Dia's Garden Style

Growing Plumeria from seed is exciting. I grew my first plumeria's seed in the beginning of 2009. I purchased from ebay. At that time, I didn't have experiences to buy seed from International buyer, until I got notice from US Custom that they declined my package from Thailand due to missing Phytosanitary Certificate. However, I received my first package from Thailand, I was lucky :). Since I got notice from US Custom, I stop purchasing seed from oversea, unless they provide Phytosanitary Certificate. I started search local buyers in US. So, if you would like to purchase seed from abroad, check with your local custom whether you will need Phytosanitary Certificate or not, an additional cost may be applied.

Many articles about how to grow Plumeria from seed in the internet. I have tried different ways, some of them works but some are not. The important thing to grow plumeria are the viability and the freshest of the seed. Try to purchase a fresh seed by asking the buyer how old the seed. However, other components are important to encourage the germination. Here are some tips that easiest and work for me (based on my experiences).

How to grow Plumeria from seed


1. Soak seeds in 1/2 liter or 2 cups of water, add 1-2 drops Superthrive. If you don't have Superthrive, it is not the end of the world. However, Superthrive helps germination. Soak the seeds while prepare media and container. It is about 15-20 minutes.

2. Preparing media, provide well drained soil. I used to make my own mix media. I use cactus mix, perlite and vermiculite. Vermiculite is able to retain water, as well as open out the texture of planting mixture to improve drainage. However, fresh and viable seed will germinate in any media as long as contain nothing harmful. One day, when I was lazy to make mix soil, I used sponge soil. It worked, but I prefer to use mix soil because I used to keep the seedling at least 5-6 months, then transplant them to bigger pot.

3. Fill container with soil mix you made. Any containers are fine, but I like using clear container so I can see the root growing. I use spinach container or salad container. Make some holes in the bottom to let the water out.

3. Rinse the soaked seeds. Do not throw the water, add more water if necessary and water the soil gently. Make sure all soil completely wet but do not over water.

4. Sow the seed pointed down with wing stick up about 1/2-3/4 of the seed into the soil, firm the soil around the seed gently or spray very little water around the seed.( See above picture)

5. Place them in sunny and warm place, morning sun exposure is good. Keep the soil moist but not wet. Do not cover. They will germinate between 3 - 21 days.

6. When the seeds sprout out, gently remove the husks (the seed skin) off. Some time they stuck on the cotyledons, do not force to pull them out, spray with water around the husk first, and remove carefully. Be sure to always remove the husk, otherwise they will die because they will rot. Once the husks removed, the new leaves will emerge from above the the cotyledons.


My baby plumeria seedling, they are about 1.5 months.

Growing pitcher plant / Nepehentes/ Monkey cup needs similar as orchid growing condition and other carnivorous plants. As native tropical plant, pitcher thrives well in warm and humid atmosphere however many of Nephentes will adapt in many different growing condition since they are very versatile. So, this plants can be grown all over the world.

Basic requirement to grow Pitcher Plant, Nephentes, Monkey Cup.


Temperature : Most of pitcher plants thrive well in range temperature 60F-95F, however there are some species survive in cooler temperature.

Light : They love 2-3 hours morning sun or partial shade in the afternoon. avoid direct hot sun exposure. In hot summer, place them in shady place. For young plants, it is better to place them in shady area. When they grow bigger and have more leaves, gradually move them in sunny spot.

Humidity : They require enough humidity to encourage production of their pitcher. They will stop to produce their picther when they do not get enough humidity, about 35% of humidity is fine for them. In the hot and humid weather, place them outside. In the winter give them extra humidity by place them in plastic bag or plastic botol, make sure to give them enough ventilation.

Water : Keep the soil moist, never allow the soil dry. In hot summer water them every 2 days. Do not allow water sit in the saucer. Use distilled or purified water. Add little water in the pitcher to combat from dryness and dying.

Soil : Provide good drainage such as orchid bark, spagnum moss, peat moss and perlite. Do not use potting mix.

Fertilizer : Do not feed with chemical fertilizer. If the pitcher do not trap insect. Get them insects or bugs , let your kid to do it, it will be fun.

However growing condition may vary depend of what's type of pitcher plant you have. Good luck!

