Dear Sherry: I may or may not have reached the person I need to answer a ? I have concerning "mandavilla" vines. I bought two in 1 gal pots, placed them in full sun, "miracle growed" them as directed, then "super bloomed" them as directed, but they still will not bloom. They are "vining" all over the trellis with healthy runners, but NO blooms. I am new to the net and when I did a gardening "search" I saw that you answered ?.... Any help will be greatly appreciated. I really enjoyed reading all the news you had about your greenhouse. I wish I were younger, I would love to do something with a greenhouse. I have no knowledge but would like to learn.. Thank you...
Since you say your Mandevilla vines seem healthy, but have no flowers, I suspect you have given them too much nitrogen with all your fertilizing. Nitrogren promotes foliage growth. Stop fertilizing them and see what happens. They may then produce some flowers.
Mandevilla prefer a minimum temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit. They like bright light. From spring to autumn they should be watered regularly. Water much less in winter. Repot in spring (if you are growing them in pots). Can be propagated by taking stem cuttings in spring.
I need to know how to care for my Lipstick Vine plant. It's bloomng now. I'm afraid to move it to the sink to spray it or water it for fear of disturbing it. do you know of any resources or indexes where you can look these thing up on the net?
Aeschynanthus lobbianus (Lipstick Vine) is a very fussy plant, so you are right to be careful with it. Keep water and direct sunlight off of the leaves. (Misting the leaves is alright though, to increase humidity in summer.) Lipstick Vine also does not like cold drafts, dry air or wet soil in winter.
Lipstick Vines flower between June and September, need humid air in summer
and plenty of tepid water. Immediately after flowering, if it is straggly,
cut back the stems. Give it a rest period during the winter. In winter keep
it in temperatures in the 55 to 65 degree Farenheit range and keep in bright
light. Always avoid direct sun. Every 2 or 3 years, repot in spring. Propagate
by taking stem cuttings in spring.
Why are my hibiscus plant leaves turning yellow and dropping?
I assume, since you don't mention it, that you've seen no evidence of insect pests. If it is the oldest leaves that are yellowing and dropping, I would say it is probably due to a nitrogen deficiency. Organic nitrogen sources: soybean meal, dried blood, composted manure, and compost. Spread some on top of soil and water in.
The yellowing could also be due to a mineral deficiency (iron or potassium). To treat iron deficiency, make soil more acidic (lower pH) by adding sulfur or peat moss or coffee grounds which will then allow the plant to absorb iron properly. To treat potassium deficiency, feed the plant a dilute seaweed solution such as Maxi-Crop and some fish emulsion as well.
Another possibility is that the soil is waterlogged or that you are not
watering consistently and the plant is experiencing drought. Perhaps
your plant needs repotting to improve the soil. Adding organic matter will
lighten it, allowing proper drainage and will also allow the soil to
retain enough water to sustain the plant without being waterlogged.
My gardenia plant is not doing well. When I first got it this spring, it bloomed frequently, then seemed to stop. It has been indoors for the past two months and seemed to be thriving in the well-lit humidified room. Now, however, its leaves have lost their luster, they are drooping, and feel limp. The leaves are turning brown (first at the edge and then all over) and crumble to the touch. I have given the plant coffee grounds to get the acidity up and mist it numerous times a day (while also running the humidifier). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!
The symptoms you describe sound like those resulting from drought or heat. You are misting the plant, which is good but obviously not enough.
Gardenias are known for being fussy plants. They do not like to be too cool at night (60 or 65 degrees Farenheit), and they do not like to be too hot during the day (no more than 80 degrees). They do not like stress (such as being moved or temperature extremes).
They also do not like for their soil to dry out. You must water thoroughly and consistently. I suggest placing the pot in a bucket of lukewarm water and allowing it to soak up water through the pot's drainage holes until the surface of the soil is damp.
