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Undoubt
edly, the main reason tomatoes are so widely grown is that home-grown tomatoes taste so much better than their store-bought counterparts. But another reason for growing tomatoes is the intrinsic vigor and hardiness of this nightshade relative, which almost always guarantees a successful harvest. However, the rapid growth of a healthy tomato plant can also lead to problems.
With tomatoes, we want to maximize the efficiency of photosynthesis and minimize the risk of disease. This is best accomplished by ensuring that each leaf has plenty of room and is supported up off the ground. When a tomato plant lies on the ground, or when its growth is extremely dense, many of its leaves are forced into permanent shade, greatly reducing the amount of sugar they produce. There is no free ride in the plant world. If a leaf uses more sugar than it makes, a layer of abscission cells develops between the main stem and the leaf petiole; eventually the leaf yellows and drops. Of course, sloughed-off leaves are replaced by new ones, but time is wasted. Prostrate plants get around to fruit production two or three weeks later than a pruned and staked plant. Most of the fruits they do produce are on the small side, and tend to come in one big, late harvest.
A properly pruned and supported single-stem tomato plant presents all of its leaves to the sun. Most of the sugar produced is directed to the developing fruit, since the only competition is a single growing tip. The result is large fruits that are steadily produced until frost. If more stems are allowed to develop, some of the precious sugar production is diverted from fruit to multiple growing tips. Fruit production, although slowed, never stops. The result is a nearly continuous supply of fruits throughout the season. In general, more stems means more but smaller fruits, which are produced increasingly later in the season. (This is much less applicable to determinate plants, due to their shortened growing season and better-defined fruiting period. Therefore, determinate plants require little pruning.)Pruning also affects plant health. The leaves of a pruned and supported plant dry off faster, so bacterial and fungal pathogens have less opportunity to spread. Soil is less liable to splash up onto staked plants. The bottom line: Upright plants have fewer problems with leaf spots and fruit rots because their leaves stay drier and free from pathogen-laden soil.
The way you choose to train and prune your tomato plants will affect how you space your plants, as well as the best method of support . There's no one right way to do it. Instead there are a few good patterns to follow.
Side stems affect plant vigorAs a tomato grows, side shoots, or suckers, form in the crotches, or axils, between the leaves and the main stem. If left alone, these suckers will grow just like the main stem, producing flowers and fruit.
Suckers appear sequentially, from the bottom of the plant up. The farther up on the plant a sucker develops, the weaker it is, because the sugar concentration gets lower as you move up the plant. On the other hand, side stems arising from below the first flower cluster, although stronger, compromise the strength of the main stem. For a multi-stemmed plant, your aim is to have all stems roughly the same size, although the main stem should always be stronger, because it has to feed the entire plant for the next five or six months. Here's how I achieve this.
I keep tomatoes free of side stems below the first fruit cluster. When trained to one vine and left free-standing, tomato plants develop strong main stems. To encourage a strong stem, I remove all suckers and I don't tie plants to their supports until the first flowers appear.
Determinate
tomatoes need no pruning other than removing all suckers below the first flower cluster, because pruning won't affect their fruit size or plant vigor. If you do any pruning at all above the first flower cluster on determinate tomatoes, you'll only be throwing away potential fruit.
Indeterminate
tomatoes can have from one to many stems, although four is the most I'd recommend. The fewer the stems, the fewer but larger the fruits, and the less room the plant needs in the garden. For a multi-stemmed plant, let a second stem grow from the first node above the first fruit. Allow a third stem to develop from the second node above the first set fruit, and so forth. Keeping the branching as close to the first fruit as possible means those side stems will be vigorous but will not overpower the main stem.
There are two ways to deal with a sucker that isn't destined to become a stem. The simplest is to pinch it off entirely; not surprisingly, this is called "simple pruning." This should be done when the sucker is still small and succulent. Grab the base of it between your thumb and index finger and bend it back and forth. The sucker should snap off, producing a small wound, which will heal quickly. Avoid cutting the sucker with a knife or scissors, because the resulting stump can become easily infected. Once a sucker becomes too tough and leathery to snap off, however, you'll have to use a blade. I recommend a retractable razor knife.
In Missouri pruning, you pinch out just the tip of the sucker, letting one or two leaves remain. The advantage is that the plant has more leaf area for photosynthesis and to protect developing fruit from sun-scald. The disadvantage is that new suckers inevitably develop along the side stems, adding to your future pruning chores. Personally, I prefer Missouri pruning, despite its shortcomings. I relish revisiting each Missouri-pruned side stem, repeatedly reinforcing my initial godlike decision to cut or not to cut. Either method works, though, so enjoy your newfound power.
