Indoor gardening, Mid atlantic, 2015

Is it even ON the list? Not in my house right now.

Most hated part of bathroom cleaning is wet strands of hair. I'd rather be out in the drizzle raking wet leaves than deal with wiping up bathrooms. But today I did some inside cleaning work.

Coleus cuttings taking a nosedive, a creeping rot got 3 of the 4 and the last guy had a mealybug on it today. I finally dealt with a small christmas cactus that has also had many spots of sick tissue= tossed. Yanked out dried stems of satin pothos that I had thought would look nice twined with parlor palm, it had other ideas.

Spring will arrive just in time for some of my plants, they are gasping!

I wouldn't say that all of my plants are thriving but they have done much better in general than usual this year.

Yay!
I will say --knock on wood!- no spider mites.
I awed by how the two Odora type elephant ears have been in nearly suspended animation!

By the way, as Gita predicted, Clivia flowers have opened nicely into big bright clusters from what seemed at first feeble bunches of bud.

Holly, good to hear your plants are doing better this year! I remember the problems with your greenhouse heater last winter.

Sally, I could never keep coleus cuttings alive, even for a few weeks, and yours were so close to making it to another season!

My Coleus cuttings are now so tall that I cannot even have them under the lights,
as they touch them all. I have, already, pinched them all back once--and stick
the new cuttings right next to the existing stems.
I will have many to share. Lots of the Wasabi chartreuse ones.

Sally--my one Clivia has 3 stems of blooms up and starting to show color.
Should look spectacular! This is the one with the rounded leaf-tips--
a much nicer bloomer. This one is the one I got from that customer
at the HD a few years ago. It has 2 pups growing. I want to try to separate them...
but the roots are so tangled together. I want to give one to Paul.
I will see him on the 28th.

Sally--are your Coleus cuttings somewhere cold? That may be the reason...

G.

Thank you very much Loretta. It is one of them, I think maybe Jabberwocky but I will need to do a little more research before I can tell, if I can tell. LOL

My Apple Blossom amaryllis finally bloomed over the weekend. I was greeted by it when I came in to work this morning. It's very pretty. Unfortunately the bulb is small and this will probably be the only bloom stalk I get out of it.

Sequoia, give that Apple Blossom water & fertilizer this spring/summer, and next year you'll have 2 or 3 bloom stalks. :-)

I've got a surprise 3rd bloom stalk on 'Dancing Queen' that just opened! The Amaryllis leaves sometimes continue to form a perfect fan, but mostly they start flopping around (less so once they're outside, it seems). I generally bundle them together loosely with twine, maybe tie them to a central stake, and they hang in there until I can plant them out.

It doesn't always happen, but my preferred way to grow amaryllises over the summer is to plant them right into the garden, close to a soaker hose so they get water regularly. With good sun and fertilizer, they'll get pretty big by fall! I like the time-release fertilizer pellets, since I can just toss them into the hole when I'm planting, but there are more organic options also. Maybe this will be the year I finally brew up compost tea on a regular basis?

Thanks Critter. I'm a little uncertain about the bulb's viability though. It's getting brown on the one side and I'm not sure if that's normal or it's rotting. It is blooming very nicely right now though.

As long as nothing feels squishy-soft (like those bad daff bulbs), it'll be fine. It's normal for there to be some space now under its brown outer skin, as the inner bulb has used a lot of itself producing those blooms... but the now-smaller bulb underneath should be pretty firm.

Another Orchid is blooming, just love this delicate little plant. I've two more orchids that should bloom soon.

Ok, thanks for the vote of confidence Jill.

Maybe your bulb is just regenerating its papery brown outer covering? Did you poke it for underlying firmness? Asking because if it does feel squashy, then it might be too wet... unpotting and cutting/rubbing away any rotting parts can often save the bulb (like ogres, amaryllis bulbs have layers).

I have hibiscus, inpatients, orchids and lavender in bloom now. So pretty and makes me long for spring!

I really need to get a camera/phone so I can post pictures. It's not easy living in the 20th century...

