Monday, 30 January 2017

Crassula ovata - The Jade Plant


The Jade Plant

Jade Plant is the most interesting plant that keeps me engaged. I love jade than any other house plant, as it grows very well in Chennai and it can be well grown in pot itself for many years. It gives a pretty bonsai look and is very easy to care. When you are busy, it understands and, withstands low or nil watering. It never blooms, but internet claims that it blooms.

Jade Plant - Crassula ovata

The members of the family Crassulaeceae are similarly large shrubs which are succulents. These are widely grown as common house plants. The other different names by which it is called are Chinese Jade, Jade Tree, Old Money Plant, Dollar Plant, Dollar Tree, etc,. All are the different varieties of Crassula ovata. Jade plants are popular because they are incredibly easy to grow. With proper care and time they make a fine specimen of bonsai trees also. In Chennai only one variety grows well. The other ones with large leaves and tube like leaves go off easily and are hardly seen.

The Jade plant is ideally suited for Bonsai, as it is compact and requires very little maintenance. With the tips to Bonsai a Jade Plant, you can make Jade Bomsai.

A Jade plant needs direct sunlight to grow well and a sunny position if placed on a window sill. At the same time, good air circulation and regular watering will help to avoid sun scorch on hot summer days. Watering is not required on excessive cold weather. A Jade plant should never be moved suddenly from a shady position to full sun. It needs to be slowly acclimatized as damage to the leaves is likely. If there is no enough sun then it will not be fleshy as it is a succulent. The leaves will drop and get replaced in due course so that the damage is never permanent.
Jade plants grow well outside in direct sunlight as patio plants or in open terrace and their leaves will color up nicely in the sun. Jade plants will survive hot or cold conditions and needs watering only if the soil is dry. Google says cold night temperatures promotes flowering but it never blooms in Chennai. It is always ideal to water thoroughly only when the plant dries out.
Sometimes a few leaves drop off, especially when the weather is too hot or cold or there is no water or more water. The common problem is overwatering and the next one is the mealy bug. If you find mealy bug just remove the affected leaves and it will become alright soon. Misting or spraying water over the leaves is not necessary as it may rot the leaves and the leaves may drop. It loves to be always dry as excessive humidity may lead to mildew or other fungal problems. However, occasionally putting water over the plant helps to wash off dust collected on the leaves and freshen the foliage. In direct sunlight the leaves reduce in size too and gives a wonderful look. This character helps the bonsai trainers.

A Jade plant requires rich nutrition and a quick drying soil. River sand with compost will help grow well. It will produce nicely colored wonderful leaves if the soil is changed once in 6 months or so.

To maintain a plant at the same size, treat it in a similar way to a bonsai tree specimen. Prune the roots while re-potting into the same pot and prune the stem shoots to maintain a pleasing shape and size. This helps to develop a thick trunk. New leaves will grow from the pruned branches and branch out.

Propagation

There are no seeds for this plant as it never flowers in India. So it has to be grown only from cuttings. Though Google claims that a single leaf will root, it is not so.

If you get a cutting of 2 – 3 inches, you can remove the lower two or three sets of leaves and put in a quick draining soil in direct sun and water sparingly it will root very well and turn out to be a new plant. It will grow well for nearly 80 - 100 years.

Thursday, 27 August 2015

Guidelines For Growing Cacti And Succulent Plants Indoors


All cacti are succulent plants, but not all succulents are cactus. Cacti are one of the most popular indoor plants of the succulent family. Many are native to the desert regions of the southern US and Mexico, where rainfall is usually low and there are extremes in temperature. On the other hand, some of the most floriferous cacti come to us from the warm and humid rain forests of South and Central America. Cacti are distinguished from other succulents by cushion-like growths on their stems called areoles from which the spines, hairs, flowers, and shoots develop.
The distinguishing feature of succulent plants is the presence of water-storing, fleshy tissue in their stems, leaves, or roots. It is this tissue that allows cacti and other succulents to withstand long periods of drought. Succulents are often divided into three groups depending on which part of the plant contains the moisture retaining tissue: stem succulents, leafy succulents, and caudiciform succulents. Most cacti fall into the stem succulent group.
Cacti and other succulents display a wide variety of size, shape, texture, color. Some have curved or straight spines, some have silky hair, while others have plump smooth surfaces and their shapes can range from squat or globular, to candelabra. Some bloom for relatively brief periods and bear large brightly colored flowers, while others flower for longer periods and produce many blooms. In cooler temperatures most succulents are either house plants grown in various types of containers or are grown in greenhouses.

