Dipladenia Brazillian Jasmine
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Dipladenia
Carreglefn Nurseries
Dipladenia is a tender, evergreen vine from the periwinkle family, which bears clusters of white, rose, crimson, pink or purple trumpet-shaped flowers in the summer months, although one species has salmon-pink flowers which bloom throughout the year. It adds beauty to your home indoors or out, but does require special care.
1. There is some confusion as to whether this plant should be called dipladenia or mandevilla, but most growers use the name dipladenia to differentiate this more bush-like plant from its cousin, the mandevilla. It has moderately vigorous vines that do well on a trellis or in a hanging basket. It is attractive to bees, butterflies and birds. Unfortunately, it is also a target for aphids, spider mites and scale. If you see any evidence of harmful insects, you can try washing them off with a stiff spray from a hose. If they persist, try a little neem oil on the leaves. Note that parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested, so keep the plant away from children and pets.
Water
2. Keep the soil evenly moist during the spring and summer growing season, but allow it to dry between waterings during the dormant seasons of fall and winter. Use warm water and make sure the pot has a drainage hole with pebbles or gravel in a dish underneath to hold in the water and humidity (being sure the pot is sitting on gravel and not in the water). It is also important to mist the plant regularly, particularly while it is in bud and flowering.
Light
3. Dipladenia does well in sun to partial shade but must have bright indirect light and not direct sun. A good indoor location is a curtain-filtered window. In warmer climates, the plant can be grown outdoors, but in colder climates, it is best treated as a houseplant. The optimal temperatures for dipladenia are 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit at night and 70 to 85 degrees during the day. Dipladenias are sensitive to frost, so cover and mulch outdoor plants or move containers onto a porch when frost threatens.
Soil
4. The best soil for a dipladenia is two parts peat moss, one part packaged potting mix or loam, and one part sharp sand or perlite, with a small amount of crushed charcoal. You should fertilize the plant every two weeks during the growing season with a fertilizer high in phosphorous like 10-20-10. As an alternative, you can use a granular slow release fertilizer if applied annually in the early spring. Avoid using fertilizer in the winter.
read comments (0)Avocado
Author:
Avocado
Carreglefn Nurseries
AVOCADO CARE AND CULTURE
ESTABLISHING YOUR NEW AVOCADO
Once established, avocados are fairly tough trees. However, many avocados fail during the first 12 months due to poor soil drainage, sunburn or improper irrigation habits. Follow these easy guidelines. Drainage:Avocado trees like loose, decomposed granite or sandy loam soils best. They will not survive in locations with poor drainage! Poor water drainage in the root zone leads to the vast majority of plant failures. Water must drain freely and quickly through the soil. Avocados will not compromise on this requirement! In containers, use Gardener and Bloome Cactus Mix exclusively. This is a very fast draining soil mix. Use a container that has plenty of large drainage holes in the bottom and is well insulated, to keep the root cool during the hot summer months. Sunlight/Sunburn:Avocados have almost no brown, woody bark like other plants. Notice that the stems and main branches of your tree are bright green. These branches and stems are photosynthesizing and providing food and energy for your tree, just like the leaves. However, this green tissue on the stems and bark is very susceptible to sunburn. Young trees do not have enough leaves to shade this bark and some special care should be given during this first year or two. One option is to protect your young plant from the full sun by sheltering it under another high tree or under a bright patio cover. Another very effective method is to paint the green trunk and main branches with a whitewash. This can be easily made by diluting a white latex paint with an equal part of water and painting it on the trunk and branches, but not the leaves. Reapply as needed until the tree grows enough foliage to shade itself, usually within a year or two. Watering:After drainage, proper irrigation is the most critical factor effecting the establishment of your new avocado. Unless drainage is quick, even the most careful attention to watering will not help. Over irrigation can induce root rot, which is the most common cause of avocado failure. To test to see if irrigation is necessary, dig a hole 9 inches deep and test the soil by squeezing. If it is moist (holds together), do not irrigate; if it crumbles in the hand, it may be watered.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Avocados are a dense, evergreen tree that will grow in shade and between buildings, but are fruitful only in full sun. They drop leaves regularly throughout the year and shed many leaves in early spring. They are fast growing and can become large trees, but can be reduced in size periodically and kept to a reasonable size. New growth is primarily from spring through early fall, with the cool winter months being a period of rest. The roots are competitive, coarse, greedy, will compete with nearby plants, and may raise pavement with age. The shade under the trees is too dense, and there is abundant leaf litter. Because of the regular leaf drop, size of the plant, root system and specific water needs, your avocado should be carefully located in your garden. Your avocado will usually flower between January and April. Large clusters of 200 to 300 small flowers will cover the tree. Approximately 99% of these flowers will NOT set fruit – this is normal. Some varieties often bloom and fruit in alternate years. Avocado fruit does not ripen on the tree; nor does it fall to the ground when ripe. Pick the fruit when green and hard and allow it to ripen at room temperature for three to five days. The oil content of the fruit will be high when harvested at the correct time.
