Post #324758 by fatuhiva on Fri, Aug 10, 2007 3:44 PM

I actually haven't had a luau in the yard yet, but we think we'll be having one for our neighbors and friends next Spring.. what's funny is that when I moved into the neighborhood I was told that a woman up the street was from Tahiti- she had alot of tropicals in her yard, so I got to talking to her- turns out she is Kern's mom and her sister owns the Mai Kai- AND she was a dancer at the Mai Kai for many years (I have an old vintage MaiKai postcard with her in it) ..how's that for coincidence? We've now become good friends and trade plants all the time.. she still makes the MaiKai costumes by hand.

Anyway, she knows some folks who do the whole pigroast thing for luaus, they come you your place and dig the hole, wrap the food in banana leaves, the whole deal. So I'm thinking of doing that- it will be a great christening of the jungle.

Below is a picture of what I started with back in late 2002. The 2004 and 2005 hurricanes set things back quite a ways, so I probably could have gotten it to this state a year or two sooner had they not whacked everything back.

Re: Monstera- that is the quintessntial modernist/tiki/jungle plant for sure :)

I used to try and grow it indoors in Arizona, but I kept killing it- probably due to too much dryness. Now I know it a bit better. It actually likes a good deal of moisture in the soil. I wouldnt let it dry out. I've actually seen cuttings of it root in a vase of water and continue to put out new leaves.

Its know as a shade plant, but it can take a good deal of sunlight, and will get bigger faster that way. I just wouldn't put it out in all day direct sunlight if you like in a hot climate. If you can place it near a water feature like a pool or a pond, that is ideal as they love humidity.

When it comes to sun, in cooler climates, try putting it out in alot of sun or bright shade, and keeping it very moist. You will want to slowly acclimate it to the new conditions by moving it out gradually, but once its out in the sun or bright light, keep an eye on it- if the leaves get very bleached out and yellowy, thats too much sun- but if they stay pretty green, leave it there and watch it get big.

They like to climg things, so a totem or a tree to grow up is good- it also promotes the biggest leaves that way- and the big ones are the ones with the big holes which look cool.

I was trying to grow one inside in a shadier area and it was just growing soooo slow. I brought it outside, put it under a banana for some part day shade and let it get rained on all the time- its in a bullet planter with no drain holes, so i know it must be sitting in sog. Once I did that it started really busting a move.

[ Edited by: fatuhiva 2007-08-10 15:47 ]