Quasi-Mega Plant Update

It's been a while since I've done a full on plant update so I figured it was about time!

I'll start with what I did today.  There is a large mulberry tree in Cottonwood Community Garden.  It's currently covered with mulberries.  James and I LOVE mulberries.  I noticed a branch that was hanging really low (into a hydrangea) and decided why not try some cuttings.

Apparently they are quite easy to start.  It's recommended to try in spring or summer but I figured why not try now.  You can see they are different sizes so hopefully the variety will end with something that roots.  Each twig has at least two buds in the soil.

I also ripped out my spinach and pak choi because they were covered with flowers.  Then I went to Plant Works expecting to come back with enough plants to fill the rest of my plot.  Nope.  Sometimes I forget how expensive things are.  Like when I think $9 for a shirt is ridiculously expensive.  I think I may be a bit cheap.  I ended up spending about $15 on some petunias and reasonably drought tolerant, discounted, slightly sickly looking plants.  I dropped them in the plot but forgot to take a picture.  Next time.

Now for the Trachycarpus fortunei sprouts.  I've counted a total of 14!  There aren't any actual leaves yet but I'm still excited.  They won't even have leaves resembling a fan for at least two years.  Some of the seeds were picked off a tree and the others were grabbed from the ground (probably one and two years old, so not very fresh).  I don't think I'll split them up until after the second leaves are out.

These are the Yucca rostrata that I started from seed.  I had three but left one at The University of Western Ontario Greenhouses.  The one of the right has started growing again and has produced several healthy new leaves.

My Musa basjoo has recovered.  This is the one that I chopped in half, destroyed the roots and wrapped in a bag.  Apparently they can put up with quite a bit.  All four pups even made it!  I probably won't split any of them off until next year.  I got this one as a 20cm plant at Home Depot.

BTW My landlords are gone so may plants are strewn across their yard.  You can see their children's toys randomly scattered in some of the pictures.

Here are my Stevia seedlings.  Only a few sprouted and they were growing really slowly.  In the last few days they've really started to pick up and have almost doubled in size.  I'm can't wait to try them as a sweetener!

I have my Adenium arabicum located in three different spots (two outside and one inside).  These are the saddest.  They were hit with a basketball and then attacked by aphids.  I was extremely angry at the time but now I'm just a little annoyed.  I figure the aphids attacked because they were stressed, as plants in the other location seem fine.  They'll be almost a year old at the end of August.  The other plants look much better (not pictured here).

I split my Moringa stenopetala between my community plot and these three pots in the backyard.  These ones were hit with a rather bad attack of aphids.  I think they were stressed because as far as I know aphids aren't very common for Moringa.  I sprayed them with a water/onion/garlic mix and I think it's been working.

I'll end off with my Brugmansia.  I started this one from seed in early spring.  It's the only one that I ended up taking across the country.  You can see from the trunk that it got a little bent during the trip.  There is a lot of new growth towards the top and offshoots along the entire stem.  I'm hoping for some flowers this year but don't expect to see any.

Hope you enjoyed this long and arduous post!  I've been a little MIA the last two months. ;)  I also got recognized today!  "Hey, aren't you the guy with the blog?"  Yeah!  I'm famous!  I've officially arrived!!!  If anyone would like an autographed seed packet, send money to...  :P

Seeds Arrive!

Today my first batch of seeds arrived from Whatcom.  I don't have much to say except that I'm super excited!  I've already started soaking some of them.  The other palms should arrive within the next few weeks.  I also transplanted my largest Moringa stenopetala into larger pots today.  Three of the five look fine but I'm worried about the other two.

Moringa stenopetala 2 Update I (24 Days)

I started soaking a new batch of Moringa stenopetala seeds about 24 days ago.  For anyone that doesn't know, I've tried them previously.  They grew well in a greenhouses but eventually succumbed to a pest.  I think the pots I started them in were too small.  Moringa are known to be sensitive to the amount of soil they're started in.  They send down a taproot and I think when it hit the base of the pot they stopped growing.

I was sent a second batch of seeds for free but I held onto them until just about three weeks ago.  I soaked them for several days, planted them in compost and then left them in a warm cupboard.  I had to use ice cream pots which seem to work really well.  Six seeds were planted in each.  The right one was always kept indoors until sprouting.  For the left one I wanted to see if they would sprout in outdoor temperatures.  After a week there was nothing so I brought it in and then they started to sprout.

I've been putting the seedlings outside on sunny days and bringing them in during the winter.  It's still a bit cold here in the evenings and I don't want to impede growth.  Animals also LOVE these little Moringa seedlings and there is no way I'll leave them outside unguarded during the night.