This message was edited Mar 30, 2015 7:23 PM

Sounds great!

Streptocarpus 'Bristols Goose Egg' amazes me, it rebounded from struggling and now has a dozen or so long lasting blooms.

Several of my Amaryllis buds are opening up. Soon they will all be in bloom.

Here is the odd thing---many of the bloom stems are around 22"-24" long.
WHY???? What makes them grow so long? HUH????
Last year--these same bulbs all bloomed but not on such long stems.

I will never cease to be amazed that, out of this onion-like bulb--all the
stems grow and bring forth these beautiful blooms. Such power!!!

The power of THE BULB!!! It is ALL in there! Take good care of it!!!
You will see pictures soon--same as last year---everything in bloom (except my AV's)
Oh, well..... G.

Mystery to me Gita but somebody probably knows. My one bulb had two very short stalks with kind of poorly shaped blooms first. Thsn later a tall stalk with very nice big blooms.
Strep at bedside. First thing I see in the morning and last at night...besides Mark of course.

Beats me-Sally!
My 2 Streps are also growing well. One of them has filled the pot
and may need separating and re-potting. This is the Ruby" one.
Got this and a white one from donner. To me they are a bit ho-humm.
I have too many plants to single any one out as "special".

Some special ones are:

--My Brazilian Plumes
--My Brugs
--My Beefsteak begonias
--My Clivias
--My Beefsteak Begonias
--My 3Epis
--My curly Spider plant

...OK! Seems I could go on forever....I guess I have too many favorites...

G.


Anyone interested? I can split it up. It grows such long, curving leaves....
A bit hard to handle.

I couldn't believe how big the leaves are on your Ruby strep.

Why do I like certain plants? I like novelty and change and growth, to an extent, I think. I gave away Janet Craig Compacta because it just sits there green forever, and the shape and leaf texture is such you might as well have a plastic one. I gave away Spathiphyllum 'Petite" because I got bored. I'm liking the orchids now since they are still new to me, but they could be considered boring when not in bloom.

Confession time
Brazilian Plume does not float my boat. Maybe it just doesn't like me. Maybe I just don't have the right place for it. Outside pots are hard to keep up with. I'm normally a sucker for pink and green but, it just doesn't thrill me.

Gita, an Easter cactus from you is budding now, red one I think.

My parents have an amaryllis (saved from last year) that bloomed on a two-inch stalk. Really cute and unusual looking.

The only problem with long amaryllis bloom stalks is that they break sometimes. It's only happened to me once, but it was a major disappointment.

If a stalk breaks (or just gets a really wonky bend), a vase is always an option. I had a broken-stalked amaryllis that I didn't think would bloom that way since the big bud hadn't even opened into individual buds yet... but I put it in water anyway, and it continued developing and bloomed very nicely in its vase!

Sally--
The B.Plume may not be so thrilling to look at--except when it blooms.

My cuttings are growing really well. Some are pretty large by now.
Hope there is some interest from DG'ers for having one...PLEASE!
I have about a dozen growing.

I also have a lot of baby pregnant Onions growing.
Rooted--and sending up a leaf or two.
Holly--maybe you would like to talke some of these to your GClub meetings.
These plants would be ALL NEW to them! Whachya think? LMK!

I suppose the excitement of having a different plant from me has long
worn off. Most of you have tried them all by now.

Gita

Gita, I could take a few if you don't have anyone else that wants them. The HGHA will have it's annual picnic in June and there is always a raffle table to benefit the Club. I could take them for the Raffle Table.

Thanks, Holly---I will make a note to bring you some.
Did you want some of both of them? BP flower--AND preg. Onion?
I have some starts for my Epis growing as well. All they have to see is
a picture of the blooms to "want" these.

OK! Off to work to water plants all day. Yes! it is back to that....
G.

No don't bring me any of the Preg Onion I have seen plenty of them on the Raffle Table. Just the BP flower.

OK, Holly! I hear ya! G.

