TROPICAL PLANTS AND GARDENS #131

Buffalo? You didn't say anything about this trip - hope everything is o.k. and it's a safe one for you, Deb!

Came as a sudden decision,, Joe's mom is turning 84 and I havn't seen her for three years, and with all the stuff going on here, I am glad to get away.

That's wonderful for all of you!!!!

Hello! I finall have some tropicals I purchased this spring and have decided to quit lurking. They have all grown quite a bit, as they were purchased quite tiny. No small feat this year in Michigan. We have had a very cold and rainy season.

Nice, Louise!

My TR Hovey papaya. This one has needed some babying, as they hate cold wet soil.

So right, Louise. When I moved to FL, the first thing I planted in May that year were 3 small papaya plants. By October, they were over 6ft. and the biggest was 9ft tall with 14 papayas on it. They love water, but need good drainage, feed heavily and above all keep 'em warm! I'd recommend a bigger pot, and bring it indoors as soon as the nights are going below 50. Set a dark colored watering can in the sun so the water is warm for them.

By the first cold front, they basically stop growing, and just sit there (although the fruit ripens) until it warms up in March. I have to wrap the stem where the fruit is in bridal veil netting to keep the fruit from being raided by squirrels or ruined by wasp larvae.

Papaya 'Red Lady' so called because of the red leaf stems.

Elaine, my 'Red Lady' doesn't have red leaf stems - any idea why?

No clue, Kay! I have three, and they all have the dark red stems on the leaves. The real feature of 'Red Lady' though, is that it is self-fruitful. Most papayas need a male and female tree to get fruit, but not 'Red Lady'.

So, if your plant is setting fruit all by itself, I wouldn't worry about not having red leaf stems.
- firespike bringing in the hummers
- Hedychium 'Dr. Moy' blooming away
- Brazilian Red Cloak is in its full glory again.

Thanks for the advice! I keep it a little root bound to combat the wet cold feet. It was a 2 inch potted plant when I got it, and I see the first bud. I am lucky to have a nice south facing bay window for the winter. My calamondin seems to be doing alright too so far.

The bay window sounds perfect! Definitely go for a large, deep pot for the winter, Louise. You'll want to re-pot before you bring it in the house anyway, to prevent importing critters.

Root bound is not good for papayas, they send down a tap root that will go out the bottom of the pot and sit in water if you have the pot on a saucer.

Be sure to post a picture when your flower blooms!

Elaine, your Clerodendron speciosissimum is gorgeous! Mine is 7' tall and in bloom - so beautiful!!!

As well!

exciting news.. my buddah belly is huge and full of leaves and flowers, the fire spike is blooming in the tomatoe patch, my clero from florida is all aglow with red blooms, and the little powder puff tree thing from Rita is in full bloom.. and well, gee, after being up in newyork for a week, it is good to be home. Love all your blooms, Elaine.
here are some pics from buffalo the waterfront area, my sil's escargot begonia, (it is huge! )
Her yard l;ooks like spring here in kansas, it is oh so very manicured and tidy, nothing like my wild and crazy jungle gardens,. she does have a few tropicals, but not like Joes mom, she has them outside all over the place.

What beautiful, well tended plants. But, I am with you, my home garden is a jungle and I love it that way. The 4th pic is a dahlia, right? They struggle in our humidity so we see few in this area.

I was away for 5 weeks and when I returned not one thing looked any different from when I left. All was the same which, I guess, was a good thing, nothing died. LOL

I just can't believe how this thread and DG in general is just 'dead' here lately. So, if anyone is still out there...here are a few photos of some things blooming. This week has really been nice here,,,60s at night and mid 80s during the day. I have been cleaning out the GH, getting ready to put things back in.
This Hibiscus tricolor has taken over the GH. I have to cut it back and I really don't won't too. I have read that they are easy to root, so hopefully I'll have a lot of babies before long.

Oops...forgot to label them
1 - the Hibiscus Tricolor
2 - stapelia gigantea
3 - red 'lifesaver' - anyone know the name???
4 - vitex
5 - mandevilla

And below is blue daze with my chocolate mimosa in the middle.
and Nightshade

Paula, take a look at 'stapelia scitula' and see if that's your plant. I have one that hasn't bloomed yet (thanks, Floridaheat!).