It was one fine day on Saturday. In the middle of June, here in Pooler, Georgia, USA, the outside temperature is in range between 90-95 degree with damp and little bit humid. I love this humid and warm weather which I missed since I left my country Indonesia in 2003. I took my daughter to have grocery shop as routine activity in the weekend, but we stopped in local Nursery where I have tried two times but they were always close on Sunday.

Anyway...see what I got! A small hanging basket of Pitcher Plant. Oh my God, I was so glad to find them here in Pooler. It had been a while, I would like to collect this plant, but it was only in my mind, I did not do search to find them out seriously.

Pithcer plants are carnivorous plants. They called Nephentes or Monkey Cup. Pitcher plant or Nephentes is belong to the family Nepenthaceae. The story of Monkey Cup was because monkeys used to drink water in the pitcher. This plants have unique of shape, size, and the color of the tube. In the wild, Pitcher plants were found in the Forest attached at the stem or branch of tree with humid atmosphere and fair amount of sun exposure. They were found in North of Australia, South-East Asia, South of China and Madagaskar. The common North American plants that are also called pitcher plants are of the family Sarraceniaceae.

Indonesia has many variety of species than other country. Pitcher plant called "Kantong Semar" in Indonesia is considered one of rare plants. They are found in almost forest in Sumatera Island. Now days, this plant became rare because they cut the tree for land clearing to build residency or other commercial issue, forest fire or people just simple go to the forest take and sell them without trying to propagate or cultivate. It sound horrible. For those reason, Pitcher Plants are protected by Indonesian Law.


The reason called carnivorous plant is because they eat meat such as bugs or insects that they use as nutrient for their natural growing condition. The leaf form as a rolled leaf like a tube. They use their tube-shaped leaf to attract the bugs, then trap and digest them. When bugs or Insects are trapped in the tube, they barely escape from it. The surface of the tube is often slippery. When they start to digest the insect, they used to close their tube with upper its leaf which function as lid. The insects or bugs are digested by an enzymes called Proteolase. This enzym create nutrient for them. The reason of picthers catch insects as their nutrient because of lacking of nutrient in soils in which they grow. The enzymes in the pitcher dissolve and digest their prey to aid in growth. So, do not fertilize them.

When the plant is still young, the tube is closed, as they are growing they start to open the tube. To attract the bugs or insects, Pitcher plant has beautiful reddish around the tube lips, and spread sweet smell to the insects. However Pitcher has variety of colors ranging from black, red, purple, green.

China is home of Camellia, from china to the east, west and south including India, Burma, Korea and Japan. To the ancient Chinese, Camellias produced the ideal blossom. According to legend, the second Chinese Emperor Shen Nung discovered tea by accident when the leaves from an over-story plant fell into a pot of boiling water. The result, the aroma and flavor of the leaves became a new beverage called tea. The first interest in Camellias as a source of tea was in China. The history then became a popular beverage in Korea and Japan and spread to South Asia and Middle East.
In China, they made of oil for cooking and hair oil from the extract seed of tea. Temple priest in China was the first to appreciate the beauty of camellia . They loved the natural and beauty of Camellia. They did propagation of superior ornamental plants.

Japan has two ornament called Camellia Japonica and Camellia Sasanqua. The genus of the Camellia japonica was named after a Jesuit priest and botanist named George Kamel. Carl Linnaeus gave Camellia japonica the specific epithet japonica because Engelbert Kaempfer was the first to give a description of the plant while in Japan.

The first ornament Camellia arrived in 1798 in the USA, but no interest in this plants until 1940s. In the 19th centuries, the plant explorers brought Camellia to West Coast and Deep South, this era began the interest of Camellia until present.

Fuchsia may be grown as standard, standard means the stem grow straight up. They look beautiful in this way and look attractive and more elegance. Any kind of variety of fuchsias can be grown as standard. Standard fuchsia need to be kept from frost environment. Need extra protection in the winter, otherwise could be ended up with a bush rather than standard.
Standard fuchsia can be started from cutting or purchase baby standard from nursery. The important are a good, straight stem, a well-formed head and a good covering of flower. Never grow standard will be taller than human average tall, it will be difficult to manage in the winter.

How to grow standard fuchsia:

1. Choose a cutting with a straight stem, if possible choose three leaves at each node. Insert a stick into the potting mixture and prepare to tie the cutting to it.

2. Carefully and gently bring the cutting attached to the stick and tied it with a soft tie to avoid injured at the stem. Keep stem straight.

