Help - plant identification and care requirements needed!

[Mystery]

Hi All,

I'm having a little trouble bringing out my inner green fingers - I've bought a few plants from our local market, started with four, hung them all in my Frangipani tree... They're not liking it... and some of them are dying, so before they die on me completely, and before I even start killing the new one's I got yesterday, I thought I'd ask on here if anyone can advise me of what they're names are so I can look up what they like, or even tell me what they like i.e. what soil, wet, dry, water a lot, a little, lots of shade, lots of sun etc etc

I know the Thai nickname of one of them, Khun Nai deun sai which means madam wakes up late, and my Thai friend advised me to stop hanging them, only the orchids I bought like to hang, and to plant them in planters - so I'm in the process of doing that unless someone here advises me otherwise. By the way can't plant them in my garden directly as my eight dogs and 2 cats will dig them up in seconds, but the whole point of these plants is a. to create a more beautiful front garden, but b. also to create cooler mini climate in my garden (if that's even possible) because my little terrace house get's an awful lot of direct sun during the day. We have now put up a big rain cover thing that covers half the area, so my orchids are hanging under there.

Here are a few photos of the plants, many thanks in advance for any help!!

1. Has red, orange, yellow and purple flowers, is apparently called 'Khun Nai deun sai' in Thai but not sure, seems to be the only one doing relatively ok hanging in my Frangipani tree

2. This is nearly dead, was covered tiny tiny dark blue kind purply flowers, all gone now, was hanging, now sitting in a bowl, waiting to be transplanted to planter

3. This has red flowers, you get them in loads of colours, it's not dying, has new buds, but doesn't seem to be flourishing either

4. This is a new one, haven't had a chance to kill it yet, has white flowers and rubbery stems

5. The orchids, one purple one white and the other not sure, seem to be killing the first, the one's still green were newly bought yesterday, just moved all into the shade

6. New plant given to me yesterday

7. New plant given to me yesterday

Which one's are good to plant together or separately?

[samuijimmy]

Looks to me they need potting into larger pots or in the ground, most garden shops sell potting soil.

Plant 1 Portulaca .... dry tolerant, but this needs to be divided up and re-potted... broken pieces will root easily .... bloom open only in mornings... Sun or light shade... well drained soil .

Plant 2 . Not sure of name off hand, but looks like it has dried out too much, put in ground or larger pot... Sun ... If soil dry in pot, place in a container of water until soil stops bubbling... put in larger pot.

Plant 3. Impatiens variety... these are drought tolerant once roots are established but needs larger pot or in well drained soil.... keep moist but not wet.

Plant 4 Another type of Number one.... ^ same same...

Plant 5 ... Orchid, replant with coconut chunks and charcoal, seems to be the way the locals have success.... spray foliage... daily ...

Plant 6. Coleus... This one should be easy to grow.... pinch back so to make it bush out... easy to make cuttings from.... seems to do well in sun or part shade here.... do not let dry out too much... but don't keep too wet either!

Plant 7 .... Not sure.... why still in bag? are you cooking it???

All will benefit with fertilizing ..... but would get some larger pots and some soil first! The portulaca and plant 2 will fill a larger pot quiet fast...

Good luck!

[Mystery]

Thanks SO much for your advice/comments/reply Jimmy - I used to live on Koh Samui, but in Hua Hin now, otherwise I'd invite you round for a cup of tea (I'm presuming by your username you're living on Samui)

I've attached a few more photos so that you can see I haven't been trying to cook them lol and have transplanted a few more, albeit into polesterine box's until I can afford a few more pots. Difficulty in planting into the ground is my 8 dogs will love digging them up, but I've now seen something in a garden which I'll do in mine - just gotta buy some wooden planks and some nails and create some beds on my lawn (it's hardly a lawn, more like a dirt pit, but there's a few tufts of grass I'm trying to cultivate!)

All points taken, need larger pots, more space and they'll flourish. Funnily the easiest, is proving to struggle the most, the Coleus, as you can maybe see from the photo - but hopefully it'll pull through, the branches finally seem to be firming up a bit, all big leaves nearly gone, new one's coming so fingers crossed will survive.

The orchids came in coconut shell in a plastic pot, so do you advise just popping a bit of charcoal in with that? We've got some from a leftover BBQ somewhere. Do you spray (I have a spray as thought that'd be better) both leaves and roots daily or only roots? Morning and Evening or one or the other, and if so which is better morning or evening? (Bearing in mind my morning is 8am at the earliest...

At the moment all plants are in the shade until I can construct my plant beds (cheaper than buying a whole load of pots and I'm on a budget )

Once again thanks so much for replying and giving me your advice, it's very much appreciated.

kindest regards, Miriam in Hua Hin

Looks to me they need potting into larger pots or in the ground, most garden shops sell potting soil.

Plant 1 Portulaca .... dry tolerant, but this needs to be divided up and re-potted... broken pieces will root easily .... bloom open only in mornings... Sun or light shade... well drained soil .

