Lantana

Anyone grow Lantana,
I have couple I bought from a nursery in Norfolk ,and a number I grew from seeds I brought home from holiday ..I have over wintered them a couple of years now.

Dave

 

Dave - I have never tried them, but I keep looking at them and saying those look interesting. So I would be very interested in your experience. I am not sure how hardy they are. I got the impression they are a bit borderline. Do they flower for long? and what are your feelings about them?

 

Lantana might take a light frost but are definitely not hardy.There are many new strains now in many colours, even a supposedly trailing one. They are very susceptible to White Fly and have a very pungent smell when the leaves are rubbed or crushed. They are sometimes grown as standards.They do need sun and warmth to really flower well.

 

I have a hedge of them in different colours. As strongy says, even a light frost affects them and can strip them bare. I cut mine down to one meter in the Winter/Spring and it re-shoots but this is only because our ground does not freeze. They become very prickly as they grow but are wonderful for attracting butterflies.

 

I have mine in heated greenhouse and it does drop to 40f often in the winter nights ...
The ones I grew from seed (collected on holidays) are yellow ,and two toned pink/cream and have now become pickly. These seem more robust than the ones I bought from a nursery here in UK I will check out the names later ..

Dave

 

I used to grow a few, but since I lost a couple of old standard plants about three years ago I've not tried any more.

I found it was best to overwinter as large plants dried off pretty much at the roots so the leaves all drop off.
I found that overwintering in the green allowed the white fly to get a hold.

I must try some again next summer

 

I must admit I have had better results with overwintering as the plants got larger.I keep them fairly dry particuarly between Dec to mid Feb .. I usually tap them out of the pots March time remove some of the old outer compost then repot...I also take cuttings late spring to get a good sized plant before winter ..
Whitefly as Pete says can be a problem .mine start flowering by mid July but will continue well into the autumn until ready to prune down to bring inside again..
Well worth a try I think ...You can buy younger plants in the spring from some Garden Centres..don't put outside to early and harden them off first or then tend to blue with the cld and this really gives them a groth check ..

Dave

 

I have the reverse situation here .. they get no water for up to four months in the summer (unless I am kind to them) and then we have our torrential rains for 4-6 months in the winter .. when I lose my leaves and cut them back. The wild ones (red/orange coloured) which grow all around me, in the orchards, seed themselves in my garden obviously because birds have deposited seeds, get no attention whatsoever and there are huge ones around my property (not on my property).

I have never seen whitefly on mine here .. only butterflies. I understand if you spray with 3% hydrogen peroxide on a frequent basis you will get rid of your whitefly and spider mites but possiblly also your ladybugs, not because of the spraying but because you have eradicated their food supply I'm working on this one this year.

 

I do get troubled with whitefly ,but all my fuchsias do seem to encourage them more so.

Not so bad outside I must admit ..I have never tried hydrgen peroxide ,what rate do you dilute it to ?

Dave

 

Good morning Davy. Here is a chart on using hydrogen peroxide. I have the 3% strength.

http://www.using-hydrogen-peroxide.com/peroxide-garden.html

 

How did you germinate the seeds, how long did it take to germinate? I'm trying that now from some I got in my garden but I don't even know if I'm doingit right... Hummingbirds last summer loved lantana.

 

I've not grown them recently, but grew them for a number of years some time ago.


As I remember they germinate fairly easily at about 25C (80F) or so.
Hope the seed/berries were black when you harvested them, otherwise they will not be ripe.

I never had Humming birds visiting mine

 

I never had Humming birds visiting mine

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm intresting

 

Hi Sarahbeth
I have always do mine from cuttings either in the autumn or again from new growth in the spring .I find they root easily...

Dave

 

I have a couple, but I don't take care of them. That means they get very large, which is fine for the area they are in. I had some self seed. The scent of the crushed leaves is terrible, so I don't bother them often. And they don't seem to need a lot of sun.