NEEM - The Free Tree of India

By Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist

Q: What is Neem oil and tree, and and can we grow the Neem tree here in the US?

A: Neem! What an extraordinary, fascinating tree! I'm personally convinced every garden should have one, if your climate allows it. Neem tree - Azadirachta indica - will very quickly become a valuable shade tree in your garden. They can grow up to eight feet per year! Neem trees are also known to grow very well in areas with infertile soil and under very dry conditions, which makes them perfect for xeriscaping. Not only is Neem fast-growing, but it's a beautiful tree with wide-spreading branches and dark green leaves. It will form a dense, round canopy, up to 60 ft wide.

This wonderful tree has been used by humans for thousands of years. Did you know Neem has more than 100 unique bioactive compounds? Surprisingly, a lot of gardeners are still unfamiliar with it!..

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Gardenia flowers: how to prevent bud-drop

Q: My gardenia looks beautiful, but the flowers fall off of it before they even open up, the majority of them get this brown color at their base. Can you point me in the right direction.

A: There are 3 possible problems, either one, or a combination:
1) Lack of light
2) Too much water
3) Lack of micro-nutrients in soil
Try the following treatments:
- micro-elements SUNSHINE-SuperFood as foliar spray + drench rootball, once a month, it will improve quality of the flowers.
- Silicon protection: SUNSHINE-Power-Si. This supplement has Silicon as an active element (Si). Adding it to soil or/and over foliar spray can immensely enhance plants' resistance to external factors and boost their growth and health.
Make sure the soil is not soggy, reduce watering especially during fall/winter.

How to fertilize a bamboo?

Q: When do you fertilize new bamboo trees and can you use the same fertilizer you use for mango trees?

A: Bamboo is a tropical to subtropical plant with growing season year-round. You can start fertilizing it right away with the exception of colder months when temperatures drop below 65F.
Mango fertilizer is formulated for fruit trees, so bamboo won't benefit from it. Bamboo is not a fruiting plant and is not even cultivated for flowers. Its beauty is in healthy green foliage and beautiful stems. So you will need foliage-type of fertilizers for it.

We recommend the following fertilizers for bamboo plants:
Tropical Greenhouse Plus - Plant Booster
Tropical Allure - Smart-Release Booster

Remember to always use micro-elements that are essential for every green plant.

What pot is good for Medinilla?

Q: I just acquired a Medinilla plant. I have a cylindrical tall clay pot that I would like to repot this beauty into. Would like to know if a deep pot is good for this type of tropical plants even if the medium is lightweight with bark and perlite allowing adequate drainage. Would appreciate your advice.

A: Medinillas are very close to epiphytes, meaning they like high air humidity and very good soil drainage characteristics. Clay pots usually provide good air circulation, as long as they are not glazed. If you add a lot of soil conditioner into your mix, like orchid mix and perlite, the tall pot will provide a good drainage. Tall pot is also great for displaying the beautiful pendulous blooms!

Plastic pots work well too, as long as you provide a well-drained soil for the plant. If a nursery plastic pot is not pretty enough, you may place it in a fancy planter; however, make sure never let the pot sit in water, Medinillas do not like wet feet.

Shipping live plants

Q: I am a rare plant collector and very impressed with your plants selection that I can not find in our local nurseries in California. I have never ordered plants online before and wonder how they make it through the trip and do you suggest any special care to help plants with recovery?

A: Shipping live plant in a box for several days is definitely a challenge both for a plant and for a grower. After many years of experience packing/shipping plants we learned how to make that trip a success. Thanks to our special packing techniques, breaking during shipping happens very rarely. However, in order for the plant to recover well from normal shipping stress, some special attention required from a customer too. You will receive care instructions with your order. Make sure to follow them thoroughly, otherwise you may put your plants at risk. These are a few factors to consider that affect your plant during transit. They may cause the following symptoms of shipping stress:

1. Lack of light. Complete darkness in a box is opposite to a bright light that the plant was used to. After 2-3 days it may cause leaf drop. If this happens, make sure to reduce watering. Less leaves means less evaporation, and a plant can't use excessive water which may cause root rot.

2. Extreme temperature. Hot summer or cold winter temperatures may put a tender tropical plant into serious shock. Usually the only time when temperature may affect the package is when it is left outside on your doorstep. Watch out for delivery by tracking the package with a number we provide in shipping confirmation email.

3. Dry air and lack of water. When packing plants, we saturate root ball and then wrap it tightly in plastic so normally your plant will have enough water supply for a 3-4 day trip unless there are unexpected delays. In a special package, the plant usually has enough of humid environment around the leaves, especially if there are several plants together. However if the box was exposed to heat it may dry out, and this will cause yellowing and/or drying leaves. In most cases this is not critical; cut damaged leaves and new growth will appear soon.

The shipping stress symptoms are normal and once you apply some extra attention and love, your plants will recover sooner than you think. Be patient, don't push with too much water or light, keep warm, in bright shade, and do not fertilize until the plant shows new growth.

Remember to always use SUNSHINE Epi - a natural bio-stimulant that helps stressed plants to recover quickly!