3. Break off any new side of shoots that appear in the axil of the leaves.

4. When the young standard has reached required height. Remove the growing tip, do not remove the large leaves on the main stem. After removing of the growing tip as reached required height, they will make branches, leave them to produce two or three pairs of leaves. Pinch out the growing tip.

5. As the bushy standard head starts to form, remove the large leaves on the main stem.

6. Maintain a good straight stem to get stronger standard stem.

Fuchsias are shown in their beauty of their color combinations and their flower shapes. Fuchsias type of varieties divided to some groups.

Triphylla Hybrids.

Triphyllas are tolerant in more sunny and hot environment than other Fuchsias. They are easy to grow and become vital to any fuchsia's grower. They have rich colored leaves from bronze metallic to rich purple sheen. The flowers have long tube petal with range color from pink, dark purple, orange and red. In winter, keep Triphylla in temperature above 45F(6C). They thrive good in area frost free environment.

Group of Triphylla:
Mary, Thalia, Elfriede Ott, Coralle, Sophie's surprise and many more.

Encliandras.

Elicliandras have delightful small flower and versatile plants that can be treated as bonsai or any shape. The flower about 1.25 cm long. Encliandras were found in Mexico and Central of America.
In winter the flower will grower larger than in summer if grown in greenhouse.

Group of Encliandras :
F.X Bacillaris, Cinnabarina, Neapolitan, Miniature Jewel and many more.

Hardy Fuchsias

Cultivars considered to be hardy if they are planted in the ground not in basket or a standard. The meaning of hardy is they survive in the winter in cool temperature and grow up again the following year.
Hardy Fuchsias are good for border. Before plant them in the ground, grow them in the pot. Choose area which partially shady. When growing hardy fuchsia it is necessary to know the important things. In the wild these plant will grow in rainy season with high humid and shady environment. They need to be well watered and keep the soil moist.
The hardy fuchsia needs a night temperature of about 50F, During the winter these flowers do not grow keep the temperature above 35F. You will also want to discourage early growth by not watering a lot during colder months. It is important that this bush not be exposed to frost, as it will kill it.

Hardy Fuchsias:

David lady Thumb, Alice Hoffman, Dorothy, Garden News, Reading Show and many more.

My new collection of Fuchsia was chosen by My daughter. We went to Home Depo near our apartment complex. Seems I spend more time to visit garden center such as Lowes, Home Depo, and other local nurseries than shopping Mall. I am addicted to gardening. I can't help to stop collecting plants. So now, I have 1 basket of Fuchsia, the Fuchsia has beautiful fuchsia colors. You may heard about Fuchsia color, I love this color. My Fuchsia has dark purple mixed with dark blue, pretty combination color, not only the petal the flower's cap called sepal has different color, it is red. I don"t know what's the name of the red. It look like combination white and red with portion 50-50.

Getting to know fuchsia's world and their diversity are impressed me. The wild Fuchsia were found in Central and South of America, Northern Mexico, South Argentina and across to Tahiti and New Zealand. In fact, Fuchsias has many varieties and species. In type of size, Fuchsias have all size from tiny blooms about 6mm (0.25") to 13 cm (5"). Fuchsia's petal has different color from white, pink, red, fuchsia, peach, orange and yellow. Some of their petals have different color with their sepals, and make beautiful combination. I am in love with these color combinations of their natural beauty. The flowers have different shape of petal from small, long like tube, saucer- shaped, single and double. Not only the flowers, the color of the leaves are vary from not glossy or a dewy look leave to glossy leaves.
Now days, Fuchsia have variegated foliage, the variation of the foliage helps create a splash of color long before flowering.

The Basic requirements to grow Fuchsia:

1. Temperature
Fuchsia will thrive in warm, damp and little humid area. The plant will survive at 32-39F (0-4C), in this temperature plants will survive but not grow. However Fuchsia needs to be placed in a frost-free environment. Winter treatment will be needed for cold climate.

2. Light
Fuchsia loves morning sun or partial shade in the afternoon. Avoid direct hot sun, it may cause stress. If the area get a lot of sun exposure, move your plant in the shady place.

3. Soil
Fuchsia grows in any kind of well-drainage medium. Add some coarse, grit, sand or perlite to increase drainage; Add some vermiculite to retain water as well as to improve drainage.

4. Watering
In hot season, water every 2-3 days or when soil is 2 inches dry from the surface. Over watering may kill fuchsia. A lack of water will be shown by soft and limp leaves and wilted growing tips. To help create a humid atmosphere, give spray to the leaves.

