Gladiolus- the story of....

Old Spice

Trader horn

White prosperity

Semasa pantang bersalin tempohari... bermula seruan bercucuk tanam semula setelah 9 bulan terlantar atas katil sebab pregnancy disorders

mencari benih disana sini.. maka jumpa lah bunga ni... the gladiolus... temperate flowers tapi boleh hidup subur di negara kita... gambar2 diatas adalah gladiolus yg dah berjaya ditanam dirumah.. cantik kan...

Untuk mudahkan penanaman, kita fahami dulu asal usul gladiolus... perangai dan kerenah dia...

 banyak jenis rupanya gladiolus ni... dim luar negara.. siaqp ada persatuan lagi utk gladiolus ni.. ada beratus gladiolus.. & each gladiolus ada namanya yg tersendiri

tapi sebab mokcik ni xde masa nak translate article.. kita baca aje lah copy paste article ni.. fuiyyooo... bz dowhhhh la ni...

Gladiolus is also commonly referred to by the name of its genus - Gladiolus, the plural form of which can be Gladiole, Gladioluses or Gladioli. Gladiolus is also known as the Sword Lily, due to its sword shaped leaves, or Corn Lily.

The genus Gladiolus comprises 260 species, 250 of which are native to sub-Saharan Africa, mostly South Africa. About 10 species are native to Eurasia. The impressive flower spikes of Gladioli come in a wide array of beautiful colors. Kingdom

Plantae Division

Magnoliophyta Class

Liliopsida Order

Asparagales Family

Iridaceae Genus

Gladiolus


The Gladiolus flower signifies remembrance. It also expresses infatuation, telling the receiver that he or she pierces the heart. It also stands for strength of character, faithfulness and honor.

Some Interesting Facts About Gladiolus Flowers

• An ancient name for the gladiolus was xiphium, from the Greek word xiphos, also meaning sword. 
• The Gladiolus flower is the birth flower for August. 
• Gladiolus represented the Roman Gladiators, before the African Gladioli became popular in the West. 
• African Gladioli were imported in large quantities to Europe from South Africa during the 18th century. 
• Most of the more than 10,000 named Gladioli cultivars probably were derived from just seven species native to South Africa and first brought to European gardens in the late 17th century. 
• The Mediterranean and British Gladiolus flowers were used to treat physical ailments. 
• Some parts of the Gladiolus plant are poisonous if ingested and handling some species may cause skin irritation or allergic reactions. 
• The English used the gladiolus flower's stem base (corms) as a poultice and for drawing out thorns and splinters; powdered corms mixed with goat's milk were commonly used to soothe the symptoms of colic. 
• Scab, Fusarium Rot and Yellows, Penicillium Storage Rot, Leaf Spots and Blights, Stromatinia Corm Dry Rot, Virus and Phytoplasma Disease are the Common Gladioli diseases. 

About Gladiolus Flowers and Plants

Gladiolus bulbs are not true bulbs. Gladiolus bulbs, in botanical terminology, are referred to as corms. A corm is a shortened and thickened section of the stem that appears at the base of the plant. On the corm are buds for each layer of leaves. Except for production of new varieties, Gladioli are not cultivated from seed.

Gladiolus plants are attractive, perennial herbs and semi hardy in temperate climates. They grow from rounded, symmetrical corms that are enveloped in several layers of brownish, fibrous tunics.

The fragrant Gladiolus flower spikes are large and one-sided, with secund, bisexual flowers.

Each Gladiolus flower is subtended by 2 leathery, green bracts. The sepals and the petals are almost identical in appearance, and are termed tepals. They are united at their base into a tube-shaped structure. The dorsal tepal is the largest, arching over the three stamens.

The outer three tepals of the Gladiolus are narrower. The Gladiolus perianth is funnel-shaped, with the stamens attached to its base. The Gladiolus style has three filiform, spoon-shaped branches, each expanding towards the apex.

The gladioli thrip, a very tiny, black, winged insect, is a real threat to Gladioli flowers and plants. It sucks the juice from the plant, leaving a silvery appearance, eventually causing the plant to turn brown. Gladioli thrips also cause deformed flowers and prevent flower spikes from opening.

