# The Hawaiian Plant Chronicles



## ZergFront

I've been in Kauai since last Thursday and now I'm back! I also brought back a revived addiction of mine; planting. I got a bunch of stuff from the only WalMart on the whole island. 

*Plants & cuttings*

  3 Red Anthurium

  3 Arundina graminifolia (bamboo orchid)

  2 Alpinia purpurata (red ginger)

*Seeds*

 3 Ipomoea pescaprae (beach morning glory)

 3 Litchi chinensis (lychee)

 10 Merrimia tuberosa (woodrose)

 #? Psidium guajava (common guava)

 #? Carica papaya (Hawaiian papaya)







 Yesterday, I laid the seeds out in containers of luke warm water over a towel covering a heat mat for muscle pain. Each container is covered with plastic wrap. The only seeds I nicked were the Merrimia because the seeds are so hard; chipped with a toe-nail clipper at the small end of the seed.

 The Merrimia have since swollen up as big a round as a quarter. Removed them from the water in the mug and replaced it with moist peat moss and a little iron red clay. Placed seeds and covered with an inch of peat. Plastic wrap was replaced and the mug put back on the mat.

Merrimia













 I'll return to the guava but it will take two weeks at least for them to soak to promote germination. May not even germinate for eight weeks...







 Out of 3 baggies of papaya seed I soaked 24 hrs. 26 of the seeds were floaters and are unlikely to germinate. Put those in a random pot in the sunroom. The rest were placed on top of a piece of moist paper towel and put into a plastic baggy I stapled closed to retain moisture. The baggy is also put back on the mat until sprouting occurs.







 After 24 hrs. the Ipomoea seeds were removed from the water (will float no matter what. That's how they are dispersed) and the cup filled to one inch below the rim with moist %50 sand, %30 peat moss and the rest a mix of the iron red clay and potting soil. The seeds are put in 1/2 an inch deep and the plastic wrap replaced over the rim and the dish back on the mat. Beach morning glory aren't especially picky.

 The three lychee are still soaking in the warmed water. The seeds are quite hard.

 Ipomoea







 Seeds of papaya, guava, beach morning glory, lychee and woodrose on top of the heating mat.







 The Anthuriums, Alpinia and Arundina are all still in their seperate purchase baggies. I've started to add cuts in the Anthurium bags so they can adjust to the new climate. 4 cuts yesterday and cut just the tops of the Anthurium bags today. Only other plant I've cut the bag of besides the Anthurium is one of the bamboo orchid; which is already sending up new growth. I carefully cut a hole for just the foliage so it wouldn't get wet and soggy from the condensation.








 I'll keep this updated. Hopefully I get something out of the seeds. The hardest ones to grow are probably going to be the lychee and guava. Never tried lychee but none of my guava, kona or macadamia seeds five years ago ever sprouted when I soaked them in room temperature water and put them in soil pots in a sunny area of the garden. 

 With the plastic wrap method, I've gotten to sprout kiwi, plumeria (just 2), strawberry and papaya. Usually they died of either spider mites, fertilizer burning or not putting them into a pot with drainage holes. Mistakes happen in the garden hobby, too.


----------



## xhexdx

I've been able to sprout papaya and kiwi, never tried lychee or any of the others. 

I do have a bag full of lilikoi (passion fruit) seeds I need to try at some point.

I'm JEALOUS of the plants!  How'd you like Kauai?


----------



## JC

Hmm... good stuff there, but this kinda thing should have actually been posted in the plant forum....


----------



## ZergFront

JC said:


> Hmm... good stuff there, but this kinda thing should have actually been posted in the plant forum....


 But, BUT... we don't have one yet. That's a _suggestion_ forum. If one is made, I wouldn't mind if this thread was moved. 



xhexdx said:


> I've been able to sprout papaya and kiwi, never tried lychee or any of the others.
> 
> I do have a bag full of lilikoi (passion fruit) seeds I need to try at some point.
> 
> I'm JEALOUS of the plants!  How'd you like Kauai?



 Yeah, I had bad luck with kiwi after they got an inch. Always burned them. Maybe too young for fertilizer yet..

 I loved Kauai! I would go back another four times if I could! There are wild chickens running loose all over since the big hurricane. I prefer the guava and lilikoi jelly over boring strawberry anyday. I also love Macadamia.

Plants & cuttings
*
3 Red Anthurium*

*5/31 The plants are nearly cut free from the bag and rubber band they were in.

*6/1 One has burnt tips but I think it just needs more water. Got it some from fridge and let go to room temperature.

*3 Arundina graminifolia (bamboo orchid)*

 *6/1  Two appear to be growing still inside the bag by my window. By the way, the window blinds are opened in the morning for best light and shut before bed. The one shoot that's cut free looks dry and healthy green while the rest of the bottom part looks the same in its humid emvironment. The other green shoot on another cutting is still little and remains in the bag. No change that I can see through the moss in the third, bagged orchid.

*2 Alpinia purpurata (red ginger)*

*6/1 No change but at least I still see green.

Seeds

*3 Ipomoea pescaprae (beach morning glory)*

 *6/1 still nothing coming up out of the substrate. I turn all the seed containers daily so everything gets sun.

*3 Litchi chinensis (lychee)* 

*5/28 ceased soak of lychee seeds. Put on top of warm, wet paper towel made into a bowl shape inside a glass pudding cup. The cup is covered with plastic wrap and returned to the mat.

*5/31 Lychee look like they are germinating but have a little green mold. Diluted bleach with Q-tip applied to the fungus spots next day. A couple holes also added to the plastic wrap.

