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Hellebore Plants Growing

Growing hellebore plants in your garden provides great late winter and spring flowers.   Hellebores, also know as Lenten roses, bloom from February to late May. These perennials provide year round attractive  evergreen foliage in most regions. Lenten roses adapts well to sunny to mostly shade areas.

Planting Hellebore Plants

 

Hellebore plantsWhen selecting a site to grow Hellebore Plants, select partial shade with rich yet well draining soil.  Great to use on hillsides, raised planters and in large pots.

Plant them just below the crown.  The crown is the top soil level. All roots need air and if you plant the crown deep you will have problems.  Remove all old potting soil and spread out the root system. Hellebore plants grow in large clumps which you can subdivide.

Epic Grower LLC current carries the Sunshine  Hellebore plants.  The planned release is mid summer. All Hellebore plants are growing in 1 gallon nursery pots.  Since many of the Hellebores in the sunshine collection cross pollinate you may be a new flower type. The long lasting blooms are somewhat downward facing.

Hellebore Plants Care

 

Hellebore plants are late winter through May bloomers. The start to go dormant during the heat of summer.  Repeat: Heat of summer causes them to stop growth.

Also, once a year provide the plants with additional compost or rich soil (Manure works well).  During their dormant period reduce watering and protect from excessive heat. Yes, they will grow in full sun but prefer partial shade.

During their growing periods (spring/fall) increase watering . Make sure the water drains well to prevent roots problems.  In fall, prune back old foliage/leaves back to base.  Basically leave good/new foliage on the plant.

 

 

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Happy Holidays and More

Happy holidays to all and wishing you the best.    The holidays season is just starting and so has the Spring planning for our family owned Epic Grower nursery.  Expect new plants to be added and some discontinued.

Air freight costs has tripled since 2019.  All hybrid adeniums come from over seas. Once received, the the desert roses are grown larger at our nursery. However, the increased costs of the plants and freight has forced us to  discontinued ordering more in at this time.  Expect to hear an announcement of a great sale on the remaining adenium desert rose plants in late Winter for your spring growing.

2023 Plants Planned to Carry

 

Epic Grower plans to increase the types and numbers of heritage and exotic day lily’s.  Presently, our grow house has many varieties getting ready for next spring.  Yes, we will offer then in 1 gallon pots in 2023 once they re-sprout in spring for the season.

The Hoyas plants varieties will increase. Some common hoyas will be discontinued to make room for more rare ones.  If you have a particular hoya varieties that you need for your plant collection, please send Epic Grower a note and we will try to get it.

CLimbing roses Climbing roses were 100% sold out in 2022.   Fairy rose, Westminster, Lady Banks, Sea Foam, Cascade, Pinata and others in 1 gallon and 3 gallon sizes disappear before spring ended.   Expect a wider variety of these roses and more of them for 2023.

Fruit Trees, Berries and other deciduous plants

 

Now is the time to obtain and plant deciduous trees and berry bushes.  In our area the leaves are gone from the trees This is the best time (through January) to plant fruits trees and berry bushes.  The tree sap has receded to the lower portion of the trees.

Dig the hole twice as big as the root ball and partially fill it with good compost.  Do not bury the root crown.  Crown?  When you take the plant out of the pot, the top of the roots ball/soil area is the crown. The plant needs air and if you bury the crown you could suffocate the plant.   In late winter use 9 month time released fertilize are the top of the plants.

If you are in our area make an appointment to get apple and pear trees way below market price.   All Epic Growers fruit trees area 7 gallon containers with their root balls out growing them.  Enterprise, Granny smith, Wolf Creek, Golden Delicious, moon glow and others in stock.

 

 

 

 

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Hoya Plant Propagation

Hoya plant propagation success rate will depend on hoya type and method used.   Some varieties of hoyas are easy to propagate and others are extremely hard.  The basic rule of thumb is that the rarer the plant the harder to propagate.

 

Thick leaf hoyas are usually the easiest to propagate. However, they are the ones most prone to leaf rot during propagation.  Hoyas with leaves that do not store water have less rot issues.  We highly suggest that you start with a common hoya type.  Publicalyx Red button, carnosa tri-color or publicalyx Splash hoya plant propagation make get ones to learn how to do it.

 

First, do not expect to propagate from seed what-so-ever. Yes, it can be done but with an extremely high failure rate.   Epic Grower does not grow by seed. We propagate 100% from cuttings, rooted cuttings, plant division, or vine “dip in soil” method.

hoya plant propagationHoya Plant Propagation – Long Vines

 

If the variety of hoya plant you plan to propagate has bendable long vines then use the soil dip method.  This method will give you a very high successful.

 

As your hoya vine get longer, dip (create a u-shape) at the center of the vine. Put the u-shaped section in the soil about 1/2″ deep.    Epic Grower recommends that you leave 3.4 nodes before the u-shaped section you dip in the soil.  New branches grow at the nodes. Do not cut the VINE at this point.