LONG TERM CARE AND CULTURE
Mulch – Leaf Debris:Avocados drop a considerable amount of leaves throughout the year. In nature, as well as in commercial orchards, these leaves are allowed to lay in place and accumulate for years, often developing into layers up to two feet thick. This leaf litter provides several benefits to the plant, including regulating the soil temperatures and soil moisture, encouraging beneficial soil organisms, and providing some organic nutrients.
Care Of Passion Fruit Plants
Author:
Passion Fruit
Carreglefn Nurseries
Passionfruit prefer a sunny, sheltered well drained site. Being a vine it will require support such as trellis or wire for the vine to grow along.
Soil Preparation:
Soil preparation is essential to achieve best results. Prior to planting thoroughly dig in half a bucket of animal manure over an area 60cm x 60cm to a depth of 20cm. Then dig in a further 3 buckets of animal manure and spread evenly over an area approximately 3 metres from the vines’ base.
Planting:
Tap the plant from the pot, plant in normal manner and water in well. If planting a grafted variety ensure that the graft is kept above ground level. Any shoots that appear on the vine below the graft should be removed with a sharp knife.
Watering:
Keep the soil moist several metres from the base of the vine as the fibrous roots extend outwards. Mulching around the plant will reduce soil evaporation.
Spraying:
Aphids attack new spring growth, these can be sprayed with a pyrethrum based spray. Should small holes appear in the leaves, it is likely to be caused by earwigs, spray with Carbaryl. Brown spots on leaves, stems or fruit can be controlled by spraying Bordeaux fungicide spray in Autumn and Spring.
Care Of Aloe Vera
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Care of Aloe Vera Plants:
There are over 250 species of Aloes in the world, mostly native to Africa. They range in size from little one inch miniatures to massive plant colonies consisting of hundreds of 2 foot diameter plants. Although most Aloes have some medicinal or commercial value, the most commonly known is the Aloe barbadensis… better known as Aloe vera.
All Aloes are semitropical succulent plants, and may only be grown outdoors in areas where there is no chance of freezing (USDA zones 10-11) . However, they make excellent house plants when they are given sufficient light. Potted Aloes benefit from spending the summer outdoors. Older specimens may even bloom, producing a tall stock covered with bright colored coral flowers. Aloe flower nectar is a favorite of hummingbirds!
Because Aloe plants consist of 95% water, they are extremely frost tender. If they are grown outdoors in warm climates, they should be planted in full sun, or light shade. The soil should be moderately fertile, and fast draining. Established plants will survive a drought quite well, but for the benefit of the plant, water should be provided.
Because of their popularity, Aloe vera plants are available at almost every garden shop or nursery. Unless you live in area with a very mild climate, it’s best to leave your Aloe plant in the pot and place it near a window that gets a lot of sun. You can move the pot outdoors during the summer months.
