Gardening On The Islands

[Rooo]

FYI nursery heading from Maenam to Chaweng, left hand side after Bophut traffic lights has seedling trays.

[finet]

Help looking for the plant Yesterday Today and Tomorrow anyone know which garden centre stocks this?Tried Maenam and Sopet in Nathon but no luck.

[samuijimmy]

Help looking for the plant Yesterday Today and Tomorrow anyone know which garden centre stocks this?Tried Maenam and Sopet in Nathon but no luck.

Usually not that hard to find, perhaps out of bloom right now, so would make it harder to spot in the nurseries... (mine not blooming at the moment)

Lovely scent when it does, but never seems to bloom for very long when it does!!! ..... a case I think of just checking around....at different times ....

Here is what it looks like, if anyone happens to see one for sale anywhere!!! Flowers change colours, hence the name!

[finet]

Thank you will keep looking and if I find it will post on here. I have two plants at the moment one not doing so well and the other as you say not in flower but so young not ready for taking cuttings. Would just like to have some new plants as backup.

[samuijimmy]

Plastic bags on fruit... saving fruit from both insects and fruit bat attacks ....

Easy to do on smaller fruit bushes like Pomagranit.....by hand ...

A little harder on larger trees like this Mango tree, I'd often wondered how they accomplished doing this....

until yesterday, when I discovered there is a "home made? tool for the job!

place pipe with bag over fruit, pull the cord, and an elastic band closes the bag.... This is a mango tree!

Chemical free fruit ..... quite ingenious.... I think!

[samuijimmy]

Finally I have a baby!

After almost two months a habenaro chilly developing... (seed courtesy of Poorsucker way back in March! )

A few more flowering along with the Thai chilly, so hope to spice up my life soon!

I just hope a few more appear! It's been a long tedious process....

Italian Basil and cilantro , lots easier to grow.... seeded at the same time and have way too much of it!

[Dukgae]

I have a lovely red double hibiscus that is getting eaten to bits, it's struggling gamely and putting out a new flower every few days but has hardly any leaves left. I suspect either the small grasshoppers, or those black with a yellow stripe down each side things that may be a caterpillar or may be a form of centipede, I don't know. Any suggestions? If it's the black and yellow things, I wonder if there is anything I can put around the base of the plant to stop them crawling up to eat the leaves?

[samuijimmy]

I have a lovely red double hibiscus that is getting eaten to bits, it's struggling gamely and putting out a new flower every few days but has hardly any leaves left. I suspect either the small grasshoppers, or those black with a yellow stripe down each side things that may be a caterpillar or may be a form of centipede, I don't know. Any suggestions? If it's the black and yellow things, I wonder if there is anything I can put around the base of the plant to stop them crawling up to eat the leaves?

Hi Dukgae,

Because grass hoppers jump or fly, I am not sure that putting anything on the ground would really help....

I think the best stuff to get or even make is a Neem solution, if you know where to find a Neem tree! It's sold as BS 2 in some of the garden shops, about 60 baht for a small bottle, then a cap full to a litre of water. Should help control both caterpillars and grass hoppers.

You'll find it's a temporary thing, with this chewing and generally the ornamental plants will spring back....

[sbk]

I did a seed exchange with someone in the US many many years ago. Germinated this Ponderosa Lemon. It grew really well and is quite tall now. But only produced its first fruit this year. No idea why the delay (its over 8 years old) or what was done differently or why it only has one. But fingers crossed nobody steals it before it grows to full size because they are supposed to be huge.

Here is my wee lemon (ok so way bigger than a lime but still way smaller than a ponderosa lemon can reach)

This is a photo of a ponderosa lemon from online

[Dukgae]

Thanks, I'll try the neem again, did it once already but I think the rain must have washed it off. It's such a beautiful flower, worth taking care of.

[samuijimmy]

red hibiscus.jpgThanks, I'll try the neem again, did it once already but I think the rain must have washed it off. It's such a beautiful flower, worth taking care of.

Mine look the same,

Spraying really needs to be done every week or so, to keep on top of these critters,..... quite honestly, it's too much work!!!!

I have learned to live with a few holes in the leaves of ornamental plants , the plants seem to survive ~!