For anyone that wants to know why I'm so interested in this plant, take a look here.  The nutritional properties of Moringa species are similar.  My goal is to grow them as a tuber in the summer and then dig up and store for the winter.  We'll have to see how it goes!

Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii)

For those of you that haven't heard of the Pygmy Date Palm, it is a really gorgeous fine leaved palm and definitely worth a look.  It seems to generally be rated as hardy above USDA zone 9a.  I've seen several instances of it being grown in 8b.

I came across the seeds in Edmonton at the Muttart Conservatory.  When no one was looking, I climbed up a few stones and grabbed about a dozen seeds.  Last night I removed the thoroughly dry flesh and began soaking the seeds.  They should be soaked for about three days.  It can take a whopping three months for germination!  I'll try and reduce this by soaking them a bit longer and providing high temperatures.

These palms tend to appreciate a little shade.  I'm thinking if they are planted is a relatively sunny understory or and overhang along a warm wall they should survive here.  I like to push things.  Worst case they die.  Best case I have some lovely palms!  I probably won't put them outside the first winter or two.  It is the case for most hardy palms that they are much more likely to survive with age (particularly size).

I have also started some more Moringa stenopetala seeds.  I've recently discovered that it may be possible to grow them like a tuber.  They can be planted out in the garden each spring and should provide and abundance of extremely healthy fresh greens.  In the fall they can be dug up and stored somewhere dry and cool.  They should then be perfectly fine when planted next spring.

Hopefully both of these little experiments work out!  By the way, I found this interesting tulip while walking yesterday.  I've never seen a combination of a black tulip and highly frilled edges before.  I just wish the picture turned out a little better.  I also saw the largest Monkey Puzzle (Araucaria araucana) of my life!  Which is an odd statement given that just over a week ago I had never seen one before...

Adansonia & Moringa Failure?

Now these are two plants that I will definitely be trying again.  I think the key to both is warm temperatures.  If anyone has tried growing either Baobab (Adansonia digitata) or Moringa (Moringa stenopetala and Moringa oleifera) and has some tips I would really appreciate it.

The Baobab germinated no problem and grew rapidly to the height they are now in about three weeks.  Then that was it.  They stopped growing and have been exactly the same since August.  They were hit with cold temperatures when the greenhouses froze and now they just look awful.  I think I should get rid of them and try again.  I know they have a dormant cycle but I think it only kicks in when water is withheld.  Any thoughts?

The Moringa grew well but slower than expected.  They continued to grow into the winter but after being hit with the freeze have done nothing.  I was actually sent some more Moringa stenopetala seeds and will start them in the spring.

WWHHHYYYY??!?!?!?!

Moringa stenopetala

I received a pleasant surprise yesterday in the mail.  Emily from ilovemoringa.com noticed that my Moringa stenopetala were attacked by insects and that the few that made it froze and sent me some new seeds!  I really appreciate it!  I'll probably wait until late spring to start them because of my limited space.  Yeah free replacement seeds even though the original germination rate was over 90% and a pen!  Yeah!

Moringa Update

Unfortunately I left my Moringa stenopetala and oleifera plants out a little too long and they look really bad (a touch of frost).  I did however bring a few into the greenhouses several weeks ago.  These just sat there for a while but in the last week growth has taken off.  They've almost doubled in size!  I'm thinking it's about time to transplant them.

I really hope they continue to grow well.  If the plants do well enough they may be able to use them in science labs.  This will ensure they always have a place in the greenhouse collection.  I believe this is one of the most important plants and would like to see it grown on a large scale world wide for use as an incredibly nutritious vegetable and complete protein.

I've also rediscovered that I don't adjust well to daylight savings time.  It's dark here at about six and it drives me crazy.  I get home after my classes to have dinner and then start my homework in pitch black.  We still have another two months until the shortest day of the year.  I think this is going to be a long winter...

Moringa Transplant Mistake

This is just a warning to anyone that thinks its a good idea to repot a Moringa too early. I have tried this on both stenopetala and oleifera and both times it failed brilliantly. When young, these plants seem to hate and interference with their roots. Whether they are completely bareroot or still have a large amount of soil clinging they do not transplant well. The day after this picture was taken both plants are completely wilted and drooped over.

I included this picture just for reference. These plants are just under 3 weeks old. Their taproot had reached the bottom of the pot so I decided to try transplanting. I don't know if it would have worked if I put them in water directly after uprooting. I don't want to try because I only have a limited number of seedlings. None of the plants have died but they loose all of their leaves and after about two weeks growth has not resumed.




