-Robert

fenius, welcome back! what a pleasant surprise was waiting for you home! pinacolada smell...sounded like something very interesting. so the coco means coconut scent , not chacolate coco bean scent. Nice flower. How easy it is to grow this tree?

Now I'm going to be singing 'If You Like Pina Coladas' all day! ;)
Beautiful flowers and interesting scent. A nice surprise to come home to.
I think Kemistry is growing this one.

OG,

I just lucked out with the super mild winter we had last year. I'll be digging this beast up before the frosts and trying to store it down in the basement. Should be interesting. Laugh.
I guess you don't know which varieties of brugs you have?
Usually the whites and yellows have the strongest scents though I do like the scent of Frosty Pink (it was my first brug).

So what else is blooming out there?
We need pics to keep us entertained as we approach winter! :)

-Robert

I have 1 bud on my plant and I'm still waiting for it to open. The bud is getting fatter and fatter now. Last week I smelled a nice fruity wafting scent in the evening that made me super excited because I thought my Mag coco bud was blooming. But it wasn't that. Lol. The scent came from a hedge of cypress outside my apartment.

Wow so many buds on your Cestrum, Robert! I have just a few on mine and it's already making me dizzy! : )

After seeing some of your plants, mainly tropicals, I'm unsure whether or not OK ia arid or humid. Thanks.

Robert, one other thing. Nice Brug. During spring, I purchasedd a small variegated Brug. It's in the ground, but will soon be dug up and potted. 'I've done this once before.'

If you haven't dug up a Brug, or have and know, the roots are huge, right? What size pot will you transplant in? Is breaking roots a shock to roots?

Fenium..yours is one beautiful flower. Never saw anything quite like it. Is Magnolia Cocco a relative of Magnolia?

OG. I LOVE your BRug..flowers are amazing. Is the plant pictured the one you pruned to one stem? I want my Brug to look like a standard tree, too. What do I do to get my bushy Brug shaped as a standard? Wish I knew how grafting was done, but can't figure it out. I've tried several times, but failed.
So, what other options do I have? Is yours potted in a large container? Thanks, Toni

We want pics! Laugh.

Toni,

I live in eastern OK. It can get really humid. Tulsa is actually in a portion called 'Green Country' but with climate change we might be growing cactus and succulents soon. Laugh.

As for brugs I'll be cutting back the top portions and trying to dig up as big a root ball as my back can handle and also what will fit in my largest size pot.
They're tough plants so I wouldn't worry about it.
This spring I did some root pruning on an old brug that's been growing in pots for years.
I decided to do an experiment and place some of the cut roots in a pot to see if they'd sprout new plants...they did! So yet another way to propagate them (besides just sticking a branch in a glass of water). :)

-Robert

-Robert

Who's sick of seeing my pics?
We need more pictures, people! Laugh.

-Robert

No wonder you have so many beautiful tropicals. When I think of OK, what comes to mind is sand, mountains, red sunset and dry air. lol.

I love looking at pics, so please keep posting. Your Ag looks great..Hope mine blooms soon.
Is it the one you got on Amazon? It really grew.

Do you prune your Brug from the top or bottom? I want my Brug shapped like a standard tree, not a bush. Don't have room for bushes.

I planted this Brug early summer. It stood about a foot, with little foliage.

Problem is it hasn't bloomed. boo hoo. Do they have to be a certain age before flowers set?

I once got a 7" Brug before and planted in the ground..By autumn it was a tree. I potted in a 22" container, had it for years. But, because I have birds, and found out it was toxic, I ended up tossing it.
However, after years of collecting plants, I discovered most of my plants were poisonous, so will take the chance.
My birds are free to fly when I'm home which is most of the time, 'until bed or when I go out,' but normally stay in two rooms. Nowhere plants are kept.

About Datura..that plant is a weed here. Oh God, they're everywhere..lol.
I bought one many years ago. .10 in a Dixie cup. I was told it was an annual, and figured it'd die back once winter came. It died, but the following year, Datura was everywhere. The seeds are big. Guess they open, drop seeds, and spread wherever.
I do not like their smell..it's bitter..Huge white flowers open at night...they're beautiful, but have taken over. They grow large, too.

Here's one..I didn't plant it in this spot..now there are over 30 growing. Because I've been sick, I haven't taken care of the garden, so Datura and weeds are everywhere.

