Q: I have a bunch of Ladybugs in my garden, I wonder if they
eating my plants? Do I need to get rid of them?
A: Ladybug (Harmonia axyridis) is, in fact, one of the
best insects you can find in your garden, it is a natural predator that takes
care of many bad bugs, including aphids. Keep them happy and bring them to your
garden. Ladybugs actually are cultivated as natural pest control, and you
can even buy them for your yard, instead of chemicals!
Ladybug larvae eating aphids:
The wonderful insects that dine only on landscape pests and don't harm
good bugs or plants are called 'beneficials', and ladybugs definitely fall
into this category, but not the way many people think. It's the ladybug's larvae
that are voracious predators of soft-bodied problem insects, especially
aphids.
Photo below:
One of our PeopleCats, "Innocent" Ladybug (a.k.a. Bug)
is wondering who else she can bug next...
Q: Really enjoy all the plants that I have got from you, but
having a hard time keeping iguanas eating everything! We are not on the water,
any solution to keep them out?
A: Iguanas may become quite a problem in the garden. Our first
suggestion would be - get a Duck as we have (Duck Dobi), she is so dominant and keeps any wild animals away from the
property, including gators... and cats! They are scared of her! Dobi thinks
she owns the place.
Here are a few other ways to control iguana problem in your backyard:
1. Rid your lawn of dropped fruits. Iguanas love fruit. And they love
low-hanging fruit or fruit that's easy to get to. If you have fruit trees, take
the time to pick up your yard and dispose of any dropped fruit.
2. Keep a lid on a garbage can. Put your garbage cans in a place they
can't get to, or put a cinder block on your can lid.
3. Do not leave pet food out. If you're putting a bowl of dog food or a
plate of cat food out for your pets, you're inviting iguanas into your yard.
4. Fill iguana holes. Iguanas like to dig. Wherever you see a hole,
fill it. Stuff rocks into the hole first, then fill it with dirt and top it with
sod. The iguana may return to dig again, but he won't dig through large
rocks.
5 Do NOT feed the iguanas. Don't be friendly with them, so they won't
come back.
6. Wire netting around plants. You can use wire netting or screens to
prevent iguanas from entering plants and shrubs.
7. Spray them with a hose. When you see an iguana in the yard, spray
them with the hose. They also hate loud noises. Constant harassment can keep
them from returning.
8. Keep your yard clean. Excessive overgrowth or yard storage are great
places for iguanas to hide.
9. Do not leave food out, unattended. Iguanas are mainly herbivores but
that doesn't mean they won't smell something good and want to eat it. They
will TRY anything.
Hopefully these tips help keep your iguana problems to a minimum.
Q: I have a large oak in front of the house and nothing grows
under it, even grass. Can you recommend me a compact, colorful flowering shrub
that will tolerate shade location and still will bloom for me? I love fragrant
flowers, that would be nice... Also, I am a snowbird staying in Florida
mostly from Fall to Spring so I miss the flowering season! Any winter bloomers?
Or am I asking for too much?
A: There is a plant for every location and every need! Here is a
perfect plant for you, Brunfelsia grandiflora - Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow. It is a winter
bloomer and it enjoys filtered light. In fact, in full sun Brunfellsia leaves
sometimes turn yellowish, so a shade location will be perfect for it, leaves will
be healthy and dark green.
It is a beautiful specimen plant. The unusual popular name of this
medium-sized shrub becomes clear to anyone who observes it over the course of two
or three days. Its tubular fragrant flowers change from purple to lavender
and then to white over a three day period (First they open as rich
lavender-blue; then they change to pale lavender and finally to almost white before they
fall). Then all three colors can be seen on the same plant. It grows to
about 3-6 ft and does best in filtered sunlight. Blooms fall to winter.
Check out all Brunfelsias from our store - they all are shade lover and
free-flowering!
Q: According to your instructions, I understand that plants need
to be
placed in bigger pots. But my question is, say I plant each plant in 18in x
18 in x 18 inch square pots, how many weeks, months or years can the soil be
good for these plants? When will it be time to change soil? Any specific
soil recommendations?
A: Repotting is required usually once a year. It depends on the
plant and growth rate of course. The best way to check if a plant needs
stepping up is to check its root system. Carefully turn the pot upside down and
pull the pot off the roots (make sure to support the plant from the bottom). If
a root system is very dense, it is time to repot. It is an easy check with
smaller plants; if a plant is large and hard to turn "upside-down", check
drainage holes: if roots start growing through the holes, it is definitely time to
step up. Make sure to use pot size only a few inches bigger in diameter than
the existing one: just enough for the root system plus 2-3 inches extra
space; do not use oversized pots to avoid root rot. Use only new quality potting
soil and make sure it has perfect drainage characteristics. We recommend Professional Soilless Mix that contains soil conditioners such as aged
pine bark and perlite, and contains a large percentage of coconut fiber that
plants love the best. Coconut fiber is a perfect growing mix and considered a
hydroponics media, you will never have problems with root rot.
Q: What is the rarest and unusual plant that you have? I want
something special for my tropical fruit tree collection. I already have
everything I could possibly get...
A: Are you sure you have everything? Check out our rare plant section, and look at these couple plants we just received...
these won't last long, we have only a few!
Quararibea cordata - Zapote Chupachupa, South American
Sapote (with express shipping)
Chupa-chupa, Zapote, South American Sapote...
One of the most amazing and showy tropical fruit trees with huge
heart-shaped leaves, heart-shaped fruit, and fast-growing habit. The fruit has a
bizarre shape like a large breast with a nipple, and the pulp is very tasty. For
best performance, the tree needs full sun, rich soil, plenty of moisture and
fertilizer.
