Gardening in Fuerteventura

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Really pleased with the enormous deep orange blooms on this hibiscus, purchased this year at Happy Plants. As a bonus the backs of the flowers are stripey!

 

[Johnrgby]

We have 10/12in pots, and the size of the plant seems to depend on the size of the pot we have a yellow one in a very large pot which is 1.25 metres tall and currently has 15/20 flowers on it, all 18/20 cm wide and never appears to stop producing new blooms.

[Pete Garyga]

My wife loves hibiscus plants and we were going to plant some at the front of our house but a neighbour warned us that they can be attacked with whitefly and need treating regularly.
Have you guys experienced this in Fuerteventura?

[Johnrgby]

Tamara is the expert on this subject and I am sure will reply ,but our experience is no we have had some aphids which were easily treated with a spray purchased at the garden centre in PR, they are after all a bush rather than a plant and IMHO are very hardy.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

The bottom line is that any plant here can, and probably will, be attacked by pest(s) of some sort. I have found hibiscus to be susceptible to black fly (more common here than the green variety) and cochineal. If you are in a position to give your shrubs a strong blast with a hose once a week you will probably keep most at bay without resorting to pesticides. Most pesticides sold here are not systemic - they have been banned in EU as they are detrimental to bees. Contact ones will need applying 2 or 3 times at a minimum of weekly intervals to catch all life stages. Neem oil in dilution with horticultural soap and water seems just as effective and slightly more green friendly.

But

A few weeks ago one of my large hibiscus (2.5m x 2.5m) was inundated with blackfly almost overnight. I was about to grab some pesticide when I noticed a couple of ladybirds on it. I decided to wait a week and see what happened. One week and I could see a lot of dead aphids and a lot of ladybird larvae! 3 weeks and it is just about clear. I am so glad I spotted the ladybirds and gave them a chance - there were probably more than the initial 2 I saw, hiding under leaves or around the back of the shrub.

If the plant is in a windy area of your garden it is unlikely to get a lot of whitefly. If it does, blast with the hose twice a day for a couple of days - should clear it. Or Neem treatment.

It's worth knowing as well that Hibiscus respond well to a severe pruning so if you do get a very bad attack of something - cut it right back and start again! (Don't do this until your plant is established though!)

Hope some of this helps 

I say if you like Hibiscus - go for it!

Just wish I could grow the blue flowered ones here like I had in UK ............ 

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

The daturas have bloomed all year - fantastic! I've bought some different seed to try for next year as well - see what colours I can get going.

 

 

[Gone Fishing]

Hi Tamara

Lovely blooms. I especially like the purple one.

Do you  freeze your seeds before sowing them?
I've read that this encourages germination once thawed out.

Our Brugmansias did well last summer and as we usually do, we have taken cuttings approx. 30cms long which we just leave upright in 10cms of water during the winter months. They send out roots in early spring before we pot them up as new plants.

With this winter being so mild (15 degrees today in Bristol) I'm anticipating the cuttings will have a head start next year.

     

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

I love your brug GF, reminds me of apple blossom 

I don't freeze my collected seeds, they germinate by themselves quite happily. I might try chilling some of the seeds I've bought though - I'll do 50/50 and see what results I get.

Any idea if these egg cases are from friend or foe?



and any idea what these are, hundreds on one of my oleanders:

[classic]

possibly wasp on the top one?

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

possibly wasp on the top one?

thanks Classic, but these are tiny.