 

You do not need rooting hormone for this method.  You may need to weigh down the vine with a rock to keep it in place.  Once the roots are well established lift hoya plant propagation out the u-shaped section.  Remember to protect the new roots. Do not just PULL OUT of the soil – instead loosen the soil. Cut the part leading back to the original parent plant before the roots. Now plant your new hoya section.

 

Hoya Plant Propagation – Cuttings

 

Cutting hoya plant propagation is less successful than the dip method.  The success rate will depend on the hoya variety and your dedication.  Epic Grower propagates from our own mother plants using cuttings. We do not order cuttings of rare hoyas what-so-ever due to high failure rates.

 

Epic Grower buys rooted cuttings from throughout the world.  The success rate of growing rooted cuttings (usually 1”-3” plants with small roots) is 60-70% on rare plants. Sometimes we have 100% failure on a certain species of hoyas.  So be warmed ahead of time – you will have some to many failures depending upon hoya variety.

 

We highly recommend you use cuttings with 3.4 nodes. Nodes are where leaves form.  Hoya plant propagation from end cuttings work best.  Once you have your cutting, remove all leaves except 3.4 from the vine.   Cut the base of the vine at a 45-degree angle. Dip the cut end into a rooting hormone (use Dyna-Grow K-L-N gel).

 

Plant the cutting in sterile moist soil. Do not add fertilizer what-so-ever.  Do not use miracle grow soil.  You want to use fast draining propagation mix. Its needs to be very airy.  Add perlite if needed. Do not water the plant for 3…4 days. Its better to bottom watering than top watering. Keep the soil moist.

 

Depending up the hoya type your new plant should be ready to transplant in 6 to 12 months.

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Winter Pruning Fruit Berry Plants

Preparing for spring includes winter pruning of dormant plants.  Many varieties of deciduous plants, ones that drop their leaves in fall, require annual pruning to grow fully.   Fruit trees and most berry plants, and flower shrubs require winter pruning too.

 

Fruit Tree Winter Pruning

 

Do you have fruit trees or do you plan to grow them?  Apple, pear, fig, peach and other fruit trees grow best when they are pruned in winter.  Do you prune them every year?  Yes and No.  When the plant is young prune every year.  Once they are matured, you need to winter pruning every 3 years.

 

Epic Grower LLC highly recommends that you do winter pruning to strengthen the branches. Prune fruit trees less than 5 years old every year.  If you do not prune young trees, branches loaded with fruit will break and rip trunks causing tree damage.  The basic rule of thumb:  if a branch is longer than 24″ and if it cannot support the weight of 3.4 fruits then trim it.

 

In addition, you need to reduce the number of branches on young fruit trees.  Start with growing up to 3..4 main branches from the main trunk.  The old branches will thicken and new branches will grow below the cuts.  When new branches grow from the 3..4 main branches trunks – let them grow 24″ and then winter prune to strengthen limbs.  Doing this with cause the tree to grow thicker branches that will support the heavy fruit.

 

Epic Grower recommends pruning matured fruit trees every 3 years. Note:  the year after winter pruning the tree will produce lower yields but in future years they will produce larger fruit yields.  Do all main pruning during the early part of winter. This gives the tree time to heal and be ready for good growing in early sprint.

 

Berry Bush Winter Pruning

 

winter pruning eldreberryNot all berry bushes are the same.  Before winter pruning your berry bushes, you need to know how your plant grows.  Do the berries grow on old wood or new wood?  Most berry plants put out new canes/stems from the ground every year.  You need to know if berries will grow on the new canes from the new year or on the canes from the previous year.   Some berry bushes grow fruit on new and old wood, such as blueberry plants.  However, the best tasting blueberries are from new canes grown the year prior.  If you grow blueberries, winter prune the plants all the way back. Leave 3.5 of the news canes alone.

 

Elderberry plants will grow new growth from the canes/branches and from the base of the plant. Let elderberry plants grow without pruning the first two years. After 2 years, winter pruning of dead, weak or broken canes/branches is required.

If you have questions, please post them below.  Expect more articles on pruning, growing and maintaining fruit and berry trees.

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Epic Grower AdeniumRose Combined

AdeniumRose Company is officially moved to the Epic Grower location in Cleveland, Ga.    The move of  AdeniumRose Company to our Georgia location facilitates better management of growing the tropical plants and rare succulents..  Both Epic Grower LLC and AdeniumRose Company are own by the same people.  The AdeniumRose website now points to Epic Grower Company.

AdeniumRose Plants

 

adeniumrose plantEpic Grower Georgia location  houses the transferred rare topical and adenium desert rose plants.  The desert rose plants ost their leaves during the move. New leaves sprouted last week.  The standard and large sizes adenium desert rose plants are now released for sale.

 

Expect the re-potted desert rose seedlings to be release in December.  The tri-color and jumbo size adeiums have an expected release date of late November.

 

Desert rose plants are succulents with flowers that look like “rose bush” flowers.  See the selection on our website at Epic Grower.

 

Epic Grower expanded the hoya collection with 18 new varieties,  Expect the first release of these in late November or early December 2021.   Hoya propagation takes 8 to 10 months for most varieties before they are released.  The hoya plants from AdeniumRose Company were transferred to Georgia in April 2020 when the new location was opened.