Growing Cacti and succulents indoors: (greenhouse and home):

Most cacti and succulent plants used for outdoor cultivation in warm climates will thrive in an environmentally regulated greenhouse where light, humidity, temperature, and water are controlled. These plants are also very well suited for the warm and dry conditions of a heated home where some other plants will fail. Most cacti and other succulents require high levels of light and good ventilation although some of the more leafy plants may need protection from direct sunlight to avoid leaf scorching. It should be noted that one important group of succulent plants, the epiphytic group, requires a more shaded location in the house. These are among the most floriferous of cacti and include some of the most popular cacti: the Christmas Cactus, the Thanksgiving cactus, and the Easter cactus.
Growing Cacti And Succulent Plants Indoors can be grown in containers or in open beds in a greenhouse. Larger species can be grown in open beds either at floor level or in raised benches. Cacti and succulent plants from warm habitats require bright light and a fairly dry atmosphere to develop fully. Temperature in the greenhouse should be held close to 64 degrees F. There are some species that require higher than normal levels of humidity usually found in a greenhouse environment. These may do better in a conservatory setting with more humid conditions. If the humidity is too high it may cause brown irregular shaped spots to appear on the plant.
Many cacti and succulent plants are very well adapted to living in houses in draft-free warm conditions where the relative humidity is less than 30 percent. They require only modest amounts of water and fertilizer and should be placed in a bright, sunny window. If not enough time can be spent in natural light, artificial lighting, either by white fluorescent tubes, or a combination of daylight and natural white fluorescent tubes, will give good results. The plants may require up to 15 hours of artificial light per day during the shorter days of fall and winter.
Cacti and other succulent plants do not do particularity well in ordinary garden soil. In their natural habitat most cacti and succulents grow in well-drained sandy soil and these conditions should be duplicated indoors. A good garden soil that has a pH level between 6 and 6.5 can be used as the basis of a home made soil mix. Both pot and growing medium should be sterile first to kill pests and weed seeds and to eliminate diseases. To 2 parts of sterile soil add one part peat, one part clean sharp sand, and a little slow-release fertilizer. Most commercial succulent mixes can be used right out of the bag. Ideally, these plants can be grown in pots with many drainage holes as excess water in the soil will cause rotting and will decay soon.
While Growing Cacti And Succulent Plants Indoors Water, cacti and succulent plants only enough to prevent shrinking and withering during the fall and winter months of shorter daylight hours. When watering, thoroughly water the plants to a point where the water flows out through the drain holes. Discard any excess water and always allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings. Remember that as daylight hours increase as springtime approaches, the plant's need for water decreases.
While Growing Cacti And Succulent Plants Indoors, Cacti and succulent plants do not require feeding during their dormant seasons. During the growing season in late spring and summer, feed them once or twice to help maintain healthy, vigorous growth and to encourage flowering. Liquid commercial fertilizers are available and are satisfactory if manufacturer’s directions are followed. Other house plant fertilizers higher in phosphorus than nitrogen and diluted to half the recommended rate can also be used. Some other succulents may be fertilized three or four times during their growing season.

Wednesday, 26 August 2015

Herbs from Seed

 Why not have a go at growing some herbs from seed. It is cheaper than buying your herbs from a Nursery. There is a bonus too in that you give your plants to family and friends.
What you’ll need – You don’t need to spend a fortune on all that fancy equipment at The Nurseries .
Compost. Use a seed compost as this has the right nutrient balance.
River Sand. Add this to the compost to aid drainage and use them to cover the seeds.
Pots. 10 cm pots are ideal, but plastic sweet boxes will do the job too just put some drainage hole in them.
Propagator. Helps with germination because you can control temperature. But a sunny window sill will do too.
Buy your seeds. And follow the guide to sowing on the back of the packet.
Sowing calendar for Herbs.
Chives. Sow in pots in March, and sow outside April to May
Coriander. Sow in pots in March, and sow outside April to May
Marjoram. Sow in March
Oregano. Sow in March
Parsley. Sow in pots in March, and outside in May to June
Rosemary. Sow into pots in March
Sage. Sow into pots in March
Thyme. Sow in pots from February to March
Basil. Sow in pots in March
Fennel. Sow in pots in March and outside in April to May