Hi Kay
No I don;t think that is it....here is a closeup of mine. Its real dark and rather small..about the size of a nickel..maybe. I've found a couple pics on the internet that look just like it, but none of them have names other than stapelia.

well what ever it is it is cute.. I have not heard of hibicus tri color, it kinda looks like my snow queen, but no red in the leaves. My carrion flower plant is loaded with blooms, finally after three years I get to actually see one. All the tropicals on the front porch are out on the front side walk to get their final rain bath before my son hauls them in.. we are ready .. I love my vitex, it really is growing, I have two, one on each side of the arbor. Joe is finally retired so now he has a lot of chores to do for me, digging and moving plants mostly.

Yep, Deb - keep the boy busy and outta your hair!!!! I would give anything for a retired husband instead of a deceased husband - love him while you have him!

Hi Debra,
Bot. Name is hibiscus tiliaceus 'tricolor'. It's a beautiful plant. I personally have never noticed the flowers...don,t know if mine has or not. I have plenty of cuttings, if you would like one.

Deb, I have one in a huge pot and mine blooms red.

Mine blooms red also but the flowers hide along the stems under the foliage. I don't have any buds yet, it usually flowers late here.

This picture is of my plant when it was young. For some reason there are more green leaves now that it has about 6 or 7 years on it.

Alice...is yours in the ground or pot?

Mine is the same, Alice - mostly variegated green/white leaves, occasionally a red/burgundy leaf, but mine is also several years old, thus fewer red leaves.

ahh okay well it is pretty foilage.

Mine is in a large pot, I move it to a sheltered area in the winter. It has always been outside.

paula your plant is Red Dragon flower Huernia schneideriana

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/61056/

I have the same variegated hibiscus and it haven't seen it bloom, Alice I think you may be who sent it too me.

I'm with ya on the "jungle look" ....LOL

well, we are slowly getting things in..

Wow, it seems early, but I do remember that there's usually a light freeze just before Halloween.

yes, there usually is.. joe brought a lot in as i de-bugged and sprayed,,

My beautiful ensete has decided to bloom. Since that represents the growth tip, what happens if I remove it before it extends?

It will perish either way! Either with or without bananas with seeds.

Does anyone have anything blooming? I'll have to go take some pictures...I finally got all my plants in. Just yesterday they finished my new GH and not a moment too soon. I was putting plants in as they were nailing up the last things. I still have to get the electricity and heat hooked up but for now its fine. Here are the pictures over the last three days.....
Day1 took 8 months to get to this level.(kept getting put off)
Day 2 - little over half completed
Day 3 - finished product
Inside - have plenty of room to make shelves and start some cuttings and plant seeds.

Holy COW, Paula - that's a great greenhouse!

Yep; Would love to place my monsters in there!

Oh WOW, I am green with envy. It went down to 41 here the past two nights, a GH would have been handy.

My first bananas, Musa 'Sweetheart' and sad to say they taste about as good as a dry sponge. :-(
I am hoping the second stalk of fruit will be a little better.

ardesia

I've never grown any of the Musa's and wanted to find out do you not leave the bananas on the stalk until they are ripe or did you take them off due to the temp drop?

too bad they didn't taste good, hopefully like you said your next ones will.

Jan

They were picked before the cold weather just as they were starting to turn yellow. It is not obvious in this picture but there are yellow ones on the back of that green looking stalk. I was told that is when we were supposed to pick them. We have not had rain here in forever and only had 1/4" total in October, I think they just didn't get enough fresh water. I detect a slight salty taste and suspect they hit the ground water here. Friends who grow this variety say it is usually great. I bought the plants a couple of years ago from the fall festival at the UGA coastal gardens in Savannah, used to be called the Bamboo Farm.

Paula, you picked up a medinella magnifica for me years ago and I left it outside on its own all summer and it has been blooming for months now. Did yours make the move to the new house OK?