Exotic but easy to grow... (Tropical plants in general)

Member Name: kiran8

Product:	Tropical plants in general
Date:	26/08/08 (359 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It can be easily grown in all parts of the world....

Disadvantages: Need to be given special care in cold climates....

The Tropical Plants refer to plants grown in the region casually called 'Tropics'.Most of them are comfortable around the Equator.
A few are more commonly found in latitudes that are described as 'Monsoon Tropics', where there is a distinct dry season....

Tropical plants are characterized by bright-colored flowers, large leaves and vibrant foliage. Some of the heavier bloomers include Bougainvillea, Hibiscus ,Jasmine are all fast growing tropical vines ..

TROPICS earlier had a Mystique , which no longer exists because of Mass travel and communication..Right from 15th century onwards the European exploratory voyages , were instrumental in the migration of these botanical species from one hemisphere to the other..Many significant plants were taken and grown in non tropical conditions..no doubt they still remained 'Exotic' , here, wheras they are commonly found growing in abundance in the tropics regions and jungles....

But now Tropical plants are at home in any climate...
Now more and more gardeners in all climates are introducing themselves to tropical plants with great results...

However, now several species of sub-tropical plants are being grown , even in the coldest parts of the globe..Mainly different varieties of Palms which include Umbrella Palm((Cyperus alternifolius)Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta) and Mediterranean Fan Palm (Chamaerops humilis)...They are ideal House plants grown in containers...

There are others like the Hibiscus,Split-leaf Philodendron,Jasmines which need to be protected during extreme cold weather...
They need to have the right kind of soil to grow....generally a mix of 3 parts of potting soil, and 1 part of sand and peat...
The other important factor while growing tropical plants in cold climates is to use warm water during winter...ideally around 50° F...

Tropical plants tend to grow lush when kept in a place with lots of sunshine and air circulation, on a window sill if the plant is small, or close to an open window where it gets enough sunshine and breeze..

SOME TIPS FOR GROWING TROPICAL PLANTS

A Well dug up, thoroughly loosened soil is absolutely essential for tropical plants..... For a plant to produce good growth above the ground, it must have a strong and well-developed root system below the ground. Basically, plant growth is directly proportional to root growth. Roots cannot grow in hard ground, and this is particularly true of Tropical plants...

A thick layer of organic mulch is absolutely essential for several reasons. First of all it reduces evaporation of water from the soil thus reducing the amount of watering needed and it conditions and enriches the soil as it decomposes....

Growing tropical plants in containers/pots is practical, as, when the weather dips below 50 degrees at night, the container/pot can be moved in to your Garage, Basement or Living room wherever...

Always make sure that they are at no time overwatered...leaving the pot dry is better than overwatering which leads to the roots rotting and eventually the plant dies...

Remove all dead leaves, flowers and make sure that there are no pests or fungus on the plant..

Fertilizing is most beneficial in the spring, but you may need to lightly fertilize all year around once a month or more if needed...

Some tropical plants that can be easily grown in any climatic conditions include most variety of Palms, Bamboos, Gardenia, Jasmine with its fragrant blooms,Citrus Plants, most varieties of Hibiscus flower plants, Lantanas with their colourful blooms in various shades ranging from orange, yellow, purple and white...and Bird of paradise with its sculptural and Majestic orange and blue blooms....
Tubers like Ginger can be grown very successfully indoors in tubs in cold climates or can be planted directly into soil in warm humid climates.....

With some simple amount of care and patience tropical plants grow wel, and they'll give you years of pleasure...

Summary: Growing tropical plants is a very satisfying experience