[samuijimmy]

Well the habenaro chilly experiment not doing so well each time a "fruit" forms it just rots ..... So not even been able to try one ... you having any better luck Poorsucker?

I think may have the same problem as trying to grow tomatoes here in the south?

The little bit of rain around my area has perked things up a little lately, although not enough to penetrate down in the ground much.

The cooler weather the last few days has been pleasant... even feeling cold!

Having a new garden, I can see the challenges coming of not having nice dig-gable soil that I have had for the past five years .... a lot of rock and hard pan a few inches below the surface Me and my trusty spade don't like that!

The local Hydroponic farm has Oregano doing quite well, (being grown in the ground in raised beds) and even survived the last rainy season, next time I am by, I'll "borrow" a plant! .... His spearmint is also doing quite well too... as is mine... although I did lose the peppermint. It's actually better not to have two types of mint as they can cross pollinate producing yucky tasting mint !!! (that's what has happened with "Thai mint" !!! )

Oregano

I have just planted out some new Italian basil, this plant does do well here.... I saved some seed from the first crop, which germinated quite quickly! So I think should have a second batch to start picking in about six weeks!

Interesting to see SBK's lemon, that really is a long wait, eight years, but good to see you did manage to get it to fruit! Perhaps more next year!!! I noticed lately, near the waterfall off of Soi One, that the orange trees were in serious decline... they may not be productive enough so perhaps getting a helping hand with their demise?

Now a good time if your plants need fertilizer to apply, especially after a good rain, if you have had some! .... I have used 15 15 15 which is the blue coloured one, available at many garden supply stores....

[PoorSucker]

Well the habenaro chilly experiment not doing so well each time a "fruit" forms it just rots ..... So not even been able to try one ... you having any better luck Poorsucker?

No luck here.

[samuijimmy]

Well the habenaro chilly experiment not doing so well each time a "fruit" forms it just rots ..... So not even been able to try one ... you having any better luck Poorsucker?

No luck here.

Regular chillies doing OK . ... growing in the same spot.

This is one of the Habenero plants, taken this afternoon, even not looking happy..... will keep trying! to see if any produce!

My new Italian basil .... this will produce more than I will need!

[Abc concierge]

Here is a link to pictures of some plants on the islands, (mostly anyway!) as time permits I will add more, but if anyone has time to add names & other relevant information, please feel free to do so! http://picasaweb.google.com/samuijimmy/Flo...KoPhenganKoToa/

I can't find the page sorry

[samuijimmy]

Here is a link to pictures of some plants on the islands, (mostly anyway!) as time permits I will add more, but if anyone has time to add names & other relevant information, please feel free to do so! http://picasaweb.google.com/samuijimmy/Flo...KoPhenganKoToa/

I can't find the page sorry

Here it is again, it should work....

https://picasaweb.google.com/samuijimmy/FlowersGardensOfKoSamuiKoPhenganKoToa?authkey=Gv1sRgCMTjxbGQ8ofTgwE#

[Dukgae]

Hi Jimmy, your photo site (great pics!) has one of a shrub I have whose name I don't know - its leaves have an irregular pale pink centre with green edges, added your photo below - do you know what it's called? thanks

[samuijimmy]

Hi Jimmy, your photo site (great pics!) has one of a shrub I have whose name I don't know - its leaves have an irregular pale pink centre with green edges, added your photo below - do you know what it's called? thanks

It was supposed to be a rainy day project to go through and try to name all these plants.... I am waiting for the next rainy month! or three !!!

Lucky for you I just flipped through my landscape book and found this!

Seems like there are about 8 varieties of this....... different colour variations in the foliage. I know some have pinkish red flowers.... but I think better grown for it's foliage!

So it's name is : Cantcature Plant, Graptophylium pictum

A Google search will give you more information than you need to know! From my experience easy to grow, but does get leaves eaten by caterpillars once in a while!

[Dukgae]

thanks - I grew mine from cuttings from one up the lane from my house, and I've seen red flower sprays on that one. Mine are only little still so I'll keep an eye out for the caterpillars!

[samuijimmy]

Here's a very unusual plant found today off Soi one somewhere today... personally I would have let it be... but it's been dug and potted now!

