Blog Posts under "Plants"

I received this email at the beginning of November last year (2014):

'My Clivias don't send up long stems with the flowers at the end. The flowers bloom at the base of the plant and as you can imagine, they are not an impressive sight.' 

I received a query from a farmer in Namaqualand, an arid to semi-arid region of South Africa situated along the western coast, regarding the suitability of Acacia xanthophloea as a shade, stock feed and ornamental tree. This species has gained enormous popularity in the past few years and is now grown successfully in a number of varying habitats across South Africa. Despite the Fever Tree's adaptability to different climatic conditions, however, it is good practice to consider both the...

It was coincidental that, a short while after I had taken photos of how I transplanted my Scadoxus, I received a query from Rosemary asking how to plant Scadoxus. 

Scadoxus should be transplanted in late autumn or early winter, after all the leaves have died down. Unfortunately my planning seldom coincides with reality. Half way through September I impulsively decided to move some of my Scadoxus into a new bed that I was building. I wanted them to have a really good start, considering...

If you have ever tried to extract seeds from a dried fruit capsule of a member of the Mesembryanthemum family, you will in all likelihood have suffered a couple of broken nails and a fair amount of frustration. Mother Nature shows us how it's done....

After receiving a number of enquiries with reference to removing, transplanting and sub-dividing Strelitzias, I felt I needed more information. As I had a young plant that needed removing, I grabbed my faithful gardener, Vincent, and studied the process. Despite the apparent size of the base a Stelitzia developes, it actually consists of lots of separate plants, so the process is not quite as complicated as it may seem.

If you are the owner of a cycad, this is the time of year to keep an eye on the young tender leaves emerging from the crown. If you are seeing damage to the leaves similar to that in the accompanying photo, read on....