See how the Datura took over covering Coleus? What a disaster! lol.
Hummingbird Vine is another problem. It's taking over. I keep plucking, but plants double, tripple, etc. How does one rid these plants? Without using chemicals.

Fenius..What happens to your Brugs? Why do they die? They are Spider Mite magnets, so during winter, once heat is on, it's best keeping Brugs in a cooler room and sprayed often. Toni

Toni,

Yes. This is the Aglaia I got off Amazon. It has grown huge! I need to stake it since it's top heavy and flops over.

As for brugs they typically flower when they develop the 'Y' branching that OG talked about. They also flower when it's cooler outside which typically is spring and fall for most people. If you want a standard then you just select the thickest stem and strip the lower leaves and cut off any shoots that sprout from the base. I personally like having three stems (I get more blooms that way).
I like the variegated leaves of yours. Hopefully it will bloom next year for you.

Sorry you don't like the scent of your datura (there are many different species) and I totally agree that they can be very weedy but some do have glorious scents! :)

-Robert

BTW, do you have a new pic of your Aglaia? So, the entire plant shows.

I haven't checked the Brug branch, but will when I go outside. Thanks.
I believe there's only one trunk, so don't have to worry about dividing or cutting.

Robert, one problem keeping a plant bushy instead of standard is space. Well, lack of. Something my house is running out of. lol.

I didn't know there were different Datura species..I've only seen one, which is the plant I have..
Flowers are beautiful, but they too have a bitter smell.
Do you know if other species are only hardy to high zones? 8-10.

Don't know if it's the picture, but your Datura flower looks waxy..is it? Very nice.

OG, your Datura is doing fantastic. I scrolled up and found yours sitting on a step. How is it over-wintered?

BTW, does anyone know the lowest temps Brugmansia can tolerate before freezing? Thanks, Toni

Don't know your datura questions. Do a web search. You'll find lots of info.
I think the doubles are not as weedy but I could be wrong. I know the double purple and yellow ones are beautiful!

Here's the requested pic of my big Chinese Perfume Plant. It's almost 4ft tall and 3ft wide. Finding room inside for this one in the winter will be a challenge to say the least!

-Robert

My Goodness, Robert, your Chinese Perfume Plant is huge!! I thought it big when you first posted, but it's now a monster..Yes, going to be fun finding room for this plant. It's beautiful.

What size is the pot?

During winter, how much sun will it get? What type of fertilizer do you use?
Well, I'm impressed..hope, 'one day' my plant looks half as nice as yours..Toni

It's actually too huge! Definitely too large for the pot it's in.

I believe it's growing in a 10" terracotta Azalea pot. It's growing in the filtered light underneath the arbor. It's way too top heavy though and easily blows over. Gonna have to find a bigger pot and figure out how to stake it to keep it upright in the high winds we tend to get here.
For fertilizer I used a small amount of slow release Dynamite in the soil but not too much since Logee's site states too much fertilizer can cause root issues. I gave it some liquid fertilizer (Dyna-Gro Grow) every couple of weeks (once again reduced amount as Logee's site recommends).
I think it grew like a weed in the fast draining 5:1:1 mixture that I let dry between waterings and thanks to all the filtered sun I gave it. :)
Inside during winter I would try to give it as much sun as possible. I don't plan on fertilizing during winter unless it shows signs of new growth and then I will only lightly fertilize.

Good luck!

-Robert

I am pretty sure, I have more plants than are blooming... ooh, yes, my Kumquats is blooming again. so does Meyer, and Budda'a hand. My yard is filled with fragrance of citrus blossom

here is someone who keep my plants bug free

here is what happy after the bloom...Fruit!

Hope this will not be multi-posted. :(

Robert, isn't Terra-cotta heavy, like clay?

Well, whatever you've done, and/or the amount of fertilizer, your Chinese Perfume really grew. A true beauty.

Will you repot now or in spring? Late winter - spring is probably the best time to pot, since plants send out new growth, and roots, when days are longer and warm, but to be truthful, I've repotted in mid-winter, though I never advise doing so to others.

I have to repot a few plants before bringing them in. We've had really windy days...a few pots fell and cracked, some last night. It was so windy that wooshing sound seeped through partially opened windows. The house shook when strong winds blew. It was a tad scary.