Where to pruneIn simple pruning, remove the entire sucker at the base. In Missouri pruning, pinch out the tip of the sucker.
<You'll find that suckers grow very quickly during the hot summer months. I can't count the times I've returned home from a five-day road trip in July to find my formerly well-tended tomatoes covered with foot-long suckers growing in all the wrong directions. This is indeed a situation that tests one's resolve. It helps to know that side stems started this late in the season will always be spindly and produce inferior fruit. You must be heartless and tip them all.
Blest be the tie that doesn't bindOnce flowering commences, all tomato vines must be tied to their supports. Although vigorous, the plants are also easily damaged, so take care in how you tie them and what you use. Cloth strips work well as long as they're not too old and threadbare. Pieces of panty hose cause the least damage to plants, but they're not biodegradable.Twine should be at least 1/8 inch thick, or else it can cut into the tomato stems. Twine made of natural fibers like jute or sisal will break down sufficiently over winter not to cause problems with tiller tines, as panty hose would.
There are two types of ties. Training ties direct plant growth upwards, and supporting ties keep it there. The top foot of a tomato stem, or leader, is very succulent and easily snapped; it needs to be directed upwards, gently. I wrap a short piece of twine around the middle of the leader, cross it over on itself, and loosely tie it to the support. The resulting figure-eight tie reduces the chance the tender stem will rub against the support and get bruised.
How to TieThere are two reasons to tie tomatoes, and there's a different tie for each one. Train the leader to grow upright with a loose, figure-eight tie. To support burgeoning fruit, loop a long tie above a fruit cluster, and tie it to the stake 6 to 10 inches higher. Loop the tie twice around the stake and tie it tightly so the tomatoes don't pull it down with their weight.
<Fruit will form along this stem. If left to the devices of the loose training ties, the weight of the fruit will pull the ties down the stake. Eventually, the stem will bend over and crease. Luckily, as the stem matures, it toughens; by the time fruit develops, the stem can tolerate a tighter tie. To support a fruit cluster as it fills and gains weight, I loop a longer piece of twine, 12 to 18 inches, around the stem just above the fruit cluster, creating a sling. Then I gently pull it up to take the weight off the stem. I wrap the twine twice around the stake, and firmly tie it to the stake 6 to 10 inches higher than the point of attachment to the vine. To keep the tie from slipping, I knot it underneath the point where the sling meets the stake.
A final pruning pays offLater in the season, about 30 days before the first frost, there is one last pruning chore. The plants must be topped. The fruit that has set must be given every opportunity to mature. To this end, I direct all carbohydrates produced by the plant to the fruit by removing all the growing tips. This, too, can be hard to do. Every gardener is reluctant to admit the season is coming to an end. However, this final pruning can make all the difference between hard, green fruits, hurriedly picked before frost, which later rot in a paper bag, and ripe, home-grown tomatoes in your Thanksgiving salad. Be tough, fight your nurturing instincts, and top those plants.
Drawings: Susan Carlson
From Ki
tchen Gardener 27, pp. 16-19
Very Generous Cuttings
Hearts & Flowers (Aptenia cordifolia) is a type of ice plant best suited to growing in containers. It has little, heart-shaped, succulent leaves. Plants mound to 6 inches tall and spread 2 feet with dense, shiny green foliage and small, but showy raspberry-colored flowers. Hearts & Flowers are great for hanging baskets and medium-sized patio pots, alone or in combination with taller growing plants. This plant requires full to nearly full sun and plenty of water. But as with other succulents, let the soil dry some before watering thoroughly. In the heat of summer it’s still likely the plant may need daily watering, especially in hanging baskets.
Statice is a flower that grows in the wild all over the world. Perhaps it's also growing in your garden. Statice finds the perfect home in salty marshes and arid or desert areas. So, it will be no surprise to you that this is one flower that tolerates a drought now and then. It is also called "Sea Lavender".
Grow them as wildflowers or in containers or window boxes. Statice has airy sprays in strong yellow, rose, lavender, blue and white make an interesting garden accent. It grows from 12 to 24 inches. Wonderful everlasting, so easy to dry, Statice keeps its color well in winter bouquets.
Statice are grown from seeds. Statice seeds can be directly planted into your flower garden after all danger of frost. Space or thin plants to 14-18" apart.
