Bromeliads
CLIVEAS
WISTERIA Shiro Kapitan with Softcane DENDROBIUMS
THIS MONTH
IN THE GARDEN
with Jan
OCTOBER
IN THE GARDEN
with Jan
OCTOBER
IRIS VERSICOLOUR
CATTLEYA ORCHID
PHALAENOPSIS ORCHID
Let nature be your guide
HIPPEASTRUMS
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Shrubs/Trees Abutilon Alloxylon flammeum Ardisia Azaleas Bauhinia Bougainvillea Brillantasia Brugmansia Brunfelsia Buddleia Calliandra Calodendrum capense Callistemon Ceiba pentandra Dombeya burgessiae Eremophila Eupatorium (mist bush) Euphorbia cotinifolia (new leaves) Euphorbia millii Fiddlewood (turning yellow) Gardenia Graptophyllum ilicifolium Grevillea robusta Grevilleas Hibiscus Jacaranda Lorapetalum Photinia Polygala Pomegranate Raphiolepis indica Robinia Pseudo-acacia ‘freesia’ (new leaves) Rondaletia Roses Ruttya fruticosa Schotia brachypetala Spiraea cantoniensis Viburnum |
Perennials Aloes Angelonia Begonia Cleome Coleus Coreopsis Cosmos Daisies Dianthus Evening Primrose Gaura Gerbera Heliotrope Impatiens Justicia Kalanchoe Lavender Leonitis Mandevilla Nasturtiums Nicotiana Orlaya Orontium (water) Pelagoniums Pentas Plectranthus Porphyrocoma Russellia Salvias Scutilleria Statice (perennial) Turnea Waterlillies |
Orchids Arpophyllum spicatum Cattleya Cymbidium Epidendrum Oncidiums Phaius Phalaenopsis Softcane Dendrobiums Zygopetalums Vandas Bulbs Alstroemeria Arthropodium (Renga Renga lily) Bulbine Cliveas Day Lilies Hippeastrums Iris Lousiana Iris versicolor Knifofia Lapeirousia grandiflora Lilliums Ornithogalum Rhodophiala Watsonias Bromeliads Aechmea Billbergia Guzmania Hohenbergia Tillandsia Vriesia Vines Clytostoma callistegioides Cobaea scandens Banksian Rose Dalechampia Jasminum Mandevilla Maurandya (climbing foxglove) Pandorea pandorama Phaseolus caracalla Tecomanthe ‘Roaring meg’ Wisteria |
We have had a dry spring so far and with no rain forecast and some high temperatures. Before the really hot weather comes, do all the jobs like, mulching and cutting back. Mulching will help to keep the soil cooler and moisture in. Any mulch is good mulch. We mulch all the cuttings and light cuttings are put straight back onto the garden.
BROMELIADS
I turned to bromeliads many years ago when I decided to stop growing annuals as they were far too demanding for water. After many years of growing bromeliads, I find that like all plants they need to be cut back and this is by removing some to reduce the size of the clump.
I have decided to remove all my large Aechmea blanchettii as they make too big a clump and because they store the water in their ‘urns’, they leave the ground dry beneath them. So just like cutting back shrubs and perennials, Bromeliads need to be thinned also.
The smaller bromeliads I put on logs, placing the logs either horizontally or upright and I tie them with bailing twine or a jersey string. They can also be tied to trees, although this is harder unless you can find a tree with a fork that is low enough or a horizontal branch. I like to mix the colours which make each clump of bromeliads stand out more. Placing them on logs also frees up the ground which can be mulched and kept moist for trees.
Bromeliads are very good in dry times as they only ask that a bit of water is put in their ‘urn’. It is important that they are watered either in their urn or at their root system. In nature their root system is used to attach them to rocks or trees as they are epiphytes.
Because they have water in their urns, they create their own humidity and this makes them an excellent ‘buddy’ plant for orchids.
The Irises are putting on a wonderful show. They look particularly good planted en-masse as most bulbs should be planted. Some like water and others like to be baked dry. Louisiana and Versicolour like their feet in water. Versicolour is blue and Lousiana come in a range of colours from white, pink, yellow and blue. You can put them in pots in the pond if you raise them so that they only have about 5 -10 centimetres in water. Alternatively, you can plant them at the edge of a pond or in a pond with shallow water.
Iris tectorum is a lovely shorter Iris which is blue and thrives in a dry spot on the edge of the garden. Irises have a rhizome and can be easily divided by cutting a good size piece of rhizome with at least 1 section of leaf.