Aloe vera is a succulent, and as such, stores a large quantity of water within its leaves and root system. During the winter months, the plant will become somewhat dormant, and utilize very little moisture. During this period watering should be minimal. Allow the soil to become completely dry before giving the plant a cup or two of water. During the summer months, the soil should be completely soaked, but then be allowed to dry again before re-watering.
Aloes have a shallow, spreading root system, so when it is time to repot choose a wide planter, rather than a deep one. Use a planter with a drainage hole, or provide a 1-2 inch layer of gravel in the bottom of the pot to ensure adequate drainage. Use a good commercial potting mix with extra perlite, granite grit, or coarse sand added. You may also use a packaged ‘cacti mix’ soil. Fertilize yearly, in the spring with a dilute (half strength), bloom type fertilizer (10-40-10).
Aloes are propagated by removing the offsets which are produced around the base of mature plants, when they are a couple inches tall (or larger). They may also be grown from seed.
As to the claims of the medicinal properties of the Aloe plant, I can only speak from my personal experience. I have kept an Aloe plant around for years, primarily for burns. In case of burns, an immediate application of fresh gel has relieved much of the pain, and prevented blistering, many times. I also found it to be quite effective to relieve itching from stings, bites and various ’stinging’ plants, such as poison ivy. It is also good for the same problems, when they are encountered by your pets.
When you need to use it medicinally, just remove a lower leaf from the plant, slice it open, and apply the gel on the affected area.
Keep in sandy soil that is well drained. Potted plants need filtered sun or full shade.
Care Of Coffee Plants
Author:
Carreglefn Nurseries
Growing your own Coffee Tree Plant
The coffee ‘tree’ is actually a variety of tropical evergreen shrub. The coffee tree does not begin to produce its full yield until its sixth year and will continue prime production for about ten years, however Coffee plants may live on for 60 years. The tree, if left alone will grow to a height of between 16 and 40 feet. In most coffee plantations the trees are kept at a manageable six feet to get the best yield and to make it easier to harvest. The best growing conditions are in a temperature range of 65 degrees Fahrenheit to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Rainfall should be plentiful and the weather should switch between heavy rainfall and sunshine to bring the berries to full maturity. The type of soil is not too important but good drainage is a must!
Coffee plants are fairly easy to grow in the home as a potted specimen, but they should be moved outdoors for the summer if possible. They grow best in filtered sunlight, with night temperatures in the lower to mid 60s and day temperatures of 70F or higher. Plant them in any good commercial, fast draining potting soil . The soil should be kept on the moist side, but never soggy.
Coffee plants will produce fruit without any fertilizing whatsoever, but for best results and maximum yield, they should be fed every 2 weeks from March to October, and then monthly from November through February. Use a soluble, all purpose (10-10-10) fertilizer.
How Do you grow Rhubarb?
Author:
Carreglefn Nurseries
Growing Rhubarb
What to do
Soil preparation
- All varieties develop a deep root system and grow best in a fertile, partially shaded, free-draining soil.
- Start digging over your soil four weeks before planting, removing any stones you find and adding as much organic matter as possible.
How to plant
- Rhubarb can be grown from seed or as plants purchased from your local garden centre. Rhubarb grown from seed will take a year longer to produce stalks, and even then, the plants aren’t guaranteed to be true to type. We recommend buying one-year-old plants, known as ‘crowns’, that have been divided from strong, disease-free plants.
- Choose the right variety for your patch, prepare the soil, then plant your rhubarb in late autumn to early winter. Keep in mind that many varieties grow to be very large plants, and require a lot of space. Before planting, dig a hole with a trowel a little bit wider than the plant.
- The depth should be such that the top of the plant is at, or just below the soil surface. Gently firm the surrounding soil and water well. Spacing between plants should be about 75cm (30in) for smaller varieties, and up to 120cm (48in) for larger varieties.
- After the leaves have died down, spread a new layer of compost around the plant to conserve water and suppress weeds. Dead-head flowers immediately after they appear in the early spring, as allowing flowers to set seed will weaken the plant.
