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16th Issue Vol. 3 No. 01 ISSN 2094-1765 January 2010

Growing Gerbera or African Daisyby Norberto Bautista

One popular flowering plantbeing sold nowadays in potsor as a cut-flower is theAfrican Daisy. Scientificallycalled Gerbera jamesoniiBolus, it originated fromTransvaal Africa. It is alsoknown as Transvaal daisy inthe World Market. Othercountries which produceAfrican Daisy includesCanada, Italy, theNetherlands, Switzerland,United Kingdom, and theGerman Federal Republic.In the Philippines, Gerberaare usually produced inCavite and Tanay Rizal.The genus was named inhonor of Traug Gerber, aGerman naturalist whotraveled in Russia. There areabout 70 species of Gerberabut only a few are grownaround the world. Thesespecies are distinguishedfrom each other by the colorof their flowers and the shapeand texture of their leaves.

African daisies are lowgrowing perennials. Theirflowers come in red, orange,yellow, cream and pink, fromleafless stems which cangrow 18 inches long. Theirpetioled leaves, which can beentire or lobed, arise from ornear the roots. It haspinnately-lobed leaves, whichhas a very wooly underside.Flower heads are solitary andcontain many flowers.

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What is nice with these plants is that they flower all-year round, and they can be induced to flowerunder controlled greenhouse conditions. Most of the cultivated hybrids nowadays are hybridsbetween G. jamesonii and G. viridifolia, which makes them ideal for the cut-flower industry.

Cultural Requirements.

Light. African daisies can be grown in full sun, with good flower production. It was observed thatphotoperiod influences lateral shoot and flower production, wherein lateral shoot and flowerproduction increased when Gerbera plants were grown in 8 hours day-length and temperature of17 degrees Celsius in the day and 13 degrees Celsius at night..

Watering. Watering in Gerbera is similar to that of most ornamental plants. Plants may bewatered frequently to make the potting medium moist at all times to avoid stress. Duringsummer, it may be necessary to water the beds or soil frequently. These plants are sensitive tovery salty water, thus, irrigation water needs to be checked particularly in areas near the sea.

Potting Mix. The plant requires a fertile and free draining potting mix similar to that of otherhouseplants. Use a potting mixture similar composed of equal ratio of garden soil, compost andcoconut coir dust. The plant can be directly planted in the soil and serves as a landscape plant,mostly placed along borders or beside pathways. They can also be planted in individual pots andinduced to flower, and to be given as gifts especially during Christmas.

Fertilization. For optimum production of flowers and healthy growth, plants maybe supplied witha balanced controlled release fertilizer once every 3 months. However, do not over fertilize,especially nitrogenous fertilizers, as it will inhibit flower production.

Controlling Pests and Diseases. Gerbera is often attacked by insects like leaf hoppers,bagworms, black leaf hoppers, cut worms, Tussock moths and long horned grasshoppers. Theycan be controlled by applying insecticides like Azodrin 202. One major disease which affectsGerbera is the Cercospora leafspot, which attacks the plant during summer months. The diseaseis carried by wind, rain and insects, and it starts as small individual circular spots in the leaves,

then becoming larger, purple toalmost black and irregular inshape. This spots causesblighting browning and drying ofleaves, and makes plant stuntedand thus produce smallerflowers. These can be controlledby fungicide spray, andcontrolling insect pests byinsecticide spray.

Propagation. Gerbera can bepropagated by seeds or bydivision of clumps. Flowers maybe pollinated during daytimeusually 3-4 days after the flowerhas opened as the stigmasbecome receptive at that time.The first signs of success maybe observed 12 days afterpollination when the capitulumenlarges. The fruits can beharvested when they aremature. Seeds can be sown ona pot with potting medium to

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germinate. Thinly cover the seeds with soil and place the pot in an area with partial shade.Seedlings can be transplanted when the are large enough. Seed propagated plants exhibits aone-year long juvenile phase, which will not flower for a year or more.

