That's why people need to use more organic means like beneficial insects rather than chemical pesticides and plant more bees friendly plants. I have some that blooms at different times of the year to keep my neighborhood bees happy year round. For about 2 weeks every winter, I have to warn the neighbors to be keep a distance from my groundsel in the front yard because it will be covered with hundreds of bees when it blooms. Cassias and tree spinach are also great bee attractors.
I have Autum Climatis, it is loaded with blooms and every day there are at least twenty bees around it, maybe I will get some seed pods from all their work.
Because my area has a VERY heavy infestation ofMyllocerus undatus Marshal (the Sri Lanka wevel) I have no choicebut to spray with a chemical, there is very little that kills or controls this thing, and I waited till my ficus hedge was near dead b-4 I decided to spray, believe me I did try all the natural stuff, hot ppeper soap etc, the only thing that worked was the two brick method, lay brick down, place wevel on brick, slam other brick hard! It's my hope that because I only spray after sundown I am not hurting our bee friends.
Have you ever try Neem oil to see if this works on them, you have to use it late afternoon after the bees or in their bee hive and it won't hurt the bees after it dries out and it a natural pesticide from a tree from India. It really does wonders with lots of type of harmful bug that like to chew on plants, since bee only go for the flower's pollen it doesn't hurt them unless it spayed on them or have contact with it while its still wet.
Wilfred
budgielover, my biggest applause to you in trying to help our little friends, wish we had millions of people like you on earth, I planted a whole bush of different type of flower plant that the bees are attracted to but they fail to come, to late for this area from what I've seen for the bees, people are just to afraid of them and sadly seems they've have kill them all, this happen after a man was kill by some killer bees that got to the island somehow, cause panic upon the public and they went on a killing spree and also kill our friendly honey bee in the process. I was thinking in trying to order some bee queens with some worker and try to introduce them again on the island to help build their population again. BTW, I'm highly allergic to the sting of the bee but that doesn't discourage me in helping them, we need them for our survival, never have killed one intentionally and never will.
Wilfred
Wilfred, no, never tried nem oil, but I think I'd have to have a barrel of it to use on my ficus hedge and orange trees, now I noticed a few on my star fruit tree but so far I don't see any damage to it. My understanding is that if I spray bayers tree and shrub at night, it, like the oil won't harm the bees! I can say that I have lots of bee's buzzing around my myers lemon which I also sprayed with bayers at night time. So, I think I'm doing as little harm to the enviroment as I can while still trying to kill these sri lanken weevils.
Same plant I showed in this tread two weeks ago before I fertilized it with MG Bloom Booster 10-52-10, look at all the blooms in just a couple of weeks.
Wilfred
Move the plant to the back of my car to get a better photo if it in the sunlight. all the blooms on her have been pollinated, so lets see how many pods develops from this of my plant.
Wilfred
WOW! Great job!!!
Wilfred, I'm wondering what you'd think of just takeing a freshly opened D.R. bloom, slitting it open to make sure I get the pollen on the brush then following the rest of your instructions to insert the pollen. Does pollen have a shelf life? or better yet, is pollen a living thing? There must be a reason why you suggest a freshly opend bloom! I'm still trying, but so far no luck. Maybe it's just too soon to see a pod, I will be one "happy and crazy guy" if I have success.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Jim
Jim you could do that but you risk breaking of the stamen that is thin as a hair right mack in the middle, I tried it lots of time and most of the time that's what usually happens, it breaks. pollen has a very short life span, and yes it's a living thing, its the equivalent of what in the animal kingdom is called sperm, in the plant kingdom its called pollen. I suggest a freshly opened bloom since its when the bloom has the most live pollen in it and I also recommend you do as many blooms as you can starting always with the most recently opened ones, this way you get the most pollen on the brush and pass it on to the ones that have less pollen in them, in this matter increasing your chances of getting a pod full of seeds. be Patients, it usually takes a few weeks before you see a pod to come out were the bloom use to be on, rule of thumb, if where the bloom was placed hasn't dried out or fallen, there is a very good chance that a seed pod is forming, some times it takes three to four weeks before a can be noticed. another thing to take in consideration, some Adenium Desert Rose are harder to get seeds from than others, just have to keep trying until you succeed in doing so and practice doing it.
Just to let you know, when I first started pollinating Adenium desert rose I didn't have any information and there was none anywhere to show you how to do it, it took me seven year to learn a perfect it by myself, all I've learned through my experience through the years I've have tried to pass on to others who are interested in it. I still try to learn something new every day, now a days there is a little more info on this matter on the net and I've have tried them all, most method are for more skillful and experience people who dedicate their lives to plant propagation, and they seem to lack some of the details that are important to ordinary people like use to know. That's why I try to explain in the simples but complete way I can so that anybody with no experience at all and a little patients can do it. I've given the way and how to you ( required knowledge ), you but the will and intention ( to help ), nature puts the source and time to ( create the pods. )
This gives you: ( required knowledge )( to help )( create the pods )
Wilfred
Wilfred, I received two (2) DR seeds from Tropiclover in the mail yesterday, I'm following your instructions exactly, wish me luck!
Hi Jim, I wish you the best of luck with your two seeds, I was wondering did you purchase the seeds you received in the mail yesterday from Tropiclover, please let me know.
Wilfred
WOOOOOOOWEEEEEEE I just discoverd 2 very small BUDS forming on my plant, so far they are still joined at the top'
Doris
Hey Doris, are they flower buds or seed pods, can you post a close-up photo of it, would like to see it.