Statice plants like full sun. They grow well in poor to average soils. Being drought resistant, they do not need much water or care. Give them an early boost by adding a general purpose fertilizer before planting if the soil is poor.
To dry flowers, remove the leaves and hang upside down in a dry, ventilated area.
Keep it cool.
Most folks put their cyclamen in the house and it is too hot!!! The leaves begin to droop and turn yellow and soon the plant looks so bad that if it isn't dead you wish it would hurry up and die.
We're going to talk about Southern California on this page and other temperate areas. First lets look at where cyclamen come from. The cyclamen is a semi-alpine plant. They are native to the mountains in the area of Turkey.
Again, Number one rule: Keep your cyclamen COOL. Here in S. Calif. or other temperate areas that means outdoors in a shady to semi-shady spot. If you have to put it indoors, pick the coldest spot. Give it some fresh cool air outdoors when ever you can.
Number two rule: Grow your cyclamen in the winter. In Southern California Cyclamen are one of the best winter blooming plants. You can use them in pots on tables, by the front door or planted in a nice shade bed. Great for atriums.
Even though you will see cyclamen all year round in nurseries and super markets, it is really a cool weather crop. Just remember that when the weather gets hot your cyclamen will get ready to go to down hill and will want to go dormant. This is a normal cycle.
Number three fact, not a rule. Cyclamen is a tuberous plant. A tuber is a storage organ and most tuberous plants have a rest period. Potatoes are tubers, onions are not. When your cyclamen has been blooming and growing for the winter, spring season and the weather warms up for the summer, then your plant begins to want to rest. At that time the leaves will fall over as if they were wilting and eventually fall off . The plant will stop blooming. Most people think that they have killed their cyclamen. They throw it away and feel a little guilty. Your cylamen is not dead. Just resting for the summer. If you leave it alone with out too much water many times your plant will start to grow again in the fall and give you another season. The miniature species is especially good about this.
Number Four rule: Don't bury your cylamen too deep. You need to be sure that the top of the little tuber is just above the soil level. Plant it too deep and it will soon get Crown Rot and do 'you know what'. In fact, if you cover up that crown area you might as well hold the funeral right away, because it will die soon!!
Don't put too much water right in the crown area.
Be sure you have good air circulation too.
Keep your plants well fed.
Pull out the stems that have gone to seed.
Hint! The seeds are hard, the new buds are soft. They look very much alike so this is an important little fact.
Pick a few flowers to go into a bud vase. They are so pretty and last quite well.
Watch out for cyclamen mites. They are too small for you to see but they do a huge amount of damage right in the crown/bud area. Cyclamen mites will give you a distorted and hard little non-growth right in the area where the buds and new growth come out. It is usually wiser and more economical to just throw the plant away. Your chances of cleaning it up are terrible. $20.00 worth of sprays, followed with failure and the infestation of other plants nearby. After all it's only a plant, not a person.
by Brad Thompson
Cane begonias are a popular type of begonia and besides the various species canes, there are hundreds of cane hybrids. Cane begonias are distinguished from the other types by their bamboo like stems. Most are free blooming and have large clusters of flowers, many are even ever blooming. Many also have fragrance that can be smelled in the morning hours from female flower clusters.
There are four main types of begonias; Superba Canes, Intermediate type Canes, Rubra type Canes, and Mallet Canes. Previously the term angel wing was used to describe this type of begonia but that term has been replaced by the name cane, at least officially.
Cane Culture
Potting
Canes are one of the easier types of begonias to grow and will grow in all the different types of pots available. Plastic pots are the most commonly used type of pots for canes. They grow well as either hanging baskets or as potted plants. They also do well grown in the ground. Like nearly all begonias, canes require a well drained potting mix and resent soggy feet.
When repotting, canes should be placed as low in the new pot as possible. This may require removing extra mix from the bottom of the rootball to be able to have them sit lower. The reason for potting lower is to bury more stem buds which will encourage more basal growth and also cause more roots to form on the buried parts.
Pruning
Unless grown indoors, where pruning can be done any time of year, most canes should be pruned in the spring. Unless you’re purposely trying to grow a tall specimen plant, most varieties should be pruned fairly hard to encourage new basal shoots. Canes not pruned have tendency to become bare stemmed on their lower parts. Superba types should be pruned back fairly hard in Spring, then allowed to grow freely the rest of the year. The other types should be cut back the same but the smaller leaved varieties benefit from routinely pinching the tips to force side branching and fullness.