*
10 Merrimia tuberosa (woodrose)*

 *6/1 Disaster! All of them were moldy, turning brown inside and gooey.  Better luck next time(back to ebay); won't be using moss and add more ventilation. 

*#? Psidium guajava (common guava)*

*5/28 No change but they still look healthy and viable. Replaced warm water with clean and back on mat with plastic wrap.

*#? Carica papaya (Hawaiian papaya)*

 *5/29 One split and I can see the pale "kernel." Germination is starting.
 *5/31 Looking great! I replaced the paper towel and plastic bag; was looking dirty and may have had a brown mold. See seven that are split.
 *6/1 Roots are growing quick once they've popped. Can't see if any more made splits through the condensation.  Will get pictures up at next maintenance.

 Went on ebay last night and bought some Passiflora seeds and fresh kona coffee beans.


----------



## Exo

Truely awesome. :worship:

And I aggree...there should be a plant forum.....I have my garden of botanical predators I could post in there.


----------



## JC

ZergFront said:


> But, BUT... we don't have one *yet.*


Awww mans.


----------



## xhexdx

Zerg,

If you can, get some strawberry papaya.  Best. Papaya. Ever.


----------



## thruthetrees

Nice selection of plants! 

Do you have room to grow Theobroma Cacao (chocolate tree)?


----------



## ZergFront

thruthetrees said:


> Nice selection of plants! Do you have room to grow Theobroma Cacao (chocolate tree)?


  I may if I keep it trimmed as a large house plant. I'm thinking my papayas will have to be house plants.

 Plants & cuttings

3 Red Anthurium

*6/3 Anthuriums are free of everything (bag, wrapper, rubberband) and are still in their current planters. Caresheets seem to recommend not transplanting until their roots fill up the container. I only water when the soil is barely damp to the touch. They are starting to each grow a new leaf. Great sign.

3 Arundina graminifolia (bamboo orchid)

*6/16 All three still in their purchase bags. Two of the cuttings I have put a hole big enough for the new shoot to come through. The shoots are still very tiny. I've hardly had to give any water. Bags keep the humidity high. Nothing out of the third but it's still green.

2 Alpinia purpurata (red ginger)

*6/8 One Alpinia has one shoot just starting, the other has two little, skinny ones coming up. Growth is quite slow. Just like the orchids, I cut a hole above each one for them to grow through.

Seeds

3 Ipomoea pescaprae (beach morning glory)

*6/6 I dug in to check to make sure they haven't gotten moldy. One has started to send out a short root. The other two still look viable but haven't emerged.

*6/12 A single seedling has emerged from the sandy loam. Removed plastic wrap. Turn the container once a day to keep the stem from becoming crooked from fallowing the sunlight.

3 Litchi chinensis (lychee) 

*6/6 Changed lychee bowl and paper towel. The green mold is tenacious. Even diluted bleach isn't killing it.

*6/14 I think the mold might have killed the seedlings. I'm letting the seeds dry so the mold may die but I don't know if that would help. If anyone knows a good fungicide safe for plants I'd appreciate some tips.

#? Psidium guajava (common guava)

*6/5 Guava has started germination in the baggie. One week earlier than expected.

*6/16 Very green and healthy sprouts. Count at least twenty. Put all the sprouted ones into a plastic pot of potting soil with 1/4 sand. Plastic wrap until seedlings get close to top; put on warm mat again. The ones that haven't sprouted are back in a clean bag and paper towel. Six were thrown out because they were rotting.

#? Carica papaya (Hawaiian papaya)

*6/4 I planted the papaya sprouts in the same loam mix as the guava has. Light covering of soil. Plastic wrap on the top and replaced on the mat.

*6/16 Papaya seedlings are growing great. I have to turn these around twice a day because they turn to the sun so quickly. I count 19. They are watered only when the loam is barely damp to the touch.

 Passiflora edulis (yellow)

*6/3 soaking in water over the heat mat. Next day, put on top of moist paper towel inside a sealed plastic bag. Replaced on mat.

*6/13 1st sprout. Got two on the 15th.

 Passiflora edulis (red)

 6/9 Soaking same way as the "yellow." Placed in baggie next day. Still waiting on results.

 Plumeria

 6/9 Soaking in warm water with plastic wrap on the top. Bowl placed on mat. Placed in bag on a moist paper towel the very next day.

 6/16 Changed the bag and paper towel for clean ones.


 Coffee Beans

 6/9 Soaking the beans in warm water. Put in baggie the next day.

 6/14 Already getting quite moldy. Cut the bag open for ventilation but they'll need something to kill and protect against fungi...some are already dying.



 Will keep updating.


----------



## J Morningstar

I have grown many lychee from seeds, if one buys fresh lychee "nuts" from their grocer when they are in season, this is easy.
I have done it in millipede enclosures (till eventually it was devoured at 6 inches)and my garden. You eat the fruit from around the pit, try to find "face up" like an elongated egg, then place a half inch or so down in regular tropical potting mix, and keep in a warm humid shelf, with orchids or at least their terms. And you will most likely in a matter of weeks have an umbrella like tiny tree! I have been able to keep one for about a year, but they are very sensitive to drought, and with a woodburning stove heating a subzerodegree winter, dryness can come quick. I'll try again soon...


----------



## ZergFront

Took a peek at the guava in the planter today and looks like the first three are popping up. Young plants are so cute. Especially cactus pups. 

 I just got this fish oil fertilizer and it smells worse than dead crickets! BUT it does wonders for our gardem. Use very little because it is very strong.


----------



## J Morningstar

I've used similar fertilizers...they stink, a lot.


----------

