Types of Grasses

Singapore has many types of grasses, with my garden itself being populated by around 4 different types of grasses.

Let me list down some of the types of grasses:

Carpet grass / Manila Grass - Zoysia matrella

(Image source) 

Manila Grass Seedhead (Image rights belong to photographer)

Yes. The seedhead is correct for carpet grass. Here is one which I have found on my own lawn.

Serangoon Grass / Blue Couch - Digitaria didactyla

(Image source)

Digitaria Seedhead (Image source)

Cow Grass / The common grass right outside our house - Axonopus compressus

(Image source)

Axonopus compressus Seedhead (Image source)

Pearl Grass (darker version of cow grass)- Axonopus compressus (dwarf)

(Image rights belong to NParks)

Axonopus compressus (dwarf) seedhead should look exactly the same as cow grass'.

St Augustine Grass - Stenotaphrum secundatum

(Image source)

Stenotaphrum secundatum seedhead (Image source)

I obtained most of the scientific names from this website. Check out the 20th Sept 2011 post. Scientific name of pearl grass was obtained from NParks website (click the image source).

Interesting information for maintenance of various grass types in Singapore can be found here.

Hippeastrum Experiment: Begin!

Yesterday I've managed to buy 2 hippeastrum seedlings from a nice guy in Green Culture Singapore forums. Supposedly the seeds he had gotten were Apple Blossom hybrids, which is quite rare since Apple Blossom is known to be sterile most of the time.

Anyway, here are the two plants:

11/9/2014

I may repot the droopy, more buried bulb sometime later this week when I manage to get hold of sand and more perlite.

5/11/2014

What's this forming along the outer rim of the neck? Gasp! Is it...? Shhh cannot jinx it. I pray it isn't a leaf!

As of 2015, that flower scape has aborted, roots rotted beyond imagining, bulb shrunk, leaves all fell off, and the bulb has only just woken up on Monday, 23rd March 2015. DO NOT POT HIPPIES IN SINGAPORE WITH PEAT BASED SOIL. NO AMOUNTS OF PERLITE AS AMENDMENT WILL HELP SAVE IT FROM ROOT ROT! I suggest using the 6-in-1 organic soil mix, mixed with 80% perlite and 20% soil mix. Once roots have begun to grow sufficiently, cover the surface with compost.

Mas Ching Dynasty

Contrary to my initial belief, Mas Ching Dynasty still hasn't rooted. The large mature leaves have also turned limp. I've decided to cut off these leaves and place them in a small jam cup containing water and foliar fertilizer to try and grow some plants from leaf cuttings.

2nd Sept 2014

Wish me luck!

Update 4/9/2014:

Leaf petioles look slightly brown. But others who have rooted their cuttings also experienced similar discoloration, so I shouldn't worry too much. 

http://www.greenculturesg.com/forum/index.php?/topic/18335-propagation-av-leaves-by-water/

4/9/2014

Update: 9/9/2014:  one of the leaf's petiole (the leaf that is flat and rubbery) became jelly and I had to throw it away. I can safely assume that when a leaf looks weird like some rubber plastic thing, it will not be viable as a mother leaf.

Update: 11/9/2014

11/9/2014

In my desperate desire to salvage as many plants as possible, I've decided to play safe and stop adding hydrogen peroxide and fertiliser. I've also placed the two precious leaves in a tabao box to increase the humidity. It's been 9 days, but so far there's no rooting yet.

Update 15/9/2014:

Another leaf has turned jelly. Left with one leaf. Here's the dying leaf. It Kenna some water on the base of the leaf, and began rotting.

15:9/2014 jelly petiole

Update 29/9/2014:

All of my cuttings failed. Their petiole turned to jelly. Ok. Next time I should just avoid putting anything in the water and just use plain tap water.

Update: Gonna write down a guide on how to propagate leaf cuttings in water for own reference:

Step 1: Cut a fresh, mature leaf from the adult plant. (leave a longer stem for Step 2, or cut straight to 2 inches for step 3.

Step 2: If it is limp, mist it with warm water and leave it in a ziploc bag for a day or two to allow it to return to its crispy state.

