Question: There are some local landscape tall plants with bright reddish flower spikes developed. Do you know the name and is it good to grow?
Answer: Enjoy the summer and fall colors of Pagoda Flower, one of the many clerodendrons growing in warmer areas of Florida, as mentioned in the photo in the email. It can grow to at least 6 feet tall. Pagoda flower plants are considered evergreens, but can be damaged by the cold. Plants usually resume regrowth from underground runners in the spring. These surreaped landscape additions can grow to 8 feet wide and become a bit invasive, which could require annual trimming to keep the runners at the boundary. Planting forms an attractive accent that acts as a background shrub in the sun and from a lightly covered location as a background shrub.
Q. Tibouchina planted about a year ago suddenly begins to fade and appears to die. Can I save it?
A. Unfortunately, your Tibouchina, also known as Princess Flower, is in a serious decline, as shown in the photo in the email. The limbs and leaves are brown and wilted. It looks like a new Tibouchina is in your future. As you pointed out in your email, rot of the root or stem can be the cause of decline. Find the next plant in a new location or remove a considerable amount of soil while repotting. Make sure the top of the root ball is 1-2 inches above the soil line and moisten the root ball, but not overly wet. Also, it’s best to just multiply to the edge of the root ball.
Q. I would like to save a little money by eradicating Coleus from the good plants in my garden. How do I start a new coleus?
Plant Doctor: How much to prune the taller and growing gardenia you like
A. I chose the real money saver because the new Coleus plants cost up to $3 or more in the Garden Center. The roots of the Coleus are speedy from a 6-inch tip cutting installed in a small container of potted soil. After removing the top of the long stem, you can also root the stem, which holds several leaves. Remove the underfoot from the 6-inch cuttings and paste the basal section approximately 2-inch deep in the soil. Moisten the cuttings with frequent mist and place them in a shaded place. Many people like to surround the clusters of cuttings in containers with clear plastic that helps to retain moisture. The cutting begins to develop roots in about two weeks, and in about a month you should be ready for a large container. After the cuttings have produced some roots, apply the first liquid fertilizer.
Q. I have some 12-year-old thorn plant crowns in my original pot with tall, legs extended. Can you cut back to make them more compact?
A. Most gardeners choose early to mid-central spring as the best time to settle the crown of the thorn plant. In this way, the plant has plenty of time to regrow and flower during warm weather. However, whenever it’s warm, you can do the necessary pruning. Return the cut back to the angle where the stems are branching or where leaves or buds are coming out. New stems and leaves form from under these cuts. The removed portion can be rooted after the cut is air-dried for 1-2 days. The thorn crown doesn’t bother rooting in the container, but in 12 years it may be time for a new pot and soil. Choose one 1 inch or 2 inch larger to give the plants a little more root room. Use loosely decorated potted soil to inhale water and avoid root rot problems.
July in the gardens of Central Florida
Q. Our lawns should be replaced with St. Augustine Las. Is one species better than another?
A. All St. Augustine’s selections grew in the perfect sun and are very similar. Varieties may vary slightly in terms of leaf size, green color and preferred cutting height. If they say they’ve been on the market for a few years and tested time, then they’re likely to do well in your garden. A variety show that has been on sale for over 40 years, Floratam is the most popular in St. Augustine. There is one problem. Floratam does not grow well in the shade. If shade is involved, choose another type, such as Seville, Delta Shade, or other to allow for lower light levels. It is also better to delay smoking falling areas as rain falls during the summer and irrigation often causes problems with corruption in these areas.
Q. I planted a tomato transplant in June, and all I get is the stems and leaves. There are no flowers or fruits. What am I doing wrong?
A. Perhaps you started this garden a little too early. Most tomato plantings grow good shoots and leaves during the summer, but they open up a few flowers or turn into fruit. Allow the plant to grow, but do not expect to produce much fruit until around October. Cherry tomatoes seem to do their best during the summer, but even these varieties produce less fruit. Some varieties are sold for hot weather, but Florida seems a little too hot for these too. It’s time to start seeds to produce the next transplant that will be added to the garden between mid-August and early September. These are expected to flower and fruits when temperatures become milder in autumn for the first time. One seed is seeded in cells or small containers, moistened after germination and transplanted in the sun in about 4 weeks. It becomes light and fertile every week after germination.
Tom Maccubbin is an honorary urban gardener at the University of Florida Cooperative Expansion Services. Write him: Orlando Sentinel, PO Box 2833, Orlando, Florida. 32802. email: tomac1996@aol.com.
