Starting Tropical Garden, Could Use Your Help

G gonzo Member Joined: Feb 06, 2003 Posts: 77	G gonzo Posted posted on Wed, Jun 22, 2005 2:03 PM Oh man you just found my G spot. TROPICAL GARDENING In my expieriense the downside of pots is they need to be watered and fertilized more often than plants in the ground. Also many potted plants will not take full sun while the ground planted will. Especially the black plastic pots. I reserve desert heat loving species for pots (some cycads and a few palms such as Butias) and I have them on a watering timer with drippers. In Burbank I imagine you have the heavy adobe clay that dries to a cement like concrete. While there are many plants that will thrive in the clay its better for most to have better drainage. In the winter the cold wet clay will spell the demise of many plants. If you are starting from scratch it is well worth it to spend a couple thousand dollars (for a large yard) and have dump truck loads of prepared soil delivered from a source such as agromin. Wheelbarrow this into the yard in meandering hills. Plant on these hills. In ten years you and your plants will be glad you did. The added landscape value of hilly mounds vs flat tundra also adds to the appeal. You cannot add mounds later it must be done at the beginning For plants Kentias are my number 1 palm tree. Guadalupes are cool. Caryota Gigas available from specialty nursery such as http://www.junglemusic.com. Coconut relatives such as Parajubea Cocoides are great. Tree ferns such as Cyathea Cooperi will benefit tremendously from the mounds. I could go on and on on this topic. Ive spent the last 10 years tropicalizing my yard. If your going to do it my advice is do it soon and with gusto. Many of the palm trees are painfully slow growing (Jubea Chilenis, Jubeopsis and others) In ten years of growing I still feel only half way there, At the palm society meetings the palm heros of southern California are in their 70s. Visit Ganna Walskas Lotusland in Montecito if you want to see what multimillions of dollars will do and a century of growing. Also notice the foiliage growing in Disney land near the Swiss Family tree house. Dioon Spinulosums are spectacular there. Near Burbank is Huntington Gardens and also the LA arborettum in Arcadia Cycads are another topic altogether. Cool. Hope this help Dave

Oh man you just found my G spot. TROPICAL GARDENING

In my expieriense the downside of pots is they need to be watered and fertilized more often than plants in the ground.

Also many potted plants will not take full sun while the ground planted will. Especially the black plastic pots.

I reserve desert heat loving species for pots (some cycads and a few palms such as Butias) and I have them on a watering timer with drippers.

In Burbank I imagine you have the heavy adobe clay that dries to a cement like concrete.

While there are many plants that will thrive in the clay its better for most to have better drainage. In the winter the cold wet clay will spell the demise of many plants.

If you are starting from scratch it is well worth it to spend a couple thousand dollars (for a large yard) and have dump truck loads of prepared soil delivered from a source such as agromin. Wheelbarrow this into the yard in meandering hills. Plant on these hills. In ten years you and your plants will be glad you did. The added landscape value of hilly mounds vs flat tundra also adds to the appeal. You cannot add mounds later it must be done at the beginning

For plants Kentias are my number 1 palm tree. Guadalupes are cool. Caryota Gigas available from specialty nursery such as http://www.junglemusic.com. Coconut relatives such as Parajubea Cocoides are great. Tree ferns such as Cyathea Cooperi will benefit tremendously from the mounds. I could go on and on on this topic. Ive spent the last 10 years tropicalizing my yard.

If your going to do it my advice is do it soon and with gusto. Many of the palm trees are painfully slow growing (Jubea Chilenis, Jubeopsis and others) In ten years of growing I still feel only half way there, At the palm society meetings the palm heros of southern California are in their 70s. Visit Ganna Walskas Lotusland in Montecito if you want to see what multimillions of dollars will do and a century of growing.

Also notice the foiliage growing in Disney land near the Swiss Family tree house. Dioon Spinulosums are spectacular there.

Near Burbank is Huntington Gardens and also the LA arborettum in Arcadia

Cycads are another topic altogether. Cool.

Hope this help
Dave

Post #167419 by gonzo on Wed, Jun 22, 2005 2:03 PM