Step 3: Trim the leaf stem to 2 inches from the leaf. Try to get a longer petiole from the start instead of trimming to get a longer stem. Trim the sides of the leaf to produce a longer 'stem' via this method: Make a 45 degree angle cut on the stem. Don't use your fingernail to dig the angle, coz I did that and my cuttings failed. Don't do the 45degree angle if you don't have a knife or a pair of scissors. 

http://avnerdgirl.blogspot.sg/2011/03/starting-from-broken-leaf.html

Step 4: Place leaf stem into a small cup of water. Don't add anything into the water. Don't submerge the leaf part or else it will rot. Change the water when it becomes cloudy. 

http://www.greenculturesg.com/forum/index.php?/topic/12301-lyn-went-crazy-over-propagation/

Step 5: Leaf will generate a root system within 2 weeks to a month. Plantlets will appear between 6-8 weeks. Bag the cup when plantlets are seen. 

http://www.avsa.org/faq-propagation

A user grew plantlets in barely one month, due to aircon during office hours 5days/week and 12 hours lighting daily

http://www.greenculturesg.com/forum/index.php?/topic/14123-rooting-av-leaves/page__st__20

Step 6: Wait for plantlets to be 1-2 inches tall, and have grown some roots, before transferring to soil. Bag the pot for maybe a week to allow plantlet to mature.

Adenium Trimming

My Adenium at home is going bald, possibly due to overwatering and lack of fertilizer. After digging in the GCS Adenium forums, as well as seeing evidence from other gardeners (http://mysunnyhappygarden.blogspot.sg/2010/07/adenium-given-haircut.html?m=1)

I've decided to give my Adenium a brutal haircut.

Photo on Friday, 29 August 2014

Update: 15/9/2014:

It has finally begun to produce new stems! Look at the tiny red dot on the end of each trunk!

Photo on 15/9/2014

At first I was afraid I had killed it after repotting it twice!  
Hopefully the 3:3:1 perlite:peat:burned earth soil mix would fare better than the original soil containing burned
earth which had broken down over the years.

Update 23/9/2014:

Instead of 1 new shoot per branch as seen earlier, now each branch is producing like 4-5 shoots! Woohoo!!!

Update 29/9/2014:

Success!!

Update 16/1/2015:

It has finally begun flowering. 5 months from the hard pruning and soil change.

/future text (hard to publish posts via the iPhone app, what with no text wrap and all.)

Loot from The Violet Barn!!

YESSSSSSSA MY PLANTS HAVE ARRIVED!

Bought 9 African violets from The Violet Barn in the US to be shipped to Singapore:

https://www.violetbarn.com/shop

This is the packing list.

The box that contains my treasure!

Lovingly packed by Rob

Plants safely cushioned in all the wool

My 9 gems

My timeframe. 

-Order made on 7 Aug 2014

-Phytosanitary prepared on 11 Aug 2014

-Shipped from the US on 19 Aug 2014

-Arrived at the sort facility at ISC NY on 20 Aug 2014 before MIAing until 23 Aug 2014

-Arrived Singapore on a Saturday morning 23 Aug 2014

-Finally transferred to customs on monday evening 25 Aug 2014 

-I called up AVA on Wednesday afternoon 12:26noon 27 Aug 2014 for collection.

Total took 20 days for ordering to collection. I have a good impression so far. If my plants do well, I might order from The Violet Barn again!

Update 8/9/2014:

My 'Bewitching Blue*' succumbed to crown rot and  Passed away today. I tried to save a leaf, but I trimmed too hard and there wasn't much left to save. Shit >.< Nvm, i'm gonna pick it back out from the bin and try.

8/9/2014: Single Bewitching Blue leaf in a modified styrofoam cup containing water and H2O2. Leaf was wiped  with H2O2 beforehand.

Top view:

Thankfully my 'Blue Dragon' has begun growing a root. So happy.

Update 12/9/2014:

My Wrangler's Jealous Jewels have grown 2 tiny roots, each 1mm or smaller. I hope they didn't die from my 5s viewing.

Update 29/9/2014:

I should not have opened the bags to kaypoh and check. Now those hard grown roots have rotted away.

AVs in plastic bags (I do not recommend plastic bags in the future. Use the tabao boxes instead.

I swapped to tabao boxes

Update 9/10/2014:

Not much change for the other plants, but Ma's Ching Dynasty's pot is giving off a faint rancid smell. And the leaves still look floppy.

I've decided to remove it from the plastic container and place it along the window.

Space for future posts

African Violet

My NOID African violet is about to bloom! 

27th August 2014

Update:

My NOID is putting forth flowers! And it's blooming its true colours now. Swee lah.

