Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Early Dry Season Casualties


Many of you know that i have a 5th Floor Window plants. I don't call it a garden because it is a very small patch on the ledge of the airconditioning unit. I put some hooks on the concrete wall to hang some of them. This time of the year when we are at the height of the dry season, most of the plants cannot stay long there. Watering every morning and evening cannot suffice for their needs. The heat of the cement wall magnifies the heat of the sun, which is really intense for them, as they are facing the west.

 This Dracaena surculosa is quite hardy to heat, but some leaves got scorched even after a few weeks. It is now adapting the darker condition in the room, with very subdued light from the closed window. If i didn't put it inside, it would be totally dry now. Those green leaves are already a response to the indoor condition.

 The hippeastrum plants suffered too. Those at the left are the species which are very much acclimatized with our dry season. But those at the right had yellowed leaves and now totally bald. I got the bulbs wrap them in newspaper to wait for lower temperatures.

 My Hoya carnosa 'Krimson Queen' leaves yellowed. I was in a hurry to transfer it indoor, opposite the 1 ft X 11 ft window. It gets some filtered light but not enough to photosynthesize. Am so sorry, but at least your leaves will be maintained, no scorching.

It now turned green indoors, no observed growth but still life, just to let the bad conditions outside to pass. Don't worry baby, hopefully in a month there will already be rain, and you can go out again.

 My one and only tomato plant, a survivor during the seedling stage, still suffered much even just in a day heat. Can you see the plastic cover on the pot? I suppose it limits evaporation from the soil, however it still wilted. A morning and evening waterings are not enough to withstand temperatures reaching 36.8C. But it really is a survivor. Can you imagine that it is still living! It even produced 3 flowers now, i just don't know if they can produce fruits!

 This is a rose stem i put on a vase inside the room. It died without the flower opening. This is the case when the plant grew in lower temperatures in the highlands, then transferred as cutflowers to the lowlands.

 Do you think it had a full experience while alive? haha, i bet it did! 



23 comments:

  1. poor plants. the heat is too much for them. can you take them inside though?

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    1. You didn't read my post, hehe! I have a very little space for them inside, just a 1 ft X 11 ft glass window, where most of them convene in a slim shelf. They don't like it, but that's better than dead!

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  2. Sorry about the heat, it is not good for the plants.. I hope they make it! Have a great day!

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    1. Eileen, if we can only blow the heat to your directions, then all of us will be happier, everything in moderation.

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  3. Yes the heat is not good for plants. hopefully they will stay alive

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  4. I would have a hard time in that climate and would be wilting right along with your plants :)

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    1. Hahaha yes Denise, if we who are adapted here are wilting, moreso with those of you from temperate climes! So we don't normally go out of the buildings at daytime. I go home from the office after 7:00pm, the sun sets at 6:00.

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  5. Amazing that tomato but unless it is pollinated it will not bear fruit...hoping a pollinator found it so you get some fruit.

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    1. Donna, i beg to disagree, haha! Tomato plants bear fruits even without insect pollinators. They get fruit set sometimes even before the flower opens. That is because tomatoes have perfect flowers, meaning there are both stamen and pistil in the same flower, and the pollens conveniently land on the stigma. Wind that shakes the plant helps pollination. Other plants whose receptivity of stigma and pollens are at different times need insect pollinators, or the imperfect flowers.

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  6. It's too bad that the heat is so intense that it damages your plants. But I hope you have been able to save them and that they will survive until it is safe to put them out again.

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    1. I am so sorry for our plants George. Those are just my minor plants here in the condominium unit, but even the plants in the province suffer more. Our fruit trees are dying one by one, but at least i was able to put black netting on top of my hoyas.

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  7. You do a great job with your plants despite the conditions... It ceases to amaze me how people here in this country go to the big stores like Walmart or Lowes, purchase a bunch of blooming flowers, then stick them in the ground where they will look good for a month or so... They call that gardening!!!!! ha ha... We grow everything from seed/bulb --and then allow things to grow at their own pace and develop as nature provides... Then--when they do sprout, grow and bloom---it's just SO exciting for us!!!! But---as you well know, nature does give us challenges!!!

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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    1. hahaha Betsy, if i were in cold countries maybe i will stick cutflowers also to the ground to savor more their beauty. Here they stay only for a few minutes if you put them outside.

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  8. Hopefully it won't stay too hot for long there Andrea. May some rain arrive soon!

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    1. Oh Mark and Gaz, it looks like these heat and drought will linger later, as El Niño arrives still in June which is supposed to be already rainy season!

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  9. I like the flowers of the Hoya plant.

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    1. If you are here there will be better photos for my hoyas!

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  10. Awwwwww poor plants. They are lucky they have you as a care giver for them. I hope they can perk up again. Funny as here I am waiting for things to warm up.... Michelle

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    1. hahaha, yes Michelle i know that many parts of the world still experience negative temperatures. Maybe we should exchange places for a while!

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  11. You have very nice window plants.

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  12. That has to be very difficult growing things with that intense sun but you still seem to manage to make the most of it.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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  13. I love hoyas. Have a few myself. I´m glad yours seem to recover. :)

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