European Gardening: Silk Floss Tree seeds, 1 by DaleTheGardener

DaleTheGardener wrote:
Orchid is Cattleya hybrid, I am useless when it comes to plant tags and names. I take care of the orchids for my clients. Every few years they need to be divided. I chop up the plants, return the best parts to their containers & the rest goes home with me. I grow them on and then give them away, once in awhile I keep one.

If I kept every plant that goes through my hands in a year I would have to plant in the neighbors yard (for several houses in all directions). I could stock a small nursery with my leftovers. I have people stop by sometimes and ask if I sell plants. Many folks in the neighborhood stop by for advice. I have a sign on a stick that I put in the ground by the curb that says "FREE" and then surround it with the orphans. People from the area cruise by on Thursday to see what is waiting for a new home. This week there will be 3 #3cans of red Hibiscus, a part tray of 4" coleus India Frills, 3 full trays of Impatiens and assorted odds and ends. The wholesale nurseries where I buy plants are miles away, out of town. I have to buy a few extra in case some get trashed or for other reasons. It is better to buy 6 extra 4" coleus (@ 60 cents) than to drive 25 miles thru city traffic to get more. On one of my jobs (the yard is 180' by 180') I took out several banana clumps. The total plants, when divided up, was about 25. I put the clumps out on the curb and they were gone before I had finished my breakfast.

About the seed potential of Acnistus australis. If you have humming birds they will do all the work for you. I check Plant Piles every now and again to see if someone has a plant they want to part with. No luck so far. I am not very good with seed.

Here is my front drive, from this winter, with the plants I had bought. I try and get all my plants once a week. Saves time and gasoline (& every one gets the trip charge)>