Canes routinely send up strong sturdy stems from the roots. This growth appears almost like some sucker type growth but this is the normal growth of the plant. On superbas, these can be left alone. For growing in baskets, or for the other types of canes, these stronger shoots should be pruned back as they appear, down to the lowest outward facing bud. This will force the plant to put out weaker side branching. This will fill in the plant and make it conform to the rest of the plant’s growth.
Watering and Fertilizing
Canes don’t like to be overwatered. Mature plants however are among the most tolerant of overwatering than any of the begonia types. A well draining mix is preferred. Extremely warm areas of the country made need a more water retentive mix though. Canes should be watered after the mix surface has become dry. Canes benefit from quarter strength fertilizer given weekly through out their active growing season. Over watered canes will drop lower leaves. Avoid getting water on the leaves of canes when they are in direct sun or the weather is overly hot to avoid causing leaves to burn. Under ordinary conditions getting water on the leaves doesn’t bother most canes. Any varieties that are prone to brown tips will be less prone to this problem if you avoid getting their leaves wet when watering though. An example is B. albo picta which is very prone to brown tips.
Light and Heat
Cane begonias do best when given good light all year. Most benefit from full early morning or late afternoon sun. Filtered sun all day is preferred. There are very few canes that will perform well in complete shade. Most won’t bloom in low light. Canes in hot climates may burn if given late afternoon direct sun. Most canes do well in 50% shade provided by shade cloth in coastal areas of California. Begonias in Texas or other hot climates may require more shade than other areas.
In frost free areas most canes will over winter outdoors with no protection. Many canes suffer from leaf drop during colder weather. This is normal unless caused by disease, overwatering, or pests. Some of the more tender canes such as B.’maculata’ and it’s hybrids, mallets, small stemmed and miniature canes, and especially mildew prone varieties may require winter protection. This can be provided by a temporary greenhouse or by bringing indoors if you don’t have a greenhouse to move them to. Even an unheated clear plastic shelter will usually be enough to carry them through.
Canes are prone to sudden leaf drop during sudden extreme temperature changes. Not sure of the cause, may be a genetic feature designed to protect the plant from extremes. It is normal but you should be aware of this problem when moving plants. It is common for plants taken to shows to drop leaves and all their flowers afterwards. They quickly recover when put back in their normal growing conditions however.
Propagation
Nearly all canes can only be reproduced by stem cuttings except for the species which of course can be started from seed. Only a handful can be started from leaf cuttings and all of these are hybrids between canes and other types such as some of the mallets.
Special Uses and Tips
Cane begonias are very flexible and there are varieties for nearly every specific purpose. They also respond very well to training. If planted in the ground and allowed to grow in a semi wild state, most will be tall large plants. Many of the superbas and some of the others can attain eight or ten feet tall easily if allowed to. With the exception of a couple of the more vigorous superbas though, nearly all begonias can be kept to a small manageable size. There are very few that can’t be confined to an eight or ten inch pot and kept to two feet tall or less tall for many years. Most canes can also be grown as nice full hanging baskets with proper pinching and pruning. Some of the superbas would require large baskets however. Canes can also be easily trained as standards or grown on trellises.
Cane-like begonias: like bamboo with flowers
If you ever have seen an "angel wing" begonia, you know the cane-like group. So-called angel wings comprise a large portion of the classification.
Cane-like begonias have long stems with slightly swollen joints ("nodes")-they resemble bamboo. The leaves and flowers arise from the joints. With optimum care, some cultivars can reach six feet or more in height in a container, as much as 15 feet or so in the ground in mild winter areas. Others remain short enough for indoor culture.
Many people find them easier to grow than some other kinds, such as Rex Cultorum and tuberous types which have special needs.
Cane-like begonias are grown for both foliage, which sometimes is spotted or textured, and flowers, usually large, cascading clusters of white, pink, red, or orange, for a large part of the year. Timing varies from variety to variety.
The classification is subdivided into three types: Superba, with deeply cut foliage sometimes spotted; Mallet, with maroon or deep rose leaves; and all others. Among the cane-like begonias are B. albo-picta, B. 'Irene Nuss', B. 'Lenore Olivier', B. lubbersii, B. 'Lucerna', B. 'Sophie Cecile', and B. 'Tingley Mallet'.
