Maybe interest in new forum for gardening in the tropics?

Oh that is really too bad. I was SO looking forward to it. But happily I am not out in the cold....I still have all you guys to exchange info with. Rains have finally stopped and we have had a day and a half of beautiful golden sunshine.

Just because there's not that many people doesn't mean you won't get your forum, it just makes it a little harder because Dave always wants to make sure that new forums will get a good amount of traffic and the less people there are the harder it is to see that there'll be lots of traffic. But if most of those 24 people in zone 11 plus a few of the zone 10's would participate regularly you could probably still have a good forum. Or if there's a general lack of tropical gardening resources on the internet, maybe having a forum for it would be a good way to bring in new members to DG? For now though, you could always start some threads on the tropical forum, just because most of the threads there now are about plants doesn't mean there couldn't be some threads for general discussion of gardening in tropical climates. I know there are at least a few real tropical gardeners who hang out there so I bet they'd jump in.

Right you are....I won't get discouraged....and I do get quite a bit of info from the tropical forum....as well as the individual plant types. I have noticed though, that most of the net info regarding tropicals is from places that want to sell tropicals....my biggest and best source of info has been DG. My daughter lives out here as well, and I'm giving her a gift subscription to DG because she is just getting started with gardening, and is probably sick of me quoting "my DG buddies" all the time. Ha, Ha.....two or three days and she will be as hooked as I am!

I would really like it. Those of us that live in the higher number zones can benefit from a forum that addresses our issues. We don't ever worry about frost, freezing, etc. but, the folks in other zones don't have to worry about salt tolerant plants, not to mention the PHM, Pink Hibiscus Mealy bug.....Hurricane season is just 2 months away and a forum for us may be key to saving some indigenous plants we might have. Great Idea Shari!!! Can we come diving soon??? The weather is Great in Cayman..This forum could blossom into some great ideas!!! Thanks for thinking of us!!

Aurabest,
john

John....thanks so much for posting here! Hope you saw my post about the diving. I know what you mean about hurricane season, etc. I have a guy who comes once a week to rake up my leaves. He keeps wanting to trim down my sage hedge that I use as a wind break. I tell him that I want it to stay tall, and he just looks at me funny. Its not for beauty - its for work! Without it, I would probably loose a lot of my other plants. What do you use for wind breaks?

A good Sunday to you Shari and the rest at Dave's!

I have a Ficus hedge along the front fence line. When my wife, Katie, and I bought this place, it had numerous pandanus plants everywhere. I assume they have been here for a while as they are quite big and are trying to take over the fence lines on the south side of the property. Slowly but surely I am pulling them and all their roots out as though quite attractive, can get out of control quickly and harbor snakes and rats, not to mention make a chain link fence lean. I am replacing them as I go with Silver buttonwoods. I am new to this whole thing and don't have the scientific names or even proper names for what I am planting, I go by what the local folks call things. I do know that the "Silver buttons" are quite salt water tolerant and grow into an attractive hedge. They can be shaped, require little maintainence, and seem to grow quickly in spite of the draught we experience this time of year. We live about and eighth of a mile from the sea and get salt spray here when the winds blow from the Southwest. Hurricane Ivan caught us from that direction and changed the entire island. My next door neighbor has never had papayas, or paw-paws locally called, and after the storm has a crop of them over 20 feet tall. The fruit on them are giant and Katie and I enjoy fresh papayas almost everyday.

I also have some dwarf schefalera (sp) growing along the fence line, clerodendrums, etc.

I am sorry I don't have the proper names for all this stuff but give me time, I am new but learning daily thanks to folks like yourself. I hope to become active here and share and learn what I can. Thanks for your posts back to me....have fun next month on your dive holiday....I have never been diving in your area but look forward to it soon. I have over 1,000 dives here and look forward to checking out some new water....Thanks again Miss Shari, have a great day!!

