How To Root Succulent Plants With Leaf or Stem Cuttings

Succulents are perfect plants for dry gardens and are easy to root and grow. Once you learn how easy it is to propagate succulent plants, it's a great way to expand your plant collection - and it's free! You can use this planting technique with succulent plants from the Crassula family like Jade (C. ovata), Spoon Jade or Gollum Fingers (C. Portulacea, Rosary Plant (C. Rupestris), and Crassula tetragona. This propagation technique also works on other cactus and succulent plants like Aloe Vera, Echeveria, Aeonium and Baby Jade (Portulacaria afra).

Planting Succulent Cuttings: Start with a cutting about 4 - 6 inches long. Bury about half the stalk in soil. This will give you deep roots and helps the plant withstand drought better. Trim off the last few leaves to make a bare stalk if you need to. The leaves can be planted too; bury about half the leaf, cut side down. Most succulent plants and shrubs will form roots on the joints in their stalks.

Watering Succulent Plant Cuttings: Water every 2-3 days so the soil is moist (like a squeezed sponge). After a month, cut back to monthly watering. The leaves will probably shrivel a bit as the plant forms roots. The plant is living off the stored energy in its leaves. This is normal. You may also lose a few leaves, which is also normal. Do not use this as an excuse to over water!

Save all your broken parts and leaves. When I am repotting, I always save all my bits and pieces. Tuck them into the soil and leave a little green sticking out. Most parts will take root and grow into an extra plant.

How to Grow Succulent Plants: Succulent plants want heat and light. Outdoors most succulents take full sun to light shade. Some succulents will change colors in the sun and with the seasons. If you see brown, scabby spots, plants are getting too much sun. Aloe plants will turn orange in full sun.

Most succulents and cacti make excellent houseplants. They are already accustomed to a warm, dry environment, but they do need bright light. Indoors, most succulent plants can take sun near a window, or bright light. As a general rule of thumb, if there is enough sunlight for you to read, there is probably enough sun to make your plant happy. Outdoors, Aloe and Haworthia like bright light, but take less sunlight than most succulents. One or two hours of direct sun is usually their limit. They will turn orange if they are getting too much sun. Moving them to more shade will change them back to green.

A very light frost is usually no problem for succulent plants. A hard freeze, however, will freeze them solid. Outdoors, they can survive a frost if they have overhead protection. In freezing winter areas, bring you plants inside and put them in an area with lots of light.

How to Water Succulent Plants and Cacti: Succulents are native to places like South Africa, South America and the arid Southwest. Try to keep that in mind when you are picking a spot for your plants. Succulents and cacti are equipped to store water in their leafs and stalks so that they can survive long periods of drought. Indoors, drench the pot and then allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Outdoors, water them a few times during the hottest days of summer (if they look shriveled), otherwise, leave them alone. The fastest way to kill succulents is to over water them.

Soil Requirements for Succulents and Cacti: Succulent plants in a pot: The preferred soil for succulents is light and fast draining. Some retailers carry a special cactus potting soil, which is ideal. However, regular potting soil can also be used. Just remember that regular potting soil is formulated to retain water, so be sure to let it dry between watering (after your plants are established.) Do not use the potting soil with added fertilizer as it can be too 'rich' for succulents. If available, add a scoop of sharp sand or fine gravel to assist with drainage.

Succulent Plant Cuttings Outdoors: Generally you can put your succulent plant cutting directly in the soil in the exact spot where you want the plant to grow. Just break up the soil, (add a little potting soil if you must), and plant your cutting. If the area is in full sun, your plant cutting will have an easier time rooting and getting established if you give it a little shade for a couple weeks or so. You can use a shade cloth, a piece of cardboard or anything else that keeps the sun off your cutting for a few hours during the day.

If you are rooting a succulent cutting in a pot but plan on planting it in your garden, I recommend using mainly soil from your own garden in the pot. You can add a scoop of potting soil if you wish, but the best thing is to get your cutting used to your native soil off the bat. Your plant will have a better transition from pot to garden soil when you plant it. 

Laura Zinkan 

History and Care Of Poinsettia Plants - Euphorbia Pulcherrima

Euphorbia pulcherrima, the botanical name, or poinsettia as we call it is native to Mexico and Guatemala in Central America. Poinsettias are part of the Euphorbiaceae family. Many plants in this family ooze a milky sap. The botanical name, Euphorbia pulcherrima, was given to the poinsettia by German botanist, Karl Ludwig Wilenow. The plant grew through a crack in his greenhouse. Dazzled by its color, he gave it the botanical name Euphorbia pulcherrima, meaning "very beautiful".

