Medinilla seeds
karyn1
14 years ago
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john_dr
14 years agowanna_run_faster
14 years agoRelated Discussions
WANTED: Ball State University Greenhouse Expansion.
Comments (3)Through my employer I am a new member of Association of Education and Research Greenhouse Curators and have been very impressed by the help offered by other colleagues....See MoreMedinilla cumingii seed
Comments (0)I know that I asked about the medinilla seeds a while back but I was wondering if someone could tell me how to tell if seeds are ripe and hopefully viable. This time I have berries that have become dark purple and have begun to shrivel. I squeezed out the seeds which are teeny tiny and range from white to light tan. Do these sound like they are ripe? If so can I allow them to dry at all or should they be sown immediately? TIA...See MoreMedinilla Red Magnifica!
Comments (6)I couldn't see the link but I have a pink one, Showy Medinilla and one called Medinilla Lalique that has lilac and white blooms that don't resemble grape clusters as much as the Showy variety. I recently got these and haven't had blooms yet. I'd love to see a red one. Karyn...See MoreMedinilla cuttings?
Comments (36)Hi Barbiekj1 It is pleasing indeed to think that someone even read our comments and delightful too think that they may have gained some benefit from our experience. It is some time since I was in contact with Kit. Australia's horrendous bushfire season early last year, followed by the Covid 19 outbreak has caused many of us to become deeply engrossed in our own world. But our worries here in Australia seem very trivial compared with those currently facing the United States. As a keen gardener myself I am reinvigorated by the knowledge that despite the difficulties facing you, that you are still able to show some concern for your environment. Jolting myself back to Medinilla, I am a little concerned about your need to move your Medinilla plants indoors. Some years back I wrote a book on the topic of growing Australian native plants indoor, as house plants. The most suitable plants to use indoors are generally those normally found growing in lower lit environments such as rainforests and jungles. The problem is, that the two most critical environmental factors for plants are the two that are least well understood by most gardeners. Those factors are light and humidity. Plants have a sensitivity to light which closely parallels our own sensitivity to temperature. A plant located close to a brightly lit window generally receives adequate light to maintain the production of essential sugars through the process of photosynthesis. But move that plant across the room and while we may hardly discern a change in light levels, the plant may be effectively have been moved into darkness. It may begin to shed lower leaves which, being now unable to receive sufficient light for photosynthesis have become redundant. At the same time, any new growth will probably be small and extended, with long stems between pairs of leaves as the plant stretches out to find more light. In the forest this would equate to an effort to reach the forest canopy where there is more light. Artificial lighting is possible, but plants do best in light closer to the light blue or ultraviolet spectrum. The best we offer is usually cool fluorescent lighting. But even these lights need to be very close to the plants. Of course it is important to keep the leaves free of dust which may impede what little light is available. Humidity is the other commonly unappreciated factor. Humidity levels in the rainforest may be as high as 90% or more. In a temporate climate such as California, daytime levels usually average 40% to 60%. Even deserts are not devoid of atmospheric moisture. Deserts commonly have humidity levels of 10% to 35%. But in our built environment the humidity is usually between 10% and 20%. This is way too low for most of the plants we like to have indoors. Short term measures such as keeping plants in a well lit bathroom, if not actually in the bath can help as will measures such as plant grouping and trays of moist gravel or similar. As usual I have prattled on longer than was perhaps wise. But I did so with good intent and the hope that my words my contain a glimpse of something you find useful. Regards, Vera...See Moregaryfla_gw
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