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Kalanchoe/Bryophyllum is one of the genera under the leave succulent family Crassulaceae. The other genera, such as Echeveria, Crassula, Pachphytum and Aeonium, from the same family are far more popular. Their diversity of compact and symmetrical forms (compact rosettes or 4-angled column) make them very very attractive to succulent collectors. While Kalanchoes/Bryophyllum may not have such geometrical neatness in their form, they win many of the hearts of succulent lovers by their wide range of leaves shape and colour. They are also more robustness. Kalanchoes/Bryophyllum can tolerate more neglect, more water, and of course one of the easiest to raise from stem or leave cuttings. Several species are so robust and propagate themselves so freely that they are considerated notorious weed in the tropics and subtropics. Several examples come to mind: Bryophyllum delagoensis (syn. K. tubiflora), B. daigremontianum (syn. K. daigremontiana), B. ‘Houghton’s hybrid’ (a hybrid of B. delagoensis and B. daigremontianum created by A. D. Houghton in the 1930s), are all commonly named ‘Mother of Thousands’1,2. Others such as Kalanchoe blossfeldiana and its many varieties are very common popular indoor flowering houseplant.

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Strategically located at Dubai International Airport, the Dubai Flower Centre is a new hub of growth for the floriculture industry in the 21st century. With the explosive growth in global trade of flowers and perishables, there is an increasing demand for innovative logistics and commercial solutions to enable the industry to reduce transit times, improve quality and grow profits.
The Dubai Flower Centre has been designed to meet these needs. With construction on this ultramodern facility already underway, the first phase of operations, capable of handling up to 150,000 tons of flowers and perishables, is scheduled to go live in Autumn of 2004.
The Dubai Flower Centre is committed to delivering on this opportunity by providing:

Increased capacity and connections to and from major global trading points
Rapid consolidation and trans-shipment
The world’s best cool chain management
Resources and facilities to enable cost effective value-addition
Facilities and support to enable efficient commercial transactions

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A new blog about cancer

Justin was diagnosed with AML Leukemia on 5-5-08

Paul:I was born in a small village in southern Ontario, Canada in 1934 to bilingual French parents (both now deceased) and had 6 sisters and 3 brothers.

Do you want to now their stories?

www.blogagainstcancer.com - A blog against cancer.

This is the month for pruning shrubs and roses, dividing perennials, sowing tender plants and mulching fruit trees. Follow our guide to keep your garden looking its best.

Order bedding plants

Order fuchsias, geraniums, marguerites and other young plug plants from mail-order suppliers. It’s also a good time to order summer-flowering bulbs, such as dahlia, gladioli and eucomis.
Pruning roses

Remove any dead, diseased or damaged stems from roses this month. On bush varieties, cut stems back to an outward-facing bud, shortening them by about a third or half. Watch our video clips of rose pruning to get more tips.
Pruning shrubs

Prune away one or perhaps two flowering shoots from large mahonias each year, after flowering. This will encourage a succession of new replacement shoots to grow up from the base. Old, leggy shoots can be cut right down to ground level or you can stagger the length of stems to create a more interesting shape. The stems of dogwoods, willows, hardy fuchsias and ceratostigma should also be pruned back hard this month to encourage fresh, brightly coloured new growth. Cut down tall stems on Buddleia davidii to emerging shoots lower down the plant, shaping the shrub to control its size.

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Voles, deer, and birds are the three major vertebrate pests of fruit plantings. Voles are mouse-like mammals that eat the bark and roots of young fruit trees and thorn less blackberries in winter and are frequently a serious problem. Deer consume the new shoots of fruit trees. Birds damage the fruits of blueberry, cherry, gooseberry, and grape plantings.

Two different vole species cause problems: the meadow vole (which lives aboveground) and the pine vole (which lives belowground). During the spring, summer, and fall, voles eat vegetable matter and seeds. But in the winter they feed on the bark and roots of young trees, often girdling and killing them.

To assess whether or not you might have vole problems before they do damage, place half an apple under a shingle or a 1-foot-square piece of plywood in a grassy area near your trees. Check it the next day. If the apple is completely gone, you’ve got problems that need treating. If there are only a few nibbles, voles are probably present, so you should keep monitoring and consider control measures. Read the rest of this entry »

Spring flowering bulbs are planted in the fall. Late September is the time to begin, but spring bulbs can be planted up to December as long as the soil is not frozen solid.

In spring, nature unlocks her treasure chest to reveal the beauty of bulbs. The glorious displays in gardens and parks are the result of gardeners who plan ahead: Tulip, Daffodil, Hyacinth, Alium bulbs (Flowering Onion), Amaryllis, Anemone (Windflower), Chionodoxa (Glory of the snow), Crocus, Erythronium Pagoda (Trout lily), Galanthus (Common snowdrop), Ipheion (Spring Starflower), Leucoium aestivum (Summer Snowflake), Muscari armeniacum (Grape Hyacinth), Pansy.

