it's looked yet, but still no sign of a bud or bloom. I think it was Sally who mentioned something about them blooming better if you don't let them go completely dormant over winter, no matter what Paul James said LOL, so I'm going to try potting it up and putting it with the amaryllises or in the morning room this fall/winter.

Oh, must report that the Black Stem Taro (I think that's what Coleup called it?) has put up several leaves for me, and the tallest is nearly 5 feet off the ground! I had no idea it would do that... guess it's just as well the spot I had available for it was at the back of the deck bed! It's pretty much the same height (or taller LOL) as the hardy hibiscus and banana plant I have back there. Striking!

If the mites are that bad, I wouldn't worry about neem or alcohol damaging the leaves... if the plants recover from the mites, they will put out new growth. Sounds like you're in a "nothing to lose by trying" situation. You could try one brug first... and brug leaves seem to have a pretty tough cuticle on them, so I bet it would work. Hope you "neem'd" them this morning and that did the trick!

I am not a real authority on the Mandevilla, but i do know they must be cultivated on the dry side through the winter until about February when they begin to have activity in their growth. The professionals recommend starting them in Clay pots because it helps keep the root system healthy. I try not to cut mine back anymore than necessary because they say the more foilage left on until early Spring the healthier the root system will be. The more light they have the more they will bloom. I only have two but they are on my south deck in the hot sun all day and in the greenhouse all winter. I fertilize when i remember. I do not know the names of either of mine. Charle ate the tags. i do know the red one is patented, but the pink I think is a 'Alice DuPont' and I do not think she is patented. I need to look that up to be sure I do not cut her and then find out too late.
Hope this helps.
AC man is here working on leak on unit. UGGH! $$$$$$$$$$$flying out the window.

Will show you my growing MG "Picotee". It still has not bloomed!

I love this one--the leaves are interesting, a soft, pale green,and it does not vine around things like
many other MG's. I have had to "help it along" and try to give it direction with Velcro plant ties.

The blooms will be blue--with white edges. I may also have a pink one mixed in.
The leaves are kind of lobed in a triangular way, and slightly fuzzy. Hence the mites love them.

A couple of days ago, there was no sign of damage. Then two days ago--I noticed the lower leaves start
to yellow out and get distorted. I am afraid this is traveling up the plant at a good speed.
The back side of these leaves were sprinkled with Paprika colored tiny dots.
The next day--there were now black spots on the top of the leaves.

#1--This is from 2008. Notice the nice-looking leaves...
#2--A couple days ago--leaves turning yukky.
#3--Back of a leaf showing spots (mites?)-There were more of them the day before.
#4--Now developing black spots and drying up. (see picture #1).
#5--MG Picotee training up on my railings.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/57587/

WOW! The above 5 pictures went in 30 seconds!!!

More flower shots:

#1--right corner of my small front door bed.
#2--Kitchen side bed--Dr. Seuss on the left--The pot of MG Picotee in white pot on right.
#3--Bed by old tree stump--always has a BIG pot on top. Coming along....
#4--Self-seeded Dwarf Red Coreopsis growing on top of Bleeding Heart stems.
#5--Red, tall, perennial Hibiscus.

WOW! 20 seconds!!!

Last ones--
Picked these up at Lowes yesterday for $1 each.
Was hoping these were the perennial Salvia--but it did not say so anywhere on the tag.
Will have to assume they are annual then. One has a small, new bloom stem coming...
I am hoping they will bloom some more before cold weather sets in.

The tag just says " Black and Blue Salvia".

White, Perennial Hibiscus.

'Black & Blue' is a perennial salvia, but it's pretty tender. Some people have had success bringing the dormant root inside for the winter (I don't seem too good at that). You may also be able to try a sheltered spot & pile on the mulch.

Gita, sorry to say your "paprika" does look like spider mites to me. Darn, just when it was really taking off!

Thanks, Jill!

OH, I know it was Spider Mites--NOT in denial!
Just from the effects on the leaves--it was a dead giveaway. Besides--my Garden has them all over.

Oddly, they do not always appear that orange....Hmmmmm
Usually--they are little, DARK specks. These were in-your-face-orange. Like a HD apron....
Maybe--because the leaves were so light green..the red was more prominent.
Who knows????


Found a spray can of "ORTHO Rose Pide Orthonex Insect and Disease Control".
It had mites on the label. Sprayed everything as best i could get to it.....as spraying the undersides
of the leaves was the priority. MAN! That stuff was stinky!