Growing/Planting Gladiolus

• Gladiolus can be propagated by dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs (including offsets). 
• Plant Gladiolus as early in the spring as the soil is fit to work. 
• Gladiolus corms can readily be purchased at your local garden center or nursery, though they can easily be grown from seeds. 
• Sow the seeds in early spring, in a well-drained flat 8 to 10 inches deep, that is filled with two thirds loam and one third leaf mold or peat moss, with a good amount of sand added. 
• Plant the seeds an inch apart and cover with about 1/4-inch of soil. If the soil is kept fairly moist, the seeds should sprout in a few weeks. 
• Set the container of seedlings outside in a fairly sunny location during the summer months and don't disturb until the leaves have died down in fall. 
• At this time, take out the small corms, store for the winter, and plant in a border about 3 inches apart in March. 
• The blooming season can be stretched by making succession plantings, by planting bulbs of several sizes, and by using varieties which take different lengths of time to mature. 

Gladioli Plant Care

• Apply a 2 to 4-inch layer of mulch around the gladiolus to retain moisture and control weeds. 
• Water plants during the summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week. 
• Remove individual flowers as they fade, and cut back flower stalks once all flowers have gone by. 
• Leave foliage intact to mature and rejuvenate the corm for next year. 
• Mulch beds with a layer of hay or straw for winter protection. 
• Remove excess soil, cut the stalks to within an inch of the corms and let them cure for 1 to 2 weeks in a warm, airy location. 
• Then remove and discard the oldest bottom corms and store the large, new corms in plastic mesh bags in a well-ventilated, 35 to 45 degree F room. Replant in spring. 

Gladiolus Bulb Care

• Gladiole suffer when forced to compete with weeds. 
• Remove the weeds. 
• The new corm and the new roots are formed on top of the old one during the growing season. 
• Deep cultivation when near the roots breaks off the new roots and slows up growth. 
• Thrips cause deformed flowers and prevent flower spikes from opening at all. 
• Thrips on bulbs should be killed before planting. In the garden, start dusting or spraying with Fungicide when leaves are six inches tall. 
• Water is essential for growing Gladiolus successfully. 
• Rain seldom supplies enough moisture, but start watering when there are five leaves on the plants. 
• Storing the Bulbs 
• Leave 1 inch of the stem and cut. 
• Store Gladiolus at about 70 degrees for a month to dry the corms. 
• Divide the bulbs, clean the debris. 
• Let them be at 70 degrees for a week. 
• Then store at 50 degrees.(Do not wash the bulbs with water) 
• Store them in a box or tub lined with peat 

Want to learn more about growing gladioli and other flowers? It is always a good idea to invest in a good book on Gardening

Memahami biji benih: Generasi F1, F2, F3........

source: google

Need to understand biji benih punya sifat juga...
Reason:

1. jangan salah beli biji benih yg xde kualiti.. biar mahal.. tapi berkualiti
2. jika ada niat nak menjual/ sedekah biji benih drp pokok yg kita tanam... kena paham dulu asal usul benih kita... supaya biji benih yg kita jual tu sama kualiti dgn induk dia

source: google

This brief info is obtained from discussion drp forum http://www.tomatoville.com...
link ke forum http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=17088

Happy reading!!!!
________________________________________________________________________


Please explain F1, F2, F3...
I encountered F1 for the first time on my pepper forum, but really don't understand a few points:

1. If I plant F1 seeds, will the seeds from the resultant pods be viable, or do I have to buy more seed?

2. Is an F1 plant hardier than the non F1, in general?

3. Can two different F1's hybridise?

Cheers!


_________________________________________________________


A little background...

For crosses you have parents (P) and offspring (Filial generations) F1 = children of parents, F2 = grandchildren, F3 = great grandchildren, etc.

At its simplest, vegetable varieties have two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent. The forms of these genes (alleles) can either be the same (homozygouse) or different (heterozygous -e.g.regular leaf/potatoleaf), one type of allele often dominates/masks other forms (regular leaf form masks potato leaf form). Genetically stable open pollinated (self pollinating) varieties have homozygous genes so all of the offspring generations will be identical to the parent generation... i.e. they are genetically stable.

Horticulturally speaking, a hybrid is an F1 having parents of two different varieties, and is thus heterozygous at many genes. When that plant self pollinates creating F2 seeds/plants those seeds/plants are no longer hybrids, but they still have a mix of genes from the parent plants and those genes start to form new combinations.

Parent = potatoleaf X parent = regular leaf --> F1 Regular leaf (with RL+PL allels). F1's offspring (F2) = RL+RL, RL+PL, RL+PL, PL+PL.

So if you grow out seed from a hybrid variety you will get gene segregation for all of the genes that were heterozygous in that hybrid (color, leaf type, flavor components etc.)


Now for your questions

1) You mean if you plant seeds from the fruits of an F1 hybrid, which would be F2 seeds.... They will grow but be different from the F1 and each other.

