wishingtree's Blog
Wishingtree's Blog
Last Post 331 days, 4 hours Ago
Feb 12, 2008 | 11:23 AM PST
Lavenders Blue Dilly Dilly, Lavenders Green...
My 1st English Lavender has conked! I was rather disappointed as it was blooming profusely. Firstly, it was infested with pest. I was reluctant to use the pesticides and hand-removed them. They grew so rapidly that I had to pull the 'trigger'.
I was worried that the climate in Singapore may be too hot and over-watered it, I think. Initially, I thought the potting mix was well-drained and little did I know that tall plastic containers tend dry out slower. The leaves looks kinda droopy. I thought it was dehydrated. Then, they became blackish gradually and so are the stems.
I kept my vigil next to the dying plant, not knowing what went wrong and hoping that miracle will happen. Day-by-day the condition got worst and eventually, the entire plant turns black. I knew it's gone. Baffled by the cause of it's death, I did a 'post-mortem'. Surprise! Surprise! The potting mix was still wet, though I had not been watering it for 2 days.
Cross my fingers! I am hoping that the puny tiny cutting I got when it first arrive will take root and flourish.
Jan 30, 2008 | 10:08 AM PST
Tags: lavender , lavendula
My dear Aunty Anne sent me a pot of English Lavender from Tasmania through my Sis. She was skeptical that the plant would survive the hot and humid climate in Singapore and reminded me to keep it in the shade.
Surprise! Surprise! My Aunty couldn't believe that I left the plant under full sun and the it has been putting out new spikes and buds since it arrived. I did lotsa reading from the www and consulted a fellow Lav. enthusiast before my attempt.
I couldn't be sure about the plant needing alkaline soil and hard water to bloom. It has been a controversal topic on the internet. The dolomite and limestone are not easily available here, so I had to find other alternatives. My friend suggested that I get the pH buffer, converting water alkalinity up to pH 8.5, from the aquarium shop because she has been using it on her Lavs. I did buy a bottle and has yet to use it.
The Lavs I propagated from seeds and the one my Aunty gave are living on pH7 water with a mild dose of seaweed solution. I think they are doing fine. It wasn't easy to gauge the amount of watering these plants needed. The initial stage can be heartbreaking because I'll find a few 'casualties' each day. And also experimenting on a suitable potting mixture.
The universal potting mixture which consists of peat moss, sand and fert. requires me some time to get use to. It tend to sponge and hold too much water. I had to water sparingly each time, otherwise, the roots will be rotten. I now concoct a mixture of loam-based compost + organic compost + gravels + charcoal chips + bone meal to pot my Lavs. I think the combination will drain well. Now, the seedlings that have developed their 2nd pair of leaves are stabilised. I still check the dampness of the soil every time before watering.
Wonderful gardening experience indeed!
Jan 6, 2008 | 6:27 PM PST
Tag: 3rd Generation Musas
I bought a High Coloured Dwarf Musa with 1 sucker from a Nursery in Oct 07. Now guess how many suckers I got from it now?... 4 suckers and the 1st sucker is producing it's own sucker, therefore, it would be the 3rd generation. I'm not sure if it's common for this to happen, but find it rather amusing.
Boy! At this rate it is going, I'm going to end up with a dwarf banana plantation in my balcony....hahahaha(lol) If anyone is wondering what I've been feeding them, they are receiving frequent feeds of used ground coffee, tea leaves, epsom salts and seaweed solution with water. The foliage is full and green. It looks beautiful like a mini palm tree.
I realised that the trunk of the 1st generation is getting thicker. Now, I'm looking forward to having it bear bananas for me.
Dec 23, 2007 | 9:07 AM PST
Tag: Lavenders and Strawberries
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rocks.... It's been raining very frequently for almost a month here on the equator. I just started out some Lavender seeds recently, Hidcote, Provence and Lady. Fortunately, some of the seeds started to sprout on the 3rd day. I'm not sure if this is the average waiting time, but do have fellow enthusaist who told me it's early. It would be wonderful to have Lavenders as most people in Singapore think that it's almost impossible to grow them here due to our hot and humid climate. Thank you Mother Nature that's the Chrissie present I want this year!
I have just left some Strawberry seeds in the freezer for cold treatment, Yellow Wonder Alpine, Temptations, Fresca and Mignonette. Hopefully, Mother Nature would bestow me another miracle of breaking the dormancy of these 'stubborn' seeds.
Wishing all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