OG. Wow, deja vu. lol.
I notice posts have been duplicating lately. Think it started when GW updated.

Your plants are doing fantastic. I love all but the SPIDER. He/she would have to go..lol. I hate spiders!

Is the last a Pomegranate? It's doing great. Your Kumquat has a ton of blooms..gotta love citrus.

You have a Budha's Hand? Does it ever fruit? BH is one plant I cannot keep. I've been awaiting FL's citrus ban to end, order a BH once more.
Do you make sweets from the fruit?

I love your Jasmine. The new bud is soooo purple. Bet your yard smells like sweet heaven.

Plants are so beautiful and rewarding. Toni

I checked weather today, it currently said we are going to have night temperature to lower 40 and upper 30 this weekend. Winter is near certainly.

My newly "sined " Jasmine are all doing OK. The tree Jasmine and the orange Jasmine does not grow much ,but both look healthy; My French Perfume Jasmine and J. Tortuosum are both flowering or having flower buds. I start to adore the sinfull scent of French Perfume Jasmine, it grows on me for sure.

My citrus are mostly doing well too. Meyer has fruits size of big lime hanging on the tree and a lot of flowers. I keep picking off all the baby fruits. My tree is too young to bear too many fruits.. try to conserve some energy to grow the tree. Kumquats are the easiest citrus one can grow. One of mine bloomed in early summer and has fruits, lot of fruits on the tree. Another always blooms this time of the year. tons of sweet little white flowers that perfume the entire area. Budda's handd can bear fruits here easily.... It took a while for me to figure this out. When it is ready to fruit, no extra effect is needed, it will bear many large fruits, but when it is not ready, then no matter what you try, it won't bear... We must follow the mother nature.
BTW, you don't have to order it from FL. I got mine from OneGreen Tree. It was a large, grafted tree when I got it. Well worthy the money. Slice thin piece of BH fruit and put in a cup of hot tea. Its aroma instantly transfers the hot tea into something smoothing, something that you love to indulge, and something really unique.

That little guy on the picture above is a friend... He is light green color and somewhat transparent. Maybe he is still a baby. I have never noticed him til this morning. He is guarding leaves of my trees... a keeper.
here is another nature way of solve pests problem... this case is on the tomato vine.

I wrote a post earlier and it was not posted... You see, I am having both multi posting and not posting problem. I wish I can find way to resolve it to save everyone's time. At this moment, I can't do anythign about it.

Your cat sounds funny. They're so smart..He/she figures, better stay away from windows..lol.
I love cats, but we have 4 birds, and it's safer not to have a cat, even though we had our last cat, 17-yrs, before he went to kitty heaven.

When you say Orange Jasmine, do you mean Murraya? Here's a pic of mine Orange Jasmine/Murraya in bloom.

Are they the same plant? Got my Murraya locally, at Osco's Drugstore in 1999. Paid 20.00.

Yep, Kumquats are the easiest of Citrus. Lemons are pretty care-free, too. I have a Navel Orange, but summers aren't long enough so the fruit doesn't get as big as store-bought types. lol.

I'll check out One Green Tree. The thing is two citrus nurseries I order from in Fl send 3', grafted trees for 15.00-20.00 each. Shipping is 10.00 for one tree, or 15.00 for two. They send the nicest plants. Think the ban started 2005/6..That was the last time I ordered a Citrus.

I ordered from 4-Winds twice, was disappointed. They threw bare-root trees in a paper bag. Hardly any roots and no foliage. Citrus died within a week. Never again.

OG, I give up..lol..What am I looking for in the picture? lol. Also, what are the white things on your plant? They look like Tic-Tacs. lol.

Don't worry about double/multi-posting. It's happening a lot recently.
I have more problems w/ads. They're a pain. My computer isn't the fastest around; ads slows it down more.

I pray the weather turns warmer..this cold is a nightmare.

Toni, my orange Jasmine is the same as yours, except , yours is much bigger. How do you winterize your orange Jasmine? Do you let it go dormant, or let it continue grow? Mine isn't doing much growing at all.

