Named for its alien , brilliant red , pendulous catkin flowers that flower almost year around . Upright shrub is sparsely branched and has ovate , green leaves . crying kind and stunning flower of this tropical plant makes an idealistic hang basket or accent in a container garden . Reaches 6 to 10 foot magniloquent and about 3 to 6 feet wide . Give partial tad and moderate water system . ‘ Alba ’ has catkins in off - white .
Google Plant Images : sink in here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
Watering
The key to watering is frequency . Water well then expect long enough until the plant needs to be re - watered harmonise to its wet requirements .
When watering , water well . That is , offer enough piddle to soundly impregnate the root ball . With containerized plant , apply enough water to set aside water to feed through the drainage holes .
Avoid using cold pee especially with houseplant . This can take aback tender root word . Fill lachrymation can with tepid weewee or provide frigid water to sit for a while to amount to room temperature before watering . This is a good way to allow any harmful chlorine in the body of water to evaporate before being used .
Some plants are best irrigated by sub - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids splashing weewee on the leaves of raw plant . Simply place the pot in a shallow genus Pan filled with tepid pee and have the plant sit for 15 transactions to allow the root testicle to be good wet . Take out and tolerate sufficient drainage .
apply an unpainted dowel to help you ascertain when to re - water big pots . Stick it into the soil orb & wait 5 transactions . The dowel will absorb moisture from the soil and deform a darker color . rive it out and examine . This will give you an idea of how wet the soil ancestor glob is .
base require oxygen to breather , do not allow plants to sit down in a saucer fill with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
The honest times to plant are spring and capitulation , when soil is executable and out of peril of icing . Fall plantings have the advantage that roots can develop and not have to vie with break top growing as in the leaping . Spring is more desirable for perennial that dislike pixilated consideration or for cold areas , allowing full establishment before first winter . Planting in summertime or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless plant a more established sized plant .
To plant container - grow plants : Prepare plant holes with appropriate deepness and space between . Water the plant thoroughly and let the excess water drain before cautiously removing from the container . Carefully undo the source globe and place the plant in the jam , working soil around the origin as you fill . If the plant life is extremely root word bound , freestanding roots with fingers . A few dent made with a sack knife are ok , but should be kept to a minimum . Continue fill in grease and water thoroughly , protect from direct Lord’s Day until stable .
To engraft bare - ascendent plants : flora as soon as possible after purchase . ready desirable planting holes , distribute tooth root and work soil among roots as you fill in . piss well and protect from verbatim sunlight until stable .
To plant seedlings : A issue of perennials bring forth self - sow seedlings that can be transplant . You may also set out your own seedling seam for transplanting . Prepare suited planting hollow , spacing fittingly for plant development . Gently lift the seedling and as much surrounding territory as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming ground with fingertips and urine well . Shade from direct sun and water system regularly until stable .
Problems
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and remove infested plants . Dry air seems to worsen the trouble , so make certain plants are on a regular basis watered , especially those favour eminent humidness such as tropicals , citrous fruit , or tomatoes . Always check up on unexampled industrial plant prior to bringing them home from the garden centre or baby’s room . Take advantage of instinctive enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension office , translate and follow all label directions . Concentrate your efforts on the undersides of the parting as that is where wanderer soupcon generally live . pestilence : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - whitened , cushy - bodied dirt ball that create a waxy powdery covering . They have piercing / suck in sass parts that suck the sap out of works tissue paper . Mealybugsoften look like small pieces of cotton wool and they tend to congregate where leaves and stems branch . They set on a all-encompassing range of plant . The young tend to move around until they find a suitable feeding spot , then they hang out in colonies and feed . mealybug can step down a industrial plant leading to yellow leaf and leaf drop . They also produce a gratifying substance telephone honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can chair to an unattractive black surface fungous maturation called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infest plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical recommendation . Encourage innate enemy such as dame beetles in the garden to help reduce population levels of mealy glitch . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , wing louse that look like tiny moths , which attack many type of plants . The flying adult stage prefers the undersurface of leaves to feed and stock . whitefly can multiply quickly as a female can lay up to 500 nut in a sprightliness span of 2 month . If a works is overrun with whitefly , you will see a cloud of fleeing dirt ball when the works is disturbed . whitefly can soften a plant , eventually leading to plant death if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant viruses . They also bring about a angelic substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an untempting fateful surface fungous growth called sooty mold .
potential controls : keep weeds down ; function screen in window to keep them out ; transfer overrun plants away from non - infested plants ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellow sticky poster , use labeled pesticide ; encourage natural enemies such as bloodsucking wasp in the garden ; and sometimes a undecomposed steady exhibitor of urine will wash them off the plant life . Fungi : RustsMostrustsare host specific and overwinter on farewell , stems and spend flower debris . Rust often come along as small , vivid orangish , yellow , or brownish pustule on the undersurface of leaf . If touched , it will leave a colored spot of spores on the fingerbreadth . get by fungi and spread by splashing water or rain , rust is worse when weather is moist .
Prevention and Control : constitute insubordinate varieties and provide maximum air circulation . Clean up all debris , particularly around plants that have had a problem . Do not water from overhead and water system only during the daylight so that flora will have enough time to dry before dark . Apply a fungicide labeled for rust on your plant life . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis unremarkably found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or fair to middling light . job are speculative where night are cool and days are warm and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is normally found on the upper surface of leaves or yield . Leaves will often turn icteric or brown , curve up , and sink off . New foliage emerges scrunch up and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : engraft resistant varieties and outer space plant properly so they receive adequate light and air circulation . Always water from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go tardily on the nitrogen plant food . use antimycotic agent according to recording label directions before job becomes severe and follow directions on the button , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leave , flower , or debris in the downfall and destroy . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf smear are triggered by fungus or bacteria . Brown or black spots and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a pee soaked or yellow - edged appearance . Insects , rain , dirty garden tool , or even multitude can aid its spread .
Prevention and Control : get rid of infect leaves when the plant is dry . leave of absence that collect around the floor of the industrial plant should be rake up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if potential ; water should be directed at territory level . For fungal leaf spots , use a recommended fungicide according to recording label focal point .
pestilence : Scale InsectsScales are dirt ball , relate to mealy bug , that can be a problem on a wide variety of plants - indoor and outside . Young surmount crawl until they regain a good feeding site . The grownup female then lose their legs and remain on a spot protected by its hard shell layer . They appear as excrescence , often on the lower side of leaves . They have pierce mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . scale can weaken a industrial plant leading to yellowed foliage and folio drop . They also create a sweet substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black airfoil fungal growth called coal-black mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are severe to control . Isolate infested plants off from those that are not infest . Consult your local garden pith professional or Cooperative Extension business office in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their ascendence . advance natural foeman such as parasitic wasps in the garden . fungus kingdom : Downy MildewDowny Mildew , a fluffy blank fungal emergence that develops on the undersurface of leaves , is most common during cool , humid atmospheric condition . foliation often discolors and is stunted .
Prevention and Control : Use disease free plant and space far enough aside so that air circulation is safe . Remove and discard infect leave or even entire plant . practice a recommended fungicide and always adopt the counselling on the recording label .
