Tropical Gardening

Sounds as though you have a very healthy fiscus elastica there Adie. I have known people to cut a whole in their ceiling to allow it to continue to grow upwards! I think that is taking it too far. You can top it at any time as Pete says it is a tree. If you do not want to clean the leaves...

Betty, I have known friends who have left theirs out and they have survived without attention, however, I lost mine. I think I would be tempted to cover them with a cloche or similar if you cannot lift them.

Helen If you put it in the extension it will keep growing and may even flower. Nik

Hi Pete, i think i can just make it out on the little pic, i'd love to be able to do that its brilliant! i am going to plant the stalk this weekend, it had some roots already when i cut away the bottom so hopefully it will take ok, i'll keep the seeds going if i can, my kids love watching...

def same leaf pattern

http://www.life.uiuc.edu/plantbio/102/disc/rubber.htmlhttp://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/advanced/Propagation/Airlayering.htm

Well, you're slaving over a hot computer till the small wee hours. Thanks for the link - no, it's most definitely a yucca. I'm afraid I've only recently mastered the basics of the computer, so taking and posting photos - well you may as well ask me to garble away in martian speak ( should...

Thanks Bayleaf & Gardenangel.The reason I took them outof the pots is because they started growing new shoots in the Winter, so I thought they should be dormant during the winter months. Will try again this year

We have a brill Butterfly park up north near Stockton on tees, they have hundreds of butterflys, catapillars also they have grouse running around the floor (very funny little birds) and they used to have Iguanas, but not sure if they still have them, i used to breed lizards and snake in my early...

Reason I ask, about the flower, not the fence ( which looks great by the way), is that all I can see is stamens and no stigma. I hope I've got the right terms, in other words only the parts that carry the pollen. But then again I could be wrong. :D

Well if there's no sign of suckers coming from around the base of the plant it is unusual. That stem that is flowering I am certain will die afterwards, there is still a chance that it might put up a sucker or two yet. Any ideas of the variety, I take it, it is growing outside in the garden.

I've never tried ordinary cuttings from rubber plants, but I have done air layers and been sucsessfull. I think ordinary cuttings may well work as they do with other Ficus, probably with bottom heat. pete

Hi Clarky D'you mean Canna's or Calla lilies?

Great. Dont let the tax man find out.

thanks a lot steve,very helpful cheers

Thanks BayleafAt the moment the bamboo is in a large pot in our back yard surrounded by wall so is pretty sheltered. Where we live it is notoriously windy. I am worried about putting it out in the ground because our garden, although long is open plan and very open to the elements (almost...

A pleasure Lindy2 any time .... just shout lol

Yep I believe it is.

Its up to you really. how tall is it? Is it green leaved or coloured? Suddenly you say, could this be a flower stem maybe? If its sprung up all of a sudden I reckon it could be.

I do remember that they can bleed when cut in a similar way to grape vines.