Aurabest,
john

John, we are on the other side of the International Date Line, so I will say Happy Monday to you! We have changed our work week to coincide with the States so our weekend is Sunday/Monday. I know what you mean about Pandanus taking over. But they are so hard to work with! I certainly don't envy you trying to pull them out. Papayas are one of my favorite fruits....I love them with a little lime juice for breakfast....and a couple of weeks ago I made a Papaya Pie that my neighbors really liked. it was a little too sweet for my taste though. Ivan must have decided that your neighbor needed papaya - a great health food! Isn't this site wonderful? So many helpful, knowledgeable people - and don't worry about not knowing the "right" names....everyone can usually help you, or figure out what you are referring to. No problema. If we had a Tropical Forum we could chat like this often - without boring everyone else with our salt spray and wind problems.....I never thought of shefflera! Hmmmm.... well, till next time Yokwe Yuk!

There may not be a lot of people who live in zones 10 and higher, but, have you ever been to the 'violas' forum? The interest there is low sometimes, average about one entry a week during the winter months. Now that computer stoage costs have fallen there is no compelling reasons not to have a forum for any and all subjects.

Well, I am certainly still hoping! As you can see from John's posts - tropical problems are different than others. I love the tropics - but I sometimes envy everyone else there seasons. I used to love watching my bulbs emerge in the spring.....so lovely.....sigh

In this part of the US mainland we still have spring, summer and fall. Just no winter. You can plant some bulbs in January (like tuplips), but, why?

Well, yes in Florida I'm sure there is no need, but when you have spent 3 or 4 months huddling in cavelike warmth from the snow and winds of a Rocky Mountain Winter....seeing those first crocus and daffodils is like being re-born....and it is THAT special feeling that I miss.

Hi Mom! Hello eveybody! Mom, now I know why you are always here! I have been looking around the site a bit and it is amazing! I love your idea of a Tropical forum, and I'm not just saying that cause I'm your daughter! I am fairly new to both gardening and gardening in the tropics. =) I have noticed that when I try to find info on a particular plant, I need to search each thread of a forum to find if someone in a tropical area has posted info/advice. Is there an easier way to find what I am looking for?

Mom, the only reason you liked "seeing those first crocus and daffodils is like being re-born" is because yoou hated "huddling in cavelike warmth from the snow and winds of a Rocky Mountain Winter"!!!!! Here you get all excited about new growth, on any plant, on any given day, and don't have to shiver for 3 or 4 months first!

Hey Tropicalmajik, welcome!

Hmmmm, seems like I am getting nailed first try by my daughter! Everyone - I would like to introduce you to (Ba - close your eyes, you are not to read this), one of the most interesting, talented, beautiful and just plain great people in the world - Tropicalmajik. Please make her feel welcome as you did me. Ba - you can come back now....you can go to the plant files and do a search by name - gives you tons of info without having to wade through the forums.

This is just my opinion, but I think there is too much exclusivity and segregation of topics and too many forums, and this would be one more. It seems appropriate for some things to be separated from the more general categories as some people like to specialize in one particular plant or another, but this a request for a new forum based on growing in a tropical area, and I think that excludes a whole lot of people. Zone 10 is considered subtropical, and only Zone 11 is considered tropical, and there are very few places in the contiguous United States considered Zone 11.

Also, there is more activity on the more general forums. Look how many forums have less than ten posts per day: http://davesgarden.com/nl.php?date=2007-04-16 Gingers used to be part of Tropicals, and now there is very little happening there. Orchid Cactus used to be part of Cacti and Succulents, and that forum has very little activity now also. I just think perhaps we have become too specialized, and some posts don't get answered because they are not seen by the vast majority of subscribers.

Besides, it is interesting to see different people in different places growing the same things whether they have to protect them in winter or not. JMHO.

Guess what! There are members outside of the contiguous US that have NO other options or no other experience. New members from a zone 11 area maybe newbies, like myself, but, we have completely different issues with our gardening than you might experience. I think it is a great idea....give us newbies a chance....if you can direct me to a forum that covers my zone, tell me and you wont have to read these posts from me in the wrong place...

Hurricane season soon come and none of this will matter anyway.