2) Yes, F1 hybrids are often more vigorous than their open pollinated parents, but not always.

3) Yes, F1aXF1b will work. This is what effectively occurs in all wild populations because individuals are not genetically stable varieties (homozygus at all genes) in those populations. You and I would be classified as horticultural hybrids because we each had dissimilar parents.

However, if you made this cross F1aXF1b they would now be the "P" generation and the offspring would be F1 ... [F1xF1other = F1, F1xF1same = F2].

What is confusing is that biologicaly speaking, a hybrid is the offspring of two different species (Lion x Tiger) and all progeny (F1>>>>F100) will remain hybrids. In most cases this type of cross does not work because the genetic combinations are incompatible either directly (embryo cannot develop), or indirectly (the hybrid offspring get outcompeted by the parent species and cannot form a continuing population) Horticulturally we almost never see biogical hybrids for vegetables (the apricot x prune is one exception) even broccoli x cauliflower = broccoflower is not a biological hybrid because all of the Kale vegetables are of the same species.

source: google

How to grow lots of fruit on your citrus trees

my lemon tree is producing fruitsssss... lotttt for 5 of us!!  mmuahsss...

 

 

 

Mari kita pahamkan sifat & keperluan lemon.

(This is copied article from:  http://www.homelife.com.au/gardening/features/how+to+grow+lots+of+fruit+on+your+citrus+trees,6213)

Happy reading!

WORDS : LINDA ROSS

Maximise the orange, lemon and lime harvest from your garden or balcony.


I cannot imagine life without citrus… without zesty fresh juices full of vitamin c, more-ish lemon delicious puddings, a squeeze of lime in a soda or a Corona, or hot water with lemon to kickstart my mornings. Life would be so very bland without these things.

Citrus trees are some of the easiest fruit trees to grow in your backyard. Their popularity is deserved: they are ornamental yet productive, have handsome shiny green leaves and fragrant flowers, and they add wonderful flavours and zing to cooking. Equipped with my growing tips, you should be harvesting box loads in no time at all.


Position

Citrus plants love sunshine – five hours a day is required for maximum fruiting. Planting them in a north-facing, warm and sunny position is best. In cooler climates, grow them alongside a sunny wall, where radiated heat will warm them; alternatively, bring pots inside during winter.

Citrus plants like water, but any water must drain away quickly and not pool in the root zone. to prevent this, before planting, dig a hole in a potential planting spot and fill with water; if it takes more than 30 minutes to drain, the drainage is inadequate. mound the soil or choose another spot.

Growing guide

Sunshine, quick-draining soil, airflow, infrequent deep watering and seasonal feeding are the keys to citrus success. In cold climates, plant the tree in spring when the soil has warmed up; in warm areas, trees can also be planted in autumn. Good soils improved with well-rotted cow manures, potash, blood and bone or a handful of garden lime each year will produce regular and reliable crops. Planting on mounded soil will prevent drainage problems, collar rot and fungal diseases.


Citrus trees have shallow feeder roots that need protection with mulching (the mulch shouldn’t touch the trunk) and feeding with citrus food and organic pellets throughout each season. mature trees need two kilograms each of fertiliser and citrus food applied to the drip line each season.

Start young trees off with 200 grams of food and build up the amount as they grow. When grown as a garden tree your citrus should be trained into four main branches. Open up the centre of the plant to increase airflow, and cut back shoots to a few buds after fruiting. Prune the young shoots to create bushiness. Choose a citrus grafted onto a rootstock suitable for your local environment and soil type. Trifoliata rootstock creates a dwarf tree, which is cold tolerant and resistant to collar rot, so ideal for heavy soils and cool areas. Citrange rootstock makes a faster-growing, taller tree, intolerant of poor drainage, so is ideal for coastal areas.

Citrus in small spaces

Do you want to grow citrus but don’t have the room for big trees? One solution is to train your citrus flat against a warm, north-facing fence, a technique known as ‘espalier’, but what I call my ‘gin and tonic wall’. Plant them at 1.2-1.5-metre intervals, about 30 centimetres from the fence. Tie the stems to horizontal wires along the fence and place the wires about 20 centimetres apart. This way the trees don’t encroach on the garden, but provide an evergreen screen to hide the fence. Growing a range of varieties along the fence means there’s always fruit ready to help kick off 6pm drinks.


Potted citrus

Everyone with a spot of sun can grow citrus in a pot, but be aware they need constant care, feeding and watering to produce a healthy crop. Half wine barrels (or pots of a similar size) and quality potting mix are needed. Choose a citrus grafted to dwarfing rootstock Flying Dragon.

