DESERT ROSE (Adenium obesum)
LIGHT: FULL TO PARTIAL SHADE. (IN WINTER KEEP IN LIGHTED LOCATION. SUMMER, FULL OR PARIAL SUN LOCATION.)
TEMPERATURE: SHOULD NOT BE BELOW 54 DEGREES.
RESTING PERIOD: WINTER, KEEP COOL, 54-61 DEGREES. VERY LITTLE WATER.
WATERING: INCREASE DURING BLOOMING AND GROWING PERIOD. WILL LOSE LEAVES IF OVERWATERED.
FERTILIZE: SPRING AND SUMMER MONTHS WITH LIQUID FERTILIZER. (FISH EMULSION IS BEST).
PROPAGATION: CUTTINGS NEED TO DRY THREE TO FOUR DAYS, BEFORE PUTTING IN A SAND PEAT MIX. GERMINATION OF SEEDS.
REPOTTING: EVERY TWO YEARS AFTER WINTER REST.
MEDIUM: TWO PARTS BONSAI SOIL, TWO PARS PEAT, AND ONE PART SAND.
TOLERATES: BEING POT BOUND..
VANILLIA ORCHID (Vanilla planifolia or Vanilla Fragrans)
The Vanilla Orchid, is a variety of vine endemic to Mexico. Vanilla is best grown as an indoor plant. Hernan Cortes was a famous navigator who first discovered and brought back the vanilla plant to Europe. Before his discovery, Aztecs used the vanilla to flavor a chocolate drink. Edmond Albius was was the first person to cultivate the Vanilla in the middle of the 19th century. He was slave who lived on the French island Reunion, near Madagascar. He was the first person to manually pollinate the vanilla flower. Once pollinated the flower develops a bean that is used as a spice. The cultivar "Bourbon", from Reunion Island, is known for being an intensive and balanced vanilla variety produced in the world. Hence making Madagascar the first producer of vanilla.
The Vanilla orchid produces the only edible fruits. The time and complicated process of converting the bean into a spice makes the most expensive spice of the world. Pollination is only possible through manual manipulation. Before drying the beans must be blanched.
LIGHT: NEEDS DEFUSED SUNLIGHT. BETTER AS A INDOOR PLANT.
WATER: REGULAR WATERING
HUMIDITY: REGULAR HUMIDITY
FERTILIZER:
PROPOGATION: CAN BE DONE BY CUTTINGS. CUTTINGS NEED TO REST IN A SHADED AREA FOR A WEEK OR TWO BEFORE POTTING.
MEDIUM: TWO THIRD LIGHT HUMUS AND ONE THIRD SCORIA. MUST BE KEPT MOIST, BUT WELL DRAINED. SHOULD BE TIED TO A STAKE. A LIVING STAKE WORKS GOOD TOO, LIKE A DRACAENA. USING A SOAKED STUFFED WIRE POLE WITH MOSS WORKS WELL TOO.
LYCASTE ORCHIDS (Lycaste/Angulocaste)
Lycaste Orchid includes 45 species, 12 recognized subspecies and 6 natural hybrids. They are epiphytic or lithophytic in nature. Lycaste Orchids have been discovered all over Latin America from sea level to 8000 feet. Anguloa has eight species from the Andean South America. Anguloas is terrestrial in scrub forests in nature from 1200 to 2350 feet. Angulocaste are hybrids between Lycaste and Anguloas. TWO TYPES OF LYCATES. EVERGREEN, ONES THAT DO NOT LOSE THEIR LEAVES AND DECIDUOUS, WHICH DO.
TEMPERATURE: MOST TOLERATE COOL TO SLIGHTLY WARMER TEMPERTURE. NIGHT TEMPERATURE FROM FORTY TO FIFTYEIGHT DEGREES WITH DAYS SIXTYFIVE TO EIGHTY DEGREES.
WATER: GOOD QUALITY. WATER MORE IN SUMMER AND LESS IN COOL WINTER MONTHS. NEVER LET MEDIUM TO DRY OUT.
HUMIDITY: FORTY TO SEVENTY PERCENT.
AIR: GOOD AIR MOVEMENT.
FERTILIZER: GIVEN SPARINGLY.
PROPAGATION: BY DIVISION OF THE PSUEDBULBS, TWO TO THREE BULB DIVISIONS THE BEST.
REPOTTING: IN SPRING EVERY TWO TO THREE YEARS.
MEDIUM: FIR BARK, SPONGE ROCK, CHARCOAL, MOSS, ROCK WOOL, OR GROUND COCONUT FIBRE.
POTS: POT SIZE SHOULD ALLOW TWO YEARS WORTH OF GROWTH. PLANT BECOME TOP HEAVY, PLACE IN LARGER OR HEAVIER EMPTY POT.
EVERGREEN:
SHADE: 60-80%
DECIDUOUS:
SHADE: 50-70%
TEMPERATURE: NEAR FREEZING TO 95F.
HUMIDITY: NEEDS LESS
REST PERIOD: FOUR TO SIX WEEK DRY PERIOD IN MARCH.
FAT BOY, ZZ PLANT OR ETERNITY PLANT (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)
'ZZ' plant is a member of aroid family. The 'ZZ' has the ability to tolerate low light levels, drought, resistance to diseases and pests. 'ZZ' is becoming popular in interiorscaping. ZZ grows slowly even under the most ideal conditions. ZZ can also be used as pseudo bonsai or in a combination planter. The average height of most plants is about 16 to 32 inches with a wide spread of 20 to 40 inches. Larger plants will have a 3 to 5 feet overall spread. ZZ makes an excellant accent plant in spacy areas.
LIGHT: LOW LIGHT
TEMPERATURES: SIXTYEIGHT TO SEVENTYFIVE DEGREES.
FERTILIZER: SLOW RELEASING ALONG WITH WATER SOLUBLE.
WATER: KEEP SOIL MOIST, BUT CAN DRY OUT.
PROPAGATION: LEAF CUTTINGS OR DIVISION. THE TUBER LIKE RHIZOMES CAN BE SEPERATED AND BE POTTED. AT THIS TIME SHOULD BE UNDER EIGHTY TO NINTY PERCENT SHADE. TEMPERATURE SHOULD BE SEVENTY TO NINTY DEGREES. HUMIDITY SHOULD BE FIFTY TO NINTYFIVE PERCENT. MEDIUM SHOULD STAY MOIST, BUT NOT WET. TEMPERTURE OF SEVENTYFIVE TO EIGHTYFIVE DEGREES.
MEDIUM: SIXTY PERCENT SPHAGNUM PEAT, TWENTY PERCENT PERLITE, AND TWENTY PERCENT VERMICULITE OR FIFTYFIVE PERCENT SPHAGNUM PEAT, TWENTYFIVE PERCENT PINE BARK AND TWENTY PERCENT PERLITE.
pH: 6.0 TO 7.0
TOLERANCE: DROUGHT TOLERANT. CAN WITHSTAND NOT BEING WATER UP TO FOUR MONTHS.