2nd Sept 2014

Update 15/9/2014:

Photo on 15/9/2014

Look at the flower spam!! So happy!

NOID African violet and lavender living happily together under 4500K lights.

Lavender Cuttings Results

23/8/2014

I did my cuttings on 14/8/2014

After 9 days, on 23/8/2014 (today), my findings are:

Pot with 4 cuttings and permanently bagged, placed in corner with direct morning sun - ROOTED

Pot with 4 cuttings and permanently bagged, placed in corner and direct morning sun - ROOTED

Pot with 2 strong cuttings with flower spikes, bagged and placed in the office with indirect bright sun all day - FLOWERED (most probably rooted)

Pot with 3 cuttings unbagged, placed in corner and direct morning sun. With added seaweed extract foliar spray - UNROOTED & 1 DIED

Pot with 5 cuttings in clayey soil and open air - ALL DIED

18/18 accounted for. 

CONCLUSION:

- Need to bag for around 9 days outdoors

- Morning sun and indirect sunlight are good

- Best not to use seaweed extract liquid fertilizer

- 1:1 peat & perlite potting mix with added worm casting is the best combi

Update: 26/8/2014

Rooted plants survived acclimatising (1h, 2h, 3h, permanently unbagging) as of yesterday. Total of 12 days to root a cutting successfully.

Unrooted plants still did not take root. Had to return them into the bag.


Update: 4/9/2014

1 cutting in the pot with 4 cuttings apparently did not root as previously assumed, and was removed before it could fully rot. The 3 remaining cuttings are doing fine, unbagged, in bright indirect light, away from the rain.

Pot with 4 cuttings doing fine unbagged, in bright indirect light, away from rain.

Pot with 2 remaining cuttings is still bagged, in bright indirect light.

Pot with 2 cuttings containing flower spikes have flowered and subsequently deadheaded due to a mealybug found in one flower, and a few black dots found on the other flower spike. I suspect that the black spots are lavender shab. Leaves and stems affected were heavily pruned back.

Here's the picture of the pot with 2 ex-flower cuttings.

Lavender Cutting with Flower Spike Bloomed!

I made the mistake of taking cuttings containing flower spikes because I've heard that the flowers will sap strength needed for the plant to root. 

But it seems like the cutting is surviving well enough to put forth flowers! Wheeee!

Hippeastrum Personal Guide

Hippeastrums that Do Not Require Dormancy:

Hippeastrum puniceum 

H. Roseum (salmon orange one)

H. reticulatum var. striatifolium 'Mrs. Garfield' (This should be the common pink one in SG)
H. reticulatum var. striatifolium 'Bangkok Rose'
H. vittatum ( dark orange, almost red http://www.wellgrowhorti.com/Pictures/Landscape%20Plants/Shrubs/Web%20Pictures1/H/Hippeastrum%20Vittatum.JPG )



Okay, I am going to keep this page updated with info that I have found online. This is to prepare for my future hippeastrum experiments in hot and humid Singapore.

Timeline to Prepare for Forcing:

"Time to dry the bulb: 1 week
Time to store in fridge: 8 weeks
Time to expect blooms: 4-5 weeks

So suppose you want to have blooms for Lunar New Year, you'd need to start the process at least 3.5 months ahead, around mid-September.

The bulb to force should not have bloomed during the 8 months preceding to the time you start the process. "

http://www.greenculturesg.com/forum/index.php?/topic/27147-amaryllis-and-hot-weather/

"From planting out a barebulb (i.e. removal from fridge and put in pot with minimal soil) to flowering, it took 34 days. "

http://www.greenculturesg.com/forum/index.php?/topic/849-amaryills-flower/

So this means, assuming CNY is in mid February, I will have to start drying the bulbs beginning November.

Begin Forcing:

Step 1: Stop watering. Dig the plant out of the soil, or pot and wash off all the dirt but leave the foliage and roots in tact.


Step 2: Hang the bulb, upside down, in the shade to dry for 1 week.

Step 3: Trim off the dried out foliage, leaving a "neck" of about 3cm above the bulb. Allowing the foliage to dry with the bulb lets the nutrients in the leaves return to the bulb.

Step 4: After 1 week, wrap the bulb in newspaper and place it in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for 8 weeks. 
Also, don't store any fruit (especially apples) or vegetables in the fridge during this time lest the bulb can be damaged by the gas from the ripening fruit. I wanna try putting the dried bulb with perlite and place in a sealed ziploc bag to protect against ethylene gas, but I'll only try this when I have multiple bulbs to experiment on.

