Date: 12 Apr 2020
Exotic Easter Lily Vine
by Onika Amell, tropical plant expert
If you happen to love Easter Lilies, let us introduce you to a very beautiful and hard-to-find vine... The magnificent Easter Lily Vine - Beaumontia grandiflora, is not sold at most nurseries and is not widely grown for this very reason. We certainly feel it should be, as this woody vine is a tremendous climber which rewards the gardener with large clusters of white flowers resembling Easter Lilies, during early spring to late fall. The flowers are sweetly scented and make excellent cut flowers, which last for at least a week! An added bonus is the twining ends, which makes a very unusual and interesting addition to floral arrangements...
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Here at the nursery, our Easter Lily vines are almost ready to burst into full bloom. We are waiting impatiently. Order yours, and have a Happy Easter!
Seeds of Easter Lily vine also available at BOGO deal - buy 2 packs for the price of 1 with FREE shipping!
See how to how to create a fragrant privacy fence of virtually unlimited size.
Date: 16 Dec 2019
Hardy Dwarf Red Jade Vine
by Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist
Q: I simply adore Jade vines. I think they are the Queens of all the vines! I have been very been successful growing the green Strongylodon macrobotrys and purple Jade Mucuna pruriens vines here in Clewiston Florida but I am struggling to make the Red Jade vine (Mucuna benettii) thrive. It keeps dying on me during cold snaps. Any suggestions?
A: ...Here is our solution for you. Consider growing a Dwarf Red
Jade Vine or Camptosema grandiflora. It is closely related to the regular and ultra
tropical Red Jade Vine Mucuna benettii but much tougher and hardier. It is
considered to be one of the more cold hardy of the Jade Vines...
This gorgeous, rare and unusual vine is a sheer showstopper. It is easy
to grow and it will reward you with long fiery chains of dangling orange-red
flowers that bloom from late fall to early spring. Even though it is listed
as a dwarf do not be fooled. This vine will get quite large and will need a
strong support over time. The flowers are long and heavy and will show best
when planted on an arbor or pergola where they are able to hang down and wow
you and your visitors. It puts on a wonderful display. Butterflies, bees and
hummingbirds will all thank you for growing this stunner!...
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Date: 14 Oct 2019
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!..
Date: 5 Oct 2019
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.
Date: 24 Sep 2019
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.
