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Calabash NC News

Nov 9, 2019

Tropical Gardening: People Plant Road Show features airplants to bamboo - Hawaii Tribune-Herald (subscription)

Rough barked trees such as paperbark, monkeypod, calabash and African tulip are usually best. The epiphytic ferns and cacti also can be grown in pots or on trees. The secret of success is to be sure they have good drainage. Fertilize lightly every 2-3 months to keep plants in active growth. But if plants are attached to trees, this is not required. Several brands of orchid fertilizer are available. They are satisfactory for other air plants as well. These are specially formulated, and when used according to directions they will give excellent results. Disease and insect problems are few. If they do occur, our local garden supply dealers have fungicides and insecticides to quickly control the situation. Give the air plants a try in your garden. Start with easy types such as bromeliads like Tillandias, Billbergias, and Aechmeas. Staghorn and resurrection ferns are easy. Dendrobiums, Epidendrum and Oncidium orchids will thrive on a minimum of care. From there, go to the more exotic cattleya and moth orchids. Local nurserymen can give you quite a few ideas on the types to grow and ways to grow them. Bromeliads, cactus and succulents can do with very little water or fertilizer. Ferns and orchids should be watered every few days and fertilized about once a month. Some folks worry that insects might breed in the center of bromeliads, especially mosquitoes. These insects can be more than a nuisance since they can be vectors for dengue fever and other diseases. That’s why natural insect control with lizards, amphibians and birds makes good sense. It also makes the garden more interesting. Anole lizards, Jackson’s chameleons, geckos (especially the gold dust day gecko) and frogs add to the tropical magic of our gardens. Many common birds feed on insects, so including a bird feeder in the garden to attract them also adds benefit and beauty. To keep your bromeliads free of mosquitoes, use a biological control that kills only the larvae. The tongue twister name is Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis. The easiest is granule form and sprinkling a few grains in the center every few weeks to eliminate those pesky buggers. ADVERTISING Flushing with water every two weeks or using natural insecticides such as neem will also help keep your garden free of mosquitoes. For more information, contact the UHCTAHR Master Gardeners at 322-4893 in Kona or 981-5199 in Hilo. Share this story ...

May 7, 2017

Orchids make classy Mother's Day gifts

You can minimize orchid care by attaching orchids to a tree like plumeria or calabash. That way you can have dozens of blooming orchids even in a small garden. Other epiphytes, like staghorn ferns, bromeliads and some vireya rhododendrons, may be incorporated to create air gardens.Many more rare and interesting species will be available at next weekend’s Mother’s Day Orchid Show and Sale, along with expert orchid enthusiasts to answer your gardening questions. (West Hawaii Today)

Oct 28, 2015

Busy planting season starts now

The hard, tough wood is valued in tropical Asia for cabinet wood and boats, and formerly in Hawaii for calabashes. Some other trees available are the bay rum, kou, milo, and Norfolk pine. The bay rum, Pimenta racemosa, is from the West Indies and Northern South America. The fruit is about 1/3 inch in diameter. The leaves yield an oil from which perfume and bay rum are prepared. This is a medium-sized, slow-growing tree that will do well in a dryer climate with good drainage. The kou, Cordia subcordata, is indigenous or possibly an early Polynesian introduction. This tree grows to 30 feet or more in height and 3 feet in diameter, with a dense, wide spreading crown. The flowers are orange colored and the wood has good qualities and workability. This tree never became part of a large forest stand in Hawaii. It is often planted for its shade and this tree probably prefers a drier climate. It appears to tolerate some salt spray. Milo, Tespesia populnea, is also indigenous or possibly an early Polynesian introduction. It is not a forest tree but grown, quite often, as a shade tree around houses. Many small groves can be found near beaches. It is a large sprawling, many branched tree. It grows to 40 feet in height. The wood has good characteristics. It has low shrinkage, easy to work with, takes a high polish and is highly prized by bowl makers. The Norfolk Island pine, Araucaria excelsa, is a handsome, columnar, cone-shaped tree with flat lateral branches in whorls spaced at regular intervals. Growth is rapid for the first three to four years. It responds to heavy fertilization when grown in poor soil. This species does very well up to 3,000 feet elevation. It is very drought resistant and salt tolerant. It can be planted by itself or as a windbreak row, spaced 10 to 15 feet apart in the row and between rows. Propagation is by seed or terminal cuttings. This tree may grow up to 100 feet tall and spread to 30 feet wide so make sure you have plenty of room. It is used as a Christmas tree in Hawaii. For trees in scale with the smaller gardens, visit area nurseries. There are many spectacular native and exotic trees from which to choose. ... (West Hawaii Today)