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daniellalell

Esperanza indoors..help plz?

daniellalell
16 years ago

I brought in my Esperanza since the nights are getting colder now. I would love to keep it going all winter and not force it into dormancy. I have it at a window where it recieves light all day, direct for a few hours in the afternoon. It has gotten a couple flowers since I brought it in and only dropped about 5 leaves. I am wondering if I can cut it back a lil bit so it can fit better in front of the window it is sharing with another plant. If so, how can I do this..where should I cut? Do you think it will bloom inside after that? Here is a pic, I moved it away from the window a lil to take the pic..



Thanks,

Daniella

Comments (10)

  • bearstate
    16 years ago

    I assume you can prune it as you wish.

    It looks like you actually have 3 plants growing there.

    Are the others your propogated stems?

  • daniellalell
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Actually there are 6 coming out of the soil in this pot, I didn't propagate any of those. In the spring I will re-pot before it goes back outside. My propagations (is that a real word? lol) are in other pots and are still quite small. It was very easy to root them in plain water on my kitchen windowsill.
    I am just so scared that if I cut them in any old place they will die. I need to know exactly how to do it.

  • bearstate
    16 years ago

    Daniella!!!

    From your other post, I am following your advice to try and propogate my Esperanza. Yes, propogation is a real word. I suppose if you want to refer to the plants that you propogate with that word, they would be propogates, but most folks call them cuttings.

    Anyway, I took cuttings from my Esperanza's lower leaf offshoots and put them in a paper cup with water and some root stimulant added. This is now sitting under a bio-lamp. I hope it works.

    It is interesting that your original Tecoma is putting up new plants from its root base, kinda like Canna and Banana do. That's encouraging that there is yet another way to propogate Esperanza. I'd like to get a number of clones from the one plant I have as I have a number of places I can plant them outdoors once they get going.

  • sputnikfarm
    16 years ago

    It looks really healthy! If you don't want to prune it, maybe pull all the trunks and branches closer together and tie it up for the winter.

  • daniellalell
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Bearstate, good luck with your cuttings! Mine took a few weeks, and all got roots and are doing well in their pots.
    I suggest you use glass though, so you can see what's going on. Another thing I learned was that they rooted faster if I didnt change the water. When I did change the water with other cuttings it took way longer for them to root.
    Unfortunately, the mama has developed some yellow leaves at the bottom today that are starting to brown. I don't know if I should have done this, but when I showered this morn I brought the esperanza in the bathroom with me for the steam. I thought she'd enjoy it..was a lil crowded with the ferns and esperanza in there, lol. I'm wondering if thats the cause for the yellow leaves at the bottom now? It happened so quick! Maybe it's just a coincidence.

    Holedigger,
    Thank you. I do want to prune it though. I thought about tying them together so she fits in the window better, but they are too stiff, they feel like they will break. Plus, I wanna make sure it all gets the proper air circulation.

    Daniella

  • bearstate
    16 years ago

    I would have never thought to give my tropicals a nice steamy time in the shower. LOL.

    My Tecoma's bottom leaves are reddening, but I think it's a reaction to the cold and the season.

    Tecomas aren't necessarily steamy tropical. They may grow perhaps, high up in the Andes in Peru, Equador, Chile and Columbia. There, their environment might be more foggy than steamy, in the high mountain cloud forests.

    You gotta watch that sort of thing. The word 'Tropical' doesn't always mean Amazon Basin steamy swamp type stuff.

  • daniellalell
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    I know, lol..I just thought maybe it would make her happy. Well, I won't do that again!
    Reddening leaves? ooh, I havent seen that..is it normal? Definately sounds better then mine yellowing though!
    Do you mist yours? I do mine..maybe I shouldn't? maybe a cool mist humidifier? It's very dry in my house.

  • sputnikfarm
    16 years ago

    I have no experience with this plant indoors, but my tree guy just cut the Tecoma that I use for a screen on the back fence. He whacked it from 12'w x 12'h with a severity that looked like plant abuse. That was 2 weeks ago, and it is leafing out already. This, all from a 5 gal. planted 3 years ago. I typically hard prune for shape 8x a year, very hard, and it always comes back lush and healthy.

  • bearstate
    16 years ago

    It should be a very durable plant once it gets going. I lost all but one of mine when they were seedlings.

    I don't think all that misting and other extra attention is necessary. Just water it occasionally.

  • daniellalell
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Well, I took the plunge and pruned today..I was so nervous, lol. I didn't cut too much off. We'll see in a few days if I killed her or not. Just in case, I took some more cuttings off of what I pruned off...about 20 I think. They are sitting on my windowsill in the kitchen, same as the others did.
    I read somewhere online today that you are only supposed to cut down to the green wood..that didn't leave me much to cut off.