Robert, that plumeria is very tempting... I might get couple of it next year. My Hedychium coronarium had never grown beyond 2" tall for some reason. It seems had some kind of leave rot... It is done for the year now. Hope it survives till next year so I can figure out what I did wrong to this poor plant. I was in a nursery couple weeks ago and saw it can grow very tall and large, about 5-7' and the flowers smelled very , very good to my nose, kind of Jasmine plus buttery fragrance, plus a hint of coconut... very smooth.

your 'Fudingzhu' has very nice blossoms. I was surfing Chinese sweet Olive supplier in China, there are many different types, monthly bloom, 4 season bloom, red color, golden color, silver color(white), etc. a lot more than I knew. My golden colored Sweet Autumn usually has heavy bloom in winter time which is very nice to sweeten up the winter air. If you like the scent of Fudingzhu, you will love the scent of golden color sweet olive. The golden one has stronger scent than Fudingzhu.

All three of your plants are fantastic. Their flowers gorgeous.
Are they in pots or in-ground? Are they placed indoors for winter?

I didn't know Osmanthus got that big.

Robert, how do you winterize your Plumerias? Do you remove leaves and keep canes bare in paper or keep in pots? Or in the garden?

I have two, started from canes the end of last winter/spring. Don't know if I should unpot or let them be.

Almost Eden sends very very nice plants. John and Bonnie are sweethearts and so helpful.

Hi OG. Usually, my Murraya stays in the upstairs bedroom, south window..It blooms throughout winter. The only problem is finding faded flowers everywhere, but not a biggie to me. lol.

Oleanders are beautiful, but I tossed my tree when I found they were were so toxic..Worried about birds flying in the room, 'which doesn't happen often,' and nibbling. But they're very nice plants.

I once read Oleanders prefer clay soil. So, I thought, hmm, where do I find clay soil? A friend has a summer home in WI..she said the soil is very clay there. I asked her if it was a problem bringing a bag of clay back..she did..my Oleander was then potted in very clay..did wonderful...until I threw it out. Sad story. (:

I didn't know there were different Osmanthus. Maybe those I've seen were smaller varieties. Robert's is big.

I hope you post pics of your oleander when it blooms! :)
As for osmanthus I've read the golden ones are more fragrant however they only bloom in the fall. I chose 'Fudingzhu' for its extended bloom period.

Toni,

Thank you!

All my plumerias are in pots as is my osmanthus. The white ginger is in the ground (that's why it's growing so vigorously). :)

As for what I do with my plumerias in the winter- I let the leaves drop of the trees (if they don't drop I'll cut them off and let the attatched leave stems naturally drop off the branches).
I then leave them in their pots and stash them down in the basement and then bring them back up come spring. No paper sacks or anything like that. :)

Now I know people out there have some gorgeous blooms that they'd like to share photos of...right? ;)

I'm waiting for my Brunfelsia 'Isola' to open its flower buds.
I'll post pics and let everyone know what I think of its scent if/when it happens. :)

-Robert

Grows, but never bloomed.

While your Plumerias are in the basement, are they watered? No problem with spider mites? Any light?

One Plumeria cane came from HI, cost 1.00. lol. It's a sin posting a picture...please don't laugh.
The second Plumeria, called Arrow, was shipped from Thailand. It's grafted. Supposed to be variegated, but guess it didn't get enough sun this summer. Don't know why but neither were summered outside..too late now, too cold.

Cane from HI.

Would have to snap a new pic, but the cane has 3, .75" leaves on top..Remember, don't laugh.

Arrow from Thailand.

The latter pic was taken in July...a few more leaves have grown, definately not a show plant..no variegation for one, and worse, NO blooms.

Robert, only know one Brunsfelsia..The one called Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, where flowers change colors. White, to pink to purple, something like that.
Is that the Brunsfelia you have?
Brugsfelias are so very fragrant, scent is wonderful.

One problem planting in-ground. The last four years, IL has been bombarded with ants. They're everywhere. I'm sure ants/eggs are in soil of plants potted outdoors, but what can I do?

Would planting directly in-ground collect more ants/spiders/earwigs than potted plants? Thanks.

Since I don't know which hedychiums you are growing I can't answer your questions.
I grow my Hedychium coronarium in full sun. It does wilt a bit but as long as I keep the water coming it's fine. :)
Your variegated ginger doesn't have fragrant flowers (and like you pointed out rarely flowers) and is grown for its leaves so you're doing everything okay as I pointed out on another thread.