The History of the Poinsettia in its Native Habitat

The Aztecs in the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries called this plant "Cuetlaxochitl" in their native Nahuatl language. Cuitllatl means "residue" and xochiti means flower, thus it is "the flower that grows in the residues or soil". Montezuma, the last of the Aztec kings, had poinsettia plants brought up to what is present day Mexico City by caravans. The Aztecs saw the plant as a symbol of purity and used it as a dye and against fevers.

Seventeenth century Spanish botanist Don Juan Balme mentions poinsettia plants in his writings. He found the plant flourishing on the slopes and in the valleys near Cuernavaca. He described the plant as having large green leaves and a small flower surrounded by brilliant red bracts, almost as if for protection.

At the same time the Spanish Franciscan Friars, who settled in the Taxco region of southern Mexico, included the timely winter grown red blooms of the plants in their Fiesta de Pesebre, the Nativity procession. The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem and was named "Noche Buena" meaning Christmas Eve. The name "poinsettia" is derived from Joel Roberts Poinsett who was the first United States Minister to Mexico from 1825 to 1829. Mr. Poinsett first brought poinsettia plants to America.

Poinsettias are fascinating winter blooming small shrubs or trees which can grow anywhere from about two to sixteen feet tall. Dark green leaves which are about three to six inches in length add to the festive appearance of this plant.

The colored bracts of poinsettia plants are actually leaves. Colors of the bracts can be red, pink, orange, white, or marbled. These colored bracts are caused by photoperiodism. Many flowering plants use a photoreceptor protein, such as phytochrome or cryptochrome, to sense changes between daylight and the darkness of night or photoperiod, which they take as signals to flower.

People not familiar with poinsettia plants believe that the colored bracts are the actual flowers. But the flowers, called cyathia, are located at the center of each leaf bunch.

Poinsettia plants are considered toxic by many. But this is not the case. They may cause mild skin irritations to some individuals who are sensitive to it. If any part of the plant is ingested, it may cause an upset stomach, diarrhea and vomiting. In addition, the sap that exudes from a broken branch may cause temporary blindness if it comes in contact with the eyes.

History of the Poinsettia Arrival in the Unites States and its Name

The poinsettia was introduced to the United States by Mr. Poinsett in 1828. He had sent and brought cuttings from Mexico to his greenhouses in Greenville, South Carolina. He shared these cuttings with friends and other horticulturalists he knew at the time.

Euphorbia pulcherrima, the name originally given by German botanist Karl Ludwig Wilenow was changed to "Poinsettia" in honor of Mr. Poinsett in 1836 by William Prescott, the historian and horticulturalist, who was asked to rename the plant. In his newly published historical work at the time on Mexico, 'Conquest of Mexico', Mr. Prescott details Mr. Poinsett's discovery of this beautiful plant in the area of Taxco del Alarcon in southern Mexico.

During the 1920s Albert Ecke and his son Paul became interested in poinsettia plants which grew wild in southern California at this time. As these plants bloomed during the Holiday season both Albert and Paul thought that this would be a perfect plant to introduce to the public. Paul continued to foster the idea of making the poinsettia the "official holiday flower" for Christmas. They grew fields of poinsettia plants and began to sell them commercially. The plants were initially sold at roadside stands in the Hollywood and Beverly Hills area.

In 1923 the family moved their business to Encinitas, about 2 hours south of the very fast developing area around Los Angeles. Encinitas proved to be the perfect location for growing poinsettias as it mirrored the growing conditions of its native Mexico where these plants grow wild.

From 1923 to the mid-1960s they grew fields of poinsettia mother plants, and shipped them to plant nurseries around the country that purchased them for cultivation and future commercial sales. Paul personally traveled the country promoting the plant to nurseries nationwide and encouraged nursery owners to market the plant as a holiday flower.

But this changed in 1963 when the first commercial-quality poinsettia cultivar was developed. It grew best as a potted plant and was introduced to the public. This dramatically changed the nature of commercially growing and selling poinsettia plants. Even for the Ecke Family Business, they moved indoors from the fields to growing these smaller plants in greenhouses. They began shipping by air freight rather than by rail.

Paul Jr. with his marketing ideas to always keep the poinsettia plant in the public eye used the very popular growing medium of television to promote these bright red and later red and white potted flowering plants. They became a part of the scenery in most every popular TV show and all the Christmas Specials during the holiday season. No holiday scene would be complete without at least one blooming poinsettia plant.

Today Dr. Ruth Kobayashi continues to produce new poinsettia hybrids for the Ecke family. Dr. Kobayashi's work resulted in the knowledge of the most important poinsettia genetics known today. In 2002 'Prestige Red' was introduced known for its outstanding branching capabilities and very sturdy stems. 'Prestige Red' quickly became the number one selling red poinsettia. Presently experiments continue to breed other species with the Euphorbia genus. Currently there are more than 100 varieties of poinsettias available.