Potted citrus needs root pruning at least every three years. This entails pulling the the tree out of its pot, cutting five centimetres off the roots all around the root ball with a bread knife and replanting into the same pot with some fresh potting mixand citrus food. This will make all the difference to the number of fruit you will get the following season.


Flying Dragon is a dwarfing rootstock that limits the growth of the tree, but not the fruit, and is ideal for pots.

Orchard planting

Those with more room can afford to plant a mini-orchard. The trees should be planted at two-metre intervals on mounded soil and grass should be kept well back from the trunk to avoid collar rot.

Pruning

Citrus trees don’t need pruning to fruit well, but they may need pruning to fit in your backyard. Old trees benefit from a hard ‘renovation’ prune every 5-10 years after fruiting: remove dead wood, rubbing branches and inward-facing branches, and reduce all other branches by at least half. Removing the interior branches will open up the tree into a vase shape and get more light and air into the tree, thus reducing the risk of disease.



Troubleshooting

Yellowing leaves are a sign of iron deficiency, cold temperatures or lack of feeding. Feed with blood and bone, citrus food, iron chelates and sulphur simultaneously to combat this problem. Citrus leafminer is a little insect that makes small tunnels in new leaves; deter them and a range of other insects, such as sooty mould, scale and mealy bug, by spraying fortnightly with Eco Oil from spring until autumn.

Bronze orange bugs start life as a green nymph in spring, when control is easiest; use Eco Oil or Confidor. Citrus gall wasps lay eggs inside the outer branches, causing a deformed branch lump; treat by removing all branches affected with galls.

Information On How To Raise Acid Level In Soil

This copied article is from http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/raise-acid-level-soil.htm

This is applicable for citrus plants also.. so.. boost up your lemon tree!





Information On How To Raise Acid Level In Soil



Image by Dwight Sipler

By Heather Rhoades

For gardeners growing an acid loving plant like blue hydrangea or azalea, learning how to make soil acidic is important to its overall health. If you do not already live in an area where the soil is acidic, making soil acidic will involve adding products that lower the soil pH. Soil pH measures the alkalinity or acidity levels, which range from 0 to 14 on the pH scale. The middle (7) is considered neutral while levels falling below 7 are acidic and those above that number are alkaline. Let’s take a look at how to raise acid level in soil.
What Types of Plants Grow in Acidic Soil?

While most plants grow best in soils that are between 6 and 7.5, others are favorable to more acidic conditions. Some of the most common and sought-after plants actually prefer acidic soil, even though many of them may be grown in a wide range of growing conditions.

The acid-loving plants that you can grow in acidic soil include:

• azaleas and rhododendrons
• hydrangea
• gardenias
• camellias
• wood anemone
• bleeding heart
• various carnivorous plants
• holly shrubs
• crepe myrtle
• calla lilies
• pine trees
• 
  
• Even blueberries thrive in this type of soil pH.

Camellia

crepe myrtle

gardenia

camellia

How Do I Make My Soil More Acidic?

If your plants aren’t growing in your soil conditions because of too much alkalinity, then it may be necessary for you to learn more about how to raise acid level in soil pH. Before making soil acidic, you should first perform a soil test, which your local County Extension Office can assist you with, if needed.

One of the easiest ways to make soil more acidic is to add sphagnum peat. This works especially well in small garden areas. Simply add an inch or two of peat to the topsoil in and around plants, or during planting.

For another quick fix, water plants several times with a solution of 2 tablespoons vinegar to a gallon of water. This is a great way to adjust pH in container plants.

Acidifying fertilizers can also be used to help raise acidity levels. Look for fertilizer containing ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, or sulfur-coated urea. Both ammonium sulfate and sulfur-coated urea are good choices for making soil acidic, especially with azaleas. However, ammonium sulfate is strong and can easily burn plants if not used carefully. For this reason, you should always read and follow label instructions carefully.

In some instances, applying elemental sulfur (flowers of sulfur) is effective. However, sulfur is slow acting, taking several months. This is also most often used by large-scale growers rather than the home gardener. Granular sulfur is deemed safe and cost effective for smaller garden areas, with applications of no more than 2 pounds per 100 square feet.

Sometimes recommended as a method of lowering the pH enough to turn hydrangea blooms from pink to blue is iron sulfate. Iron sulfate acts more quickly (two to three weeks) but should not be used on a regular basis as heavy metals accumulate in the soil, becoming harmful to the plants.