How to plant bulbs

• With bulbs, it pays to buy the best. Smaller, low quality bulbs may be somewhat cheaper, but the effort of planning and planting is the same. The results are much more rewarding if top-quality bulbs are planted. Read the rest of this entry »

Roses are one of the most popular and versatile flowering shrubs grown throughout South Carolina. Most roses require a lot of care to grow and bloom properly. One of the most common causes of failure with roses is poor disease control. The three most serious diseases of roses in South Carolina are black spot, powdery mildew, and stem canker and dieback.

Remember that different types of roses vary greatly in their resistance to diseases and the maintenance they require. To grow roses successfully, you must select varieties that require an amount of care equal to that which you are able to provide. Shrub type roses bloom beautifully with few chemical controls needed, while the more susceptible varieties such as hybrid teas, require an effective spray program to be in place before the growing season begins.

BLACK SPOT

Black spot is a common and serious rose disease often reaching epidemic proportions in a season. The disease is caused by the fungus, Diplocarpon rosae. It is most severe after long wet, warm periods in the spring. Symptoms occur on rose leaves as circular, black spots surrounded by a yellow area. Infected leaves often drop from the plant. Infection continues throughout the summer months. The immature wood of first year canes develops raised, purple-red irregular blotches. Plants become stunted and produce fewer, paler flowers. By mid-summer severely infected plants may have lost all of their leaves. Read the rest of this entry »

You can also read the Care and Handling of cut flowers part II and part I

Mechanical Damage

Avoid bruising and breaking cut flowers which reduces their aesthetic value and, thus, their wholesale/retail value. Pathogens (disease organisms) may gain access through wounded areas and, thus, further decrease their value. Ethylene production and respiration are both natural wound responses. These two reactions greatly accelerate in response to mechanical damage and, thus, shorten postharvest life.

Diseases

Flowers and foliage packed moist after harvest are very susceptible to a number of disease organisms. Condensation of water on the flowers or foliage encourages diseases. Avoid moving flowers directly from cool to warm rooms which results in water droplets forming. Botrytis (gray mold) is the most common disease wherever excessive moisture occurs.
Although botrytis can be controlled by fungicides, proper environmental management is the best method. Reduce excessive humidity and do not allow water to sit on the flowers and foliage. Read the rest of this entry »

 I just started a culinary blog.  All recipes are totally FREE! Find information about healthy recipes, cooking recipes, vegetarian recipes, Chinese recipes, and health enhancing diet, eating, low fat cooking, and low cholesterol cooking.

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After we discuss in part I about the temperature, humidity and nutrition, we will discuss now about light and wather.

Light

Light is not as great of concern as other factors mentioned earlier; however, chronic darkness will cause foliar deterioration. Remember, optimum light levels during production are important to ensure high quality cut flowers.

Water

Plant tissue is comprised mainly of water (at least 95%). Water loss in cut flowers can occur rapidly leading to wilting. Maintaining a low temperature helps to reduce water loss and allows easier rehydration after shipping. Try to prevent any wilting, which will shorten vase life. While it is common to handle flowers dry and rehydrate them later, vase life generally suffers.

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While most cut flowers are currently imported from out-of-state producers, Oklahoma growers can substantially contribute to and profit from the production and marketing of cut flowers. Greenhouse or garden centers could diversify their operations with cut flowers, depending upon proper care of the flowers and establishment of a market. Since Oklahoma is centrally located in the U.S. and has two major airports, increased production of cut flowers could be warranted. Therefore, establishing care and handling guidelines is critical to the success of cut flower production in Oklahoma. Below is basic information which may be useful to growers, wholesalers, retailers, and ultimately the consumers.

Since water quality and growing, harvesting, and storing conditions vary considerably, it is important to first test any changes in procedures on a small scale. Whether a firm is growing or importing cut flowers, periodic tests of the vase life of the flowers should be conducted to assure that vase life is adequate. Flowers may look acceptable, but may not last as long as possible.

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Here you can see a video with the world most weird plants.

Video school about amaryllis flower. Lets find more about amaryllis.

The Los Angeles Flower District is the Los Angeles area’s premiere flower market resource for flower growers, shippers, suppliers, floral wholesalers, distributors, floral designers, event planners and retail florists in the floriculture and horticulture industries. Just a stone’s throw away from downtown Los Angeles, the Flower District and its flower markets and members are convenient to major freeways and only minutes from major cities and commercial centers, facilitating the flow of floral products from field to consumer. read more

Source: www.laflowerdistrict.com

Tags: flowers district, los angeles flowers, flowers market