Tropical Gardening

Hi All.No i dont live in New Zealand!!Christchurch on the south coast, close to the New Forest, thats me! ...... i dont think they use greenhouses in New Zealand in March.......to keep the frost off.........

If it is decorative, then just cut it off about 6" from the ground and cover with pine straw to protect from the ice and freezing. It will come back each year. If you want to eventually get bananas from it, then it really needs to be transplanted into a greenhouse or something similar for the...

Ok Pete, thanks

Hi Beachlover, Welcome to GC.. Its natural for the bottom Leave's to Die off, youv'e done the right thing cutting them off..

Walnut, thats a fabulous tree. Does that mean bananas all round then?With UK trees, they won't flower till they become adult - which in normally determined by years rather than size. Would that be the same for a banana?

That's my plan to stock up and pot on now til April and them hopefully have quite a few plants. Have been offered a pineapple plant/tree not sure what it looks like or if it will go with my planting. I will be after advice alot as I live quite coastal and it gets a bit windy so am a bit worried...

Very well done Sezelene and no annoying grass too which of course gives you loads more time to enjoy your jungle! Yippee!:D Hel.xxx.

Thanks very much bananaman just wondered about the chicken pellets as I have noticed that there are brown marks appearing on the leaves,and some of them split.

Hi FleabagYour terrace sounds like quite a challenge. I assume that it's in full sun as well as sharply drained? If so, I wouldn't worry about adding grit but I'd definitely add as much compost, and water retaining material as I could. It's a bit late to add manure this year in my view but...

:gnthb: Yes I am really pleased Vicky, I have had them for so long I would have been broken hearted if I had lost them all..... Some of mine went very squishy too & the smell....! Horrid..!! I just cleared all that away & cut them back till I found hard flesh & so far most of them are slowly...

The conservatory is quite tall ... but not heatedThe greenhouse is quite long ... but neither heated nor tall!

Okey dokey :thumb:

Obviously a larger plant with more flowering spikes extends the flowering season.But I would say roughly for me. one flower spike last two to three weeks, with the flowers opening in succession.

Hi folks. I just opened my 3 packs of Canna's (one in each) and found that they were starting to shoot. Until now, they've been kept in my unheated greenhouse, and now I've potted them up, that's where they'll stay for now. I'm a bit concerned that they'll grow too fast if I keep them in heat....

I thought I didn't succeed. Please let meknow

Eriobotrya japonica :flag:

Fatsia Japonica, easy, frost hardy, slowish growing, and covers a lot of ground.

I tried to keep ensette ventricosm - probably spelt that wrong, but a lovely purple one through last winter. It looked fantastic in the heated greenhouse all winter, but despite not over watering it, in the spring it upped its leggs and dropped dead on me!

You can`t do anymore than that, Dee. Best of luck.:thumb::D

Thank you folks for all your different answers to my problem...I think I will try leaving a few out which are in a sheltered part of the garden.. the rest will have to be packed like sardines in my conservatory...