 

Epic Grower Company uses LED lights to grow the hoyas year round. We welcome questions about growing using LED Lights.  Next late Spring see the Adeniums,  rate tropical and other plants in the cold frame for the weekend sales too.

 

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Magnolia Trees Types

Several clients asked about magnolia trees when they notice several different types at our nursery.  The large southern magnolia tree with its large white flowers grow symbolizes the south. However, they are many types beyond the regular white to white/pink southern magnolia.

 

jane magnolia treesMagnolia tree types vary greatly: some are evergreens while others are deciduous. Some grow into very tall stately trees and other impressive tall bushes.  Flowers range from white to pink to lavender to purple.  One type may have large leather leaf while other look like willow leaves.

 

Magnolia trees flower in the spring into early summer.   Yes, some varieties of magnolia trees flower before they produce leaves and some re-bloom during the summer.

 

What Types of Magnolia Trees does Epic Grower Carry?

 

Currently, Epic Grower LLC carries the more unusual “Little Girl” magnolia trees:  Ann, Jane and Betty. These are hardy and impressive flowering shrub or small tree.  These produce impressive spring flowers in the shades of purple-red, purple-white or all purple-lavender flowers.  The flowers have tulip shape.

 

Gives these trees plenty of sun.   The Jane and Betty grows up to 15 feet tall in zones 4 to 8.  The Ann grows 8 to 12 feet tall with a base of 10ft round.   Their grow rate is between 13” to 18” a year (Moderate rate).

 

As with all magnolias, these loves the sun and moist fast draining soil.  Do not plant them in a wet area.  If you live in a dry area then partial while they are young works better.  Give your magnolia a good thick layer of compost the end of winter. Use a slow time released fertilizer once a year for the first 3-4 years.

 

betty magnolia treesThese make excellent specimen trees or a fantastic hedge.  The “Little Girl” magnolia trees are deciduous (lose their leaves during winter).  They produce tons of flowers and many times they bloom again during the summer in many areas.

 

If you have any growing questions please post them on this blog. Do not send questions to our email.  Thank you.

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Hoya Plants growing

The world of hoya plants include over 870 colorful varieties.   The majority of the hoya plants grow in similar environments in the wild.   Beyond a few (5-9 varieties) common hoyas they are not grown for the mass market.  Some varieties are very hard to maintain while others flourish.

 

publicalyx red button hoya plantsHoyas grow in humid warm environments in nature. Very few will tolerate cold weather below 50 degrees for very long.  Most hoya plants, once you understand they needs, are easy to maintain.  Some grow very slowly while others grow fast.   Some are easy to propagate and others very hard.  99% of all hoyas are propagated by cuttings – not seeds

 

Hoya Plants Growing Basics

 

Have you successfully grown cactus or succulents’ plants?  If yes, then you 75% ready for hoya plants.  The main different between growing hoya plants verses succulents are the amount of light and temperatures.  Many cactus varieties will survive freeing weather and extreme temperature changes. In the desert, most cactus and succulents love bright long hours of sunlight. These two things sun and temperatures are the main differences between hoya plants and succulents/cactus.

 

When growing hoya plants, keep the growing environment warm above 50 degrees. The sweet spot for most hoya plants is between 70 and 85 degrees.  Several hoyas will handle temperatures down to 40 degrees during winter. However, no hoyas I know of will handle freezing temperatures what-so-ever.

 

Epic Grower recommends making 50 degrees as the determination point.  Just because a plant can handle colder weather does not mean they will not suffer.  Now on to light.

 

Many people confuse direct sunlight with indirect sunlight.  A bright window is NOT direct sunlight.  Keep it simple.  If the plant can SEE the sun unfiltered (not through tinted glass) then its direct sunlight.  The exception is shade cloth. True plant shade cloth is designed to allow sunlight through while inhibiting some UV light.  IF growing hoyas under a shade cloth use 50% to 70% shade rating.

 

Rare hoay plantsHoyas vary in their light requirements to flower. However, 97% of them prefer shaded indirect light.  They grow great in covered patio areas with strong indirect light.  If you have a covered front porch, they make great hanging or draping plant specimens.

 

They will handle a couple hours of morning direct sunlight. But they do not like afternoon direct sunlight. They are great indoors in or close to a bright window, Yes, a few hours of direct through window sunlight light is OK.

 

Watering hoya plants is easy.  In nature most prefer humid warm and wet climates.  However, in nature they do not grow in soil.  Just like a cactus/succulent, when you grow hoya plants you need to let the soil be on the dry side. Water them once a week and then let the soil dry out for a few days. Yes – you can mist the plant when they start to develop areal roots.  Use cactus soil that drains very fast. Make sure you pots have holes in them so they do not retain any water.

 

If you have questions about growing hoyas plants please post them on this blog.  Please DO NOT Send an email.

 

Look for more Hoya plants growing information in the near future including how to propagate them.  As in all living things some plants will thrive while others die. The more you learn about your plants the better chance you have in keeping them happy.