A Canary Twitter

chainsaw kid
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Post by chainsaw kid »

Nice to see you up and running again Greville. icon_thumright
Don't Just sit there, plant something!

The Kid.
GREVILLEAJ
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Post by GREVILLEAJ »

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Update on growing Colocasia 'pink china' in a dry climate.

Off to a good start in the Summer, but did not fare well from being left for two months. I repotted it before leaving and sat it in a deep receptacle of water where someone staying kept it topped up with more water while they stayed for two weeks. However the occasional visit by a local 'plant sitter" friend was not enough to save the main plant. (The purslane weed that grew in its place was VERY happy!) As you can see I pulled it out and the surviving pup left shows signs of new growth. So starting again with the slightly more humid air of a Canarian autumn.
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Post by GREVILLEAJ »

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A little sign of new growth out oF the stem sleeve
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Post by GREVILLEAJ »

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Wow! 7.50am. Just had to share this 8)
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Post by GREVILLEAJ »

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A couple of days on and the pink china has a little leaf that has opened up quickly. Good news as I didn't want the plant to have shut down into dormancy through being too dry for too long. I'd be wasting the higher humidity levels here between September and November.
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Post by GREVILLEAJ »

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Couldn't manage to load this pic last summer.

Passed this twin residence in San Fernando and couldn't believe my eyes that such a large plant could grow in such a small pot.

The Euphorbia is probably rather drawn through lack of sunshine but the one nearer the gate gets enough sun to carry flowers.

Can't think of any other plant that could manage so well with their roots in a sardine can. :lol:
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Post by GREVILLEAJ »

First downpour of the season this evening icon_cheers icon_cheers icon_cheers
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Yorkshire Kris
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Post by Yorkshire Kris »

Still enjoying reading your Canary Twitter. Feel a bit sorry for the poor desiccated Pink China. Hopefully the pups will do better.
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Post by GREVILLEAJ »

Thanks, Kris. Unfortunately no new leaf has followed the last one so far. Disappointing because the humidity levels have been fairly high as Atlantic air from the west has often drifted across the Islands and with sea temperatures around 24/25c I currently have the best growing conditions of the year for it. Let's hope last night's rain helps. It dropped a considerable amount of mineral-rich Sahara dust into the water tray it sits in and this apparently is responsible for the flourishing of many plants on the eastern side of North and South America.

Much like your colocasia colony, my tub grown UK specimen has thrived in the heat with it's toes dipped in the shallow pond so I'm replicating the same conditions here but what a difference in growth results
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Post by GREVILLEAJ »

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I might even lose the leaf before the next one appears?

Shame, because it would have enjoyed the most humid day of the year. We've had rain and thunderstorms practically all day.
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Post by GREVILLEAJ »

Drying out today with sunshine but humid air. Storms left flooding damage and minor rock and mudslides. The barrancas washed torrents of mud and silt into the sea which became quite discoloured.
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Post by GREVILLEAJ »

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What do you get when plant a Yorkshireman in a Canarian mountain garden? A cycad, triangle pam and a rose in between

Visited a friend up in Soria who built a house and created his garden over many year's
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GREVILLEAJ
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Post by GREVILLEAJ »

Sorry about the picture quality but you can see that the cycad is by far the happiest plant. The tropical Dypsis decaryii experiences occasional winter cold here that tests it somewhat. Cultivated ones down by the coast look much better. You don't see many mature roses grown here except high up in the mountains where it's cold enough to induce partial dormancy and keep them long term. Nurseries sell roses here but they are short lived 'exotic' shrubs in hot dry climates. They look really sorry after a few years.
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Post by GREVILLEAJ »

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Came across this in the all residential and non tourist town of El tablero at a plot of public land where the locals have done an excellent job in creating a new 'greenspace in a neighbourhood where the are many four storey apartment blocks with no garden space whatsoever. Particularly admire the papaya bulging with fruit. The signpost says: " take care of our garden"
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Post by GREVILLEAJ »

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I think this pair of palm pics should be entitled 'Father and Son' or 'Mother and Daughter'.

Last Spring I gathered some rather old fallen seed from the Archontophoenix (alexandrae?) shown from some friends' communal garden outside their apartment in San Agustin. Out of some two dozen seeds only two germinated. While I was back in the UK last summer only one survived in the hands of an inexperienced carer. Having looked after the lone survivor these past two months it's starting to look like it will now grow up to resemble it's parent.
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