Step 5: After 8 weeks, take the bulb out, clean off any dried roots and leave behind those whitish, still-fresh ones.

Step 6: Place the bulb on top of a glass of water, with the whitish roots dangling in the water for 24 hours. Take care not to let the basal plate touch the water lest it might get rotted.

Step 7: Plant the bulb, which by now have all the whitish roots swollen up, in a pot of good potting soil. Remember to water the pot of soil thoroughly before planting and not to bury the whole bulb in the soil. Pot should be about as big as the bulb only. And the bulb should be sticking out of the surface of the soil.

Step 8: Place the potted bulb in shade, but don't water for 2-3 days. After these initial days, water sparingly until you see new growth. This new growth, if appears from the side of the bulb, is a flowering scape. If it appears at the center of the bulb, it's new leaf but soon the flowering scape will follow.

Step 9: Move the potted bulb to a brighter location and water as needed.
If everything goes right, you will have blooms from 5 to 6 weeks after planting.

Forcing without Cold Temperatures:

Step 1: Dig out bulb and leave to dry in shade.

Step 2: Keep in a cool, dry environment of around 20-28C for 1 month.

Step 3: Repot when scape appears.

Step 4: Water every other day.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg041141032759.html


Post Bloom Care:

Step 1: Remove faded flowers to prevent wasted energy on seed formation.

Step 2: Transfer bulb into a bigger pot containing well-drained soil and place in direct sunlight.

Step 3: Maintain a regular watering regime (water once every 2 weeks. Better to underwater than to overwater) and use those pink granule fertilizer. Bury the fertilizer into the surface of the soil to prevent runoff. Maybe fertilize every 14 days?

Step 4: Allow bulb to continue growing until mid November to begin the forcing cycle all over again.

Credits:
http://www.greenculturesg.com/forum/index.php?/topic/27147-amaryllis-and-hot-weather/
http://tuysonvien-whereigarden.blogspot.sg/2010/03/forcing-amaryllis-to-bloom-for.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0115405127688.html?2

How to Harvest Seeds:

Step 1: Wait for the stigma to separate into the 3 sticky stigma before taking the anthers and dust with pollen. 

Step 2: Also take pollen from the anther of one bloom and dust the stigma of others (because I heard it makes stronger seed ) the blooms fade within 2 - 3 days after you pollinate them and I don't remove the drying blooms, waiting for them to dry up in place and fall off. 

Step 3: Watch seed pod as it turns from bright green to duller green or greenish-brown. When the pods begin to split open, cut the pod off just below the pod itself. This will take a 4-6 weeks. For Worsleya hippeastrum, it will take 5 months for seed pod to mature.

Step 4: If the stalk and the pod begin turning yellow before maturing, cut the scape near the bulb, turn it upside down, fill the hollow scape up with water, turn it back right side up with the thumb still covering the open end of the scape, and place the whole thing in a glass of water to let it mature. Change the vase water every 3 to 4 days.
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0118202414452.html?25

Step 5: Place the pod in a dry, safe place for a few days to dry off.

Step 6: Check for viability by holding each seed up to a light source and look for an embryo, which will look like a squiggly line inside the seed sheath of skin.

Step 7: Remove the seeds from the pod to store or plant them. Store them in airtight containers in a fridge. Label with scientific nomenclature: "seed donor" (mother plant) x "pollen donor" (father plant). Seeds should be viable up to 6 months.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg041140149302.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg1107562718467.html

How to Germinate Seeds:

Step 1: Select a clear glass container with as much surface available as possible. Fill 2/3 with water. Begin with very warm, but not hot, water. 

Step 2: Float each amaryllis seed on the surface, either side up. They should not touch, but they may drift to touching and there's no real harm done. 

Step 3: Put the container in a place with strong light but not in direct sun. The non-viable seed will sink to the bottom and may be removed. Change water every few days.

Step 4: After a few days, each viable seed will put down a white root. They may even take a month to germinate. When the root is a half-inch or so long, prepare pots with your choice of potting mix. You may make a community pot with several seeds in it, or prepare one pot for one seed. I prefer the latter because you do not have to transplant again nearly as soon. Poke a hole in the potting mix and gently put the white root into the mix, leaving the seed flat on the surface. Green grasslike blade pointing up above surface. Keep soil moist, not wet.