Here are some of the cultivar names exhibiting some of the most spectacular poinsettia colors available today: Cortez Red, Cranberry Punch, Flirt, Galaxy Red, Marblestar, Nutcracker Pink, Monet, Plum Pudding, Silverstar White, Sonora Fire, Victory Red, White Christmas, Spotlight Apricot, and Pearl.

In addition many commercial growers have cultivated new plants which have longer lasting bract colors and lasting foliage that can survive poor watering schedules. Poinsettia growers have characteristically made today's plants bruise resistant and more flexible with less fragile bracts that can survive shipping without dropping their leaves that allows them to arrive beautifully intact to the stores and nurseries for retail sales.

Initial Care of your newly purchased Plant....

When purchasing poinsettia plants make sure the plant is wrapped properly to protect it from cold temperatures during the trip home.

Place it near a sunny window. Maintain a temperature above 65 degrees F. Mist the plant daily with lukewarm water. To avoid spots on the leaves from misting use distilled water. Water the plant when the surface is dry to the touch. Water thoroughly until the water completely drains into the saucer. Make sure to empty the saucer of drained water. Keep the plant away from all drafty areas, hot or cold air.

Poinsettia Care after the Holidays....

January to March- Keep watering when the surface is dry and misting the plant throughout the day (3-4 times). Poinsettias love the humidity the misting creates.

April- Gradually decrease watering allowing the poinsettia plant to get dry between watering. But be careful that the plant does not shrivel. Discontinue misting during this period. After your poinsettia is used to this dryness, move it to a cool basement or any place where the temperature is about 60 degrees F for a period of about four weeks.

May- Cut the plant back to about 4-5 inches above the soil level, repot into the next size container and sprinkle one tablespoon of bone meal over the roots. At this time you may also add some slow release fertilizer, like 14-14-14, or 19-6-12 for faster growth. Water the newly transplanted plant with Superthrive or any transplant solution which contains Vitamin B1. Now it's time to place your poinsettia plant in a sunny window where the temperature is above 65 degrees F. Mist the plant daily and water when the surface is dry. If you haven't added a slow release fertilizer while transplanting, start fertilizing with an all purpose fertilizer every two weeks as soon as new growth appears.

June- Move your poinsettia plant outside into a partial sunny location and continue to water and fertilize it.

July- At the beginning of the month cut back each stem about an inch. This will encourage your poinsettia to branch resulting in a bushy plant. If you don't pinch it back, your poinsettia grows tall without side branches.

August- By now your plant should have branched well and it's time to cut it back one more time so each shoot has about four leaves left. At this time continue with your fertilizing, misting, and watering schedule.

September- Continue to fertilize, misting, and water and make sure the temperature stays above 65 degrees F.

October- As your poinsettia needs short days in order to set buds, you have to provide it with twelve hours of total darkness starting the first day of October. Give the plant darkness from 5 pm to 8 am every day during this period. Without these additional hours of darkness poinsettias won't set buds and the leaves remain green. Place a box or black plastic bag over the poinsettia plant making sure no light reaches the plant. During daytime move the plant to a sunny window and continue to fertilize, misting, and water.

November- At the end of the month discontinue the darkness treatment and leave the plant in its sunny window. At this time you should be able to see flower buds.

December- Discontinue fertilizing about the middle of the month. Continue watering and misting and treat your poinsettia plant just like you did after you bought it. At this time your poinsettia should be blooming again.

Like many tropical plants poinsettias can be grown successfully indoors when properly tested and proven guidelines are followed. One can enjoy poinsettia plants for months until it is time to bring out the Easter Lily.

Bob Allen Walsh

Growing Hawaiian Hibiscus Plants and Flowers

Most of us are familiar with hibiscus flowers that range in colors from red, yellow, pink, blue, and everything in between. The flowers are quite large ranging in size from two to ten inches compared to other tropicals.

Hibiscus plants are members of the Malva family, Malvaceae. This plant family includes more than 200 species of annual and perennial plants.

The Hibiscus, in all colors and varieties, was the State Flower of Hawaii until the 1920s. It was not until 1988 that the yellow Hibiscus, Hibiscus brackenridgei, which is native to Hawaii, was officially adopted as the State Flower of Hawaii.

Visitors to the Hawaiian Islands think that all the beautiful hibiscus flowers which they observe on the Islands are native to Hawaii. But this is not the case.

Chinese Hibiscus, also called Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, is the hibiscus plant most commonly grown as ornamental plant on the Islands. This is the one so often associated with Hawaiian flowers.

In addition to the yellow Hibiscus, here is a list of hibiscus plants native to the Hawaiian Islands....