Maybe a forum for those of us in this location might benefit from it, who knows.....just my opinion

Clare, JYHO is exactly why I asked the question - and I'm sure that the powers that govern this site will be taking everyone's opinion, so thanks for the input. I agree that in many cases it seems that there are waaay too many forums to pay attention to, so in my case I pay most attention to those that may cover something I may know about, want to learn about, or have interest in. I love to watch the posts on plant ID for example. I just thought that perhaps a forum for the tropics in which we could discuss problems and plants etc that may not interest others might be a useful idea.

John, Ohmygosh! What kind of tree is that?!? So many of the islands are suffering from a similar type of erosion - it's immensly sad. We were on Kosrae last year and there were hundreds of banyan trees that looked like little islands out in the water. Some get washed up with the incoming tide. My friend would truckload sand and soil from the other side of the island to try to keep the ones on his property from washing away. As far as hurricane season goes - No negative waves, my friend! Positive thoughts only - and lots of preparation. You and yours will come through unscathed...right?.....RIGHT!
Let me know if I can help in any way.

the pic is an Ivan victim...the prettiest road on the island got turned into the ugliest in 14 hours....Sept. 04

Sorry if my last post offended anyone....guess a nerve got touched.....zone 11 issues matter!!!

Prayers to the Virginia Tech family....

God Speed

John, I certainly didn't mean to imply that Zone 11 issues don't matter. Of course, they do, and I have no doubt that you Zone 11 dwellers have unique issues when gardening. My point was only that you will get more discussion and help if you list your Zone 11 problems over at the Tropicals Forum (or specific-to-the-plant forum).

I hang out at the Plumerias Forum mostly, and I always check a subscriber's zone before answering a question, and I think most people are aware that different zones require different solutions sometimes. We have Kukiat in Zone 11 in Thailand over there and Dinu in India and Lisa in the Bahamas as well as some cold-weather growers.

It's funny you should mention that a nerve got touched. People do tend to argue about zones, and who is in what zone -- another good reason to avoid segregating forums by zone.

Clare - I watch the Plumeria forum quite a bit as well. Plumies are one of the few trees that grow here with no thought, no care, no maintenance. I have two in my yard and I think my daughter has three, maybe four. Our only concern here is getting the different colors. I planted a beautiful pink in the middle of my yard the last time I lived here - I think I planted it in '90 sometime., I love to ride my bike past that house and see my beautiful tree - it is now about 7 ft. high and as many wide. Gorgeous!

Clare, I am sorry for my harshness in my post. I apologise for it....Maybe I should have posted prior to watching the news.....got myself worked up over the massacre in Virginia...senseless.....I am truly sorry for my harsh words.....we have been reminded over and over again about the upcoming hurricane season and I am still trying to battle the pink hibiscus mealy bug.....maybe another cat 5 can get rid of them.....

anyway, please accept my apologies, I will be scarce on here from now on and keep my comments to myself....

sorry clare,
john

Hi Shari, I would love to see pics of some of your and your daughter's plumeria trees if you could post them over at the Plumeria Forum sometime. I hope you guys will be okay this hurricane season. A large plumeria nursery in Florida, Florida Colors Nursery, got hit badly last year as well and sustained quite a bit of damage. They did recover thankfully. I do believe that Florida Colors ships worldwide, Shari, if you are interested in obtaining some more and different plumeria cultivars: http://www.floridacolors.com/index.htm

John....I repeat what I said in my d-mail. You will NOT keep your comments to yourself! All are welcome in Dave's Garden! We just don't talk much about current events. I agree with you completely - senseless and tragic and that's all I'm gonna say about VT. But about YOU - I will say plenty. So, get back in here and lets figure out what to do about that darn mealy bug!

John, I was posting at the same time as you above. There is no need to apologize. I didn't find your post harsh at all. There is nothing wrong with being passionate. Please don't be scarce. Dave's is a great place where we can state our opinions freely without fear of being persecuted for them. I respect your opinion and understand your situation:-)

Because a specialized forum has few posts, IMHO, it doesn't mean there is no interest...it simply means that the interest IS more narrowly focused. I belong to a Fern Forum and sometimes nothing happens for MONTHS! I do follow the Tropicals and sometimes post questions there that are pertaining to Aroids or Orchid Cactus because I think those are generally grown by lots of people and I am certainly not knowledgeable enough to want to bother the real gurus who got on the specialized forums.

