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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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