For asexual reproduction, division of clumps maybe done at the end of the rainy season.Individual suckers can be planted in pots containing a well-drained media. The single pottedsuckers needs to temporarily stay in partial shade for 2-3 months before they can be transplantedin the bed under full sun. Clumps are usually composed of about 2-4 suckers. Though this is aslow process, a much faster technique of propagation was developed, wherein a suitable plant iskept without water for three weeks. Its roots are then pruned and the sucker is planted in peatand held at 80% relative humidity at a temperature of 25-30 degrees Celsius. This methodproduces 30-50 buds per plant. At two- to three- leaf stage, the buds are severed from themother plant and treated with a rooting compound before they are planted to a sterile media.They will be ready for transplanting for about two to three months.

It is also possible to tissue culture these plant in the laboratory.

The Christmas Cactusby Norberto Bautista

The Christmas cactus , or scientifically known as Schlumbergera are < >. There are tworecognized species of Schlumbergera namely S. truncata, S. russelliana, however, most likely theplants that are grown as houseplants are hybrids.

The plant is given the name Christmas plant or Christmas cactus as they usually flower in thecool month of December or in winter as it is exposed to shorter photoperiod or daylength.

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In the wild, these jungle cacti inhabit moist tropical forests, where they grow in pockets of leafdebris in the clefs of tree branches, and they do best if indoor conditions approximate their naturalhabitat.

The plant is composed of a densely branching pendent stems with each stem characteristicallysegmented, green, flat, and thin. Each of the jointed segments are about 1.5 inches long and halfan inch wide, and has a prominent midrib. Minuscule areoles, some of which bear tiny bristles,are situated in notches along the edges of the segments. There is a bigger, elongated areoles atthe tip of the end segment of each stem where flowers arise.

The flower appearance are unusual for a cacti, as they are not symmetrical in shape butrather have different left and right halves, similar to snapdragons or pea flowers. Eachbloom is about 1 inch in diameter and 1.5 – 3.0 inches long. Individual flowers last for afew days, and a specimen with many buds may flower for several weeks.

Cultural Requirements.

Light. This cacti should never be exposed to direct sun, instead it is ideal to situate theplant in an area with medium light or partial shade, usually in eves of houses, receivingmorning or afternoon sunlight. Flowers usually starts appearing during December as theplant is exposed to short day length. Plants can also be induced to flower by placingthem in a dark room or cover budding plants with black plastic sheets 16 hours per day,and exposed to light 8 hours only. Once these cacti have begun to bud, do not keepthem in areas where there is artificial light in the evening.

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Watering. During floweringseason, water the plant everydayto keep the potting mediumthoroughly moist but do not allowpots to stand in water. However,after flowering season, reducewatering, enough to moisten thepotting mixture at each wateringbut allowing the top half inch ofthe soil to dry out before wateringagain. Resume plentiful wateringas soon as new stem growthstarts after a few months or insummer. There may also be aneed to mist-spray the plants toprovide humidity. Never let thepotting mixture to dry outcompletely. Schlumbergeradislikes hard water, especiallythose containing high calcium.

Fertilization. During flowering period and active growth, apply a potassium rich fertilizeronce a month to encourage flowering. Apply fertilizer throughout the year. A slowrelease fertilizer is ideal for this purpose.

Potting Medium. To prevent water logging, use a free-draining or porous potting mixcontaining equal proportions of garden soil, coarse sand and leaf compost. Plantsmaybe grown in ordinary pots or in hanging baskets. Repot plants every year once theyhave finished flowering. Move plants into a container one size larger only if roots havefilled the current one. Otherwise, shake off the spent potting mixture and replace theplant in its original container, which have been cleaned and added with fresh potting mix.These plants do not have an extensive root system, thus a pot size of 4 or 5 inches indiameter is sufficient.

Propagation. Schlumbergeras can easily be propagated through cuttings at any giventime. Remove a section of stem consisting of two or three joined segments and allowthe wound to dry for a few hours and push the bottom segment gently into a 3-inch potwith the recommended potting mix. Several cuttings can be inserted into a larger pot ifdesired. Treat cuttings are mature plants and they should start growing in 4 weeks.

These plants also produces seeds, as their flowers forms into berries with seeds whenpollinated. However, it will take about 3-4 years before the plant flowers.

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Growing Bangkok Kalachuchiby Norberto Bautista

Bangkok Kalachuchi or scientifically known as Adenium obesum is a popular flowering plant inthe family Apocynaceae. Adenium obesum is the only species belonging in this plant family andis also horticultural recognized in names like Sabi Star, Kudu or Desert-Rose. It is native totropical and subtropical eastern and southern Africa and Arabia. The plant was introduced andpopularized into the Philippines through Bangkok, Thailand, thus given the common nameBangkok Kalachuchi.