UPDATE: here are the seedlings a day later. :(
UPDATE:  The plants eventually recovered.  Don't leave them bare root too long and they'll be fine.  If you can't replant immediately keep them submerged in water.

Seedling & Germination (Adenium 4 Days, Hippeastrum 55 Days, Laburnum 28 Days) Update

I noticed this morning that my Adenium arabicum seeds have already started to sprout. They were planted just under four days ago and I wasn't expecting any to sprout until tomorrow so I'm pretty excited. This morning only one was visible and now three can be seen. I expect most of the seeds to be up within a week but it may take up to 30 days.

Many of the Coffee seeds have finally ripped open and leaves are clearly visible. Towards the back of the tray you can see some young ginger sprouts. None of the Chinese Evergreen have sprouted but several of the Clivia have germinated. They are very difficult to see so I didn't upload a picture (the young sprouts are nearly the same colour as the soil). The coffee and ginger was planted about 6 weeks ago (really slow growth).

The Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) are still growing slow and steady.

There are still only three Laburnum watereri sprouts (two in this pot and one in another). I planted about 20 seeds so I'm a little frustrated. I tried to find the ones that I planted that hadn't sprouted but it was really difficult. Some day this week I'll go through and pick them out, then try soaking them again. The seeds were planted about a month ago.

This pot has a mixture of Quinoa and Moringa stenopetala. I ran out of pots for the Moringa so I just threw them in with the Quinoa. I think these sprouts are the largest of all my Moringa stenopetala. The Quinoa has really started to take off too. It's really slow growing to start but has doubled in size in the last week or so. The Moringa are about 2.5 weeks old and the Quinoa is about a month old.

Moringa & Adansonia digitata (Baobab, 26 Days) Update

I was delighted to go outside yesterday morning and see that two more of my Adansonia digitata (Baobab) seeds had sprouted! I had given up on them germinating but apparently I shouldn't have. The other seeds sprouted about two and a half weeks ago. The largest ones are already about 20cm tall. The picture below shows a side by side comparison of how rapid these plants grow.

The Moringa oleifera has started producing new leaves. These seem to be insect free. I think I dodged the bullet and expect them to make a full recovery. They've lost more than half of their old leaves but I expect rapid growth to resume within a few weeks. I haven't tried any leaves yet but I figure I'll wait until they recover.

The Moringa stenopetala are growing extremely quickly. They sprouted about two weeks ago whereas the oleifera sprouted about a month ago. Even so, some of the stenopetala are actually taller than the largest Moringa oleifera! I'm really glad the stenopetala have not had problems with insects.

Moringa oleifera (34 Days)/stenopetala (12 Days) Update

It's been a few days so I figured I would do an update on the Moringa. Below you can see the oleifera. They have started growing again and seem to be recovering from the leaf miners. Emily, who I purchased the stenopetala seeds from, suggested Neem Oil which I'll use if the plants seem to be getting worse. These are the plants that I left at the greenhouse and I brought them home today to join the others.

The seedlings that suffered most are the ones that I bare root transplanting in the sun. They lost most of their leaves but growth has resumed. These plants really can take a lot.

Here's a close-up of what seems to be insect damage and has distorted the leaves.

You can clearly see the damage to the leaves (light colouration) below as well as where the leaves have been eaten by a small animal. The plants are now doing well but for something that is generally easy to grow and pest free I sure have had some bad luck.

The stenopetala have been growing very well. So far 11/12 seeds have sprouted which is fantastic. Unfortunately a chipmunk seems to really enjoy the taste of the seedlings and has completely removed the tops of three of them. Some of the seed leaves of others have been removed but the plants seem to be alright. That leaves 8 sprouts that are growing well and have not been affected by anything other than the chipmunk. These are by far the smallest of the stenopetala seedlings. Most of the others are at least twice the size of the largest one in this image.

Moringa oleifera Leaf Miner

I think I have identified the leaf miner species to be Liriomyza munda. My research has shown several cases of this species in Moringa oleifera as far back as 1963. It has yet to move to the Moringa stenopetala. There seems to be no easy or efficient way to treat this infestation. Please note that due to poor weather the Moringa oleifera seedlings received little light and low temperatures for about two weeks. This may have weakened them, allowing the miner to become established. I'll update if there are any changes.

