Gardening in Fuerteventura

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Was delighted to spot a seed pod on my indoor Stephanotis today. Quite amazing that a flower got pollinated as I have insect screens on all doors and windows and rarely get any insects indoors.



and has anyone got any idea what these are? Small thread like structures with white blobs on the end!

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Today it's the turn of Poinsettias.

I have a shrubby poinsettia that I grew from cutting a few years back. It's about 2m tall now and I cut it back to 1m each February. The red bracts have really started to show in the last couple of weeks. By Christmas they will big mop heads of colour.



In Fuerte, as in the UK, many shops will be selling potted poinsettias as Christmas decoration. I had one last year, and was given 2 more to experiment with in the New Year. Around February I pruned them slightly and placed them in a shade frame outdoors. 2 survived this and went on to be planted in my raised beds. 1 survived this and is very happy:

It has stood up to the gales of the last few days very well.

The biggest problem I have found with these plants indoors is whitefly who leave a sticky deposit which attracts black mould. Spraying top and bottom of leaves with well diluted washing up liquid seems to do as well as anything for clearing some of the little pests. I'm going to try a nicotine wash this year if I get the problem again.

Where I lived in the UK there was a poinsettia breeder who opened his greenhouses to the public at this time of year for a weekend charity fundraiser - the sheer volume of colour was amazing! If you are in East Kent look up Summerfield Nursery.

from wiki:
Euphorbia pulcherrima is a shrub or small tree, typically reaching a height of 0.6–4 metres (2–13 ft). The plant bears dark green dentate leaves that measure 7–16 centimetres (2.8–6.3 in) in length. The colored bracts—which are most often flaming red but can be orange, pale green, cream, pink, white, or marbled—are often mistaken for flower petals because of their groupings and colors, but are actually leaves. The colors of the bracts are created through photoperiodism, meaning that they require darkness (12 hours at a time for at least five days in a row) to change color. At the same time, the plants require abundant light during the day for the brightest color.
The flowers of the poinsettia are unassuming and do not attract pollinators. They are grouped within small yellow structures found in the center of each leaf bunch, and are called cyathia.
The poinsettia is native to Mexico. It is found in the wild in deciduous tropical forests at moderate elevations from southern Sinaloa down the entire Pacific coast of Mexico to Chiapas and Guatemala. It is also found in the interior in the hot, seasonally dry forests of Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Reports of E. pulcherrima growing in the wild in Nicaragua and Costa Rica have yet to be confirmed by botanists.

[Tardis]

These little bees on our Milkweed are only about 4mm long.  It looks as if they have a drop of nectar, water, or something else in their mouths.  You can see refraction.  Any suggestions?

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

No idea what they are but superb pictures and cute little bees!

[Gone Fishing]

Possibly a sand wasp (Bembix) also know as a digging bee just for confusion

They do take nectar from flowers

[Tardis]

Has anyone had any success setting up a pond?  

We’ve been trying, but the poor quality of the tap water eventually kills plants and fish.  Is it possible to buy an additive here to neutralise the water?

[Tardis]

Has anyone had any success setting up a pond?  

We’ve been trying, but the poor quality of the tap water eventually kills plants and fish.  Is it possible to buy an additive here to neutralise the water?

This blog could be useful: windmill-fuerteventura.com If it's the first time you're on the blog, make time and read their whole journey. Fascinating  

Thank you Sam.  It's very a interesting blog.

[Tardis]

We recently had a new generation of Monarchs emerging from chrysalises.

Within a day, they were mating and laying eggs.  One of them mistook a green moth for a leaf, and laid an egg on one of the moth’s wings!

[OMR + MIN]

Congratulations Tardis! So late in the season too.

Great pics as always. Thanks. 

[Emmi Smith]

I have a pond which came with the house when bought, so I had no hand in setting it up. I have guppies in it and reeds and have no issues with it. It gets topped up with regular water and eight years on it is thriving.  Every so often when the  reeds  die off, I just cut them back and within a week or two lots of fresh green shoots appear. It is also in full sun for most of the day.