Tropical Gardening

I tried to keep ensette ventricosm - probably spelt that wrong, but a lovely purple one through last winter. It looked fantastic in the heated greenhouse all winter, but despite not over watering it, in the spring it upped its leggs and dropped dead on me!

Fatsia Japonica, easy, frost hardy, slowish growing, and covers a lot of ground.

Eriobotrya japonica :flag:

I thought I didn't succeed. Please let meknow

Hi folks. I just opened my 3 packs of Canna's (one in each) and found that they were starting to shoot. Until now, they've been kept in my unheated greenhouse, and now I've potted them up, that's where they'll stay for now. I'm a bit concerned that they'll grow too fast if I keep them in heat....

Obviously a larger plant with more flowering spikes extends the flowering season.But I would say roughly for me. one flower spike last two to three weeks, with the flowers opening in succession.

Okey dokey :thumb:

The conservatory is quite tall ... but not heatedThe greenhouse is quite long ... but neither heated nor tall!

:gnthb: Yes I am really pleased Vicky, I have had them for so long I would have been broken hearted if I had lost them all..... Some of mine went very squishy too & the smell....! Horrid..!! I just cleared all that away & cut them back till I found hard flesh & so far most of them are slowly...

Hi FleabagYour terrace sounds like quite a challenge. I assume that it's in full sun as well as sharply drained? If so, I wouldn't worry about adding grit but I'd definitely add as much compost, and water retaining material as I could. It's a bit late to add manure this year in my view but...

Thanks very much bananaman just wondered about the chicken pellets as I have noticed that there are brown marks appearing on the leaves,and some of them split.

Very well done Sezelene and no annoying grass too which of course gives you loads more time to enjoy your jungle! Yippee!:D Hel.xxx.

That's my plan to stock up and pot on now til April and them hopefully have quite a few plants. Have been offered a pineapple plant/tree not sure what it looks like or if it will go with my planting. I will be after advice alot as I live quite coastal and it gets a bit windy so am a bit worried...

Walnut, thats a fabulous tree. Does that mean bananas all round then?With UK trees, they won't flower till they become adult - which in normally determined by years rather than size. Would that be the same for a banana?

Hi Beachlover, Welcome to GC.. Its natural for the bottom Leave's to Die off, youv'e done the right thing cutting them off..

Ok Pete, thanks

If it is decorative, then just cut it off about 6" from the ground and cover with pine straw to protect from the ice and freezing. It will come back each year. If you want to eventually get bananas from it, then it really needs to be transplanted into a greenhouse or something similar for the...

Hi All.No i dont live in New Zealand!!Christchurch on the south coast, close to the New Forest, thats me! ...... i dont think they use greenhouses in New Zealand in March.......to keep the frost off.........

Leave it alone until the beginning of may when it's got the sun on it again and can grow without interruption. I cut mine as the top stem fell but leave a rain cover of collateral as if it becomes waterlogged around the remaining stem it will freeze and mush even more. Most likely you will start...

I don`t think its that one simply because its not very well along yet so must flower later, It is still in the same pot as last year and came through the winter o.k. :thmb:So if I do make some sort of bog garden area, I think I would try and bury them in pots so I can lift them in the...