Moringa Seedling (30 Days) Update

Here's an update of the Moringa seedlings. The oleifera had nearly stopped growing but seems to have resumed now that it's in full sun all day. I noticed white patterning on the leaves which appears to be some kind of leaf miner insect. I'm not sure how to get rid of them but I'll look into it and share it when I find out how. I left half of the oleifera in the greenhouse and took the other half home. I'll leave them outside during sunny days and keep them in a small outdoor plastic greenhouse during nights and heavy rain/wind.



The stenopetala seem to be growing rapidly. So far 8/12 seeds have sprouted which is fantastic given that I only ordered six (bonus seeds make me feel warm and fuzzy inside). They seem more vigorous then the oleifera. I noticed that two of the sprouts have been gnawed on by a chipmunk. One is missing about 1/3 of it's seed leaf with a little portion of the first few leaves missing (the left seedling in the image below). The other is missing about 1/2 of it's seed leaves and the first set of leaves have been completely removed (not shown). I'm concerned that this one may not make it.



We've finally had some nice warm sunny weather here for a few days. As a result many of our Hibiscus have burst into bloom. Here's a picture showing a few of the plants. I'll update sometime within the next few days with images of the individual flowers. Some of these varieties are vary interesting and I have not seen them bloom before.

Germination & Seedling Update

Here are the latest images of the seedlings. I must say that after being away for four days I was extremely underwhelmed with the amount of growth. The newest additions are the Moringa stenopetala. About four or five of the twelve seeds I've planted have started to sprout. Based on the Moringa oleifera sprouting speed I thought most seeds would be up with their first set of leaves. None are standing up yet but the first one should be upright by tomorrow.

I brought some of the Moringa oleifera home to see how it grows outdoors. My major concern is that it will be eaten by one of the many geese that live in the area. I also transplanted three of the Adansonia (Baobab) into new pots. I left the fourth in the original pot with the other three seeds that have yet to germinate. They are now all in full sun in my backyard and I expect relatively rapid growth.

Moringa stenopetala (about 4/12 so far)

Moringa oleifera (I'm concerned about some white patterns on the leaves and will research it after this post)

Adansonia digitata (still 4/7 seeds so far)

Laburnum watereri (only 4/20 seeds so far, there are two different pots)

Hippeastrum

Moringa stenopetala Seeds Arrive!

Yesterday afternoon my Moringa stenopetala seeds arrived! I thought it would take several weeks, but I purchased these from a different seller and it only took about 9 days. The seller is www.ilovemoringa.com. Not only did I receive the seeds promptly, but I also was given 12 seeds instead of 6, growing and care instructions, and a pen, as well as a hand written letter. I was very impressed with this seller.

I soaked the seeds overnight and planted them around noon today. The soil is a mixture of sandy loam, peat moss, and some extra river sand. The temperature is about 25C and the pots receive full sun in the afternoon.

Baobab Sprouts! (7 Days)

Here's an update on the seedlings. Yesterday there was only one Adansonia digitata (baobab) barely visible near the surface of the soil. Today it has completely sprouted and unfurled its seed leaves and another one has pushed to the surface. That leaves five more. I hope they all sprout, which is a little unrealistic, but only time will tell.

Coffea Arabica (definitely too wet, they look quite odd)



Hippeastrum (not much change)

Moringa oleifera (growing increasingly rapidly, some of the leaves are mishappened)

Seedling Update

Here's an update on the seeds that I've started. The Moringa have been growing well but not as quickly as I'd expect. I ended up moving everything to another area of the greenhouse because temperatures were too low in their old location. For some reason we've had a really cool and wet summer so far this year. Today is only about 23C and the season average for this time of year is around 27C. It's also been very rainy/cloudy for the last few weeks which is very unusual for this time of year in London. I think this may be the reason for the reduced growth of the Moringa.  It's been about 16 Days since soaking.



The Coffee is growing slowly and no leaves are visible yet. The soil is nowhere near as moist as it looks in the picture. The Hippeastrum are also still growing slowly but steadily. I also decided to take a picture of the Hymenocallis seeds. I placed them on the surface of the mixture with their flat side down (seeds may not have a flat side if their is only one in a pod).

Seed Update

Here's just a quick update on a few of the seeds that I've started. After the Moringa and Hippeastrum, I also started some Quinoa. This is a grain (not technically) native to the Andes which is high in nutritional value and a complete protein. It doesn't require dehusking, but must be soaked for several minutes prior to cooking to remove a bitter toxic powder that covers the seeds. This is generally removed before the seeds are sold.

Moringa oleifera (still no more germination but it's been cool, planted about two weeks ago, 12 Days).

Hippeastrum (growth is slow but steady, 26 Days)

Quinoa (they look kind of sad, some germinated but only had stems and no leaves)