Checking on My Tropical Plants
It's no secret that I love gardening and plants of all kinds. I have a particular fondness for potted specimens and over the years, I've amassed quite a collection here at my Bedford, New York farm.
Caring for these plants means following a strict schedule, particularly at the end of the warm season. These potted plants are tropical varieties and need to be sheltered from the harsh elements of winter. During this time, I keep them in special greenhouses where temperatures and humidity levels can be closely monitored and adjusted as needed. Yesterday, I took some time in between Zoom business meetings to check on them.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Here at the farm, I have five different greenhouses. I call this one the tropical greenhouse. It works by heating and circulating air to create an artificial tropical environment. The entire structure is built using heavy gauge American made, triple-galvanized steel tubing. To simulate the best subtropical environment, we try to keep the temperature in this house between 50 and 85-degrees Fahrenheit with some humidity.
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- These plants grow a little more each year, so the placement of these specimens changes every time they are stored. Here’s a large sago. The sago palm, Cycas revoluta, supports a crown of shiny, dark green leaves on a thick shaggy trunk that is typically about seven to eight inches in diameter when mature, sometimes wider. I have a large collection of sago palms in different sizes.
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- This is a monkey puzzle tree, Araucaria araucana. It is an evergreen tree native to central and southern Chile and western Argentina. It has strange leaves, a distinctive trunk and branches that emerge from the trunk in whorls. Mature trees may reach 150-feet in height and have a trunk diameter of up to seven-feet.
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- The leaves of the monkey puzzle tree are thick and stiff and have a pointed tip. The leaves overlap each other and completely cover the branches. They are sometimes said to look “reptilian” because they appear similar to a reptile’s scales.
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- Iochroma is a genus of about 34 species of shrubs and small trees belonging to the nightshade family Solanaceae and found in the forests of South America and Mexico. Iochromas have small leaves and brightly colored one to three inch tubular flowers that flare half to one inch wide at the tips, and come in large, dense clusters.
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- This is a Bismark palm, Bismarckia nobilis, which grows from a solitary trunk, gray to tan in color, and slightly bulging at the base. The nearly rounded leaves are enormous and are divided to a third its length into 20 or more stiff, once-folded segments.
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- Kalanchoe is a genus of about 125 species of tropical, succulent flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, mainly native to Madagascar and tropical Africa. It is know for its ease of care and interesting leaves and flowers, which bloom consistently throughout the year. Kalanchoe can grow quite large, spreading out over a thick columnar trunk.
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- Beaucarnea recurvata, the elephant’s foot or ponytail palm, is a species of plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to the states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz and San Luis Potosí in eastern Mexico. Despite its common name, it is not closely related to the true palms. In fact, it is a member of the Agave family and is actually a succulent. It has a bulbous trunk, which is used to store water, and its long, hair-like leaves that grow from the top of the trunk like a ponytail, giving the plant its renowned name.
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- Bird of Paradise, Strelitzia nicolai, is a species of evergreen tropical herbaceous plant with gray-green leaves arranged like a fan at the top of the stems.
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- Here is a closer look at a leaf. These plants have evolved to create these splits along their lateral leaf seams to allow the wind to pass by. In doing so, they eliminate the risk of being snapped in half by strong tropical gusts.
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- Also in this enclosure is this tall pygmy date palm tree, Phoenix roebelenii. This tree grows to about 10-feet tall or more. Phoenix roebelenii is a popular ornamental plant and needs little pruning to develop a strong structure.
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- The slender trunk has decorative protuberances along its entire length from where fronds were once attached, but have fallen off as the tree grows.
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- Fans strategically placed around the greenhouse help to circulate the air.
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- At the back of the greenhouse is one of our long Gilmour hoses, neatly coiled and ready to use. I have been using Gilmour products for years. The Gilmour 50-foot and 100-foot Flexogen hoses are heavy-duty eight-ply garden hoses with a polished surface that resists abrasions, stains, and mildew.
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- In this greenhouse, I also keep a compost tea maker. Feeding plants compost tea is a wonderful way to provide wholesome and organic nourishment. Compost tea is made by steeping aged compost in water. It improves soil structure, reduces water stress, and is an ideal alternative to toxic chemical pesticides and fertilizers. This brewing system is from Growing Solutions, Inc. in Eugene, Oregon.
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- I have many agaves, including this blue agave with its beautiful gray-blue spiky fleshy leaves. Do you know… tequila is actually distilled from the sap of the blue agave?
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- Below this agave are several offshoots or pups. These pups grow into new plants once they are separated from the main plant. They will be cut and replanted later.
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- These are also agaves. All agaves do best in full sun and sandy, well-drained soil, and thrive on the scantest amount of water. Some are more cold-tolerant than others, but they can’t handle damp cold. Here, all the plants are stored with enough space, so that none of them touch.
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- Agaves are so beautiful, but should be kept in low traffic areas, as their spikes can be very painful. And always wear gloves and eye protection when dividing because the sap can burn.
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- This greenhouse is located near my vegetable greenhouse and behind my giant Equipment Barn. I am so glad all my precious plants can be stored safely indoors during the winter where I can visit them and make sure they are doing well. And of course, I always look forward to when they can come out of hiding again in spring.
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