paintermujer

I bought my strelizia plant back from Tenerife in 2004.

It has obviously grown a lot but still has had no flower and never really looks in good condition.

The plant is coming with us to Spain and as it is going into a container etc. it will be in the dark for a fair while.

Any suggestions as to how i should let it travel - drier or wetter soil etc.

If it survives any suggestions on aftercare.

Were also taking a house palm and a yucca.

I guess its a gamble as to whether any will survive but they are special to us.

Many thanks.

Fred James

Talk about coals to Newcastle!

The Yucca and BOP are really tough plants so they should survive the trip if they have some water to start.

The palm could be more of a problem as house palms are usually not as tough. You could try cutting off as many of the older leaves as possible. So long as the centre of the plant doesn't die it should survive. The big palm trees are often dug up and transported with most of their roots missing. They always prune them heavily first and tie up the remaining leaves.

Yours will have the advantage of an intact root system.

Rugby Matt is our resident horticulturist - maybe he will have some ideas.

paintermujer

Thanks for that.

I was also going to put my BOP in a new bigger pot with some fresh compost.

Do you think moving the plant is adviseable cos i know some dont like being repotted and then being in the dark may prove too much.

Fred James

I wouldn't repot it. That could upset it and anyway, the last thing you want to do is stimulate new growth.

The way I see it is that they have two chances.

If they don't make it they are very cheap to replace here.

snikpoh

We have one which we bought here. It 'threw' a flower spike earlier this year and it's just rotted off! Any ideas why (especially in this heat)?

jo-ann

The BOP does better if it is pot bound, we brought one over with us from UK 5 years ago put it in large pot with 2 others and it flowers from Oct to April each year

mikelincs

Yes, BOP is better pot bound, they don't flower till about 6 years old, and it's the cooling evenings that usually stimulates flowering, we had one that last winter threw up 4 flower spikes. Here they are left out all year, unlike the UK where they have to be kept indoors in winter. Should travel well, ythey are tough as old boots.

rugbymatt

The Yucca is pretty much one of the toughest plants out there, I have seen them thrown into farm pits before and take root and grow so I wouldn't worry about that. You need to clarify what palm, it all depends on the genus, some are equally as tough as the yucca and you could cut them off at the crown and it wouldn't stress them too much but others are very delicate.

Ah the Strelitzia, what a plant, its like the Dolly Parton of the plant world! The one we know as the BoP is also known as the Crane Lily in some countries and be aware than most of them are toxic to pets. Everyone has pretty much covered the plant, they are full sun lovers, will grow in almost any soil so long as its free draining and so long as you are careful the picked flowers can last for months in a tall vase, some people add a drop of bleach to the vase water, bicarb helps just as well as does sugar.

They like to be fed regularly with a slow release feed, maybe monthly or so but remember that in the winter they wont draw up any nutrients at all and if you keep feeding it allows salts to build up which can knock them back. In their spring give them a high nitrogen feed, most general feeds are high nitrogen ones, but once they are looking good stop with high nitrogen ones and feed them with a fruiting feeder, they are low in nitrogen and encourage flower and fruit production, think of nitrogen as McDonalds burger for teenage kids, they turn to fat and growth!
One thing to look out for is root rot, as I stated they love to have free draining feet, if they become water logged they will rot quick, especially in that heat and keep them out of the frost.

paintermujer

Thanks. I will bear all this in mind - and I knew I spelt strelitzia wrong!!!!!!!!!!!

rugbymatt

Its fine, I resisted putting it in Italics as well....


To add, DONT water it before it travels, tie up all the spears of your yuccas and palms into one central spear to travel them, and just keep doing what you were doing in the Uk nut with less worry on cold, but don't be complacent, the cold can still take them and the snow still falls in Spain!

paintermujer

Ummmmm!!!!!!!!!

I dont really think Ive been giving it the right care or rather the lack of it.

Cant remember when I last fed it.

Will be giving it some attention before we go - is babybio ok thats all i have here.

Where are you on Dartmoor if you dont mind me being nosey. You may or may not know that we are near you.

rugbymatt

Hexworthy.

Yeah Baby Bio is fine if thats all you have. I like to give my plants a trace element feed sometimes, just once a year, in the form of citrus food, and I usually give them a tiny dose of lime, I can't stress how important lime is for so many plants, and tomato feed is a very good low nitrogen feed, no need to buy these expensive flower and fruit ones.

mikelincs

wait till you see the Imperial strelitzias out here, definitely NOT a pot plant as they grow 10 or more feet high, dark purple flowers 4 or 5 times the size of BOP flowers.

rugbymatt

The Strelitzia reginae will grow to 6ft plus if given the right conditions.

paintermujer

Just cant wait to get a flower on mine.

I seem to remember reading that it can take 2 years to get to the seedling stage which was when I bought it - in a plastic cup with lid and I took it on the plane in my bag.

Ive had it 5 years now so a flower should be iminent-ish.

Hopefully the spanish sun will work its magic - where we live here is very dark as we are surrounded by trees.