Step 5: Place mix around root. Water gently. Place flats with pots in strong light, but not yet sunlight. Gradually move pots into stronger light. Ultimately, place the pots in the strongest light available, but only early morning or late afternoon sun. 

Step 6: The amaryllis will form tiny bulbs that increase as time goes on. A weak fertilizer (Peters 20-20-20 is fine, but diluted from usual strength) may be given every 10 days or two weeks. 

Step 7: They do not need to go dormant until they have a rather large bulb. Sometimes a bloom can occur in as little as 18 months, but more normally, blooms occur from 18 months to 3 years. You need move the small amaryllis into larger pots only when they really get potbound. Even then moving them into a four-inch pot will suffice for several years. If the seed are good when you begin, there will be nearly 100% germination with this method. If you keep them moist, but not wet, they will continue to grow and thrive during the crucial first few months. Drying out is not good for the very young plants. They may also be grown successfully under fluorescent lights for the first year or so. 

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0319294623917.html?3


Scent Intensity:

Striped Panther - Strong
Alfresco - Medium
Apple Blossom - Medium
Estrela - Medium
Florence May Maguire - Light Medium
Jewel - Light Medium
Amoretta - Light
Blossom Peacock - Light
Boysenberry Swirl - Light
Desire - Light
Popov - Light
San Remo - Light
Santiago - Light (Blackcurrent/berries)
Splash - Light
Amputo - Faint
Baby Star - Faint
Dancing Queen - Faint
Gervase - Faint
Minerva - Faint
Picotee - Faint (Lemon and rose)
Sweet Lilian - Faint
Sweet Nymph - Faint


http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0120035431015.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0114112527741.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0323254632507.html

Multiple Rebloomers:

Aphrodite
Blossom Peacock
Dancing Queen******
Estrela
H. Aulicum (winter grower)
H. Cybister hybrids (winter grower)
Minerva
Neon

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0815024513609.html?50



Constitution of Bulbs:

Elvas - weak (keeps aborting flowers)
Exotica - very tough

Gilmar - susceptible to virus 
Limona - tough
Pink Floyd - very weak

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg1110244317841.html?5



Useful Links:

Mature bulb has roughly 12 leaves:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg021307586460.html

Guy wintering his bulbs (with pictures):
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0911511613156.html?4

Best to leave bulblets with mother bulb until they're sufficiently large (similar size) coz when separated, the bulblets will grow much more slowly:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0910021024484.html

Ploidy and Propagation:

Mother bloom X pollen donor

Useful info by user Haweha:

My general findings are:
TET x TET works well. Including self pollination.

Some cultivars however, and particularly pink hybrids do not produce seeds. Appleblossom did generally fail, but its pollen was effective, as was previously stated.

DIP x DIP works well too. But selfing works SELDOM. H.papilio (see above) H.aulicum v.robustum and "Pink Floyd" would refuse repeatedly. "Giraffe" refuses to become mother at all but its pollen is effective (situation like "Appleblossom")
With selfing H.cybister "Chico" I was successful - one season.

DIP x TET works but extremely seldom.
Of my DIPS only H.aulicum v.robustum does produce seeds in a kind of promiscuitive manner  with DIPs and TETs, either. And even with "Melusine" which I strongly suspect to be one of those modern hybrids which carry a triploid set of chromosomes.

TET x DIP never worked for me. N-e-v-e-r. I read much about successful pollinations in this direction, but I am wondering whether accidential self pollination or pollination wit pollen of another TET might have taken place instead.

http://www.landspro.com/forums/showthread.php?4591-Using-Donor-Stigma-to-Facilitate-Hippeastrum-Fertilisation/page4

Amputo - DIP (ovary fertile, success with Misty, Exotic Star, Gilmar)
Aphrodite - TET
Apple Blossom - TET (ovary sterile, self-sterile)