This plant is now widely cultivatedand hybridized, producing a vastvariety of different colored hybrids,both single and double flowered.Bangkok Kalachuchi is anevergreen succulent shrub,preferring tropical climates andusually behaves semi-deciduous todeciduous (it shed off its leaves) incolder climates, depending on thesubspecies or cultivar. It growsabout 1–3 meters in height, with apachycaul stem and a stout,swollen basal caudex. Plantcollectors prefer plants with caudexof particular shape, like that of a fatbellied man or Buddha. The leavesare spirally arranged, clustered

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toward the tips of the shoots, and leathery in texture. The flowers are tubular, 2–5 cm long, withthe outer portion 4–6 cm in diameter, with five petals, resembling those of other related generasuch as Plumeria and Nerium. Flower color ranges from white, cream, pink, maroon, red, lightgreen, and light blue.

Cultivation.

Light. Adenium is a popular houseplantboth in temperate and tropical regions. Itrequires a sunny location for the plant tocontinuously bear lots of flowers.

Watering. It thrives on a xeric wateringregime like that of a cacti. Thus, it isrecommended to water the plants onceevery 3 days, or as often as necessary,especially during very hot and windy days,and use well-draining potting mixture. It isrecommended that to protect plants underclear plastic during monsoon rains toprevent root rot.

Potting Technique. Heavy clay pots are the containers usually used for this plant, as it is top-heavy and would prevent the plant from tumbling down by strong winds. Anchor roots in fewpieces of rocks or gravel, before adding soil or potting mix. The potting mix is composed of a1:1:1 proportion of garden soil, river sand and compost. The potting mix needs to be freedraining as not to water log, as Adenium is susceptible to root rotting when subjected toprolonged water logged soils.

Fertilization. Adeniums will benefit from a regular supply of controlled release fertilizer, abouthalf teaspoon every 3 months, applied on the surface of the potting mix. With this, the plantreceives ample amount of nourishment whenever it is watered. Application of sufficient amountof organic fertilizers like decomposed chicken manure or leaf litter is also recommended.

Controlling Pests and Diseases. Adeniums have no serious insect pests, possibly because itssap is poisonous. The toxic sap which is used by some people, such as the Akie in Tanzania, tocoat arrow-tips for hunting.

Propagation. Adenium istypically propagated by seed orstem cuttings. Flowers areartificially pollinated using atoothpick in order to transferthe pollen into the stigma ofthe flower. Once pollinated, aseed capsule is produce at thelower part of the flower,containing numerous okra-likeseeds. Some hybrids arepropagated mainly by graftingscions into onto seedlingrootstock. While plants grownfrom seed are more likely tohave the swollen caudex at ayoung age, with time, manycutting-grown plants cannot bedistinguished from seedlings.

An Adenium seed pod containing seeds.

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Seeds are then harvested from mature seed pods and are sown in 5-6 inch pots with a pottingmixture composed of equal proportions of garden soil, sand and compost. Seedlings usuallygrow in 2-3 months, and needs to be planted individually to single 3 inch pots. Plants needs to beexposed sufficiently to sunlight to fully grow into mature plants.

Ornamental Pineapplesby Norberto Bautista

Members of the genus Ananasincludes the familiar edible pineappleas well as some plants grown indoorsfor their decorative foliage andattractive miniature red fruits. Thoughthe familiar edible pineapple is muchtoo big to become a houseplant, thereis a miniature variegated form,Ananas comosus variegates. It haschanneled and spiny leaves 1.5inches wide and 3 feet long. Theleaves are green with ivory-coloredmargins, but may turn deep pink ifgiven sufficient sunlight. The flowersare usually followed by a small pinkfruit above it, develops when the plantis about 6 years old. The plantsusually flower when they aresubjected to optimum ideal lightconditions and temperature outside,and they would not usually flowerindoors.

All of these plants are slow-growingand none has a regular rest period.

Light. All pineapple plants requirebright light, including direct sunlight.The sunnier the location, the strongerthe coloration of these species thathave variegated leaves.

Temperature. These plants require awarm or tropical growing temperature in order to grow properly and healthy.