G, I love the BP and am always willing to take some of whatever you have to offer. I've gotten them from you for the last few years and they do great in containers in my shade. My problem though is that I can't seem to keep them alive through the winter, nor have I been successful at getting any cuttings to root. You always have the magic touch for growing things!

The one that Gita gave me is several years old and going strong. We cut it back but just haven't tried to start any of them.

Terri--

Thanks--but I have NO magic touch! Usually--I ignore my plants
and water them when I have time. That is all! Ignorance is bliss w/plants.

BP require regular watering--when needed....The big one I have
goes dry almost twice a week. Of course, it is pretty big with a lot
of leaves on it. Some of my cuttings are almost 10" tall and have full leaves.

You may remember my story about how I found out they can root when,
one summer, in a high wind, my big BP pot blew over and EVERY stem broke off.
I was so upset--and did not know what to do. So, I just stuck all the branch tips
around the edge of the same pot with Mama. They ALL rooted. AHA!!!

I cut mine back in early fall-as I did not think I wanted a full plant during the winter.

When you cut it back, just stick the upper stem sections (4"-5") into a 4" pot to root.
It WILL! I promise!
DO NOT fuss over it--do not think it needs any special care--do not fertilize--just
give it some decent light and watering.
If it totally dries out--you may lose the plant. Keep a bottle of water nearby.
I lost one of my potted cuttings that way. It was out of sight and it totally shriveled up.
My fault! If it just goes dry and droops--it will come back.

edited to add that the mama had ONE stem when I brought her inside.
All the rest of the leaves & stems have grown while it was inside for the winter.

Really! DO NOT fuss over your plants!
Here are my BP's today. The cuttings--and the mama.

G.


This message was edited Apr 2, 2015 2:11 PM

I cannot believe that many of my CC's are blooming!
Including the true Christmas cactus. Several of my potted CC's have blooms.

Of course--so are my Amaryllis . Spectacular, huge blooms!
Not all of them are open yet--but are on their way.
The red ones, in the big, old pot, are always first. So old--but still so pretty.

My white Strep is also in bloom. And my gorgeous Clivia is still holding on.
Come on, Summer! I am tired of taking care of all these plants indoors.

Here are some pictures....last one is the real CC.

There's nothing like a few winter blooms to light things up. Those clivias really are something else!

I don't believe anyone responded to "Has anyone else seen their Oxalis improve?" So I'll just tell Ya'll, that mine are doing great and flowering like crazy. I have a number of plants flowering in the GH and don't really have a lot of space to move them to the house. Since I'm usually in the GH at least twice a day now, I still get to enjoy them.
I'm going to try a heavier clay mix on a BP flower, I have trouble keeping it wet enough, esp. when in flower.

Sorry RIc, my oxalis did send out some leaves when I resumed watering and light, a few blooms too.

Gita here's what a recent article says about germinating clivia seeds

Clivia miniata--The seeds can be somewhat tricky to germinate and should be sown almost immediately after being removed from the red berries, preferably after those seeds have been washed with a fungicide first. Press each one halfway into a sterile medium such as sand, vermiculite, or perlite, with its brown spot up, since the root emerges from the side opposite to the spot. The seeds can take 2 weeks to 6 months to germinate, and seedlings will require at least 3 to 5 years to reach blooming size.

Read more: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/5421#ixzz3XEsMUPvH

Thanks, Sally--I believe I bookmarked that Article.

3-5 years is just too long to wait.
I may not even remember what the heck it is by then.
I would be in my early 80's by then...A VERY scary thought!!!!!

G.

Pretty much all our attention is moving outside right now but I wanted to post a few pics of some of the smaller plants we picked up in Fl.
6 Orchids, 5 Rex Begonias, a Staghorn Fern, air plant, cactus, Chinese Wild Ginger and 3 of David's Mini Pixies. There are 11 much larger plants out outside in 2 and 3 gal pots.

wow, you're insatiable! haha..Very pretty!! Who can resist??
coleup, th latest oncidium type orchid you gave me has a spike...woot!

Easy to do this time of year wait till next Fall when I am crying about lack of space.......with no one to blame but myself.