We will see! My Dr. Seuss seems to be recovering somewhat. Decent new growth coming from the tips.
Lets hope the SM's have gone for now. SHOOOOO!

The pink NOID Brug is really affected--BUT--the Maya Brug--just 5' from it, seems not affected at all.
Maya has variegated leaves. Wonder it they "taste" different to the SM ????

Now to see if my MG "Picotee" leaves will recover....I want to see it bloom! Love its flowers!

Ain't gardening fun?????......:o(

Watered my WHOLE Yarden today--one area at a time-- with 2 separate sprinklers.

I guess I will have to dig in my new Salvias on the S. side of my garden and throw a pile of leaves on them.
But--for $1--it will be what it will be. I DO want them to be perennial.....

You say--"Bringing in the dormant root". Does that mean let the tops die off and then bring in the pots for the winter?
What care should they have if i do this? Let them be? Water now and then? Advice is welcome.

Thanks--Gita

Yes, with the black & blue salvia the tops will die back in winter... some people say dig & bag, or bring in the pot, or treat like geraniums (which I've also had no luck in overwintering). I'm 0 for 2 on black & blue salvia, sure hope I have better luck with a couple other tender salvias I got this year from Richard Dufresne, the self-styled "Sultan of Salvias" (but it ain't bragging if it's truth, right?).

Holly, here are some First Daughter Musa pics. She's about 9 feet tall and has a new tiny pup. Did you know that bananas have two different kinds of pups?

It's a jungle out there!

Third pic is of Black Stem taro spathe...all of mine are blooming. Glad I was able to keep them watered so far this year.

Beau-ti-ful

Coleup, can you explain what you mean by 2 different kinds of pups?

No I didn't know about the two types of pups and I also would love to know more about that.
I was sitting outside in the gazebo yesterday admiring my banana, it is looking really good.

Here is a link to a very good article on 'Bananas" geared towards growing them successfully in Zone 7 Answers many questions. Unfortunately it isn't the link about the two kinds of pups, but I'm still looking for same

http://www.plantdelights.com/Banana-Trees-for-the-Garden/products/494/

Pics below are ones I saved from the references about different kinds of pups. As you can see from the drawing, the first pup is the maiden follower and replaces the main plant as it dies after flowering. Then there are 'swords' and 'peepers' or water sprouts, too, Musa type Bananas like to colonize, while Ensetes go it alone and rarely send up offshoots.

This should hold us til I get back in an hour or so... Judy coleup

This message was edited Aug 19, 2012 10:00 AM

I just want to peep in here and give my admiration for all of you. I cannot get myself to buy tropicals. I am sad when I see them, all fat and pretty in the nurseries, and know that they will not last without considerable effort (and you have to have the proper over-wintering "home"), nor will they ever look as nice as when I bought them. They just do not work for me. And I am happy that you all have success!

As for me, I'm sticking with evergreens. And veggies - veggies, I can rationalize buying and growing, as their season is finite, pretty much. That I can deal with! I send you my best!

Grayce.
I hear ya. I inherited my tropicals from the local nursery that grew them and many others where I worked until they closed and moved to Florida. None of the tropicals I have require very much care or special treatment at all other than to keep them from freezing to death in the winter...bring em in in late fall and out again when nite temps stabilize around 50 degrees, water them, feed them, and watch them grow! Rinse, repeat. And, for me, each new kind of plant I get to know opens new worlds of wonder and to appreciate other ways of being in the world. Maybe my tropicals demonstrate exuberance and the ability to grow beyond expectations and to stay alive in a 'jungle' and other such lessons from time to time...Stop by the swap at sallyg's and I'll 'loan' you one on approval or trade for some home grown veggies! I know nothing about evergreens!

Speaking of sallyg and swap just wanted to post some pics of a tropical hibiscus named "Haight Ashbury' that sally is offering cuttings of this fall. Go Sally!

Plant,,,bloom...leaves.

Um, well, yes it IS the cutting from your Haight Ashbury--but mine has at this point become pretty much solid maroon. I may have , with cuttings, retained a reverted marooon piece. You''l see the full size maroon from which the cuttings are taking nicely. Or maybe I need to give it full sun?

Interesting sally. I love the purple leafed also. Are the blooms still as dark? Don't know what difference more or less sun would make. My haight seemed a bit more resistant to bug nibbles than the purple...Will be fun to see a desendant!