Gardening FAQ #12 – What You Need To Know
In this article, we talk about growing peacock flower seedling, how to get rid of mealy bugs and more.. Let’s go through the common gardening FAQ, problems and solutions you need when growing your plants indoor and outdoor.
WATER PLUM MAY HAVE IRON DEFICIENCY
Is this plant lacking something? The leaves look unhealthy. Also, what is its name?
The plant appears to be the water plum (Wrightia religiosa) and, from the chlorotic new leaves, it is likely to be suffering from a nutrient deficiency, most likely iron.
Has the plant been growing in the same pot for a long time? If you have not been adding fertiliser, nutrients in the soil may have been exhausted.
Do a soil pH level test to ascertain the value. It should not be in the alkaline range as this will prevent the plant from taking up iron. Also, do not overwater the plant as wet feet can also interfere with the uptake of this particular nutrient.
Spraying the leaves with a water-soluble fertiliser containing chelated iron may help to solve the problem, although only temporarily. It is vital to address the issues highlighted above to solve the root of the problem.
For suggestions on how to control another plant worst enemy, head over to our section on Weed & Moss Control.
WHITE MASS ON SOURSOP TREE MAY BE MEALY BUGS
I have had this pot of cactus for more than 10 years. What is its name?
The white mass on your soursop fruit may be a colony of mealy bugs, which is a common sap-sucking pest found on this plant.
A tree that is kept at a manageable height will make pest control much easier.
Keep a lookout for the first signs of infestation and take action. Small infestations can be eradicated by using jets of water to wash away pests and spraying neem oil or summer oil which suffocates the pests. Repeated applications may be required for effective control.
These environment-friendly pesticides generally do less harm to beneficial garden critters which are vital to a healthy eco-system that can help keep pest populations down.
To protect this against a common plant enemy, head over to our section on Weed & Moss Control.
In the video below, it show a simple solution to get rid of mealybug or white insects.
GROW PEACOCK FLOWER SEEDLING UNDER DIRECT SUN TO HELP IT THRIVE
I grew a peacock flower plant from seeds. How do I care for it and will it grow to maturity and flower? Currently, some leaves are turning yellow.
The peacock flower seedling is likely the common flowering shrub that is botanically called Caesalpinia pulcherrima.
The seedling looks a little lanky, which may be a sign it is lacking sunlight. This shrub, when mature, needs to be grown under full sun to thrive and flower. As such, you may want to acclimatise the plant gradually to higher light conditions, to avoid burning it.
The peacock flower plant does not like wet feet so, as it grows larger, grow it in a pot or in the ground with well-draining soil.
The yellowing leaves near the base of the plant is probably no cause for concern – they get shed by the plant with age and are replaced by new foliage as the plant grows.
One of the way to control the sunlight is to use growing lights. You can read up my post on growing lights fixture where I show you the top 4 things you need to know.
REPOT DENDROBIUM ‘BABY’ AFTER IT GROWS BIGGER
Is the new growth with roots considered a new shoot which I can cut off to re-pot? I bought the orchid plant quite a few years ago and changed its container recently. Its blooms are quite prolific.
The growth on the pseudostem of your dendrobium orchid is called a keiki, a Hawaiian term for “baby”. It is a plantlet that grew from a bud on the pseudostem of the plant.
You can let the plantlet produce one or two more leafy shoots before detaching it from the mother plant. As the dendrobium is an epiphyte, you should use charcoal chips as the growing media.
Once considered a luxury for only the wealthy to enjoy, orchids are being mass produced and can be found for sale everywhere—grocery stores, drug stores, and the big box stores—along with garden centers and nurseries. These plants are so inexpensive that many people pick up an orchid as they would a bouquet of flowers to brighten their table for a while.
The orchid blossoms are long lasting—definitely outliving a bouquet of cut flowers. Some people treat these plants as disposable items. If they are not inclined to try and get the plant to re-bloom they will often just throw it out!
Most of my plants have been freebies from friends who know I love orchids and will do my best to bring them back into bloom. Many orchids grow little baby plants or”keiki.” You can remove these plantlets and pot it up to grow more orchids.
If you want to grow this indoors under a controlled environment, read our post on Guide to Growing Tents.