Have you placed your gardenia too near a heat vent? Is it getting direct
sun through glass? These things might also cause leaves to wilt and their
edges turn brown. Another possibility is that the soil is waterlogged. Perhaps
your plant needs repotting to improve the soil. Adding organic matter will
lighten it, allowing proper drainage and will also allow the soil to retain
enough water to sustain the plant without being waterlogged.
Hi, Waverly here again. I hope you are feeling better! Thanks again for the info on the lights...I've adjusted everything & am set for the winter. I have a very finicky plant...patchouli! I cannot figure out what this plant needs or how to care for it. I've had it for a year & 1/2 now & have tried to find out info on care of this plant. It seems more tender than my basil & drops leaves alot. I have tried to make cuttings to root plants for friends; not too successfully. Any info you can forward would be appreciated! Great web site, I'm telling my gardening friends! Thanks & no rush...
I do not have a patchouli plant, but from what I've read, they are supposed to be easy to grow! That has obviously not been your experience. The two most used for fragrant oils are Pogostemon patchouli (grows in East & West Indies and Paraguay) and Pogostemon cablin (native to China, the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka).
They will grow to a height of 2 or 3 feet, like moist soil and warm temperatures.
Absolutely don't like freezing temperatures. Note where they grow as native
plants. It's generally warm and humid in those countries. Check the local
weather in those countries by reading your newspaper international weather
section, and try to provide the same conditions. (I'm not joking.) Is
your plant getting hit by a draft? That won't do. Hope this helps you. Good
luck, and please let me know how it goes.
Sherry-For some reason the only houseplant I can have that flourishes is a poinsettia. I now have 7 of them ranging in age from 4 years to 2 years. They are huge. They love the outside in the summer - central Illinois - and bloom inside in the winter. Not in dark closets. I have been wondering WHY. When you have time I'd like to know if you have an answer. Thanks. CB
Poinsettia are native to Mexico and are naturally large plants if grown to maturity (up to 10 feet). To bloom, the plants normally need some long nights (14 hours) beginning in October if you want blooms by Christmas.
Long nights naturally occur as winter progresses. If you are keeping
the plants in a place where their long night requirement is met, eventually
they will bloom. Not many in your climate zone are growing poinsettias as
you are, I suspect. You're doing a great job, and it sounds as though you're
enjoying the plants. At least with you they don't become "obsolete"
after Christmas.
Website visitor John Simkins has kindly informed me of some new sources for the beautiful yellow clivia.
1. Paul Christian Rare Plants lists mature divisions of Clivia miniata 'citrina' at 75 pounds and seedlings at 30 pounds (about $150. and $60)
Per Paul: "Yes we offer this one (and hopefully some others soon) The 'seedlings'are quite large, almost flowering sized in fact, but they are not clonal hence the distinction.
"I have an on-line catalogue... or we can send a paper copy of our new December list. I ask $3 (as bills) to cover the cost of the air-mail but I will send a summer catalogue as well for this, when issued in May." [See contact information below.]
Does Paul Christian Rare Plants ship to the United States? "YES."
or Canada? "NO, sorry."
Paul Christian Rare Plants
Internet Site: http://rareplants.co.uk (new pages added December,
Arisaema, Cypripedium etc.)
e-mail: paul@rareplants.co.uk or bulbs@celtic.co.uk
Telephone: (+44) 01978 366399
Mobile telephone: (+44) 037 44 77 442
Fax: (+44) 01978 366399
Snail Mail : Dr. P.J.Christian, PO Box 468, WREXHAM, LL13 9XR, UK
2. Wayside Gardens, 1 Garden Lane, Hodges, SC 29695-0001, telephone 1-800-845-1124, fax1-800-817-1124.
See page 6 of their spring 1997 catalog for Clivia miniata Solomon Hybrids (a Wayside exclusive introduction). One gallon (4 to 5 year old plants) are $175.00 USD each. Two gallon (5 to 6 year old plants) are $275.00 each. Quantities limited.