Dividing
- In order to keep the plants healthy, rhubarb should be divided every five or six years during winter, when dormant. Each plant can be split into three or four separate crowns with a spade. Make sure each crown has an ‘eye’, or a large bud that will provide next year’s shoots.
- Dig out a hole slightly larger than the divided plants and place the crown in the hole with its roots facing downwards. The top of the crown should be 2.5cm (1in) below the soil surface. Mark where the crown has been planted with a cane or stones until new shoots appear above the soil surface in late February or March.
Forcing
- This simple process provides an earlier harvest of sweeter stems that don’t need peeling. For forcing outdoors, cover plants with a container or large pot to exclude the light. Place the cover over the rhubarb as soon as it begins to show signs of growth.
- For forcing indoors, lift whole crowns in November and place them on the soil surface to be chilled for two weeks in order to break their period of dormancy.
- Pot each crown up with compost and bring into a cool greenhouse. It’s important to completely exclude any light by placing forcing pots or black polythene over crowns.
- The lack of light and the heating effect of the cover will quickly cause the rhubarb to ripen and it will be ready to eat within four weeks.
Harvesting and storage
- Allow rhubarb to establish for one year before taking your first harvest. Select three of the largest stalks, waiting for the leaves to fully open before pulling from May to August.
- Stalks are harvested by gently twisting the stems and pulling from the base of the plant. Leaves shouldn’t be eaten as they contain oxalic acid and are poisonous.
Growing tips
- Rhubarb suffers from few diseases. Crown rot is the main threat, particularly if soil conditions are wet. The fungal infection occurs at the base of the stalks where crowns turn brown and soften.
Plants suffering from rot should be dug up and destroyed immediately. To avoid crown rot, make sure rhubarb is planted in fertile, well-drained, weed-free soil.
Thai Lemon Grass – Now On Sale
Author:
Carreglefn Nurseries
Lemon Grass
Cymbopogon (lemongrass) is a genus of about 55 species of grasses, native to warm temperate and tropical regions of the Old World and Oceania. It is a tall perennial grass. Common names include lemon grass, lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, citronella grass,cha de Dartigalongue, fever grass, Hierba Luisa or Gavati Chaha amongst many others.
Lemon grass is native to India. It is widely used as an herb in Asian cuisine. It has a citrus flavor and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh.
Lemon grass is commonly used in teas, soups, and curries. It is also suitable for poultry, fish, and seafood. It is often used as a tea in African and Latin American countries (e.g., Togo, Mexico, DR Congo). When used in dishes, lemongrass is commonly combined with the following ingredients: shrimp, , chicken, cilantro, basil, kaffir lime, crab and scallops
Research also shows that lemon grass oil has anti-fungal properties.
Carreglefn Nurseries
Pack Your Banana Plant For Winter
A lot of people shy away from purchasing Banana plants especially the more tender varieties due to the over wintering of them if they do not have a heated conservatory or Greenhouse in the UK.
BUT.. READ ON…
This is a brilliant way of protecting your Banana plant each year, tried and tested!
This works as it is the roots that die and go brown when left in cold wet soil during the winter and this can be the what kills your Banana plant.
Dig up the plant before temperatures dip and frosts make their appearance. Moisten the root ball and pack it with shredded newspaper, then wrap with several whole sections of newspaper. Slip the root ball into a plastic bag, tie the bag at one end, poke a few holes in it and store the plant in the garage/shed or in the house. If your garage/shed gets colder than 32 degrees, you might also want to wrap the root ball in a few layers of plastic bubble wrap. In a few weeks, the foliage and trunk or stem will turn brown, and the plant will look dead, but don’t panic. Just wait until late spring or early summer next year, remove the bag and paper from the root ball and replant the plant in a sunny spot. With any luck, you’ll either get the same plant to grow back or a new plant or both. They bloom after growing around 45 leaves. We recommend adding a little seaweed mulch or a fertiliser with seaweed content to feed your Banana plants.
