Gardening in Fuerteventura

[Gone Fishing]

Hi Tamara

Have you tried growing a trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) in your gearden?

They can be invasive if not kept under control, but a good pruning back to 1m high once a year keeps ours in check here in the UK.

            

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Hi GF, good to hear from you. I had one in Corralejo that did well - it's on my list for this garden as well, next round of planting 😂
I'm shattered again today and I'm only supervising not doing the grafting! It's good practice for my Spanish 👍

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

I've had some interesting encounters in the garden over the last few days.

The first was quite sad though. I turned a pot on it's side to get rid of the picon mulch from the surface before taking the plant out of the pot and putting it in the ground. Out fell 2 tiny little eggs, about 1cm long, and of course they broke. Close inspection revealed them to be gecko eggs but they weren't ready to hatch.

The second was quite disgusting! Digging in to the pile of soil/cabra poo I came across something about the size of a finger but coiled up:
  
A quick WhatsApp to a friend who has been gardening here for years identified it as a Cutworm. Definitely a new one for me. 
From wiki:
Cutworms are moth larvae that hide under litter or soil during the day, coming out in the dark to feed on plants. A larva typically attacks the first part of the plant it encounters, namely the stem, often of a seedling, and consequently cuts it down; hence the name cutworm. Cutworms are not worms, biologically speaking, but caterpillars.

So, it was adios cutworm   . However, I found another 8 or 10 during the day so I am now seriously worried about all my new plantings - did I miss any before I spotted the first one? Only time will tell 

Then I had a baby rabbit in the garden. Borrowed a humane trap but it seems to have moved on without getting tempted by the carrot pieces!

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Close inspection of the hibiscus where my Monarch caterpillars have decamped to for their chrysalid stage has revealed an attack on the hibiscus buds by a pina processional (a different variety off pp than the one that attacks geraniums). Something else to look out for 

Won't be able to treat it for several weeks until all the butterflies have emerged from their chrysalids so I'm expecting a sharp decline in the number of blooms. 

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

and more bugs in the hibiscus 
the little green caterpillars look like yet another version of pina processional - they were emerging from buds as well 
and as for the other things I'm not sure if they are friend or foe, perhaps they were after the little caterpillars?


But, I am super happy in my garden today as my blue hibiscus has bloomed!   3 thumbs for 3 flowers  (Hibiscus syriacus 'Oiseau Bleu')
It is a cutting of a prime specimen I had in my garden in the UK, taken about 4 years ago. Unfortunately it doesn't seem very keen on growing here, it has just 'survived' without doing much at all. Most of the hibiscus grown here are not 'syriacus' and seem to be far happier in our conditions.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

A question for our scientific members!

Several of my plants (the pictured one is Thunbergia Grandiflora but also several hibiscus) are showing signs of mineral deficiency after I forgot to supplement for a few months.  . I've now fed with an iron supplement and I was wondering whether existing leaves would show signs of improvement or whether it will be restricted to new growth? TIA.

[Johnrgby]

Morning all

In the UK management could buy bags of moss {or something similar } which she used to line her many hanging baskets, is there something similar available here? we have several troughs on the perimeter walls that originally had some  form of fibre lining all of which have sucombed to the ravages of time and need replacing.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Not seen it here John but I'll keep my eyes open.

I accidentally broke a branch on a rubber tree a few months back - I cut it to make a neater job and to lessen chances of infection - fascinated to see all these roots that have grown out of the cut end! I would have expected a new shoot or leaves.


I cut up the branch and lots of those bits are rooting as well 
It all started with a cutting I took in Corralejo a few years back ...... now lots of offspring in my and other gardens.

[TrickyFox]

Hi GMT. My garden is virtually solid rock, need the pecker on the JCB to break it up. There are odd little pockets of dirt (not soil) in amongst it, basically I'm creating a series of very large pots in the ground 🤣

When I lived in Corralejo I could dig holes, albeit one per day, but there I could lever out the rocks, here I can't.

what a good idea

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Down in Caleta this evening in the garden between the Atlantico Centre and the beach I saw these plants just coming into bloom. Anyone know what they are called? The blooms are a dark red.