Watering. Water plants moderately, enough to make the potting mixture moist throughout, butallowing the top half inch of the mixture to dry out before watering again. The plants also growswell when there is high relative humidity. This can be done by standing pots on a tray or saucerwith damp pebbles and also by occasional spraying the foliage.

Fertilization. These plants can be fertilized through its leaves by spraying a dilute balancedorchid fertilizer once every week throughout the year.

Potting Mixture. Ideal potting mixture for these plants includes an equal proportion of coconutcoir dust, and crushed charcoal.. Use 4, 6 or 8 inch pots for these plants. Do not use very big

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pots as the plants haverelatively little roots. It ispreferred to use clay pots aspineapple plants in plastic potsmay become top heavy andtopple over.

Controlling Pests andDiseases. Pineapple plantsusually does not have seriouspest and diseases problems.

Propagation. Pineappleplants can be satisfactorypropagated by means ofoffshoots, slips or offsets.

Offsets can be detached fromthe mother plant using a sharpknife, especially when theoffset is already 4-6 incheslong, and planted in a 3 inchpot containing the potting mixabove. The plant is thenwatered and the whole pottedplant needs to be placed andsealed inside a clear plasticbag to maintain high humidity,and placed in a slightly cooland shaded location. Theoffset will root in about 8weeks, and would not needany further watering during thatperiod. Once rooted, the offsetcan be brought out of theplastic bag and graduallytrained to adjust in partial to

open lighted condition. At this situation, the plant can be watered moderately, keeping the pottingmixture moist. The crown of the pineapple fruit can also be cut off and planted in a pot similar tothe offset.

Nelumbo nucifera, is known by anumber of names including Indianlotus, sacred lotus, bean of India,or simply lotus. It is an aquaticplant in the Nelumbonaceaefamily. Botanically, Nelumbonucifera (Gaertn.) may also bereferred to by its former names,Nelumbium speciosum (Wild.) orNymphaea nelumbo. This plant isan aquatic perennial. Underfavorable circumstances its seeds

The Lotus Flower

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may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from that ofseeds 1300 years old recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China.

A common misconception is referring to the lotusas a water-lily (Nymphaea), an entirely differentplant as can be seen from the centre of the flower,which clearly lacks the structure that goes on toform the distinctive circular seed pod in theNelumbo nucifera. It should also be noted thatwater-lilies come in various colors, whereas thelotus has flowers only in hues of pink, or white.

Native to Greater India and commonly cultivated inwater gardens, the lotus is the national flower ofIndia and Vietnam.

In Kolkata, West Bengal, India.The roots ofNelumbo nucifera are planted in the soil of thepond or river bottom, while the leaves float on topof the water surface. The flowers are usually foundon thick stems rising several centimeters abovethe water. The plant normally grows up to a heightof about 150 cm and a horizontal spread of up to 3meters, but some unverified reports place theheight as high as over 5 meters. The leaves may

be as large as 60 cm in diameter, while the showy flowers can be up to 20 cm in diameter.

Researchers report that the lotus has the remarkable ability to regulate the temperature of itsflowers to within a narrow range just as humans and other warmblooded animals do. Dr. Roger S.

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Seymour and Dr. Paul Schultze-Motel, physiologists at the University of Adelaide in Australia,found that lotus flowers blooming in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens maintained a temperature of86 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, even when the air temperature dropped to 50 degrees. Theysuspect the flowers may be turning up the heat for the benefit of their cold-blooded insectpollinators. The study, published in the journal Nature, is the latest discovery in the esoteric fieldof heat-producing plants. The very few other species known so far to be able to regulate theirtemperature include Skunk Cabbage and a Philodendron known as Elephant Ear.

The traditional Sacred Lotus is distantly related to Nymphaea caerulea, and possesses similarchemistry. Both Nymphaea caerulea and Nelumbo nucifera contain the alkaloids nuciferine andaporphine.

The Fruit of Nelumbonucifera; the driedseed cup is commonlyused in flowerarrangements. Boiled,sliced lotus roots usedin various Asiancuisine The distinctivedried seed heads,which resemble thespouts of wateringcansphoto, are widelysold throughout theworld for decorativepurposes and for driedflower arranging.