We have used this method with all of our Banana plant varieties and works well even with the more tender Ensette’s such as Tandara Red and the Dwarf Cavendish varieties.
Kaffir Lime
You may already be the proud owner of a Kafir Lime or you may be thinking of purchasing one! either way this infirmayion will be of great use to you.
If you purchase on of our plug plants then these instructions will help you keep your plants in tip top condition.
On receipt re-pot your plant a 15cm/6inch pot would be an ideal choice. Terracotta is a good choice as it allows the plants roots to breathe. (we do not send out in a Terracotta pot for obvious reasons!)
Fill your pot with some compost , citrus compost is best, and make a hole large enought to accomodate the roots of the lime tree. Remove the Lime from its small pot trying not to disturb the roots too much, and place in the new pot firming down gently.
Top Tip! Limes are fond of more acidic soil so keep an eye on the PH level. This is where a good citrus compost andCitrus feed comes in!
Watering
Limes do not like tap water Rain Water is preferable and water at regular intervals.
Top Tip – Plave the pot in a saucer and let the plant suck up the water do not allow to get waterlogged as the roots will rot.
Positioning
Limes need to be in a sunny spot, sheltered from the wind and prefere to be under glass. Sunny window sills greenhouse conservatories are all ideal. Limes are a Tropicl plant wich needs humidity radiators dry out the air so keep away from rediators and similar.
Feeding
Feed weekly during the summer and monthly during the winter with a good citrus feed.
Harvesting
Kaffir Limes are grown for their leaves and used in cooking. You should not take leaves from your plant until it is larger. They will also produce fruit at about 4/5years old.
So dont forget Sun!! Pot!! Feed!!! Best Of luck with your Lime.
http://www.carreglefn-nurseries.co.uk
Seaweed fertiliser, also spelt seaweed fertilizer, is a valuable addition to the organic garden, and is abundantly available with permission from DEFRA. However, caution should be observed when collecting seaweed, particularly from areas that are liable to pollution, such as downriver (including estuaries) of industrial activities as seaweed is susceptible to contamination.
A perhaps less serious potential problem with seaweed is its salt content, however normal use will not affect the balance of the salt levels in your soil. While it is unlikely that you will add sufficient seaweed to seriously upset the balances of salt in your soil, it is not liked by worms, who will not live in it. It can be hosed down before adding to the soil to reduce the salt content, or left to be desalinated by rainwater. The seaweed we sell at http://www.carreglefn-nurseries has been well washed to reduce the salt levels.
The seaweed we have available on the website is exceptionally good for Tropical plants especially Banana Plants during our trials having added it to the compost, the plants with the added seaweed were on average 25% larger than plants gron in ordinary compost with a general liquid feed provided!!! quite something. We supply a mix of many different types of seaweed and we even use it instead of moss to line our baskets, providing continual nutrients all the summer long.
Seaweed, particularly bladderwrack, kelp or laminaria, can be either applied to the soil as a mulch (although it will tend to break down very quickly) or can be added to the compost heap, where it is an excellent activator. In terms of soil structure it does not add a great deal of bulk, but its jelly like alginate content helps to bind soil crumbs together, and it contains all soil nutrients (0.3% N, 0.1% P, 1.0% K, plus a full range of trace elements). For those who cannot gather fresh seaweed, it is available commercially in a dried ‘meal’ form, which can be applied at a rate of 60-100g per square metre, or as a concentrated liquid feed which should be diluted @ 1 part to 15 with water, and can be applied either as a foliar feed or to the root zone.
In the Channel Islands, such seaweed fertiliser is known as vraic in their dialects of Norman, a word that has also entered Channel Island English, the activity of collecting vraic being termed vraicking. In Scotland, it is used as fertiliser in lazybeds or feannagan.
Falkland Islanders have also been nicknamed “Kelpers” from time to time, from collecting seaweed partly for this purpose.