L's Garden Checkpoint 3, part deux: New plants and transplanting old ones ...

After cruelly tearing away the spider pups from their mother, I repotted them (4 total) into 3" starter pots and stuck them over saucers. They'll be going home with me when I head back to UCSB.

The spider pups hadn't really developed roots yet, but hopefully they'll root within a month. I dusted the ends of them with some Rootone w/ fungicide so hopefully that will aid the rooting process.


Garden checkpoint 3, part 2: Potted spider pups for me to take back to UCSB

Here's the new demesne of L's Gardenia Vetchii. If you look closely at the picture, you'll notice some flower buds that are on the verge of opening up.


Garden checkpoint 3, part 2: L's Gardenia Vetchii, planted into the ground


Today we also plunged L's Michelia x Alba into the ground. We'll see if there's something in the soil that will kill it off just like E's was. I have heard Michelia x Alba roots dislike being jostled around. Hopefully transplant shock won't kill this one. According to a rough measuring with E's ruler, L's Michelia x Alba is about 55 cm tall from soil level.


Garden checkpoint 3, part 2: L's Michelia x Alba, planted into the ground; ruler tick marks are in cm

A relative of the Michelia x Alba, the Michela Figo, is slowly growing on the other side of L's garden area. It is now around 78 cm tall from the highest leaf tip.


Garden checkpoint 3, part 2: L's Michelia Figo (AKA Fuscata) with ruler (cm)

Near the Michelia Figo, L had her hubby plant the Phyllostachys Nigra (Hale). Currently it is around 28 cm tall. While L's hubby was planting the bamboo, I didn't think of the ramifications of not putting down a rhizome barrier to prevent the bamboo from escaping out of L's garden.

There happens to be no barrier between L's garden, a square common area, and then the neighboring house's garden plot. Oops. Well, it will take a while before this bamboo starts to shoot as it is very young.


Garden checkpoint 3, part 2: Phyllostachys Nigra (Hale) planted in L's front yard

While gazing at our handiwork, L and I noticed a wicked-looking orange and black caterpillar inching its way around L's garden fence. L later yelled for her hubby to take a look at it. Later she persuaded him to squish it with a paper towel and toss it.


Garden checkpoint 3, part 2: Evil orange and black caterpillar on L's frontyard fence

Next L, being unusually observant that moment, noticed some bugs stuck to her confederate jasmine vine. They were all along the woody stem, and she was afraid they were doing mischief. Later, we identified them as leafhoppers. Nasty little juice-sucking critters!


Garden checkpoint 3, part 2: Unidentified ?bug? on L's Confederate Jasmine vine

Here's the Aglaia Odorata growing in the shade by E's front door. It turns out another plant grew up within the same pot, straight up through the middle and now taller than the fragrant Chinese rice plant. Can anyone identify it?


Garden checkpoint 3, part 2: E's front Aglaia Odorata, with some unidentified volunteer growing tall through the middle

Here's the Phyllostachys Nigra bamboo 1 gallon starter plant that we planted into a narrow strip of land in front of E's house (tallest culm around 30 cm tall). Hopefully it will grow to cover up some of E's taller windows.


Garden checkpoint 3, part 2: Phyllostachys Nigra planted in front of wall facing E's front door

The Mountain Apple tree has grown an amazing amount of new leaves. They are growing in with the sides of the leaf curled up. We're hoping that as the leaves mature they'll flatten out.


Garden checkpoint 3, part 2: E's Mountain Apple, with many new leaves

In L's bottom plot the last Phyllostachys Nigra (Bory) bamboo was stuck into a cement "box" area, where the tallest culm sticks out > 55 cm from the soil. This area is on the same level as the garage, and technically it's in a common area, but it runs along the side of L's house so we think planting it there is okay. After all, we're trying to beautify the place.


Garden checkpoint 3, part 2: Phyllostachys Nigra (Bory) planted in L's bottom plot

After we planted the bamboo, we looked up at a tree planted by some gardeners before L moved into her house. The tree has numerous insects swarming all over it.

First we noticed a grasshopper (katydid) hiding among the leaves.


Garden checkpoint 3, part 2: Grasshopper hiding amid leaves of tree in L's bottom plot (common area)

Next, L's hubby pointed out all the scale insects sucking the life away from the plant. We then noticed a few ladybugs, but they seemed to be completely overwhelmed by the multitude of scale insects.


Garden checkpoint 3, part 2: Ladybug and numerous scale insects on same tree in L's bottom plot

L had some money burning a hole in her pocket, so she nagged her husband into taking her to the San Gabriel Nursery & Florist.


Trip to San Gabriel Nursery & Florist

They sell a multitude of plants and plant products. So far we've found their selection of fruit trees to be very healthy specimens. L had a yen for a Fuyu persimmon tree.


San Gabriel Nursery: Sample picture of what they offer

Whenever I go to the San Gabriel Nursery with L, I am always checking out plant tags/markers to identify common plants I've seen while walking around but never know the names of.

They had several older Michelia x Alba trees in their fragrant plants section. Check out the price tag on this one.


San Gabriel Nursery: Expensive but healthy Michelia x Alba trees for sale

We returned home with a Fuyu persimmon tree in a biodegradable pot.


New purchase: Fuyu persimmon tree, from San Gabriel Nursery

Also, L couldn't resist picking up a Mimosa pudica (known in Chinese as a timid embarassed plant).


New purchase: Mimosa Pudica

They also go by the name "Sensitive Plant". If you run your finger across the tops of the leaves, they will close up.


Mimosa Pudica: Before touching leaves

Later they will open up flat again. These plants are invasive to China's mountainsides and hillsides, but were originally from Brazil.


Mimosa Pudica: After touching leaves

Next up is a pepper plant. L had received a starter plant from one of her coworkers, but later it mysteriously died after she transplanted it. So she nagged her coworker until he gave in and gifted her with 2 new ones. She kept the larger of the plants, but potted the smaller one for her sister-in-law.


Garden checkpoint 3: A pepper plant L received from coworker after hers died

Last up is a picture of L's potted Gardenia Radicans. Remember the picture from yesterday? Now those flower buds have opened up.


Garden checkpoint 3: Gardenia Radicans, next day flowers blooming