HOWEVER...ahem...getting serious now...there are issues that people in the higher zones experience that others don't... like (often) salt issues, soil issues, heat and sun issues - . I would think that Zone 10 + gardeners would have the same individual issues as "Pacific Norwest Gardening" or ....

Shari...Maui Plumeria Gardens has lots of cool Plummies....and I can send you some cuts from here because they just don't like to grow in the rain we have!!!!

John, I hear you about hte Hibiscus Mites...we have them here and when I find a Hibiscus that resists it....I cheer!!!

Aloha,
Carol
In Zone 11 and loving it!!!

Islandshari-I understand your thinking that a zone 11 forum would be a good thing-that you only can share problems with others in your zone-like salt tolerance to plants etc, but in reality-if you take a place like Hawaii=there are many there that don't have salt problems-such as Alohahoya. She lives far enough away from the ocean and at a higher altitude that salt is not a problem. Now, I would suspect that someone right on the ocean in Fla or Ca is who you would want to talk about salt tolerant plants with-as well as anyone living directly on the coast in Hi or other islands.
Hawaii is somewhat unique in growing climates as opposed to other islands in zone 11, in that the islands are large enough and high enough (altitude) to support many different microclimates. For instance-on the leeward sides, it is very dry 9 months out of the year, and on the windward side, the tradewinds blow in rain all the time during that 9 months. Plants grow differently in both places. Then you have the proximity to the ocean ( or not) and the altitude ( there are actually zone 10b places up high enough!)
As well, there are some of us that have lived in zone 11 before and can help with any questions that you have-if you ask.
Living right on the ocean is tough-salt can be murder on some plants (as well as cars! lol)and there is not much you can do about it except put up wind screens, plant plants that can tolerate that amt of salt, and continually hose down the foliage of a particular plant that you are trying to grow that doesn't accept salt as well as others.

John-come on the Tropicals forum and ask about PHMB -I grow for a living and we also experience this in the grhouse. I just read an article about it in one of my trade mags, and if I see the question asked-I can go look it up and see what they saw to get rid of it (right now I am really busy with the crop-but can look in a month when I have time)-i think though that you will need a good chemical systemic to get rid of it-something that you can put in the soil and let the roots of the plant take it up. You can also spray the plants with a horticultural oil mixed with water, or use Neem oil or a safer soap and spray on a regular basis until they are gone. I think that this type of mealybug responds to the oil, and that is both easier and cheaper to use than a systemic chemical. My point is though that I don't see these questions asked on the forum-give it a try!

I agree with tigerlily, I think you should start some threads on Tropicals. It would be great if you could get your own forum, but I think the numbers are against you in terms of how many people there are in your zone in the first place, and only a few of those have come over here and expressed interest. There's no reason why you can't post stuff about gardening in a tropical climate over there, right now it's mostly about growing tropical plants in non-tropical climates just because that's what the majority of people are doing, but I think discussions like yours are absolutely appropriate for that forum. So I would try over there, and if you feel like you're really not getting what you need because non-tropical people keep jumping in with advice that's totally not applicable, then you've got a good reason to come back over here and explain why you need a separate forum even if there aren't a ton of people who would participate on it. Or you may end up with so much discussion over there that it makes sense to split it off, either way my thought is that's your best bet. This way either you get the info you need, which was the whole point of asking for a forum in the first place, or you find you're not getting what you need and then you've got a better case for a separate forum.

