Plant Horoscope - Virgo
Lucky Zodiac Plants: 08/23-09/22

By Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

...Virgo is the most disciplined sign of the zodiac, the most responsible...
...She likes flowers. But she will grow them only if:
a) the task is set: to decorate the house or courtyard;
b) there is a place in her personal organizer to write: "watering, pruning, feeding, etc. - what else according to the instructions?”. And real time to do it. In all other cases, Virgo behave toward plants according to the residual principle, optimistically reasoning: "They want to live - they will survive..."
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What is the largest succulent flower in the world?
Starfish Flower - Stapelia gigantea

This is one of the most bizarre looking succulents you've even seen! Starfish Flower from Tanzania is one of the largest flowers in the plant world!
It does look like a startfish, and is absolutely beautiful! Being a succulent, the plant is very undemanding and easy to grow, doesn't need much care or water. It also doesn't mind regular irrigation, we have it in Summer Florida rains with no problem. The focal point of this plant is the fleshy, 5-pointed, star-shaped flowers (to 10-16" across), each being pale ochre-yellow with thin transverse maroon lines. It is a great container plant and very fast growing, can fill a large hanging basket within just one season. Flowers on and off during the warm season with the most profuse flowering at the end of Summer (flower buds are triggered by shortened daylight hours in fall). It is a spine-free succulent member of the milkweed (not cactus!).

What tree will fruit indoors?

Q: I love your tropical fruit selection and I wish I lived in a warmer climate. Is there any fruit tree that can be happy indoors during winter and have fruit? I am not expecting a big crop but it would be fun to have a small piece of tropics at home. I don't have much gardening experience, can you suggest something easy for a start?

A: Several tropical fruit trees can be grown indoors, in pots, providing bright light that is necessary for flowering and setting fruit. Among them are many varieties of Bananas, Guavas, Annonas and tropical Cherries - these can be easily maintained in containers. Even dwarf varieties of Avocado and Mango are good candidates for indoor culture. You can bring containers indoors for winter and take outside into full sun during warm months so your plants can store lots of energy in Summer.
The easiest fruit tree for indoor culture that doesn't require bright light and can be grown indoors year around is a Coffee tree. Start with it, it is on sale today! Once you gain some experience, you can upgrade to a Chocolate tree!
Remember, all container grown plants need balanced nutrition program. It can be easily provided with Sunshine Boosters your around. For fruit trees, just add some Sunshine C-Cibus Crop Booster to your cart.

Grow your own food:
How hardy is a Loquat tree?

Q: I am looking for a fruit tree for my backyard that is low maintenance, fast fruiting, and can take some cold (I live in Orlando FL and we do get occasional frost in winter). I like the taste of Loquat fruit, it reminds me of apricots. How cold hardy is this tree?

A: Loquat tree is a very good choice for Florida gardens. It can take both cold and heat and produces lots of tasty fruit right away. Last winter when we had a record freeze in our area with a couple of nights around 25F, the only trees that didn't get any damage at all were Loquats and Macadamias, and those were still young, newly planted 4 ft trees.
To learn more about Loquat trees, check out this and article: Golden Loquat - the symbol of Prosperity.

Grow your own food:
Avocado Q & A

from Ed Jones, the Avocado Guy

Q: Do I need to have more than one avocado tree in order to produce fruit?

A: While a single avocado tree will normally produce enough fruit for most people, it never hurts to have more than one tree and even more than one variety to increase the chances for good pollination. Be sure to look at our catalog for the many different varieties available from our store.