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51st Issue Vol. 5 No. 12 ISSN 2094-1765 December 2012

THE FIERY KAGAWARA ORCHID HYBRIDS

by Norby Bautista

During the Christmas season,

red flowers are the in-plants, like

the Poinsettia. However, in the

field of orchids, one of the free-

flowering orchids in these color category is the Kagawara. The

Kagawara is an intergeneric

hybrid between three

vandaceous orchid, namely Ascocentrum, Renanthera and

Vanda. However, the prominent

and brilliant red flower color

comes from the Renanthera

orchid or the fire orchid. This red-flowered orchid, which is its dominant trait,

makes it a favorite in flower arrangements especially if you want to display

brightly colored red spray of orchids in a table or in a landscaped arrangement.

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The Kagawara orchid breeding was pioneered by Singaporean orchid breeders

like Dr. Eric Holttum and his co-workers. This tropical orchid type is also popular

not only in Singapore, but also here in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Hawaii as well. One excellent and well known hybrid is Kagawara Christie Low

which has gained awards in garden shows locally and abroad. Kagawara

orchids are excellent cut-flowers and landscape plants due to the longevity of its

flower spikes on the plant or as a cut-flower, and it is free-flowering. The plant is

also very easy to grow.

It thrives well in bright but not direct sun, usually with shade nets. it is often

established in driftwoods or in hanging baskets. The plant usually blooms almost

every two months, especially when given a humid or moist environment,

sufficient light and fertilizer. It prefers regular daily watering usually in morning,

and much often during dry summer periods. It will benefit from regular once a

week fertilization using a dilute solution of complete orchid fertilizer.

Kagawaras are medium sized plants, about less than a meter tall, and during

blooming time, it could produce about 40 medium sized red flowers, usually with

10 buds open, arranged in a branched spike.

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The plants are susceptible to sucking insects like mites, aphids, and scales.

Thus, a dilute solution of insecticide must be sprayed to protect the plant from

insects. During the rainy season, spray plants with dilute solution of fungicide to

prevent plants from rotting due to water-borne fungal diseases.

They are propagated by seeds in an orchid laboratory or through asexual reproduction like top-cutting, or formation of kiekis. Flowering plants, usually in driftwoods or established in hanging baskets can be used as a decoration inside the home or office during the Holiday season, as it can provide brilliant spray of red flowers, in a corner or entrance of the home or office. Kagawara cut-flowers placed on a tall glass vase are also ideal as table center-pieces.

THE POINSETTIA: A MEANINGFUL SYMBOL OF CHRISTMAS

by Norby Bautista

Christmas is an important event in the Christian world as it is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is symbolized in many plant forms, like that of Santa Claus, the Christmas tree, the Christmas wreath, the mistletoe and most especially, the Christmas flower or the Poinsettia. In essence, the meaning of Christmas is continuing hope, and the sharing of love with everyone. Though the Poinsettia flower

has many different colors and varieties, it is the Poinsettia flower with the deep vibrant red color is the one that truly represents this very special occasion. The red color of the Poinsettia bracts represent’s Christ’s blood, which was spilled when He was nailed to the cross, but in the same reason, He saved us from sin. One has to note that the colorful parts of the Poinsettia, are actually the bracts, which are modified leaves, and are not flowers. The flowers are small, and are usually green or yellow, and situated in the middle of the bracts. The Poinsettia, which is scientifically known as the Euphorbia pulcherrima and which belongs to the Euphorbiaceae plant family, is indigenous to Mexico, and native to the Pacific coast of the USA. It is a shrub or small tree and is found in the wild in deciduous tropical forests from southern Sinaloa down the entire Pacific coast of Mexico, Chiapas, Guatemala, and as far south as Nicaragua.

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Since it is a tropical plant, Poinsettias can grow outdoors in the Philippine setting and can naturally grow into small trees, with long stems and long internodes. Potted Poinsettias are usually cultivated here in the Philippines in the Baguio area, usually inside a plastic roofed greenhouse, usually the plant being prepared as early as June. By exposing matured plants to eight hours of light for two months, the plant starts to gains vibrant red bracts by November to December. Though the Poinsettia may considered a disposable plant, plant growers can actually propagate the plant quite easily through stem cuttings, or the plant can be established on a large pot or directly into the ground in their garden. It is easy to maintain as long as the plant is watered regularly and the plant is provided with a fertile and well-drained potting medium.

Seeing these beautiful plants displayed in large groupings are really eye-catching and it’s red colored bracts certainly is symbol of the Christmas season, connoting the rebirth of love, wisdom and hope. It is an excellent plant display in every home or office during the Holiday season. Its beautiful flowers truly fulfill its mission of bringing: beauty, love, wisdom, and harmony to the lives of all people. As the saying goes, the Poinsettia flower fulfills the mission that God left with his blood in its leaves: to give love and hope to all human beings.

A Poinsettia plant in a shipping sleeve. Poinsettias are a

favorite holiday plant. Take them out of shipping sleeves

immediately. To keep them healthy, don't over water, don't

fertilize until after the holidays and keep them in room

temperatures.

In behalf the Urban Gardener Group, we are wishing our readers that may the Spirit of Christmas bring you peace, hope and love this Yuletide Season.

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The Coralberry Plant, A Handsome Lucky Plant

for the New Year by Norby Bautista

One familiar plant used as a lucky charm for the New Year is the Coral Berry, or scientifically known as Ardesia crenata. This is due to its attractive red berries which is also a symbol of prosperity, continuous growth, wealth and fortune. The long-lasting berries, which hang down in clusters, are quite showy as they ripen and turn to shades of coral and finally bright scarlet.

The Coralberry, is also known as Christmas berry, money plant, spiceberry, coral bush, and hen's-eyes. It belongs to the Myrsinaceae plant family, and is native to East Asia, ranging from Japan to northern India. It is a compact shrub that reaches 1 meter (3.3 ft) high, often with a single stem. Leaves are dark green, thick, glossy, and have tightly waved edges The flowers are small, white or reddish, fragrant, and form clusters. The fruit is a glossy, bright red drupe. The seeds are able to germinate under a dense canopy and are dispersed by birds and humans.

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This attractive shrub produces abundant, long-lasting, coral-red to scarlet berries, which stand out against dark-green, serrated, glossy leafy background. As an ornamental plant, it can be planted on 6 -12 inch pots, however, when the plant matures, it can grow from a height of about 6 to 10 feet tall usually on a large clay pot or planted directly to the ground. It thrives in full sun to moderately shaded conditions, and should be watered not too often as too much water can cause rotting of roots. The potting medium needs to be moderately moist, and fertile, similar to most potting mix. Naturally, it grows in clumps, and is observed to be a slow grower. The plants need to be protected from fungal root rot, by not watering it too often. It is also

affected by fungal diseases in the stem and leaf diseases, which can be controlled by a spray of dilute fungicide like Dithane or Captan during the onset of the rainy season as a prophylactic. It also susceptible to sucking insects like mealybugs, which can be controlled by insecticides when infestations occur. This plant is actually very easy to propagate as it can grow from seeds or can be rooted from stem cuttings during summertime. It is a low maintenance plant and is not too sensitive, thus ideal for amateur gardeners. Heavy fruit set is usually produced by 2 year old plants . Unfortunately, the showy red berries usually attracts birds, thus the plant needs to be protected from them, or else, you will lose all the berries to birds. The coralberry, aside from being a potted ornamental plant, can also be used in landscaping, usually as a bedding or border plant. It propagates easily and is considered a weed or an invasive species. Aside from having ornamental importance, it is also valued as a medicinal plant. Preparations made from the root of the Coralberry are used as an ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine.

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The Coralberry are nowadays seen rather common in fairly large colonies, since the plants re-seed freely. It has escaped cultivation and become established in the Mountain Province here in the Philippines. The berries are usually food for birds and other wildlife animals.

Mabolo: A Rare but delicious fruit

for the Holiday Season by Norby Bautista

The Mabolo or sometime called Butter Fruit or Velvet Apple is a rather a rare but delicious nutritious fruit nowadays. Its name was derived from the brown reddish hairy or velvety texture of the fruit rind. Aside from the fruit, the three yields a very hard and dark-colored wood called Kamagong, which is usually used for furniture making.

The Mabolo, which is scientifically known as Diospyros blancoi, belong to the Ebenaceae plant family. It is an evergreen forest tree that is medium-sized, and has an oval or conical-shaped crown. Its leaves are oblong-shaped, which are big and rounded but are pointed and narrow at the top. It is now an endangered tree in the Philippines, thus, it is difficult to export its wood without proper permits. The mabolo fruit has a round, velvety outer cover which contains the seed in a pulp. After pollination of the flowers, the green fruit develops, and then becomes light brown in color and eventually, turns to magenta as this fruit berry ages and ripens. Mabolo is somewhat unpopular because of the strong cheesy odor that it emits, once the fruit is opened. When eaten, though, the mobolo fruit has an edible and sweet taste. Its flesh is somewhat described as soft, creamy, with a taste and aroma comparable to fruit cream cheese. The concern about its unpleasant smell may be remedied by peeling its outside cover, and storing it in the refrigerator for several hours, so that the smell will already dissipate. Studies have shown that the fruit contain several vitamins and nutrients. It is known to be an ideal source of calcium, vitamin B, iron, and protein. Due to the color of its rind, Mabolo is somewhat an ideal fruit decoration for the Christmas table and since it has a cheesy taste, it can be served best with ham and other meats that have a spicy quality in it. There has also been several ways of preparing the mabolo fruits. It can be served as a dessert, by mixing

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the fruit with lemon juice or lime. It is also used in salad preparations, by dicing the fruit. In the same manner, it is used as ingredients in soups, where it changes texture and becomes tough when stewed.

Mabolo is grown commercially, but at a small scale only, as it can be found along the seashores and the mountain side 2,400 feet above sea level. Aside from its fruit and lumber, Mabolo is also a beautiful ornamental tree, which can be landscaped in home and urban gardens, also as a roadway tree. Its leaves, bark, and the roots have medicinal use. Its bark is being utilized in such a manner that it is being decocted and prepared to address skin ailments like eczema, fever and cough. The extract from the juice of the unripe fruit is used to remedy diarrhea and dysentery are being remedied extracting the juice of the unripe mabolo fruit. In Bangladesh, preparations of the mabolo leaves and bark are being used as cleanser, particularly as an eyewash and also used as an antidote for snakebites. In the Guianas, besides the already mentioned uses, mabolo preparations also function to address heart ailment and hypertension. Spider bites, stomach aches and diabetes are also three of the other health issues that mabolo has been found to help remedy. The tree is easy to propagate from seeds or stem cuttings. It grows well in sandy to loamy soils, actually to a diverse soil type. It will grow respond well to

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fertilization twice a year, before and after the rainy season. Trees are usually planted 30-45 feet apart. Trees grown from seeds will take about 6-7 years to bear fruits, while those from stem cuttings will bear fruit after 3-4 years.

CREATING A FESTIVE CHRISTMAS DECOR FOR YOUR

DINNER TABLE By Norby Bautista

People nowadays are busy decorating their home and office for the holiday season. The dining room table is one of the most special place in the house as it is where family and friends gather and where they share the food for a wonderful evening of Christmas and the New Year. With these tips, you may transform the ambiance of your dinner table into the festive holiday season mood, so that your guest could immediately feel it upon entering the dining room. Decorating the table for the Christmas dinner is a great way to make the day even more memorable. It also adds a festive and playful touch to the holiday dinner table. Since Christmas day is fast approaching , here are some tips on how to decorate your Christmas table. Decorating your table for Christmas can be as simple or as elaborate as you want to make it, but it can always be eye-catching and uplifting. You may set a budget, if you have money, for your decoration, but some decorations could be as cheap and easy as a few ornaments.

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Everyone agrees that the colors red, green, white, gold and silver are still the favorite color motive for Christmas, and probably it will always be. However, you may opt for a wintery motif, by just using white, blue, light shades of purple and that’s it. You may also add 1 large scented candles, with an additional ornamental snowflakes, little snowmen, reindeer figurines, colorful or metallic balls or beads, or snowy white garlands. One standard decoration is a Holiday Christmas Wreath, which is composed of a circular array of artificial plastic pine leaves. The

Christmas wreath is usually laid in the center of the table. It can be decorated with any object you may want to use as a theme. If you have no theme in mind other than something special, you may use ribbons and bows, artificial metal coated balls and plastic red berries. Inside the wreath, place a large candle or several tapers. The tapers can be the same height or differing heights. The choice is yours. Just make certain that the flames or hot wax do not come in contact with anything that could cause a fire.

Cut-flowers and cut-foliage arranged in a flower vase or with a floral foam is another option. Flowers that can be used includes red roses, white lilies, chrysanthemums, anthuriums, carnations, dendrobium orchids, with fine asparagus fern leaves or baby’s breath for greenery. Accessories may include a miniature pineapple, gold-painted pine cones, red

berries, rattan fruits or other red colored palm fruits. A red Christmas ribbon with gold print design could be added to provide a feeling of the Yuletide spirit.

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The Urban Gardener is an official electronic publication (in PDF Format) of the Plant

Biotechnology Project, Research & Development Center, Rizal Technological University, Boni

Avenue, Mandaluyong City, Philippines. It is published monthly. For more information, please

inquire thru email: rdc_rtu@yahoo.com or plantbiotech_rtu@yahoo.com and landline

(+632) 534-8267 Local 135 or Fax (+632) 534-9710.

Edited by N.R. Bautista © December 2012 The Plant Biotechnology Project Committee is composed of: Alexander B. Quilang, Norberto R. Bautista, & Jovita A. Anit.

Another option is a tray, basket or bowl with assorted fruits in season. Fruits could be composed of pineapples, ponkan oranges, red apples, pears, dragon fruits, watermelons, melons, bananas, lanzones, and red & green grapes. The bunch of fruits are arranged in the basket with the tall ones at the back or center and the smaller ones at the sides. This connotes a feeling of bountiful harvest and round fruits means prosperity. Realistic artificial fruits will also do.

Another option is a Bowl of Ornaments, which usually provides a simple yet elegant table decoration that will give your table a sophisticated look. Set a glass bowl in the center of your table and fill it with solid colored glass ornaments, metallic colored balls or ornaments in a variety of colors. For further enhancement , line the bottom of the bowl with plastic pine needles or pine leave, and place tea lights around the outside of the bowl. With these decorations, the family and your guests will surely have a memorable and wonderful evening with you, and your dining area will have an ambiance of the Holiday season.