Topic: Pine,Eucalyptus,bamboo,Palms?

[Andy H]

Anyone else trying to grow different stuff from the normal plants and allotment stuff just for a laugh!

Trying not hardy giant bamboo,Iron bamboo,Papyrus,Balsa,cotton,Gourds,Luffa

and considering

eucalyptus,palm,gum tree etc...

Wondered how much success others had have with these things.

Just bought propogator and seeds go WOOOOOSH out of the soil! :D

[Hugh_Jones]

When I saw that lot described as Edible Plants I though you must be raising Koala Bears and Pands on your lottie.  I doubt if even EJ has tried all of those. All credit to your enterprise - please do keep us informed.

However I suspect that you will soon have to buy a very tall greenhouse

[Andy H]

Yeah thanks! I guess I put it on wrong thing! still, hope for some helpful replies, wonder if the parrot can eat any of it! Maybe the luffa will work in the bath tub! :D

[Hugh_Jones]

I notice you mentioned pine trees in your heading, but not elsewhere.  That does interest me, since I`ve got a few varieties in my garden that I`ve grown from seed.  What particular variety or varieties have you in mind?

[Andy H]

I`m not sure :( being a cab driver I dropped an old lady off at her house and noticed a lovely pine in her garden that her daughter bought for her. It was meant to be a dwarf type but reached about 18ft so far! I plucked a horrible sticky pine cone leaving gungy stuff in back off car and steering wheel! put in greenhouse till it burst open and planted seeds in pot. Nothing happened for 2 months,then I put pot in propogator and woosh! :Dout it springs! It had purple tint on it and will try to take a picture or ask customer what type it is?

[jo2]

Not edible but we have about 100 baby palm trees overwintering in the cold greenhouse on the our plot.  Bit short on space at home and its only during the worst of the weather that they need a bit of help so they will be evicted once the greenhouse gets busier in spring.  I am planning on planting out a lot of them to grow on in the less veg friendly part of our plot.  

[Roy Bham UK]

I was thinking of raising palms trees from my seedlings in a corner of the plot (if I ever get one) ::) just to give them a growing boost as nearly all my exotic plants are in pots at home and this tends to hold them back and I don't really have enough years ahead of me to wait that long. >:( ;D
I will definitely put in Banana plants around the shed (when I build it) ::) as they can be removed with ease if needed and they grow like mad and look very exotic, they give lots of pups too so if the adults get nicked then you will have back-ups. 8)
Be very careful of the type of Bamboo you plant as quite a few are invasive  :o and could annoy your neighbouring allotmenteers, as their roots run just below the surface of the soil quite rapidly. :(

[Andy H]

I love bamboo,got some I dug from mates garden and is doing well.Hoping to get enough to put some in footpath behind house,but may get nicked so want to make sure enough back up bits in garden!

Growing Iron Bamboo & Giant bamboo in prop.not really hardy over here in UK but thought would give a try for laugh.

Balsa and luffa growing ok and cotton out of prop now and in kitchen.

Thinking of ordering the following:

Chilean wine palm
Windomere palm
Eucalyptus Urnigera (Urn Gum)
Cordyline Australis (Cabbage Tree)
Decaisneafargesii  (Blue Sausages!)
Chamerops Humilis (Medit Fan Palm)

knocked 3 others off my list 2 Eucalyptus & Paw Paw cos I think the above will be challenge enough.

Just think it would be nice to have a few different things in the garden to make it look different.

[Mrs Ava]

Luffa as in the sort you use to scrub your back in the bath?

[Andy H]

Yes Emma the bath sponge. I think it grows as a fruit and it is the inside,everything but the skin. I remember when I got one from market in Tunisia that seeds were still inside!

[Andy H]

picture from Jungle seeds

Luffa

[jo2]

Andy the ones I've got so many of are trachycarpus fortunei -they are well tough and worth growing.
I buy ensete banana seed off jungleseed too as although these are not hardy they make a stunning plant in their first year.(but you need to start them early in the year to get them a decent size)
I found the thing with the more exotic seed is don't buy it until you are ready to grow it as it does go off once out of cold store-for example with the ensete I normally get nearly all germinate but one time I tried keeping back half the pack none of the kept seed grew.

[Roy Bham UK]

Hi Jo! :) I bought some Ensete seeds beginning of the year from a major Garden Centre and it said on the packet they could take up to 6 months to germinate, maybe they put that on so I couldn't return them as none of them germinated (old stock I'll bet) >:(
I have to agree Ensete are awesome plants I lost mine whilst storing it a plastic greenhouse it tuned to mush. :o
Excuse for a piccy. 8)

[jo2]

Roy I had some off another seed firm this year and had pathetic germination-about 2 out of 10 in the finish-I did get a refund as I moaned so much! You really need a good source for this seed who understands that they need to be in chill when stored and as soon as they come out of chill the clock is ticking on their lifespan!
I have found they normally germinate within about 6 weeks and do very nicely on the baggy method in a warm dark place.  I might have a spare for sale as I am pushed on greenhouse space but it would have to be this side of winter. They can live in the house if you give them a very bright position and don't give them much water but I must admit I find them hard to overwinter -they tend to look great then do a sudden rot on you.  I left two outside as short on space and of course they are now heaps of mush after this weeks frost.

[Andy H]

Papyrus growing ;D

[Andy H]

and the chillean wine palm ;D