I don't water my plumerias when they are dormant and I don't have any spider mite problems since there are no leaves for the little boogers to suck.
Light is not required.

Here's the link I sent you before about storing them in winter-

http://www.theplumeriasociety.org/spps/ahpg.cfm?spgid=31

Your plumeria from Hawaii looks healthy! It seems firm and not squishy.
It should be fine.
Bring it outside next year when it's warm enough and grow it in as much sun as you can give it.

Your Arrow plumeria looks like Plumeria pudica. It has pretty white flowers however they have no scent.

There are many species of brunfelsia. I think at least three go by the common name yesterday-today-and-tomorrow (Brunfelsia australis, B. pauciflora and B. grandiflora).
Some have a scent and some don't.

Then you have the white brunfelsias which definitely have a scent like B. nitida, B. gigantea, B. jamaicensis, B. 'Isola', etc.

A google search will give you tons of info! :)

I don't have problems with ants so check online!

-Robert

How I acquired Hedychiums. I placed an order w/an Ebay seller for a different 'variegated' plant. Normally, this seller shipped good-sized, healthy plants.
When the shipment arrived, he sent the plant I ordered, but it was a tiny seedling..nothing like the plant in the picture--not even close. I guess he felt guilty or whatever and threw in the Hedychium.
Because our summers are short, most Gingers don't have enough time to flower.

As usual w/this seller, a tag wasn't included, so I have no idea which variety it is.
However, when it's outside during summer it gets quite a bit of south, east north and a little west light.

The variegated Gingers leaves are highly fragrant. Walk past and the scent hits you. Rub finger and thumb against a leaf, the scent is striking.
It definately needs dividing..it's getting too heavy to lift, and I'm certain it's rootbound.

Thanks for the Plumeria link. Think I read it before, but didn't notice questions on the side of the page. One in particular answered my question about autumn/winter dormancy.
I've decided, after leaves die back, it will be taken out of soil and placed in darkness. Come spring, will see how it worked out.

How disappointing Arrow Plumeria flower are w/o scent. Darn. Well, I really purchased because of leaf shape and colors. Still, I expected fragrance..

Plumeria could be Pudica. I Googled but pictures are mostly of white flowers w/o variegation. The photo on Ebay was striking. Full and vividly variegated..Leaf tips looked exactly like an arrow, hence its name.

LOL, too many common names for different plants.
There used to be an online nursery, Mellinger's. I miss that nursery..anyway, in the early 90's I bought my one and only Brunsfelsia from Mellinger's. It bloomed more in winter, flowers changed colors. It lived about 4 years, then something went wrong..it passed away.
Can't recall the species but flowers were fragrant. Scent was similar to MOO/Maid of Orleans.

Robert, I've seached ants on every site possible. lol. I've tried every organic mix around, but there are just too many.
Don't like using poisons, but finally bought ant baits which work, but need changing more than the instructions say, which is every three months.

Vinegar kills ants on contact. I did something that may be foolish, but felt necessary. Last weekend, I vinegar'd every single plant. 2 TBLS per gallon of water..soaked soil per plant 'outdoors.' So far, no problem, but who knows what will happen in a few wks/months. It may or may not make a difference. I will also purhase several baits and place in areas plants will soon be placed, where dog and birds cannot possibly get.

Robert, thanks for your advice and posting pics of your gorgeous plants.
You have the greenest of thumbs... :) Very impressive.

Thanks, Toni

You are too kind. I assure you that I've killed many a plant which is to my benefit since I continue to acquire more. Laugh.

I think the common name of your 'Arrow' plumeria is Golden Arrow and it is Plumeria pudica with no scent. Sorry. :(
They do have cool leaves though.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lopaka/2620617882/

http://www.frangipanifarm.com.au/images/collector-varieties/popups/ver igated-pudica.jpg

-Robert

Who hasn't killed a plant or two or three? Especially, when first starting out and no knowledge whatsoever.
Even these days, I lose plants.

Ever hear of a Tacca/Bat Plant? It's lovely, beautiful black or white flowers, but I know it'd never grow in our house. Too dry for one. So, there's a limit. I wonder if Aglaia will make it this winter.

Oh yes, the plants in both links are definately my Plumeria. Only a LOT nicer...:) Color, shapes and flowers are absolutely something! Thanks for sending links.

Have a wonderful weekend, and thanks for your help. Toni