Garden Nook for February 18, 2005

 

Tropical Paradise

            Hi everybody and welcome! One of the most popular plant categories is a group of plants known as tropicals. This plant category can include indoor palms, dumb cane, mass cane, selloum and marginata. Most of these varieties can be either  grown indoors or outdoors in a shaded and protected location. These plants are very popular because of their versatility and for the most part they are very easy to take care of. They can turn a boreing corner into a tropical garden or transform an empty porch into a tropical paradise. Today, I will talk about some of the more common varieties and give you some guidelines for planting, use and care.

            The first plant I would to talk about is the philodendron selloum. These plants are a bold and beautiful addition to any tropical paradise. The individual leaves get very large and have a glossy green color. These plants are suitable for indoor and outdoor use. The plants do best if they are near a strong filtered light source. They will not tolerate a low light area indoors such as a dark corner. They also should not be placed where they receive full, direct sunlight as this can cause the leaves to become “sun-burned” and browning edges will be the result. These plants like a slightly moist soil that drains well. Use a good quality organic planting medium for best results. Be sure your containers have good drainage. Feed your plants lightly with a 20-20-20 water-soluble fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro. The plants should be protected from frost and freezing temperatures.

A great way to present your prized selloum, or any tropical for that matter, is to display them in a half whiskey barrel. You can purchase them at many local garden centers. One word of caution, always have your drivers license handy when transporting these barrels. If you get stopped, your car will smell like a distillery, especially if the barrels are a little wet!

Once you have your planters safely home, the first thing you will need to do is drill several ¼ to ½ inch holes in the bottom for drainage. Without these holes, you whiskey barrels will fill up with water and become the local tavern for the wildlife in your area! Once you have the drainage holes set, find a location in your yard or deck that will provide filtered sun. You will need about 3 ½ forty-pound bags of soil per barrel. After removing the plant from the original pot, position the plant so that the top of the soil is about 3 inches from the top of the barrel. Try to avoid air pockets while planting. Water well after planting. If you want to create a border, several barrels lined up in a row will definitely get some attention.

A tropical paradise is not complete without palm trees. Majesty palms offer an elegant addition to your indoor or outdoor tropical plateau. Majesty palms enjoy rich, well-drained soil and do very well in containers. Fertilize your palms lightly with an indoor 20-20-20 plant food that is water-soluble. You can also apply a small amount of Epsom salts around the plant about once a month to help keep the dark green color. Simply sprinkle about ¼ cup around the tree and water it in. Keep your palms slightly moist but allow to dry some between times of watering. Over watering can be more of a problem for a palm then being too dry. Occasionally palms may become infested with mealy bugs or scale. If this happens, spray with malathion or Orthene per label directions.

Dieffenbachia or dumb cane, can add a splash of color to your tropical setting. These wonderful plants have large medium green leaves that are splashed with areas of white. These plants, like most tropicals, do best in indirect light and like the air temperature to be above 50 degrees. They do not tolerate very cold weather or direct sun. You should keep the soil slightly moist but allow to dry between waterings. It is a good idea to occasionally wipe the leaves clean to remove dust that could clog the pores of the plant. A word of caution: The sap of the dieffenbachia is extremely toxic and if even a small amount is ingested, it can cause enough swelling that could lead to suffocation! Always wash your hands after handling these plants.

Next week: Bring luck and fortune to your home or office with a wonderful plant called the lucky bamboo. See you then!