Fruit of Nelumbo nucifera; the dried seed cup is commonly used in flower arrangement.

The flowers, seeds, young leaves, and "roots" (rhizomes) are all edible. In Asia, the petals areused sometimes for garnish, while the large leaves are used as a wrap for food. In Korea, theleaves and petals are used as a tisane. Yeonkkotcha is made with dried petals of white lotus andyeonipcha is made with the leaves. The rhizome is used as a vegetable in soups, deep-fried, stir-fried, and braised dishes. Petals, leaves, and rhizome can also all be eaten raw, but there is arisk of parasite transmission (e.g., Fasciolopsis buski): it is therefore recommended that they becooked before eating.

Lotus rootlets are often pickled with rice vinegar, sugar, chili and/or garlic. It has a crunchy texturewith sweet-tangy flavours. In Asian cuisine, it is popular with salad, prawns, seasame oil and/orcoriander leaves.

Lotus roots have been found to be rich in dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium, thiamin, riboflavin,vitamin B6, phosphorus, copper, and manganese, while very low in saturated fat.

The stamens can be dried and made into a fragrant herbal tea called liánhuā cha in Chinese, or(particularly in Vietnam) used to impart a scent to tea leaves. The lotus seeds or nuts (calledliánzĭ, or xian liánzĭ, in Chinese) are quite versatile, and can be eaten raw or dried and poppedlike popcorn, phool makhana. They can also be boiled until soft and made into a paste, or boiledwith dried longans and rock sugar to make a tong sui (sweet soup). Combined with sugar, lotusseed paste becomes one of the most common ingredients used in pastries such as mooncakes,daifuku, and rice flour pudding. Various parts of the lotus are also used in traditional Asian herbalmedicine.

Uses

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The Urban Gardener is an official electronic publication (inPDF Format) of the Plant Biotechnology Project, Research &Development Center, Rizal Technological University, BoniAvenue, Mandaluyong City, Philippines. It is publishedmonthly. For more information, please inquire thru email:rdc_rtu@yahoo.com or plantbiotech_rtu@yahoo.com andlandline (+632) 534-8267 Local 135 or Fax (+632) 534-9710.

Edited by N.R. Bautista © January 2010

The Plant Biotechnology Project Committee is composedof: Alexander B. Quilang, Norberto R. Bautista, Jovita A.Anit & Carnette C. Pulma.

Boiled, sliced lotus roots used invarious Asian cuisine

Cultivation.

The Lotus may be grown in asmall container (about 10gallons capacity plastic basin,pail or wide mouth cement /clay jar) or be made tocolonize a pond.

Lotus plants are best exposedin bright light, in order to havevigorous growth and flowers.

Use clay soil for healthy growthof Lotus lilies. Clay from ricefields, from termite mounds orfrom bottom of ponds, is goodfor these purpose. As much aspossible, avoid soil with veryhigh organic matter in order to

prevent water molds from attacking the seeds or young plants.

A grower can use a plastic pale or basin, or better a wide cemented pot. Add about 3 inches ofclay soil and then fill it up with water. Seeds or young plants can be planted on the artificial pond.

The worst pest o the Lotus is the golden snail, which is also a pest in rice. They usually attackthe leaves, and can defoliate your plants in a matter of days. They can be controlled handpicking if they are only a few, or by snail baits. Thrips are also a problem usually during the endof summer, and they can be controlled through application of appropriate insecticides.

Lotus plants are easy to propagate since they produce seeds. Flowers become capsulescontaining seeds once they are pollinated. Seeds maybe wrapped in a ball of clay and seededinto the pond. Rice fields with trapped water or small artificial lakes are also good places whereLotus can be propagated commercially. Another way is to use a plastic pail or basin as acontainer. The seed will germinate faster if the tough seed coat is scarified by cutting a hole toallow water in. The seed is then planted in a shallow container with 4 to 6 inches of water abovethe soil. The first leaf normally appears in 7 to 10 days. Position the container in a sunnylocation.

Lotus Lilies are real good additions toponds, which provides white or pinkflowers. Ponds provide a natural look inthe garden, wherein fishes like koi,goldfishes or carps can also be added.Also, ponds provide added humidity inyour garden for sensitive plants to thrive.Ponds may also attract other interestinganimals in your garden like frogs,salamanders, butterflies and birds.