Jobs to do:
Cut back Eranthemums, Senecio petasites, Poinsettias, Spiraea, Photinias, Banksian Rose and Eupatoriums after they have finished flowering. It is always wise to take cuttings of perennials in case you lose them or if you want more plants to put in. The cuttings can be put in a pot and put in a shady place and keep well watered. The Poinsettias will strike better if they are left a week to dry out a bit before you put the cutting into a pot of soil. Early morning is the best time to take cuttings.
Collect seeds from Sweet peas and nasturtiums for next year’s crop. Store them in an envelope and mark with date and name. I also do this with vegetable seeds as I think it is better to re-seed tried and true vegetable strains than buy in ones you don’t know. When I collect seeds from Frangipani trees or vines which are large, I tie a paper bag around the stem so that they automatically disperse into the bag instead of the air and loosing them.
Nasturtiums are browning off with the heat, so rake all the long runners onto the garden beds and mulch over the top. Being from the pea family they do provide a good nitrogen source for the soil. They will come back again next year from this year’s seeds which you can leave or collect to sow them in a different place in autumn.
Vegetables:
Watering is essential in the vegetable garden in this hot and dry period. It is very rewarding to be able to pick a variety of herbs as well as silver beet, beans, lettuce and tomatoes.
Orchids:
Repot any orchids that have over filled their pot or the media has broken down. A good sign that orchid media has broken down is if there are weeds in the pot or if you see a white mould in the base of the pot. Roots hanging over the side of the pot or basket is not a problem as the roots of orchids search for food and water
Good Gardening
Jan
BROMELIADS
I turned to bromeliads many years ago when I decided to stop growing annuals as they were far too demanding for water. After many years of growing bromeliads, I find that like all plants they need to be cut back and this is by removing some to reduce the size of the clump.
I have decided to remove all my large Aechmea blanchettii as they make too big a clump and because they store the water in their ‘urns’, they leave the ground dry beneath them. So just like cutting back shrubs and perennials, Bromeliads need to be thinned also.
The smaller bromeliads I put on logs, placing the logs either horizontally or upright and I tie them with bailing twine or a jersey string. They can also be tied to trees, although this is harder unless you can find a tree with a fork that is low enough or a horizontal branch. I like to mix the colours which make each clump of bromeliads stand out more. Placing them on logs also frees up the ground which can be mulched and kept moist for trees.
Bromeliads are very good in dry times as they only ask that a bit of water is put in their ‘urn’. It is important that they are watered either in their urn or at their root system. In nature their root system is used to attach them to rocks or trees as they are epiphytes.
Because they have water in their urns, they create their own humidity and this makes them an excellent ‘buddy’ plant for orchids.
The Irises are putting on a wonderful show. They look particularly good planted en-masse as most bulbs should be planted. Some like water and others like to be baked dry. Louisiana and Versicolour like their feet in water. Versicolour is blue and Lousiana come in a range of colours from white, pink, yellow and blue. You can put them in pots in the pond if you raise them so that they only have about 5 -10 centimetres in water. Alternatively, you can plant them at the edge of a pond or in a pond with shallow water.
Iris tectorum is a lovely shorter Iris which is blue and thrives in a dry spot on the edge of the garden. Irises have a rhizome and can be easily divided by cutting a good size piece of rhizome with at least 1 section of leaf.
Jobs to do:
Cut back Eranthemums, Senecio petasites, Poinsettias, Spiraea, Photinias, Banksian Rose and Eupatoriums after they have finished flowering. It is always wise to take cuttings of perennials in case you lose them or if you want more plants to put in. The cuttings can be put in a pot and put in a shady place and keep well watered. The Poinsettias will strike better if they are left a week to dry out a bit before you put the cutting into a pot of soil. Early morning is the best time to take cuttings.
Collect seeds from Sweet peas and nasturtiums for next year’s crop. Store them in an envelope and mark with date and name. I also do this with vegetable seeds as I think it is better to re-seed tried and true vegetable strains than buy in ones you don’t know. When I collect seeds from Frangipani trees or vines which are large, I tie a paper bag around the stem so that they automatically disperse into the bag instead of the air and loosing them.
Nasturtiums are browning off with the heat, so rake all the long runners onto the garden beds and mulch over the top. Being from the pea family they do provide a good nitrogen source for the soil. They will come back again next year from this year’s seeds which you can leave or collect to sow them in a different place in autumn.
Vegetables:
Watering is essential in the vegetable garden in this hot and dry period. It is very rewarding to be able to pick a variety of herbs as well as silver beet, beans, lettuce and tomatoes.
Orchids:
Repot any orchids that have over filled their pot or the media has broken down. A good sign that orchid media has broken down is if there are weeds in the pot or if you see a white mould in the base of the pot. Roots hanging over the side of the pot or basket is not a problem as the roots of orchids search for food and water
Good Gardening
Jan
WHAT IS FEATURING IN THE GARDEN IN OCTOBER:
