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News about gardening, exotic plants, strange plants…

The Practice of Lateral Grafting at Canarius

plant-grafting Canarius | Friday September 9th, 2016 |
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When we talk about grafting in plant fields, we refer to the combination of two different species, joined so as to continue their growth together as a single plant. Grafting produces a ‘chimera’, i.e. a plant with two different genes: one in the roots and another in aerial parts.

Grafting is carried out by making cuts in the rootstock in order for it to receive the scion, so that the joining occurs between the two plants.

plant-fieldFor the joining to take place, it’s necessary that certain conditions are met: we call those that depend on the nature of the plant, ‘internal conditions’; and the inherent requirements of the environment where the new species is developed, ‘external conditions’.

Grafting between plants of the same variety or gender are almost certain to happen. However, when grafting between different species, there is a much lower percentage of probability.

The cuts made in both the rootstock and scion must be clean. Both parts should join intimately and remain linked with a tie, until the grafting is attached and set.

‘Chimera’, i.e. a plant with two different genes: one in the roots and another in aerial parts

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lateral-graftingTypes of Grafting

As for the types of grafting, they’re varied, some more advisable than others for certain plants or times of the year in which they’re carried out. With lateral grafting -one which is practised at Canarius farms- it’s carried out in late winter, when the bark can be peeled off the rootstock with ease.

With lateral grafting, a T-shaped cut is made in a smooth area of the rootstock’s bark and then peeled. Additionally, the cutting below the raised bark is introduced.

After the bud has sprouted from the cutting, the top part of the rootstock is cut off so that all the sap goes to the graft and grows strong. After approximately 15 days, the raffia tie is removed so not to strangle the graft.

This type of graft is valid for all trees and shrubs, both deciduous and perennials. At Canarius we also carry out other practices of grafting which we’ll explain in later posts.

Mango Cultivation in the Canary Islands

Mangifera-cv-Gomera-1 Canarius | Wednesday June 1st, 2016 |
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mango-trees-orchard

Image ICIA (Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agraria)

The Mango fruit was introduced in the Canary Islands at the end of 18th century, originating from the Philippines. Although throughout 19th century came to the archipelago numerous Cuban and Venezuelan mangos. In a short period of time, this fruit is become in a common tree in gardens located in the coastline of the Canary Islands, where climate noticeably favors its development.

The best areas for mango cultivation in the archipelago are warm sites of coastlines in the South. Despite the tree is very rustic and it can grow in any sort of soil, due to the subtropical climate in the Canary Islands, mango (Mangifera) prefers those soils with a great depth (minimum 80 cm).

Mango blooming is presented in the Canary Islands in February or March, as a direct consequence of cold in winter. The minimum temperatures in those dates are relatively low and, therefore, there are some problems for bearing fruit.

The most important variety of mango tree for our archipelago it is the local Gomera 1.

Description of the Mango Gomera

hardy-canarian-mangoMango Gomera is a very robust medium sized tree, with dome shaped crown, and stiff, thick, arching leaves. Flushes of new leaves are deep red-burgundy. It is able to flower up to 3 times a year. If it is too cold or wet, it will lose the inflorescences and flower again, about 2 months later, until the right season for fruit set is matched.

Fruits are yellow with pale dots and sometimes with a hint of pink. They are produced in groups, with a small to average size (250 g average), very good flavor, aromatic, with a high content in fibers.

Genetic analysis shows thant it is very closely related (not the same) to the Cuban Mango “Filipino”, and to the Floridan Mango “Turpentine”. It is possibly the same of the Cuban “Manga Blanca”.

Scientific Literature in Spanish about Mango Gomera

“Mejora del Mango en Canarias”, Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias (ICIA)

“Gomera-1 en el programa de mejora del Mango”,  Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias (ICIA)

Buy cold hardy mango trees in our Shop

In our shop, Canarius, you can purchase small trees of Gomera mangos and also a wide selection of mango trees of different varieties. All trees are grafted by hand, with specific cultivars. We ship to any countries in Europe. Try also our delicious Mango jam with or without sugar, in the honeys & jams section, produced with the mangoes of the Canary Islands.

Adenium socotranum is grown in rocky slopes

The-Socotra-Desert Canarius | Friday February 12th, 2016 |
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Adenium socotranum is an endemic species from the rocky slopes of the island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean (South of the Arabian peninsula and east of the Horn of Africa). Place where the authorities are very protective of the natural resources.

Socotranum is one the most admired species in the genus Adenium

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adenium-socotranum-canarius

Socotra is considered the jewel of biodiversity in the Arabian Sea. In the 1990s, a team of United Nations biologists conducted a survey of the archipelago’s flora and fauna. They counted nearly 700 endemic species, found nowhere else on earth; only Hawaii, New Caledonia, and the Galápagos Islands have more impressive numbers.

Socotranum is one the most admired species in the genus Adenium. It attains a huge size, of two, three or more meters in height. Showy clusters of pink flowers are regularly produced in Adult plants. The pink flower of the plant appears for a couple of weeks in spring. Moreover, the species is similar to a miniature baobab.

As we have said before, Adenium socotranum grows among stones in grit or on other well drained soil. The species shows several morphological and physiological adaptations to cope with the dry climate and strong winds.

This magnificent species is virtually unknown in cultivation, so its performance cannot be described with confidence. Here it grows from may or june to december, so it will be resting leafless from january to may or so. At Canarius, we offer a1-2 year old plant, Container size 10 cm. Plants can be sent bare rooted.

Would you like to discover the marvelous atmosphere of Socotra in a Adenium socotranum? Have a look!

How to Root Sugarcane Cuttings

Canarius | Tuesday January 12th, 2016 |
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Sugar-canes-in-Canarius

saccharum-officinarum-ceniza-bengala-striped-sugarcane

Sugar Cane is a 3-5 m tall tropical grass that produces most of the world sugar. Saccharum officinarum grows outdoors in tropical to warm mediterranean climates. Canes can be peeled and eaten at any moment, they are best after blooming. Sugar cane is very fast growing in hot summer weather, with abundant water and fertilize.

Cuttings are the best way to reproduce sugar cane, because they root easily and will give a plant exactly like the original mother plant. Reproduction from seed is much slower and it is only used experimentally in order to produce new cultivars.

The best rooting temperature is 20-30 C. Cuttings can be planted directly in soil or they can be rooted in water. New roots and new shoots will develop from the nodes: these are the dull-coloured rings present on each stem, formed as leaf-scars when old leaves fall off. Usually roots come first and then the buds wake up and form new primary shoots.

  • In soil: use a fluffy, sandy, draining soil. You can do it in two ways: stick the cuttings upright, burying 2/3 or them in the soil mix, or place the cuttings horizontally underground, lightly buried for a few millimeters. Keep them moist.
  • In water: put the cuttings upright in a tall glass filled with water. Roots will show up in one or two weeks. Move the rooting cuttings to soil after about one month from the start of the process.

how-to-root-sugarcane-cuttings

Cuttings can be rooted in sun or shade. It does not matter, because during about one month the rooting plants will live at the expenses of the sugar stored in the stem. After this time, the rooted plants should be moved to full sun as soon as possible, so the canes will start to grow thick thanks to their own photosynthesis.

Buy sugarganes from the Canary Islands

Saccharum_Caña_de_AzucarCome and visit our shop, www.canarius.com, and you will find different cultivars of traditional sugarcanes from the Caribbean, Polynesia and the Canary Islands. We ship to our customers packs of two super-thick cuttings ready to root and sprout.

Cordyline fruticosa ‘Lyon’s Black’, the boldest cultivar

Canarius | Wednesday December 30th, 2015 |
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CORDYLINE-FRUTICOSA-CV

The genus Cordyline, belongs to the botanical family Asparagaceae, and it is native to Polynesia, New Zealand, Australia and S.E. Asia; also one species comes from South America.

In this case, we talk about the uncommon Cordyline fruticosa ‘Lyon’s Black’. This dark-leaved selection bears large sized, almost black leaves, with blueish wax. The whole plant is very erect and robust, 2 to 4,5 m tall. ‘Lyon’ s Black’ is one of the boldest cultivars. It was selected at Lyon Arboretum, in Honolulu, Hawaii. It typically blooms in Winter, with attractive sprays of pink-mauve flowers.

Its extremely dark foliage is a must in tropical gardens because it creates an incredible contrast with green backgrounds. The best colour is achieved in full sun.

As most large-sized Hawaiian cordylines, ‘Lyon’ s Black’ grows thick roots underground and is more resistant to wind, drought and cold than the smallest cultivars often sold in garden centres for indoor decoration. If its height is too much, it can be chopped in Spring at the desired height and it will soon sprout back from the cut stems.

About the exotic Cordylines

cordyline-fruticosa

Cordyline fruticosa is a marvelous foliage plant originating in the Pacific Islands. It adaptable to bright shade can grow indoors as a house plant. The wild type has green glossy leaves that are used throughout Polynesia to make food-wraps or the famous hula skirts. Many colourful cultivars have been selected for ornamental purposes.

Our Hawaiian selections will also be perfect in the tropical or subtropical garden. They can take cool temperatures but will be damaged or killed by frost. These “outdoor cultivars” bear leathery leaves and grow thick tuberous roots underground. They can even stand the cold winters of the coastal Mediterranean, especially if sheltered from the wind.

If you grow plants in full sun, you will obtain larger, robust specimens with thicker leaves. These plants will be much hardier to drought, wind and cold than plants grown in the shade.

Cordyline fruticosa ‘Lyon’s Black’, the boldest cultivar

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After a few years, pot-grown Cordylines can start to become tall and leggy. If so, they can be kept low by pruning or air layering the shoots that become too tall. They will sprout new shoots from the base or from the cut.

The plant that we offer at Canarius is 20-40 cm tall and it is about 1 year old from cutting. It is grown in a pot of about 12-14 cm. Would you like to try a Cordyline fruticosa “Lyon’s Black”? Get it right now from us!

 

Plumeria ‘Japanese Lantern’

Canarius | Tuesday December 1st, 2015 |
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japanese-lantern1

Plumerias are small tropical trees native to tropical America, renowned for their flowers. Their common name, Frangipani, comes from a famous perfume of the eighteenth-century. Depending on the cultivar, they can grow up to 3 to 10 m tall. Moreover, plumerias are easy to grow, regardless of the region where you live.

plumerias-canariusWild species of Plumeria are native to warm tropical areas of the Caribbean, Central America and N. South America. These are very diverse in growth habit and their flowers are always white-and-yellow. They are all deciduous and shed leaves during the cool, dry season.

On the other hand, cultivated hybrids of Plumeria rubra are found throughout the world, in warm mediterranean to tropical areas. They are recognized by the showy and very fragrant flowers called Frangipani, developed in a wide range of colours: white, yellow, pink, red, orange…

Plumeria flowers have thick, waxy petals, with a predominance of two colours (depending on the hybrid), varying from the center to the edge of the petal, as we can see in this Plumeria ‘Japanese Lantern’:

 

japanese-lanternPlumeria “Japanese Lantern”

It is an old, classic, great cultivar of Plumeria, with drooping flower heads. Individual flowers have narrow petals, twisted at the tip. They are pink-red, with a small, brilliant yellow center.

‘Japanese Lantern’ is one of the few plumerias that blooms almost continuously throughout the warmest months – In the Canary Islands it can flower from April to December: 8 or 9 months per year instead of the typical 4-6 months of most cultivars. Some inflorescences can also survive to winter and start producing new flowers in early Spring.

The plant is very easy to grow and bloom. It is quite upright and thin at first but very robust eventually, becoming a long lived tree. It is perfect for landscaping where dense summer shade is required.

We ship a well rooted plant, 40-80 cm tall, sometimes branched, sometimes not. Usually an adult tip-cutting that can bloom in one year or less. Plumerias are leafless in winter and spring, so depending on the season, they can be shipped with pots or bare rooted in paper or sphagnum.

In our online store, Canarius, we have an ever-increasing offer of plumerias: Bali Whirl, Palermitana, Kauka Wilder, Sally Moragne… What is your favourite one?

Withania somnifera, your Medicinal Plant for this Autumn

Canarius | Friday September 18th, 2015 |
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withania-somnifera-ashwaganda Autumn is coming and, most of times, flu with it. In Canarius we have plants for health and, in particular, we have brought a new one to our online shop: Withania somnifera, commonly known  as Ashwagandha, Indian ginseng, poison gooseberry or winter cherry.

Withania somnifera is a shrub to small tree that grows well in Mediterranean to tropical conditions. This species is a short tender perennial shrub growing 35–75 cm (14–30 in) tall and its branches extend radially from a central stem. The flowers of an Aswagandha are small and green and the ripe fruit is orange-red.

Withania somnifera, known commonly as ashwagandha, is a medicinal plant

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(Withania_somnifera)

Nevertheless, this  plant grows well in Mediterranean to tropical conditions (as we have said before), it is cultivated in many of the driest regions of India. For instance, Mandsaur District of Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat or Rajasthan. Also, a Withania somnifera plant  can be found in Nepal or China.

Withania somnifera is an Indian medical plant used in Ayurvedic medicine with just too many good purposes. Such as treating arthritis, anxiety, trouble sleeping (insomnia), tumors, tuberculosis, asthma and so on.

Moreover, this plant is used as an “adaptogen”: natural substances produced by plants and herbs that provides special nutrients for reaching an optimal performance, both mental and physical.

Likewise, Ashwagandha is applied to the skin for treating wounds and, even, some people also use this plant for fertility problems in men and women. To sum up, Withania somnifera, known commonly as Ashwagandha (among others), is a medicinal plant with a lot of uses to improve our health day by day.

The name Ashwagandha is from the Sanskrit (an old Indian language) and it is a combination of the word ashva (meaning “horse”) and gandha (meaning “smell”). Furthermore, its root has a strong aroma. That’s why this species is described as “horse-like” (despiste how badly it sounds). Look for on our website Withania somnifera - Ashwagandha and discover how this species can help you daily!

Discover how we ship on Canarius.com

Canarius | Tuesday July 21st, 2015 |

How-we-work On Canarius.com, we are lucky because any mail from the Canary Islands travels as airmail, so the box often travels during just 3-8 days and skips any spell of cold or heat. So far, we shipped hundreds of parcels to many different countries. Likewise, if you are out of the European Union we can make easier your purchase. The truth is that different countries out of Europe have different legal requirements. We will try to match all of them, but in some cases we need your cooperation. Some countries will ask you to request an import permit, so you will have to get it in advance and email it to us. Our minimum order is 80 €

For the customers in the USA

We are able to ship to the United States and we will ask you to cooperate and obtain an USDA-APHIS import permit so you can legally import our plants into the USA. We will prepare all the necessary documents to fulfill the requirements of your country. We offer a free phytosanitary certificate and a free handling for plants, including bare-rooting and packing. Some of the plants that we offer in our website are not allowed to be imported in the United States. This list is often changed by the United States, so please contact us if you have any doubt:

  • Saccharum (Sugar Canes)
  • Morus (Mulberry trees)
  • Citrus (All citrus fruit trees)
  • Some Palms (currently in our catalog: Livistona spp.)
  • Ipomoea batatas (Sweet potato, including black-leaved sweet potato)
  • Gossypium (Cotton)
  • Theobroma spp. (cacao)

How we work

This is a bit of information about how we ship. Contact us if you have any questions. We can easily reply in English, Spanish and Italian. Although, also we can handle other languages, such as French or German. Right after, we share with you an explanatory video about “How we work”:

 

Red Leaf Palm, put colour in your life!

Canarius | Wednesday July 15th, 2015 |

chambeyronia-macrocarpa-red-leaf-palmIf you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind rare species then you want the Flame Thrower Palm. From Canarius we would like to introduce this beautiful palm. This is one of the most beautiful palms in the world. It is native to the forests of New Caledonia, the luscious island of New Caledonia is east of Australia and north of New Zealand, where it occurs from sea level to over 1.000 m. Formally recognized, there are only two species of Chambeyronia, a genus of striking beauty for New Caledonia. That kind includes Chambeyronia macrocarpa, which family is Arecaceae. Their common names are: the Flame Thrower Palm is also known as Red Feather Palm, Red Leaf Palm, Blushing Palm, Watermelon Palm.This species is from wet mountainous areas below the height of 800 meters. The name Chambeyronia honors Charles-Marie Chambeyron who lived from 1827 – 1891. He was part of the French Navy and assisted in the mapping of the coast of New Caledonia.

Features

Chambeyronia macrocarpa grows to 15 m tall and is found in the understory of rainforest. The solitary stem has rings at regular intervals along it, which are the scars left where leaves were attached that have now fallen. Large feather palm to about 20m, with a spectacular, bright red new leaf, which stays red for up to 10 days. Seeds are red and very large, thus the species name of “macrocarpa”. Although most Chambeyronia only throw two to three new leaves a year, each one is special. This is because they emerge with a gorgeous red color. This red varies from a deep, burgundy wine purple through all intermediate colors to an intense pink.

Chambeyronia macrocarpa, one of the most beautiful palms in the world

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They can resist temperatures down to 25 degrees. These exotic and rare cold hardy plants thrive in a well-drained, moist climate with full sun to light shade. Don´t forget! It requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings, Water regularly; do not overwater. Easy to grow. Do you want to make a home feel like home by giving you the feel of nature? .You can choose inside or out? The Flame Thrower Palm is a wonderful specimen that you must have in whether it is in your home, office, or garden!

Chambeyronia-macrocarpa

Fenestraria rhopalophylla, a beautiful plant from South Africa

Canarius | Wednesday June 17th, 2015 |

Fenestraria_aurantica_1 Fenestraria rhopalophylla ssp. aurantiaca belongs to the family of Aizoaceae. There are various common names, such as babies’ toes or window plant. It´s native to Namibia and Namaqualand in South Africa into the Richtersveld. F. rhopalophylla seems like Frithia pulchra, but its leaves are different because it has yellow flowers, compared with the pink flowers of F. pulchra. The most curious thing is that this succulent plant has unusual leaves with a translucent window on the top, for that is called little “fingers” seems to have eyes on them. Each “finger” has a transparent window at its tip to filter sunlight. On each sheet there is a transparent area, like a window so its Latin name refers to it: “fenestra” (window). This allows photosynthesis That leaves are about 2-2.5 cm in length and its apex is thickened.

As the story of the swan, this plant becomes a beautiful and a colorful yellow plant

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In the wild, the plant commonly grows under sand, except for the transparent tips, which allow light into the leaves for photosynthesis .Therefore, this plant is often covered by sand and transparent sheets allow us to light for photosynthesis comes. The plant grows in sandy soils with less than 100 mm of annual rainfall.

Fenestraria-rhopalophylla-ssp-aurantiaca-(3)

Fenestraria rhopalophylla on Canarius.com

It’s bloom in summer, autumn and even winter. It´s very sensitive to frost. The level of the compound in the pot should be slightly below the root collar to be placed above a layer of fine gravel that covers the neck and half the height of the leaves. The lack of light due tissues and rots easily. It should be watered in the growing season, from summer to autumn, but require little water. They should be kept dry during the winter.