Hibiscus arnottianus produces white flowers. Hibiscus arnottianus is closely related to Hibiscus waimeae. Both produce fragrant flowers, which is a unique characteristic of hibiscus flowers.

Hibiscus brackenridgei produces showy, bright yellow flowers. This yellow hibiscus can grow to be over 30 feet in height; this is tall for the hibiscus family. Hibiscus brackenridgei is closely related to Hibiscus divaricatus.

Hibiscus clayi is a small tree found in its natural habitat on the Island of Kauai. It produces bright red flowers.

Hibiscus furcellatus, a pink flowered hibiscus plant, is found in the Caribbean, Central and South America, and on Hawaii. On Hawaiian Islands it is known as akiohala, hau hele, and hau hele wai.

Hibiscus kokio can grow up to 20 feet or more with red and orange flowers.

Hibiscus tiliaceus, common to the tropics, may be native to Hawaii or was brought to Hawaii by early Polynesians.

Hibiscus waimeae grows up to 30 feet tall producing white flowers.

Hibiscus plants we grow on the mainland produce gorgeous flowers, either monochromatic (one color) or polychromatic (many colors) on each plant.

Hibiscus hybrids include 'All Aglow', 'Black Beauty', 'Bon Temps', 'Cajun Blue', 'Kona', 'Norman Lee', 'Peggy Hendri', and countless more.

Hibiscus plants can be grown in the ground year round in areas with little or no frost, such as plant hardiness zones 9 and 10.

When brought home from the nursery the hibiscus should be placed in a partial sunny area and gradually moved to sunnier exposures until it's exposed to full sun.

It is essential for hibiscus plants to have a very well draining soil. Otherwise the roots may rot.

Do not to use any fertilizer high in nitrogen when fertilizing. This results in lots of vegetation growth, but hardly any flowers. Your plants will benefit tremendously from regular foliar feeding. It is important to spray both sides of the leaves. It is also very helpful to add a surfactant to your spraying solution. This will prevent the solution from running off the leaves.

When your hibiscus plant grows out of shape, it can be pruned to the desired shape. You need to be careful that all danger of frost has passed. New growth can be easily damaged by a late frost.

Unfortunately, insects like to feast on hibiscus leaves. The insects include aphids, mealy bugs, scales, thrips, and whiteflies. If this is the case a good spraying with insecticidal soap a few times or one application of a systemic insecticide should take care of the problem.

Grown indoors, hibiscus likes sunny windows or be put under grow lights.

Hibiscus is just one of many tropical plants that reward you with colorful flowers all year long when you give them the proper care they need.

( Bob A Walsh )

How to Grow Tropical Plants in Cool Climates and Frost

It is a fact of life that most people want something different, not just in the way of their looks, but in the way of their garden. No one wants to have the same plants as the neighbours, and wants their garden to stand out from the crowd. This does however often mean growing plants which do not grow easily in your climate. People in the tropics often wish to grow cottage plants in a cottage or formal style garden, whereas people in temperate and cool climates love growing tropical plants in a tropical, or Bali style garden.

Your aim is to provide a climate as close to the tropical plant's natural climate, that is, the climate it originates from. Many plants come from places close to the equator for example, where the weather is always warm, and very humid. There are many things you can do to produce an artificial climate for the plants you want to grow. These frost protection methods range from very simple, temporary solutions, to permanent structures such as shade houses. The purpose of all the available frost protection methods listed below is to stimulate the natural needs of each plant so they grow well regardless of their position.

Often, when you live in a fairly mild climate where you do not experience a lot of frost, and when you do get frost it is very mild; you may not be prepared to protect your plants from frost. Most of the plants you are growing in your garden are probably semi hardy to frost, and would survive many winters without any damage. Until, one day, a hard frost strikes your garden.... This frost may only be a few degrees colder than the frosts you received the other years, but it's enough to kill some of your semi-hardy plants if they are not protected from the frost.

You will usually get some warning about when a hard frost is about to strike. There will most likely be a few nights of mild frost preceding the really serious frost. You may also see some very mild damage on the foliage of the plants, or some frosted stretches of lawn or soil. Some places are more susceptible to frost; these places are known are 'frost pockets'. Frost occurs more readily in stretches of open ground exposed to the sky (as frost settles from above), in hollows in the ground, and in valleys where the frost settles on the bottom and can't escape easily.

Some simple ways of protecting your tropical plants from frost include a cardboard box placed around the plant, of which you can open the top ('lid') in the morning, and close it at night for protection. You can also pile up leaves or palm fronds around the plant to create a frost barrier, or use bamboo stakes to create a simple tent frame around the plant, which plastic covering. Hessian bags are a great way of covering plants to keep the cold out, and small greenhouses can be purchased very affordably these days!

( Elle M )