Bc. Maikai

Bc. Maikai presents pink lavendar blooms just in time for the holidays. The plants are compact but extremely vigorous growers, usually with a set of 5 + blooms per new shoot. They root out aggresively and need a new pot or division every year. Something to share with all of your orchid friends.

They grow easily in cool to moderate locations with weekly watering and fertilizing. They have been fairly pest free for us and if the occasional shoot breaks off, we just pot it up to start a new plant.

The blooms hold for a month or more. On a large mature plant that can mean a flowering display plant for 3 or more months!

Sudden Drops in Temps? Protect those outdoor plants.

Southern California is expecting its first "cold storm" after a beautiful fall with sunny warm but not too hot days and moderate night temperatures. Lots and lots of cymbidium spikes are already showing bud spacing. We may not get the hail or freezing temperatures but it will not be sunny days and moderate nights. (according to the National Weather Service)

What preparations will I make for our plants and flowers? Spiking cymbidium plants produce better quality flowers for me when they are under solid cover, fiberglass or plastic. The cymbidiums that are not spiking or just starting to spike enjoy the good rain water. They are out in the shade house waiting for a good soaking and I will let the automatic irrigation water them today, then turn the sprinklers off.

If freezing temperatures are in the forecast, I accidentally discovered that good old (not LED) Christmas lighting will keep tender plants warm as well as sparkly through the night.
The hail shown in the picture was from March 11. 2006 when we had a hail storm that covered our whole block and didn't melt for 3 - 4 days! It looked like a winter wonderland but very chilly. Inexpensive box or oscillating stand fans are very helpful. They keep the air moving over plants in covered areas, without damaging tender spikes or shoots. Just be careful to place them in dry covered areas and not too close to the plants, a breeze is all they need.

Keep warm.

Maintaining a Large Boston Fern

After experimenting with a different potting mix and amendments, we're growing a large 8" hanging basket Boston Fern that only requires watering twice a week, and perhaps only once a week. Large Boston Ferns have so many fronds transpiring water that they used to require daily watering to maintain their lush green foliage.

We still recommend a good soaking (pot with root portion only, not the fronds) to start out and then adding water to the pot (try to keep the fronds dry.......NO MISTING) once or twice a week depending on the environment and weather. Dry and windy locations will definitely require more water than cool, calm areas.

More than Orchids....Succulents for indoors and out.

How about those succulents? We're pleased to announce we are trying a new crop. One that is as fascinating and varied as orchids but with a completely different feel. My interest in succulents first came about when my son brought cuttings home from school a year or so ago and planted them in my garden. As we began to investigate the many shapes, varieties and colors available, I was intrigued and thought my customers would be too. These plants are incredibly tolerant of a variety of temperatures and light levels. We have been propagating and growing this crop for close to a year now and are excited to finally offer them for sale at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market and the Pacific Beach Farmer's Market.