Plant 2 . Not sure of name off hand, but looks like it has dried out too much, put in ground or larger pot... Sun ... If soil dry in pot, place in a container of water until soil stops bubbling... put in larger pot.

Plant 3. Impatiens variety... these are drought tolerant once roots are established but needs larger pot or in well drained soil.... keep moist but not wet.

Plant 4 Another type of Number one.... ^ same same...

Plant 5 ... Orchid, replant with coconut chunks and charcoal, seems to be the way the locals have success.... spray foliage... daily ...

Plant 6. Coleus... This one should be easy to grow.... pinch back so to make it bush out... easy to make cuttings from.... seems to do well in sun or part shade here.... do not let dry out too much... but don't keep too wet either!

Plant 7 .... Not sure.... why still in bag? are you cooking it???

All will benefit with fertilizing ..... but would get some larger pots and some soil first! The portulaca and plant 2 will fill a larger pot quiet fast...

Good luck!

[samuijimmy]

Thanks SO much for your advice/comments/reply Jimmy - I used to live on Koh Samui, but in Hua Hin now, otherwise I'd invite you round for a cup of tea (I'm presuming by your username you're living on Samui)

I've attached a few more photos so that you can see I haven't been trying to cook them lol and have transplanted a few more, albeit into polesterine box's until I can afford a few more pots. Difficulty in planting into the ground is my 8 dogs will love digging them up, but I've now seen something in a garden which I'll do in mine - just gotta buy some wooden planks and some nails and create some beds on my lawn (it's hardly a lawn, more like a dirt pit, but there's a few tufts of grass I'm trying to cultivate!)

All points taken, need larger pots, more space and they'll flourish. Funnily the easiest, is proving to struggle the most, the Coleus, as you can maybe see from the photo - but hopefully it'll pull through, the branches finally seem to be firming up a bit, all big leaves nearly gone, new one's coming so fingers crossed will survive.

The orchids came in coconut shell in a plastic pot, so do you advise just popping a bit of charcoal in with that? We've got some from a leftover BBQ somewhere. Do you spray (I have a spray as thought that'd be better) both leaves and roots daily or only roots? Morning and Evening or one or the other, and if so which is better morning or evening? (Bearing in mind my morning is 8am at the earliest...

At the moment all plants are in the shade until I can construct my plant beds (cheaper than buying a whole load of pots and I'm on a budget )

Once again thanks so much for replying and giving me your advice, it's very much appreciated.

kindest regards, Miriam in Hua Hin

Looks to me they need potting into larger pots or in the ground, most garden shops sell potting soil.

Plant 1 Portulaca .... dry tolerant, but this needs to be divided up and re-potted... broken pieces will root easily .... bloom open only in mornings... Sun or light shade... well drained soil .

Plant 2 . Not sure of name off hand, but looks like it has dried out too much, put in ground or larger pot... Sun ... If soil dry in pot, place in a container of water until soil stops bubbling... put in larger pot.

Plant 3. Impatiens variety... these are drought tolerant once roots are established but needs larger pot or in well drained soil.... keep moist but not wet.

Plant 4 Another type of Number one.... ^ same same...

Plant 5 ... Orchid, replant with coconut chunks and charcoal, seems to be the way the locals have success.... spray foliage... daily ...

Plant 6. Coleus... This one should be easy to grow.... pinch back so to make it bush out... easy to make cuttings from.... seems to do well in sun or part shade here.... do not let dry out too much... but don't keep too wet either!

Plant 7 .... Not sure.... why still in bag? are you cooking it???

All will benefit with fertilizing ..... but would get some larger pots and some soil first! The portulaca and plant 2 will fill a larger pot quiet fast...

Good luck!

yep I am in Samui! Tea next time I come to H H! keep the kettle on! ....

OK plant # 2 is what they call "false heather" Cupea hyssopfolia if you want to get technical...

Give a hair cut ever once in a while, ( a few inches off) so it does not become straggly!... they regrow quite quickly...

But oh dear, ....some serious attention needed quickly here....before you loose all ....

Do the boxes have drain holes? if not that could be a problem.... you need to punch some holes if there is no holes already.....

The Coleus does not look happy .... either too wet or could be too dry.... hard to tell.... if too wet they are subject to rotting.... leaves should not be drooping like that!

What ever you do with any of these plants is, DO NOT put them out into direct sun.... you will "fry them"! Do gradually .... a bit of morning sun for a few days and then increase over a week or two... even if it's fairly cloudy!

Yes with Orchids the charcoal seems to help, large chunks mixed with charcoal.... I have mine in a clay pot.... and managed to get to re-bloom .... first time ever!

If you can't afford new pots at the moment, perhaps see if neighbours have some larger plastic ones, kicking around.... and use those.... I would recommend putting some small rock at the bottom to help drainage. .... Seeing the pot near the watering can and pussy would be good!

I sort of screwed up reply to post and deleted the pictures ... will post this and see what I missed....

By the way your pussy cat has a very guilty look on his face! what did he do!??? ......

Edited May 21, 2014 by samuijimmy