Wilfred
Wilfred, I sent her some custard apple seeds (with nothing expected in return) and she sent me the two seeds, I believe she may have purchased them from overseas.Jim
Doris, are they seed pods do you think? If so, did you hand pollenate? and if thats true my hardy congrad, you've accomplished what I am still trying so hard to do. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Jim
YES they are seed pods, and I DID IT *LOL* this is the first one, very small but it's there
And this is the second one, sorry this is a little blurry but it was hard to get picture
I will keep you up to date as it grows
Congratulations Doris, they sure are seed pods on your Adenium Desert Rose, two pairs so you really have a total of four seed pods since each side is a pod by itself, they should keep growing for the next few weeks and they can grow from 4" up to 6" in size. Just curious Doris, did you get them using my method for pollinating or did it happen naturally, would like to know.
Wilfred
Doris, ya gotta tell us, I'm with wilfred in wanting to know if you used his method to get your seed pods, or was it done by the olendander moth? I'm so very interested in which method for my own knowledge. Jim
Wilfred I DID IT just like you described, I have to say I did not see a lot of pollen on my brush but I figured it may not take much, I did four booms so far two seed pods, they are inside so I know the bugs did not get there, *S*
Doris
HOORAY!!! Sprouting begun!
One popped up two days ago. Only one? Wah! I've been staring at it, and looking at the surface of the rest of the pot, saying, "Oh, Please!" And this morning, here are several more.
But they're all inside the shell, careful, delicate surgery to do later this morning.
I thought they may have drowned because the pot was in the sun on my porch, but got heavy rain showers several times.
Thank you Wilfred!!!!!!!
Doris, I'm so very happy and excited for you, a bit jelous also LOL, now, if my efforts didn't work I'm going to feel stupid. The only problem I have is that mine are all in the ground, I'm getting more and more convinced that it may be easier to do if they are on a table in pots where I can be comfortable and more careful. With that in mind, I'm going out right now and buying a few in pots which I will keep on a table on my porch. One way or another I'm going to get my pods. Jim
Wilfred, I have to tell you that yesterday I went out and bought "neem oil", I shook it up, filled a small cup with it and went and hand picked one sri lanken weevel off my mango tree and dropped him in the cup! He landed on his back and did the back stroke for a bit b-4 turning over to show me he knew the breast stroke, then he climed up the side of the cup, looked at me and I swear he winked and flew off probably back to my mango tree!
I guess thats possible, but according to the Fla Dept of Ag, they know of nothing that controls these pesty little varments, I've read that they are destroying large crops of soy fields.
Bummer. Sounds like the equivalent of Lionfish in the Caribbean Sea.
One thing does work, gather at least a teaspoon full, and put them in the blender with two or three cups of water. Strain what is left after a good mixing, and spray that on the bugs. Bug juice kills bugs.
Wonder where Wilfred is? He usually posts two or three times every day.
He D-mailed me yesterday a few times, I'm sure he's Ok
Hi Molamola, I'm right here, just got so many things to do besides going to work, I wish I could be here for any question at anytime but I can't, just have to wait till I have some time to do so. Also I'm in the hibiscus forum to, you should check it out when you can Melissa, I think you'll like it, for some reason it not like the other forums. I have some of my hibiscus crossings posted there.
BTW, Congratulation Melissa with your new Adenium Desert Rose babies, they look great, hope more germinate for you.
Jim, never seen a srilanken weevel, can you take a close-up photo of one and post it for me, would like to see it.
Wilfred
WOW I am pretty sure I have a THIRD seed pod emerging it is not out of the shell yet but unlike as flower pod this is GREEN
LOL, Wilfred, I am a worrywort. Too many folks have disappeared too suddenly out of my life.
My next Big Adventure will be playing moth, and to make seed pods. The one thing I'm noticing about all the Adeniums on St. Croix is that none have caud--- caud--- those big bottom things that I need to memorize the name/spellings of!!!
And all the flowers seem to be alike, the same. Hum. Maybe someone needs to fix that. Hum.
But I'll need flowers first, to do the moth thing, hey?
OK, lets have fun with this!
Molamola, what say we have a race since you seem to be as new at this thing as I am. I planted some seeds yesterday and will keep you posted on my progress, hope you do the same, I'm following Wilfreds instruction step by step for both produceing pods and planting seeds. I've noticed that the soil he uses for his seeds seems much finer then mine, I'm useing miriacle grow that seems to have an overabundance of small twigs and hard lumps of whatever! I've picked out what I could but it still seems very little good soil and too much wood chips, can't help but wonder if thats not my problem with other attempts at sowing seeds. Ohh, sorry, GOOD MORNING ALL.
KEROKE, I'm so happy for you, I can only imagine your satisfaction at you success>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Jim
Me? Race?? I am totally non competitive, that's OK. I say, "Well, if it's so important to you, go ahead and win, no problem." But then I've never had an angry hippopotomus chasing me.
Jim, I use Pro Mix. Dull expensive, but lasts a long time if you use it for seeding. It has a lot of peat in it. I did mix the Pro Mix half and half with perlite. I added a photo of the bags to this post---
I use a cleaned Windex spray bottle to moisten the top of the soil in the pot. I've had bad luck buying sprayers in garden centers.
Jungle Mix is good for potting plants, as it holds moisture as well as provides plenty of air to the roots. Unlike a heavy clay soil. Or solid peat.
And for my day, and Wilfred, too:
September 3---
ERIKA WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE MAIN WEATHER CONCERN FOR PUERTO RICO
AND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS TODAY AND TOMORROW.
This message was edited Sep 4, 2009 9:49 AM
POUF! Storm dissapated, just some hard rain at Midnight. I'm not going to guess where it's going from here. The weather professionals have not been correct with predicting Erika's path at all!
So, here are the seedlings that survived being(I think) too wet from having been rained-on (quick showers) while sitting out on my deck trying to be in full sun.
Is it much to early to give them their own pots?