The best place to grow a cane-type begonia is in bright light -- even sunny if the sun isn't intensely hot. It's best to use a standard-size pot to accommodate a large root system, making it a clay or wooden container to provide the weight necessary to keep a tall plant from falling over. If you use a plastic pot, take measures to keep it upright.
Plant in rich, humusy mix. Cane-type begonias tolerate a heavy mix to support tall growth. (Most other begonias require a coarser, more porous mix.) Water when the soil surface is nearly dry to the touch. Never overwater. A balanced fertilizer (one containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) may be applied at half-strength twice as often as recommended on the label whenever the plant is in growth.
Most cane-like begonias are not fussy about temperature or humidity. Any range that is comfortable for people is fine. If leaves brown and get crisp on the edges, the humidity is too low. If leaves yellow and fall off, you are watering too often. These begonias rarely need staking, but require pruning in winter or early spring: remove old, woody canes and shorten green ones to about four or five nodes, some canes longer and others shorter. (New canes just starting should be left alone.) Repot into fresh mix at the same time.
During the growing season, judicious tip pinching will keep overly vigorous canes in bounds and promote growth of new canes from the base. (Cane-type begonias rarely branch above soil level.)
As begonias go, canes are relatively free of insects and diseases when plants are healthy and tended properly. Many believe any apparent ailment should be diagnosed specifically, then treated with the least toxic product that will work. Often a water spray, hand picking, or an insecticide derived from natural ingredients (Dipel, pyrethrins, rotenone) will do the trick without endangering beneficial insects, animals, or humans. Always follow label directions exactly. Some collectors prefer to prevent infestations altogether through a more extensive chemical program. If you have questions, consult an experienced begonia grower, a competent nurseryman or nurserywoman, or a Cooperative Extension agent in your county.
The easiest and most reliable method of propagating cane-type begonias is from stem cuttings. Take a tip cutting with two to four nodes -- root it in a rooting medium such as perlite or sand. Species can be grown from seed, as can hybrids -- but hybrid seed produces plants not identical to the parent.
Cultural Practices: Tolerates poor soil and drought, but does much better in good soil and regular water.
Blooming Habits: Blooms only when the plant is 10 years old or more. The flower stalk is large (7 to 13 feet - 2 to 4 m) with yellow-green drooping flowers organized as a raceme. The plant then dies leaving suckers that grow into replacement plants.
Spineless Century Plant is a hardy survivor, tolerating heat, drought, and moderate salt exposure. Little irrigation is needed once the plant is established. It grows best in full sun but can adapt to some shade. After 10 years or more (though not a century), a lofty flower spike is produced, with terminal panicles of pale yellow to white blooms. The stem producing the flower dies soon after. Plants can be grouped together in a mass or planted alone as a specimen in a rock garden. Larger commercial landscapes have room for multiple mass plantings which can create a dramatic impact.
Agave attenuata is a plant that is much overlooked in pot culture. The 2 ft. leaves are soft green or gray green, somewhat translucent, with no spines. Agave attenuata is a native of Mexico.
The plant is extremely drought tolerant but does better with ample moisture. As plants get older, they produce stout trunks up to 5 ft. tall, and form clumps to 5 ft. across. Soft Leaved Agave is an excellent house plant for southern exposures. It lacks the spines that most Agaves have.
Grow them in sun or shade almost any soil as long as it is not swampy. They will survive and grow even if you forget to water them for 6 weeks in summer!
Generalities: This plant in the spring, summer, autumn, winter assumes a yellow colouring; it is medium in size and can reach 1 m high. It keeps its leaves in the winter. Growing they develop a round-shape shrub. The Century plant is a succulent plant.
Fertilization: During the beautiful season it’s good to enrich the soil of our succulent plants; we advise using a fertilizer rich in potassium and phosphorous, but poor in nitrogen, because this chemical element doesn’t help the development of succulent plants, making them too soft and full of water.
Exposure: The Century plant needs a minimum temperature superior to 15°C, during this time of the year it is best to check the night temperatures before setting it outside. For a balanced development, it is best to position the The Century plant in a place where it is exposed to at least a few hours of direct sunlight.A great part of succulent plants can endure low temperatures, even below 5°C, but if we’re growing them in a harsh climate we must avoid watering.
Watering: We suggest watering these plants only from time to time, but we must remember to wet the soil deeply using 120-121 glasses of water every 4-5 weeks . Succulent plants can also endure long periods of time without watering; usually as the climate gets colder they need less water, while during the summer months they should be watered abundantly .
