Help me with pink eburneum?

[annafl]

I've got a small plant I'd like to plant in the ground. I think I've heard comments on the forum before that it's hard to get this plant to perform well? I've also heard that several of you have beautiful specimens ( Glocks, and maybe Mike and Ron?) For any of you who have mastered this plants needs, can you share with me? How much sun and any other tips would be appreciated. Thanks. Ana

 

[ScotTi]

Ana, Wish I could help you with Pink Eburneum. I have wanted one for a few years now, but have not had luck finding one.

 

[annafl]

Thanks, Scott. If and when mine gets to be big enough, I will share with you. The first step is to plant it in the ground and tend to its needs well. I hope someone chimes in soon. Hey, would love to meet you sometime. Maybe at the fall auction/meeting?

Ana

 

[Judy Glock]

Ana, our best "pink" is in the Keys,of course! We have planted several in FM and the best one there is in our screened enclosure on the east side of our house.
Judy

 

[Phil Stager]

Grows well for me in part shade under a Queen palm; should have a nice air layer to bring to next meeting. It was slow to establish but now grows 'normally' - whatever that is for a croton

 

[Native son]

Sounds like fun to me, you might put my name on that tag bidding starts at ????

 

[annafl]

Thanks, Judy and Phil. I will go looking with some ideas now. I feel like I don't want to give it a primo spot if I already know it might not perform well. Those spots are hard to come by and I'd rather give it to a plant that is likely to be gorgeous. I will find a pretty good spot though. Thanks.

Ana

 

[Moose]

A couple of months ago, I did an experiment on rooting cuttings. I used 1 Sum Yung Gi, 1 Arthur Howe and 2 Pink Eburneum cuttings. The cuttings got root tone on the tips and were put in pint containers with loose compost and perlite. The plants were then put into large plastic pretzel jars. An inch of sand was placed on the bottom of the jar. Water was added to the top level of the sand. Then the lid was screwed on, essentially a terrarium was created. I selected these cultivars as they are pretty slow.

Result: Athur Howe croaked. The others rooted well after 6 weeks. The Pink Eburneum had the best results. Both were sold at the Tropical Fern & Exotic Plant Society Show.

Anna - this croton prefers shade. However, like you I am limited to the amount of "premium croton growing areas" in my garden. Sometimes you gotta just put it in the second or third best sun exposure spots. Mine was planted on the west side of the house. It recieves shade until noon and then some pretty heavy sun until @ 4:00 pm. Not always looking great, it survived and slowly grew. Now three years later, it has adapted and has accelerated its growth. It does get more shade now since the surrounding plants have grown as well.

Conclusion: Many crotons can adapt to high light levels. As Dr. Brown has suggested in his books, it takes three years for a croton to get fully established in the ground. Smaller leaves and bleached out colors can be realized for a few years until establishment. Full sun all day is not good. Half a day of afternoon sun is doable if you are willing to wait for the plants to acclimate.

 

[annafl]

Well, thanks Ron. I put it in a spot with good sun maybe 10-12 and very filtered sun/shade for rest of day. A better spot than I thought it deserved. It is tiny and rather scrawny so I hope it thanks me by becoming thick, colorful and beautiful. I'm glad to know that things adapt. I'm already experiencing that. I tend to push things to grow in more sun than they are accustomed to. Frequently they adapt and I'm glad, sometimes it doesn't work well. I am learning as I go and will continue to ask a lot of dumb questions. I'm happy you all patient and are humoring me .

 

[Moose]

Humor for Anna

 

[fawnridge]

The left plant is over 3 feet tall. It's been in the ground for two years and has doubled in size. It gets full sun from sunrise to noon and bit beyond. There's an irrigation head four feet away and it's planted in crap soil, mulched with river rock.

The right one is 10 years old, just about 15" tall. It's in shade all day long, gets a ton of irrigation, has rich organic soil and pine bark mulch, but just won't grow. It was 12" tall 10 years ago. Obviously, it needs the sun.

 

[Moose]

The left plant is over 3 feet tall. It's been in the ground for two years and has doubled in size. It gets full sun from sunrise to noon and bit beyond. There's an irrigation head four feet away and it's planted in crap soil, mulched with river rock.

The right one is 10 years old, just about 15" tall. It's in shade all day long, gets a ton of irrigation, has rich organic soil and pine bark mulch, but just won't grow. It was 12" tall 10 years ago. Obviously, it needs the sun.

What fertilizer do you use Ricky ?

 

[fawnridge]

I don't fertilize plants, only palms and large trees.

 

[annafl]

Ron, that's a really nice-looking plant. Thanks for showing me what to aspire to.

Ricky, mine started out rather scrawny, but it is growing nicely now and filling out a bit with the rain and the light. Hope mine gets as full and colorful as yours and Ron's.

Ana