5. Fertilizer
Use organic or chemical fertilizer. If the chemical fertilizer is the option, use as manufacture instruction. Over fertilizer may kill plant. In Spring use high Nitrogen to promote the leaves, and gradually change to balance feed with a proportion of 20-20-20. Maintain regular feeding is important to create health growing and to encourage continuity of flowering.

5.Propagation
Fuchsia can be propagated from seed or cutting. Growing fuchsia from seed is taking long time and slow. The best propagation method is taken from cutting. The best time to take fuchsia cutting is when the growth is soft and green. The ideal fuchsia cutting has growing tip. Small cutting root faster. Avoid taking cutting during the summer when the plant start to flower. The important things to rise cutting are the condition of humid atmosphere, the level of light, never put in direct sun, the optimum temperature keep about 60-70F, and pinch when it has grown at least 3 pairs of leaves.

6. Pest and diseases
Fuchsias do not suffer from to many disease, however to know pest problem will worth it. The common problems are whitefly, aphid, red spider mites, rust on the leave is a fungus problem. Sticky yellow trap may help to fight the infestation. Aphid, use alcohol rubbing and try to wipe the leaves or take out the leaves which have a lot of aphids. Red Spider, if the plant is suffering heavy infestation of red spider, They are turning brown and may have curly leaves. The only way to treat is to cut the stem. Remove rush on the leaves.

You may often heard the words " Go Green and save our planet". I definitely support any activities concerning going green to save our planet. Would be nice and peace if everybody have same ideas. I learned about environmental study for 3 years in one of college in my country. But life took me to different direction, after I graduated, I didnt take a job that related to my major. I supposed to work in health department, hospital, environmental education office or any job concerning with environment polution. I know little bit the affect of chemical in our daily life and our environment. Sometime, I feel bad about chemical or nuclear radiation contamination. It cause serious problem for human and our environment, not even that for nuclear radiation will take years to recover. It sound scary huh; but then feeling bad and scary doesn't do any better. There are many ways that we can do to help and save our planet. Start from simple things from home by separate recycle product and non recycle product of home garbage. Since this blog is about gardening so let me write about how to be "green in the garden". I am by no means an expert neither a professional but this article is just a simple thought from what I have learned and read.

Simple things to do to be green in gardening.

1. Go green by growing plants such as evergreen plant or shrub.

2. Grow your own fruits and vegetables, they are helthier and taste better.

3. Express your creativity to use junk stuff into attractive and unique garden feature.

4. Control your water usage
Using less water by not over watering, overwatering or underwatering may kill your plant. Get to know your plants by knowing when they will need water. Every individual plant has different water requirement, simply poke your finger to the soil, if your finger is clean then your plant needs water, if there are some soils stuck then hold watering.

Water deeply but not often, soak the soil deeply to encourage roots grow.
Water your plants early in the morning or night.
Collect rain water, rain water is full of organic source and relatively free chemical.
Fix dripping water from faucets or hoses.
Purchase plants that need less water.

5. Choose the right plant and put in the right place.
Plan and design your garden is the most important step, select and group plant according to their water, light and soil requirements. You will create beauty and healty garden from the start. Purchasing native plant is a wise action, Native plants are easily adjusted and adapted to the local area.

6. Maintain level nutrient and improve soil.
Add organic matter into the soil , it will help retain moisture and improve drainage, they also benefit to build healthy soil.
Organic matter comes from living things such as composted bark, leaves, sticks, dead roots, cocoshells, peat moss. They contain beneficial micro organism.

7. Use Mulch.
Use natural material suck as bark, leaves, grass clipping for mulch. I use pine cone to mulch my container garden.
The benefit of Mulch are :
Act a blanket that reduce surface evaporation.
Holds soil moisture.
Keep 2-3 inches layer mulch will reduce water usage.

8. Reduce chemical in the garden to control pest problems.
Use natural and organic resource before using chemical product, if you must to use chemical then use wisely. Use Insecticidal soap, Insectisidal oil. Create kitchen recipe to control pest in the garden, I use it to control powdery mildew in my roses.

9. Use natural and organic fertilizer.
Organic and Natural fertilizer comes from plant, animal or mineral sources such as blood, bonemeal, fish emulsion.

10. Keep and maintain good sanitation in the garden.