Baby Doll - TET
Baby Star - TET

Black Beauty - TET
Blossom Peacock - TET
Charisma - TET
Chico - DIP (self-fertile)
Christmas Gift - TET
Dancing Queen - TET
Donau - TET
Evergreen - TRI (ovary infertile)
Exotic Star - DIP
Exotica  - TET (accepts DIP, TET, TRI)
Fairy Tale - TET (self-fertile)
Gilmar - DIP (accepts DIP, TET)
Giraffe - DIP (self-sterile)
Graffiti - DIP/TRI
H. aulicum v.robustum - DIP (self-fertile outdoors)
H. cybister - DIP
H. leopoldii (white) - DIP
H. leopoldii (red) - TRI
H. papilio - DIP (evergreen clone is self-sterile)
H. petiolatum - TET
H. reticulatum var. striatifolium (pure white distinct strip on leaf. Mrs Garfield as a yellowish diffused strip) - DIP (self-fertile with different clones)
H. x Johnsonii - DIP (self-fertile)
Intokazi - TET
Jewel - DIP (self-fertile)
Jungle Star - DIP (self-sterile)
La Paz - DIP
Lady Jane - TET
Lemon & Lime - TET

Lemon Lime - DIP
Lemon Star - ??? (very ovary fertile, self-fertile)
Lima - DIP (very ovary fertile)
Limona - ??? (very ovary fertile, self-fertile)

Minerva - TET
Misty - DIP
Opal Star - DIP
Orange Sovereign - TET

Party Animal - TET

Pasadena - TET
Pink Floyd - DIP (self-fertile)

Red Lion - TET
Residence (Orange Double Cybister) - DIP
Ruby Meyer - DIP
Ruby Star (Juicy Red, MUST GET) - DIP
Santos - DIP
Showmaster - TET
Sugar Candy - DIP
Supreme Garden - TET
Susan - TET (ovary sterile, self-sterile)

Sweet Lilian - DIP
Tres Chic - TET
Wedding Dance - TET
http://www.landspro.com/forums/showthread.php?3877-Hippeastrum-Ploidy-Miniature
http://www.landspro.com/forums/showthread.php?2663-Pups
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0315522824549.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0813564623433.html?7
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg121320215974.html?20
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg1218532611500.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0123551830406.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0115111311193.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0210380227483.html?26
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0814150415156.html?17
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg021801526598.html?26
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg032225416638.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0318043322770.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0214265030477.html?73

African Violet NOID Buds

Hoho. Seems like the window provides optimum growing conditions for my NOID plant. It has 3 flower stalks at the moment (last stalk is hidden under a leaf)

Hope the draft doesn't dry up the flower buds before they bloom.

I bottom water whenever the pot becomes light (twice to three times a week due to air conditioning and window drafts) and fertilize with this 

 

once a week while watering (one or two sprays into the pot saucer for bottom watering)

Horti Seaweed

I've finally found the Horti Seaweed Extract. It was at hougang mall's NTUC.

Cost me around $4.50. Smells of rotten eggs. I opened another bottle to take a whiff, and it had the same smell. Oh well, hopefully it will work in saving my lavender from root rot.

Places that do not sell this (in case you wanna look for alternative locations. You can skip the places mentioned in this list):

All nurseries at kovan 

Cold storage/NTUC at kovan

FEF Thomson/Hougang/Queensway

Light Wavelength Calculation from Kelvin Rating

3,000,000/K rating = nm wavelength

Peak far red spectrum for best flowering results:

3,000,000/4100K = 731nm

Good growth + flowering = 6500K

Red light range for flowering: 4500K

Interesting diagrams:

http://www.hotwiredgardens.com/pdf/LIGHTING.pdf

Dying Lavender

Zomg it's only been 2 days and my lavender is starting to wither. It's turning brown from the bottom up, and those stems that are badly affect will droop.

I suspect it's root rot. I've propagated 18 cuttings (spread over 5 pots) just in case the parent plant dies. Gonna grow them in different conditions to see which will yield me the highest success rate.

4 out of 5 were potted with 1:1 black peat and perlite. 

Worm casting was stirred into the final mix. 

Water was poured through until water began dripping from base. 

Last pot was leftover oil clayey soil from god knows when.

Cuttings were made along stems of various girth, and leaves near the bottom were removed.

The bottom most portion was cut and then drenched in honey (which acts as rooting hormone).

The cuttings were then inserted into the soil, and 3/5 of the pots were bagged and placed in the shade. 

Of the two unbagged pots, I will leave 1 pot in the open (this is the clayey one and it will be hit by the daily rainfall), and the other will be in direct sunlight but out of the rain. 

May the odds be ever in their favour!

Loot from Far East Flora Queensway on 12th August 2014

Notable good loot are:

1.3L organic worm castings

Zagro RTU 21:21:21 foliar fertilizer 

White summer oil 500mL 

Perlite 5L

Lavandula plant