Treatments: The spring weather, with a high temperature swing between the day and night hours, and pretty frequent rains, can favour the development of fungus diseases, which should be treated pre-emptively with a systemic fungicide, to use before the gems grow excessively; at the end of the winter we also suggest a wide range insecticide to prevent the attack of aphids and cochineals. We should always remember to do these treatments when there aren't flowerings in the garden.
Soil: These succulent plants need to be located in an accentuated and drained substratum. We suggest repotting every 2-3 years.
There are at least three green varieties ("macrophylla" has larger leaves, 2.5+ cm long and 1.7+ cm wide, while "microphylla" has smaller ones, .6 cm long and wide), and three named variegateds. Another form, "Gold," has its new leaves emerging completely golden ochre, before fading to bright lime.
"Aurea" is a form (new by the early-1960s) having a reddish stem, small light green leaves featuring a yellow center, flushed with pink beneath.
"Foliis Variegatis" is a form (dating at least from the early-1950s) with leaves variegated or mottled yellow. It has been sold under the name "Rainbow Bush."
"Variegata"
(from at least the early-1960s, it has also been sold under the name "Rainbow Bush" and is also known as "Tricolor") has leaves with distinct tiny carmine-red or purplish-pink margins or edges on pale whitish-green or milky-green leaves with pale green centers and margined creamy-white. There is more green on the undersides of the leaves, often with an appearance of the color having been brushed onto the leaf. The red margin is most distinct on new buds, making up almost all of its coloring. (New buds on the green varieties have much less red margin.) The red might fade a bit with maturity, or deepen red on the same plant. During the cool of winter the red on the margins intensifies and appears to enlargen slightly. During the growing season, branch tips which are pale greenish-red turn to reddish-brown sooner than they would on the green varieties. Old age, insufficient watering, or longterm full sun exposure on this variety shows itself with browned withering of part of the leaf edges and fading of the green in the center as the leaves turn yellowish-white. The leaves curl lengthwise slightly before darkening. Such leaves when dropped might still show a slight red margin and a hint of green although semi-opaque.
Both "Foliis Variegatis" and "Variegata" are slower growing and smaller than the green varieties of the species.
It is not known where, when or by whom the varieties were first discovered. It is not known where the largest stand of any of the varieties can be found, either growing in the ground or containerized.
Port
ulacaria afra, or Elephant Bush, is native to South Africa. In nature they will reach 12 feet (4 m) in height with an equal spread. In containers, they will stay much smaller and their size is easily controlled with selective pruning and pot size. The attractive reddish-brown stems with dark green ¾ inch (2 cm) leaves make a great bonsai plant with very little care involved. They are hardy in USDA zones 10-11 where they are used as hedges.
Blooming Time: In the spring, they have clusters of small, inconspicuous pink flowers.
Culture:
Portulacaria afra do best in full sun with a well-drained soil mix.
Propagation:
Portulacaria afra is easily propagated by cuttings in April- May.
Portulacaria afra 'foliis variegatis', or Rainbow Bush, is a strikingly beautiful variegated form of Portulacaria afra. The cream and light green leaves really stand out against the purplish red stems. The leaves will reach up to 0.75 inches (2 cm) long, but they are usually smaller. This form is a slow grower and its size is easily controlled by container size, making it a wonderful indoor bonsai subject. The plants are hardy in the landscape in USDA zones 9-11.
Blooming: Most Portulacarias do not bloom in captivity. In nature they have small pinkish blooms.
Culture:
Portulacaria afra 'foliis variegatis' need full sun to partial shade or very high interior lighting with a well drained soil mix.
Propagation:
Portulacaria afra 'foliis variegatis' is easily propagated from cuttings.
Portulacaria afra 'Variegata' (Rainbow Bush) - A native of South Africa. Sprawling, slow growing succulent with attractive reddish-brown stems and a variegated cream and green ¾ inch leaves. A very easy to grow succulent that works as a great bonsai plant, hanging basket or even a hedge in frost free climates. In nature they will reach 12 feet in height with an equal spread. In containers, they will stay much smaller and their size is easily controlled with selective pruning and pot size. The stems of this scandent shrub will thicken very fast giving the plant an old appearance at a young age. The pink flowers are seldom seen outside the wild. The knobbed tan-reddish stems makes a nice foil in the landscape. Well suited for a xeriscape garden where it is drought tolerant once established. Cold hardy in USDA zones 10-11 or Sunset 8,9, 12-27.
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