3. Thompson and Morgan, PO Box 1308, Jackson, NJ 08527-0308, telephone 1-800-274-7333, fax 1-888-466-4769.
See page 42 of their 1997 catalog for Clivia miniata 'Citrinus'. They
offer 2 small seedlings for $49.99 ("T&M expect your seedlings
to flower within two years.") Order by 28 February; quantities limited.
"Sherry - I live in Central Florida and have a beautiful poinsettia plant in a flower bed outside my kitchen doors. I would like to know how to get it to turn red for the holidays. It gets mostly shade except for at the end of the day. Any help you can give me would be appreciated.
Thank you. --Deborah M."
Poinsettia are native to Mexico and are naturally large plants if grown to maturity (up to 10 feet). To bloom, the plants normally need some long nights (14 hours) beginning in October if you want blooms by Christmas. Long nights naturally occur as winter progresses. If you are keeping the plants in a place where their long night requirement is met, eventually they will bloom.
Here's what to do with your poinsettia:
I've never kept a pointsettia beyond the holidays because I know that they really want to be a 10 ft tall plant. I have toured several greenhouses that raise poinsettias commercially. They're big money-makers, because everyone wants a young plant that has just come into bloom. (Built-in obsolescence.)
The red "flowers" are actually "bracts" that surround an inconspicuous yellowish flower. If you want to continue to grow your plants, keep plants in sunny window. Avoid sudden temperature changes. Keep soil moist;don't let water stand in pot saucer. When leaves fall in late winter or early spring, cut stems back to 2 buds, reduce watering to minimum. Store in cool place until late spring.
When frosts are past, set pots in sun outdoors. It's difficult to bring plants into bloom again indoors. They will probably grow too tall for indoor use next winter, but may survive winter if well sheltered. Plants bloom only when they experience long nights--14 hours; don't keep them where they will get any artificial light during those 14 hours. For Christmas blooms, starting in October, put plants in dark closet for the night. Start new plants by making late summer cuttings of stems with 4 or 5 eyes (joints).
Here are some poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) websites that might interest you:
http://ianrwww.unl.edu/ianr/pubs/extnpubs/hort/92-1069.HTM
(University of Nebraska site covering culture, reflowering, propagation)
http://www.owt.com/users/mckinnon/plants/poinsettia.html
(Couple details their extensive poinsettia experiences)
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/PLANTanswers/flowers/poinsettia.html
http://res.agr.ca/lond/pmrc/cv/reyes_cv.html
(Andres Reys specializes in biological control of poinsettia root rot)
http://www.aesir.com/Charleston/March.html
(See 8 March 1825)
http://www.ohwy.com/wa/3/11323.htm
(Molback's Poinsettia Festival in Woodinville, WA)
http://seattlecafe.com/hyperart/Forrestal/p1.html
(nice watercolor painting)
http://www.ednet.ns.ca/educ/museum/poison/poinsett.htm
I was wondering if you knew of anywhere to get yellow clivias. My wife
has two orange ones, and I would like to be able to get her a yellow one
for her birthday. Thanks for your help.
--Geoff G.
Seedling plants of Clivia miniata 'Citrinus' (beautiful creamy yellow, rare) were available earlier this year from Thompson & Morgan, PO Box 1308, Jackson, NJ 08527-0308, telephone 800-274-7333, fax 908-363-9356. (Call to see if they are still stocking it for the next shipping season.)
My other sources only list the more common orange clivia.
What is the proper care for a Christmas Cactus? When should they bloom?
Thanks!
--Marina
Your Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) likes rich, well-draining soil with a lot of leaf mold and sand. (In the wild, it would live on a tree in a jungle as some orchids do.) Feed often--during growth and flowering you can feed as often as once a week. Use liquid fish & kelp emulsion diluted with warm water.
To promote bud set for late December bloom, Christmas Cactus must have
cool night temperatures (50 to 55 degrees Farenheit) and 12 to 14 hours
of darkness per day during November. Obviously, we've just about missed
that window, but you can always start now. Perhaps you already keep it in
a place with those conditions.