Garcinia mangostana - Mangosteen
Mangosteen... This delicious fruit has a thick, dark-red skin, inside which are
creamy-white segments with a sweet, slightly tart flavor. Purported by many
who have had the luxury of tasting it as being the best tasting fruit in the
world.
Q: I have ordered dozens of trees from you and have a question
about Soursop. I have a Soursop in a container and ants and aphids are under
new leaves. Do Soursop like little water? I water almost everyday living in
southern Los Angeles it's been around 76-80F. I spray the aphids and ants off
with a mist setting on my hose. They come back every day. They're only on new
leaves...
A: First of all, you don't have to remove the ants iŠ° they
don't bother you. Ants are good insects, they do not harm plants; most likely
they are attracted by a sweet sap - aphid by-product. Ants clean up a plant,
and they may even take care of some bad insects.
It is not difficult to get rid of aphids. Use a safe treatment: in a
small spray bottle, mix 1 cup of warm water, 1 teaspoon of dish soap and 2
tablespoons of any cooking oil (if you have Neem oil or Horticultural oil - even
better, but prepare, they are pretty stinky). Spray the leaves with this
solution to a dripping point. Repeat in a few days if needed. This simple remedy
will take care of the aphids.
Daily water may be ok for the plant during hot weather, as long as the
soil is not constantly moist. Let the surface of the soil get a little dry
between waterings.
Q: I received a Tabernaemontana africana, but it is not the
compact
cultivar, from the photo, this is definitely the tree version, not the
compact version?
A: The plant in your picture is Tabernaemontana africana and it is a shrub version, not a tree. The
plants we have in stock are smaller size but very vigorous so they can be
trained into standards.
We have this plant in our garden in the ground (3 years old) and by now
it bushed out and remains under 4 ft without any pruning. Just keep in mind
this plant requires regular applications of micro-elements, because the
species is very susceptible to iron deficiency.
The supplement we use, in case you notice any leaf yellowing, is Sunshine-Superfood.
Q: I purchased Parijat plant last year spring. It had good growth
in Summer, after that I kept the plant inside the house in winter. A couple
of weeks it was ok, after that the plant lost leaves. What is a better idea
for growing Parijat plant indoors in Winter?
A:Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Parijat - is a semi-deciduous plant, which
means, it may lose its leaves during unfavorable conditions such as drought,
cold, low light and/or humidity. In your case, the plant dropped leaves because
of the stress of moving indoors that includes reducing light and humidity
levels. When a tropical plant loses leaves during winter, this means it goes
into a dormant stage. If this happens, you need to reduce watering and keep the
plant on a dry side, water in only when the top level of the soil feels dry
to touch. Do not fertilize.
Try to place the plant in a well-lit spot such as a windowsill. If the
windowsill and the window glass feel too cold for touch during wintertime,
you may place a sheet of a Styrofoam underneath the pot, and a sheet of a
bubble-wrap between the plant and the window glass, to create an extra barrier
from cold. The plant may re-leaf during wintertime; if not, it may wait until
spring, be patient.
Bring it back into outdoor light when minimum temperatures rise above
65F and resume fertilizing.
Q: Can tropical fruit trees (Soursop, Mango, Star fruit, etc) be
given plant food any time of year? Also can they be trimmed this time of
year/summer?
A: True tropical plants (including fruit trees) need plant food
most of the year in real Tropics, where temperatures have very little
fluctuations, and active growth season is close to 12 months a year. In subtropical
areas when temperatures in winter drop below 65F, plant metabolism slows down,
so it is recommended to fertilize only during the warmest period (March
through November). So yes, Summer is the perfect time for fertilizing your trees;
their metabolism is at the highest point and they can use more food!
Trim your fruit trees right after harvesting. Obviously, you don't want
to prune branches before or during flowering or fruiting. The specific time
of the year for pruning depends on the plant - every tree has its own
flowering/fruiting season. However, avoid pruning right before winter: young shoots
promoted by pruning are tender and can be cold damaged.
Q: On the website, it says that the pua keni keni tree is toxic.
Do you know how toxic? Is it mild irritation or can someone die from
ingesting any part of the plant?
A:Pua Keni Keni, Fagraea - seeds (and especially flesh of the fruit) are
toxic, so we recommend to always wash your hands after handling them.
Obviously, nobody in our team ever tried to eat them to check how toxic
they are and if they are deadly.
In general, one must be careful when using plants for purposes other
than ornamental growing, especially for consumption. While some obvious edibles
(cultivated fruit, vegetables, herbs) are generally safe, but some
individuals may have severe reactions - for example, many people are allergic to
mangoes; other people may be sensitive to only mango leaves.
A number of plants that have parts commonly consumed for food, have
other parts toxic or poisonous. Example: Potato - Solanum tuberosum - has edible
tubers feeding the whole planet population, but this plant's fruit is highly
toxic and even deadly if eaten. Fruit from a Potato plant look like tiny
little green tomatoes since Potato belongs to the same family as Tomato -
Nightshade, but it is super poisonous, while Tomato fruit is perfectly edible. So
one must watch out and especially educate little children about not tasting
anything directly from the garden.
As far as animals concern, in Nature they know what is poisonous and
what is edible. Have you ever seen dead birds around a tree with poisonous
fruit/seeds? Animals have their own sense for it. So if your concern is for pets,
it is normally safe to have pets around plants with irritating or even
poisonous parts. However, if your dog has a bad habit of chewing on stuff, you may
use extra caution there.
