Date: 30 Mar 2016
Spring time fun: fertilizing and pruning
Q: When is a proper time to start fertilizing my garden in Spring? Also, when can I cut back cold damaged branches? Should I wait until end of April?
A: As a rule of thumb, fertilizer can be applied during period of active growth, when a plant needs additional nutrients. With indoor plants, you can fertilize pretty much year round as long as the plant continues growing and not dormant. For in-ground tropical plants, start fertilizing when new growth appears. In subtropical areas, with cooler winter months, most tropical plants slow down their metabolism when temperature drops below 65F. Many of them become dormant, and may even lose leaves (especially deciduous plants like Annona, or Peaches/Plums
Date: 10 Mar 2016
Do-It-Yourself Support Structure for Dragon Fruit
This interesting do-it yourself project was sent to us by our customer from South Florida. Many tropical gardeners want to grow fascinating Dragon Fruit, and their most common question is - what kind of support I should use for this amazing fruiting cactus? We hope you find this information very useful. Happy Gardening!
Dragon fruit is a terrestrial/epiphytic fruit baring cactus, which may grow fleshy stems up to 30 ft high, given sturdy support. However, downward hanging or horizontal branches stimulate production of flowers at the tips of the branches. Commercial groves in different parts of the world use different method to achieve this. The traditional Vietnamese way is to train the plant into a “fountainâ€, which consists of a vertical central trunk about 8ft tall and a horizontal structure, such as a wagon wheel on top of it to support the horizontal branches (see picture on the right).
This picture served as my inspiration to build my own structure. I used five 4â€x4†10ft wood beams as the trunk, shaped as a cross. I attached the beams to each other with 10†long screws.
I dug a 2 ft deep 12â€x12†hole in the ground and positioned the trunk inside, such that about 8ft are above ground. I covered it with several layers of burlap top to bottom.
The horizontal structure on top is made of four 4ft long 2â€x2†wood beams and two 12â€x12†wood plates to hold them together. I attached this structure to the top of the trunk.
I used old watering pipe to form two rings around the trunk to support the branches. Here is the result!... See step-by-step full size pictures and the rest of the article...
Date: 22 Jun 2024
Need more ideas for compact and showy flowering trees? Try Rainbow Cassias
Rainbow cassia - Cassia Marginata.
🌈 Need more ideas for compact and showy flowering trees? Try Rainbow Cassias.
- ♦️ Some hybrid cassias have spectacular color combinations and are called Rainbow Cassias.
- ♦️ We mentioned earlier some sunny, yellow-flowering cassias: Senna surattensis (Cassia glauca) - Scrambled Egg Bush, and Cassia siamea - Kassod Tree.
- ♦️ Other cassias can be pink or with multi-color flower combination, so-called Rainbow cassias (which are hybrids between yellow and pink cassias): Cassia grandis - Red Cassia
- ♦️ Cassia trees are compact, fast growing, tolerant to drought and poor soils, free-flowering and relatively cold hardy. Always a great choice!
Cassia javanica - Apple Blossom Tree
Cassia marginata - Rainbow Shower Tree
Cassia roxburghii - Ceylon Senna
Cassia x nodosa - Pink Shower, Appleblossom.
❓ What cassias do you have in your garden? Share photos in comments👇
🎥 Rainbow cassia - Cassia Marginata.
🛒 Shop showy Cassia trees
#Butterfly_Plants #Trees
🏵 TopTropicals
Date: 10 Jun 2024
What is the best shade tree that is fast growing and beautiful?
Bauhinia blakeana - Hong Kong Orchid Tree flower
Bauhinia blakeana - Hong Kong Orchid Tree
🌳 What is the best shade tree that is fast growing and beautiful?
- 🌸 Orchid trees that we mentioned earlier are one of the most popular shade trees in Southern gardens.
- 🌸 Bauhinia blakeana - Hong Kong Orchid Tree - is the most beautiful of all orchid trees.
- 🌸 It has the largest flowers, brightly colored.
- 🌸 Winter bloomer.
- 🌸 Starts flowering in very small size, when only 2-3 ft tall.
- 🌸 Very fast growing.
📚 Learn more: Bauhinias - trees with Orchid Flowers and Butterfly Wings
🎥 YouTube Video: Hong Kong Orchid Tree
🛒 Plant a Tree
#Quotes #Trees
🏵 TopTropicals
Date: 5 Jan 2025
What are the Condo Mangos?
Mango tree with fruit
🥭 What are the Condo Mangos? A Practical Guide.
🟠 What Are Condo Mangos?
Condo Mangos, also known as dwarf mango trees, are perfect for small spaces. These trees can be grown in containers, making them ideal for balconies, greenhouses, or small suburban backyards. With proper care, they can be maintained at a manageable height of 6–10 feet through regular pruning. Some plant enthusiasts even manage growing Mango tree as an indoor plant!
🟠 The term “Condo Mango”
“Condo Mango” refers to mango varieties that thrive in containers and are small by nature, allowing them to be easily kept even smaller with selective pruning.
🟠 Size and Growth
Unlike traditional mango trees, Condo Mangos are compact. They naturally grow to around 6-10 feet, but with proper pruning, they can be kept small, making them an excellent choice for limited space.
🟠 Growing in Containers
· Condo Mango trees thrive in pots and containers.
- · A 15-20 gallon pot is ideal to give the roots enough room to grow.
- · Ensure your container has drainage holes to prevent root rot.
🟠 Planting Tips
- · Plant Condo Mangos in full sun, where they’ll get plenty of heat and light.
- · Use well-draining soil for optimal growth.
- · Fertilizer regularly with quality plant food. Out best choice is Sunshine Mango Tango for edibles.
- · Late Winter to early Spring is the best time to plant in containers, before the rainy season starts.
- · Mangoes grow well in USDA zones 9-10, but if you live in cooler climates, you can grow them indoors or in a greenhouse, as long as you meet their heat and light needs.
🟠 Pruning and Maintenance
- · Prune Condo Mango trees once a year to keep them at the desired height (6–10 feet), right after harvesting (late Summer to Fall)
- · Trim the tips of the branches to maintain a compact shape and encourage healthy growth.
- · Regular pruning will help keep the tree manageable and ensure better fruit production.
- 📝 See most popular Condo Mango varieties in the next post 👇
🛒 Shop Condo Mango
📝 Earlier posts on #Mango:
- 🔸 Mango rainbow: What's the taste of that mango variety?
- 🔸 5 most Favorite Mango Varieties
- 🔸 Top 10 Dwarf "Condo" Mango
- 🔸 Top 5 vigorous growers and reliable producers
- 🔸 Top 5 exotic Mango varieties for rare fruit collection
- 🔸 How to grow a mango tree
- 🔸 How to protect mango fruit from rodents
#Food_Forest #Mango
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