Miketropics blog -- Spring is FINALLY here

[cheshirepalms]

More info on the dragon fruit please Mike, I have 2 in the house grown from seed and really unsure of where they should live. they cant stay in the house and its too cold even in the greenhouse to overwinter. What are your plans?

[miketropic]

Lots to want in your garden Mike Loved the annotated photos, thanks.

3 types of ricinus back there..seems the type we call "red" over here has the best growth but the others are not far behind

For me the New Zealand Purple I grow is 20% smaller than the R. zanzibarensis. I'll send you some seed this Winter once I've got my new stock in and you can try / compared. They'll probably turn out to be the same as yours

Id be happy to try them. I will get out there in a few and try to take a good pic of each one seperate so maybe everyone can help me get a positive ID or at least what there called in the UK.

As for the dragon fruit cheshire I won't be of much help..I leave them in a friends greenhouse in a back corner. It stays about 10C min in there all winter and they get water about once a month..there growth basically stops but as soon as it warms up they go nuts and start growing again. for your dedication from seed. I tried that once and killed them all so I just got some cuttings the next round.



One a side note it dropped to 12.C last night! I can never remember a July that was that cold..horrible. The day temps are still getting up around 26.6C but these cool nights are not good for the garden.

[miketropic]

Ricinus school is now in session, this is what I got and a few other pics so hopefully we can get this solved.

This is what we call "Common Green" They get fairly tall but tend to branch more than any other.plain green leaf



These are what we call "red"..red stem red pods and red lines down the leaves




The new zealand purples




and a few other pics

Spiders web finally starting to look right


Var. Fatsia putting on good growth now


And they all said it wouldn't grow here..looks like its growing good to me


Puckerd up starting to do it thing


Lemon Lime Gecko growing well also


Ground planted Brug cutting from my grandmother is doing fantastic..gunna be hell to dig up.

[Yorkshire Kris]

Looking good Mike. I've just picked up a Lime Gecko and wondering if these can grow big?

[miketropic]

Looking good Mike. I've just picked up a Lime Gecko and wondering if these can grow big?

mine is at about 4 ft tall and doing very well with some nice leaves. I have had them reach 5 ft but I'm not sure if that was mature height or not. I would hang on to it there taking it out of TC in the states so it might be hard to find in a few years.

[miketropic]

The weather has picked back up and the days have been much better. Highs around 29C but the nights are still very cool around 15c which is not normal at all. The plants don't seem to mind and I have been out working with them a little and took a few pics.

First off went to Brians the other day and snapped a few pics

windmill lookin good


Pindo doing well


Washy and queen have put out some new fronds since I was there last


Believe this is a Sabal Minor "Mccurtain" I got seed from it last year and its giving more again this year


tetrapanix leaf almost knocked me out


Grabbed a few things for myself while I was there..

If anyone has an ID on this I would appriciate it..some cousin to the colius..has a pundgent smell


Not sure if Pokeweed is in the UK but I got a few cuttings of a var. one..never seen another like it either


Colocasia Gigante comnon form..with the funny leaf backs



Came home and found this little guy on my mammoth..grey tree frog



As I was saying the Electric Blue Gecko leaf emerges black


Think the common ones in the UK are red?


Noticed I had a diff form of castor bean I never noticed

regular red leaf and pods



Other form I found both with red stalks

[Kristen]

Not sure if Pokeweed is in the UK but I got a few cuttings of a var. one..never seen another like it either

Pokeweed yes, but not seen the variegated form (presumably Phytolacca americana Silberstein) offered - I've seen seeds on eBay ... but no idea if it will come true from seed.

Let me know if you get successful with cuttings please?

[miketropic]

Not sure if Pokeweed is in the UK but I got a few cuttings of a var. one..never seen another like it either

Pokeweed yes, but not seen the variegated form (presumably Phytolacca americana Silberstein) offered - I've seen seeds on eBay ... but no idea if it will come true from seed.

Let me know if you get successful with cuttings please?

The plant came up wild at Brians and it is very large so if the cuttings don't take I'll go back and grab a big piece with some root and plant it and get your some cuttings off that. It really is a beautiful plant I'll get a picture of it next time I'm there..whole plant is heavily variegated.

[pdid]

You're lucky living close to somewhere like Brian's. Nothing resembling that anywhere near me.

I love the look of the electric blue gecko and the varigated pokeweed.

[miketropic]

You're lucky living close to somewhere like Brian's. Nothing resembling that anywhere near me.

I love the look of the electric blue gecko and the varigated pokeweed.

I really am lucky not only is it a great place to visit and buy plants but he has also become a great friend over the years and I always enjoy going down just to talk plants.

Got this today and I am really happy with it..Musa Tanee. Got it here in the states so I didn't have to mess with customs or it being de leafed or going into shock in transit. nice corm grown pup. Color is great on it and it should do well here. It will be inside over winter but alot less fussy than AeAe. Can't wait to see how it grows.

[B19bst]

got loads of lovely plants there..... jealous....

i love the musa tanee, over here we have to pay silly money for one and the same with the musa AeAe

[miketropic]

They had both where I got this one. I want another AeAe but there fussy so I'll wait a bit..it is actually a bit late in the season for me to even get this one but it won't over winter outdoors so its fine..expecting 2 more naners this week and that should finish out my plant buying for this year..I hope and my wife does to I'm sure

[miketropic]

dreary day so I thought I would post a couple pics from the last few days

Thai still in flower..collected alot of pollen but havent had any other flowers to use it on


How do I keep getting these white leaves? Kills them every time when small



Cleo with a bi color flower


Hardy begonia doing well


Cotton plant bloom


DANGER fruit Doubt they will be ripe before frost hits though


Tropicanna Black


I never get tired of these leaves




Got a Cali Gold and Dwarf Brazillian in the mail the other day as well

[miketropic]

while I was in the garden a few days ago I felt a very harsh sting on my left elbow but couldn't place what had gotten me. The sting kept on for a few hours but went away and I forgot all about it..Just a few moments ago I was walking around to the back of the garden and I was stung again..this time I tracked it down as soon as it happened...green saddle back caterpillars..the sting is incredible, I think more than 1 got me and it is really one fire..I know these arnt in the UK so I thought I would take a pic..they also eat on palms these were on the bottom of a castor leaf




few other shots from today

strange ricinus..lavender color stem..star shaped leaf...




Solid yellow leaf and pup leaf on yellow splash


poppy flower


Variegated canna from seed

[cordyman]

Those caterpillar are disgusting!!! They don't look real, like they are in a trap.