Guessing Anguid may have come across it in his butterfly and bug hunts.... No idea what it is... other than being an interesting find

I thought worth posting for the record!

I am wondering if it will smell foul in the evening, like the Raffleasia!

I sure hope it survives!

[samuijimmy]

It's been pretty quiet around here lately!

With the cool and showery or rainy weather, it's been good growing conditions for a few weeks now! A good time for sticking cuttings into the ground, or even air layering

These limes were air layered about a month ago, and now ready to plants out!

Fairly easy to do, by slitting the stem and wrapping the area with dirt and then plastic tied tightly...

This method works well on Bougainvillea and other plants which are hard to root by just sticking cuttings in the ground...

With the rain it's a good time to apply fertilizer, if your plant foliage is looking a bit yellow! (like this one below) Both plants in the ground and in pots too...

If you have plants under an over hang, or large trees, it's a good idea to make sure they are getting watered... especially if newly planted in the ground or plants in pots

[Dukgae]

Here's a very unusual plant found today off Soi one somewhere today... personally I would have let it be... but it's been dug and potted now!

Guessing Anguid may have come across it in his butterfly and bug hunts.... No idea what it is... other than being an interesting find

I thought worth posting for the record!

I am wondering if it will smell foul in the evening, like the Raffleasia!

I sure hope it survives!

wow, amazing, looks like the plant from Little Shop of Horrors ....feed me...

[Dukgae]

Hi Jimmy, a question - you mentioned before about the all-purpose blue fertiliser pellets. Do I just sprinkle them on the ground around the plants, or should they be dissolved in water and watered in (and if so, what ratio of pellets to water)? Many thanks

[samuijimmy]

Hi Jimmy, a question - you mentioned before about the all-purpose blue fertiliser pellets. Do I just sprinkle them on the ground around the plants, or should they be dissolved in water and watered in (and if so, what ratio of pellets to water)? Many thanks

That plant above turned out to be a Arum, it blooms only every five to seven years! There happened to be a news report of it's cousin (native to Indonesia) that was blooming in a botanical garden in USA somewhere, the day after I posted the pictures above... so quite rare and interesting that one would find on Samui! .....

As to your question on fertilizer the blue type is 16 16 16, sprinkle according to size of plant dry, and then water it in... not a problem at the moment, but make sure soil is watered first if it is dry! ...

So.... a small plant about a teaspoon, larger shrubs up to a handful depending on it's size.... wash any fertilizer off foliage to prevent burning the foliage.

For small amounts the cheapest place I have found is Gai's Pharmacy on Soi 4 Maenam, (Thursday Walking street area )....33 baht... most places charge about 50 baht for small bag. (1/2 kg I believe)

Larger 25 kg bags only available as far as I have found is in Lipa Noi. Behind the New Chevrolet dealer, just up the side street less than 100 metres, on right. Not sure what the price is!

There is a yellow coloured fertilizer too, which would be good for vegetables, or annual flowering plants 8 24 24 if memory serves...

Hope that helps!

Just a note, that some farming areas off the islands sell fertilizer in 25 kg bags much cheaper, if one has a way to pick it up... or happen not to live on Samui!

[Dukgae]

Many thanks!

[Rooo]

Ground coffee beans, left over from the machine. I was told ages ago that it's good for plants. True / False ?

[samuijimmy]

Ground coffee beans, left over from the machine. I was told ages ago that it's good for plants. True / False ?

Yep, and tea leaves too.... true!

[Rooo]

Ground coffee beans, left over from the machine. I was told ages ago that it's good for plants. True / False ?

Yep, and tea leaves too.... true!

So how much around the plants Jim?

[samuijimmy]

Ground coffee beans, left over from the machine. I was told ages ago that it's good for plants. True / False ?

Yep, and tea leaves too.... true!

So how much around the plants Jim?

oh deary me! Sorry could not help laughing reading this! .....

Depends on the size of the plant, .... if it's a small plant a little bit if it's a big plant more.... or just scatter around the soil...

I just dump mine over the plant in a pot below my kitchen, has not done any harm yet... one day I may move the pot and put another one there....

I don't think there is a secret formula as to how much!

[Rooo]

So it's OK to give them a double espresso 3 times a day.Will it make them grow wilder?