It probably will not make any difference, but I would like to cast my vote for a higher zone forum. Living on a tropical island does have it's own unique issues, and I would love to be able to chat with others in the same zone instead of always just lurking on the forums.
Obviously I don't need months of info on how to protect my babies from the cold, or how to overwinter in the basement ! My garden is year round, and so are the problems with insects, etc. I would also love to hear about growing in volcanic soil.....etc, etc, etc.
Aloha to all...
Jenny C

I agree with Terry, and those are the products that I use on mealies as well. Here in Southern California where I am in Zone 10b, my garden is year-round too, and I don't have to overwinter anything. Whiteflies are a huge problem here, and hibiscus is a major host plant. Those oil-based products work well when used directly on the whitefly, but I heard that worm castings actually have properties that are taken up by the hibiscus trees, for whatever reason, repel whiteflies! I am wondering if it would also discourage mealies.

I have posted in the tropicals forum, and have received lots of help and some great discussions in many of the other forums. I am also aware of the different micro climates in Hawaii. Hawaii was not the only place I was referring to when I started this discussion. However, Clare's last post just brought up another problem that some of us tropical dwellers have. Many places in the tropics are very small, and do not have access to nurseries, and gardening centers that may be within driving distance for the rest of you. Many products that you take for granted are impossible for us to get - do to airline restrictions, agricultural restrictions, or (in my case) Army restrictions. So finding alternative ways to alieveate pest problems is always of great interest to us. But I do get your point, so will drop this attempt I guess....lately I have only been answering when someone else posts anyway. I can't help but be discouraged though....as Dale pointed out earlier in this post, there are many forums that get very little use and I think that this one might have received more. Oh well...its all good, and I still LOVE this great site, so have wonderful gardening days everyone.

Dont give up Shari...don't let their rain on your parade make you go indoors......

LOL Carol----may a smile be our umbrella!

I wasn't raining on anyone's parade...just speaking from the experience of watching this forum regularly and seeing the level of interest that's generally required before Dave creates a new forum. I didn't see Shari getting the level of support that I had seen in the previous successful attempts, so I was trying to make some suggestions of things she could try to further her cause. But since my good intentions are apparently not welcome here, I won't make any further suggestions.

Your good intentions are welcome....most assuredly so! Carol was just making a silly comment in regards to tropical rains.....they are instantaneous, and over quickly - so no one bothers to go inside.....I do appreciate your suggestions, and as you will see from my post on the other forum I intend to continue following them....haven't recently cuz I have enough trouble getting these old fingers to respond to these couple of forums I've been active in. I truly regret that feelings are getting hurt right and left here. Never, ever my intention. That is the problem with the written word, rather that face to face - those ironic little grins and twinklly asides can't be seen. Everyone give me twenty lashes with a wet noodle- then I'll take it out and plant it and we'll see if we can get .....(ready???
......a spaghetti tree! Thanks to everyone, and I'll see you in the tropicals....

Not a bad idea i would visit that for sure..
How about the people who have coconut trees growing wild in their yards and on the beaches?
Coconuts do not grow in the wild north of Ft.Lauderdale here in South Florida!
In my Zone i can grow anything grown in the tropics..
In fact we are just if not warmer then most places in the tropics including Hawaii..
The reason for this is because most of those places are Islands which they get cool off by the ocean breezes..
The only difference is in the winter..
We never get freezing weather but will get a cool blast of air a couple of times a year..
I live in 10b but we are moving to zone 11 soon according to the experts..
Remember it snows in the tropics too including Hawaii..
;=)

And when it snows folks drive up to the top of MaunaKea and fill their pickups with it and race down mountain to make a snowman in their front yard!!!! The mountain is so beautiful with snow on it!!!

Edited to say that the Mauna Kea is nearly 14000' high....

This message was edited Apr 21, 2007 9:10 AM

Snow in Cayman? Not likely, but it is nice to fantasize about it....It has never been lower than 60F in all my years here....We wear winter coats when it gets to that 60 cold mark....bbbbbbbbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Mark, so true.... you reminded me of the time we went to Florida....we were all romping in the surf in bathing suits and the locals were all wearing their fur coats!!!!

Ah yes - the coconut trees - A few times a year the maintenance crews climb up to knock down the nuts and trim the fronds so that they don't fall on people. This can be very, very bad, so they try to keep up with it. Well they trimmed the 5 in my yard, and I found that now my herb garden is getting full sun all day instead of the filtered sun it had been getting....fried my dill horribly!