What's looking exotic in 2019

Discussion in 'Tropical Gardening' started by PeterS, Jan 20, 2019.

  1. TaraMaiden

    TaraMaiden Gardener

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    I have a strelitzia my mother gave me about 3 or 4 years ago... it was very young, only just under a foot high, in an 8" pot, and had an artificial strelitzia flower on a stick, poked into the soil (it bore the legend "Artist's impression only: Not a real flower" . No schytt, Sherlock...!) It's now about two-and-a-half, to 3 feet high, in a bigger pot (obviously!) but has not yet flowered... Any idea when perhaps I can expect a flower? It' seems quite happy otherwise... it normally lives indoors in the winter, but once all danger of frost has passed, it has a warm sunny spot in the garden... I live in Nottinghamshire...
     
  2. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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    My one growing outside forms flowering stems in autumn and early spring, it then takes 6 months for the flowers to open, this would be faster under glass.
    The flower stems come from the leaf axils so you want it to keep growing good leaves.

    Its often stated that BOPs flower better when potbound, not my belief, they might flower a bit sooner, but not better.

    Your doing the right things, just feed occasionally with tomato feed during the growing season and a bit drier in winter.

    and wait.:)
     
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    • TaraMaiden

      TaraMaiden Gardener

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      On a slightly different note, I purchased a very young neem plant - it is 17" high, and the stem is as thick as a 5mm knitting needle... whether I will be successful in getting it to mature, remains to be seen... the tough clay root-ball fell apart the moment I took it from its pot, and the bare roots barely covered the area of my palm... However, I put it in good-quality, well-draining compost, first coating the roots with mycorrhizal powder and then watered it with rainwater from my water butt....
       
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      • stephenprudence

        stephenprudence GC Weather Guru

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        As of today
        IMG_20190707_171401_BURST001_COVER.jpg IMG_20190707_170930.jpg IMG_20190707_171309.jpg IMG_20190707_171239_BURST002.jpg LRM_EXPORT_51453389878605_20190706_200115655.jpeg
         
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        • longk

          longk Total Gardener

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          Several shots of my Mackaya bella as its blooms come to an end. I should have tagged @PeterS in on this earlier as I seem to recall he has an increasing interest in the Acanthacea family............
          [​IMG]Mackaya bella by longk48, on Flickr

          [​IMG]Mackaya bella by longk48, on Flickr

          [​IMG]Mackaya bella by longk48, on Flickr

          [​IMG]Mackaya bella by longk48, on Flickr

          [​IMG]Mackaya bella by longk48, on Flickr

          [​IMG]Mackaya bella by longk48, on Flickr

          [​IMG]Mackaya bella by longk48, on Flickr

          Parodia mammulosa............
          [​IMG]Parodia mammulosa by longk48, on Flickr

          [​IMG]Parodia mammulosa by longk48, on Flickr
           
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          • strongylodon

            strongylodon Old Member

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            I didn't post a pic of this when I brought it home from Madeira in January as I didn't look like it was going to survive being just a barely rooted branch but it has and is growing well (at last).
            Plumeria rubra.
            IMG_1026.JPG
             
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            • pete

              pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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              Looks a lot better than mine @strongylodon
              Mine has continual RSM problems.
               
            • strongylodon

              strongylodon Old Member

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              @pete,the conservatory is, at present, free of RSM, just recurring aphid.
               
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              • NigelJ

                NigelJ Total Gardener

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                Impatiens gomphophylla
                Impatiens gomphophylla.JPG
                 
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                • TaraMaiden

                  TaraMaiden Gardener

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                  I have 13 Plumerias, all grown from seeds, and I've had a heck of a job with spider mites and mealy bugs... fortunately hydrogen peroxide and neem oil came to the rescue, but the leaves are unsightly so I'm quite glad they drop off in the winter time. Mine are about your size... goodness knows what I'll do with them and where I'll put them, should they begin to grow, 'big time'...! I also have a Monstera deliciosa, and a strelitzia, so I'm going tropical!
                   
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                  • JWK

                    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                    Brugmansia:
                    IMG_20190728_174021490_HDR.jpg
                     
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                    • KFF

                      KFF Total Gardener

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                      Mandevilla

                      20190728_083335.jpg
                       
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                      • JWK

                        JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                        Oleander:
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                        • Freddy

                          Freddy Miserable git, well known for it

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                          I tried one of those a good few years ago, didn’t survive the first winter.
                           
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                          • strongylodon

                            strongylodon Old Member

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                            Orange Bougie is full of flower and Billbergia windii has opened up.
                            BOUG.JPG

                            Billbergia windii.
                            BILLBERG.JPG
                             
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