So I’m in Florida City tonight because the world has aligned and given me an opportunity to visit the Fruit and Spice Park in Homestead, FL tomorrow. I will definitely make a post about that sometime this week, hopefully, do a fruit tasting too? (fingers crossed). This week was great because it was my birthday! I had a great night with my friends and family. Now, onto the plants:
This NID Dendrobium Phalaenopsis finally bloomed this year. It has bloomed every single year for me and I was worried because the new cane this year pretty much rotted halfway and doesn’t look great. Luckily, the cane from last year threw up a weird-looking spike which I thought was a Keiki (orchid baby) at first. Turns out, to my surprise, it was not and although the leaves do have some yellowing, the plant overall isn’t looking too bad, although the blooms in the past years have been a deep plum color and it has lightened up this year. I definitely need to get it out of the pot because it’s getting big and should have a better, larger space to grow in.
Also, the Passionfruit vine:
We planted it back sometime in Spring, and it has taken off like a rocket. Literally, it’s grown up into the tree and is at least 30 feet tall. It’s a lot of maintenance tying up the vines because they still do what they want, and I’m just desperate for some fruit; so for now, it works. We typically pick the passionfruits off the ground anyway, because when they’re ripe they fall off the vine. (I say this as if I have ever had a passionfruit on this plant). You can definitely pick them on the vine, but they’re at their peak when they get wrinkled. Just be careful of any bugs or squirrels that can get to them first. Still no blooms though, just vegetative growth. I applied some Citrus-Tone and hopefully, that encourages some blooms.
I haven’t noticed any Gulf Fritillaries on it though; at our other house when this plant was potted it was loaded with those caterpillars. I kept two of them and they made it to butterflies, the others were gone thanks to some wasps.
Well, that sums it up for this week, nothing much more eventful after I mowed down the entirety of the “vegetable garden” which was overrun with sod and weeds, and the occasional disease-ridden bell pepper plant. I am excited for tomorrow though, I really hope to try some custard apples, starfruit, and wax apples; also to take lots of pictures! Stay growing! – Gabe
Home is where you plant it.
Unknown