by Colombo Richmond
Whatever else may he said of the ivies there is no lack of choice, and they can he adapted to many uses other than growing in very hot conditions. As far as possible a maximum temperature in the region of 16 C should he the aim, as higher temperatures will almost inevitably result in leaves drying out and in time falling off.
Red spider is often responsible for leaves gradually turning brown and shrivelling from the outer edge; inspection of the undersides should be made when such leaves are noticed. II. canariensis (II. Claire de Marengo), H. maculara and H. Goldleaf are the larger sorts that one is most likely to meet. These are essentially more upright plants and should be grown on canes or against a wall for support.
Of these. Glacier is easily the toughest and is an excellent subject for finishing off the front of borders indoors and out, and in particular for use along the edge of outdoor window boxes.
The rate of growth can be quite phenomenal; less than ten years ago we used H. Glacier to edge a bed of geraniums outside a store shed and, in spite of constant removal of cuttings for propagation, the building has almost disappeared. The best of the grey-foliaged ones are H. .Adam and H. Little Diamond, both of which are very popular and, because of the demand, seem to he forever in short supply. The latter has, as the name suggests, leaves that are vaguely diamond- shaped in appearance, while H. Adam has very small grey and white leaves which are as beautiful in their way as that of any foliage plant. These plants vary considerably and plants with quite large leaves are often sold as being H. Adam, but the discerning purchaser should examine them carefully and make a point of selecting the miniature form.
Almost all ivies offered for sale as. house plants can he acclimatised to outdoor conditions. Plant them out early in the summer to give them a chance to settle before the winter sets in. They may be planted out as ground cover amongst other plants, or planted near a wall to which they will naturally cling; there should be little need to warn that when so used plants will have to be severely pruned periodically to prevent them becoming too invasive.
Another hedera with golden colouring is Goldchild, a much neater plant, but a little inure difficult to care for because of the small amount of chlorophyll in the leaves. Also it is a comparatively new introduction and it will be some time before it can be grown in sufficient quantities to become widely available.
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March 19 2009 | Landscaping | No Comments »
by John Howard
Excessive heat should be guarded against as this will also frequently result in poor, weedy growth – rubber plant leaves droop miserably in very hot conditions. Keep plants away from radiators and out of the stream of hot air rising from them. If plants must be placed on heating appliances the shelf width should be increased to ensure that rising hot air is deflected away from plants and not through their leaves.
There are many varieties of adiantum to choose from, all of them delicately beautiful, reasonably easy to care for and supremely adaptable. Plant them in dish or bowl gardens, as individuals to stand on top of a pedestal, Or in hanging baskets. To see them at their best the latter method cannot be bettered.
For plants other than those one is advised to keep permanently wet, complete saturation of the compost for long periods will prove harmful. Plants should dry out a little between each watering, but excessive drying out of the compost should also he guarded against as this condition can be equally damaging.
A shaded position is preferred. Water freely other than during the winter months when permanently wet compost can be harmful. Propagate by division. A sharp knife will be required to cut through the matted roots of older clumps. When split, the smaller clumps should be potted up individually and watered in. Less congested clumps can be teased apart into smaller, or even individual, pieces if a large number of new plants are required.
The more ambitious house plant grower can often proudly claim to being green fingered by propagating new adiantums from spores. There always seems to be an aura of .mystique about this means of increasing plants, yet it is not so difficult provided a warm, shaded propagator and moist “conditions can be provided. Spores develop on the undersides of fronds and should be allowed to remain on the plant until they become dusty and fall from the leaf when tapped. At this stage the leaf should be cut away from the plant and placed in a paper bag, which in turn is placed on top of a warm radiator. Some 24 hours later the majority of spores will have dislodged themselves quite naturally and can be lightly sown on the surface of fine, moist peat, with a little sand added. In good conditions, with the essential bit of luck required, a soft green carpet of minute maidenhair ferns should be produced. When large enough to handle they can he potted into small pots of peaty compost, several pieces to each pot. Transfer into larger containers as necessary.
There are also hardy and more tender species available, but those offered for home decoration are, generally speaking, a middle-of-the-road selection which will do better indoors.
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March 18 2009 | Landscaping | No Comments »