SOIL POST I

I HAVE seen  lots of blogs/posts about many things above the ground, except pests, diseases and the great absentee in the tittle.  It is the one making or breaking any garden.  Perhaps it is the jargon what keeps most people away from it.

When I began my studies for the certificate in the NY Botanical, soil science was one of the most difficult classes, it covers a whole universe. If it seems too much of text book information, you are right.  If you know a lot about the subject, go ahead, skip it.  Stick around or buy the book. Keep it as a reference, it will be useful for your gardening life.

Soil is a living creature with lots of secrets. Forgotten and ignored for a simple reason, when bare, is not so attractive except for geologists and archeologists.   

              MICROORGANISMS 

Bacteria, simple one-celled organisms are the most abundant inhabitants in the soil.  Up to 100 million organisms may live in one

teaspoon of soil.  Common soil bacteria are rod-shaped, though many assume other  shapes. Bacteria usually grow as small colonies

on the surface of soil particles and smaller pores. They are most dominant in nonacid soils. 

Bacteria are the most variable of soil organisms. While most are aerobic, many thrive in anaerobic soil.  Most are heterothropic, yet many obtain energy autothropically from chemical reactions with certain soil substances.

Most soil bacteria are saphrophytic.  They comprise one of the groups most responsible for breaking down organic matter in the soil.  A few species are parasites, causing plant diseases such as crown gall (Agrobacterium tunfasciens) which causes a tumorlike 
growth on roots of many plants. 

Soil Science & Management

by 

Edward J. Plaster

page 113

One of the issues that  keep  yours truly motivated  to keep a blog, was the destruction of 5 hectares in the town of Trujillo Alto, by a Phd and his wife. Alberto Areces Mallea and Gabriella Ocampo, the culprits. http://antigonumcajaneveningpost.blogspot.com/2011/06/parque-dona-ines-alberto-areces-mallea.html,                             there is a whole series of articles on that scam if you are interested.

BONUS

Our second pumpkin is hanging it there, our first Malpighia glabra, arrived after 3 years in the south garden. 

the soil series 
has begun

that is that

 

REFLECTIONS ON MY 61RST

NORTH AND SOUTH IN CONTEXT

I NOTICED that some visitors stay in this space, not venturing into the other two.  Here are two sides, those missing will be available in a near future.  Let the record show at least 56 species live
here happily with some editing when necessary.  If interested check my inventory for the hell of it.\

.  The north side wide and narrow. The third photo shows the same space facing west.

   FINALLY,  the south side home of the pumpkin,  west and east.

that is that

HYLOCEROUS COSTARRICENSIS NEW INDUCTEE

  THIS rainforest

cactus has been in the collection for a couple of years, a present from Maria, one of me neighbors.

Some readers may find strange these succulents could grown under  rainy conditions, but I assure you is not the only one.

Mine, to the right, decided to attach itself to

the concrete wall for support.  It was planted

under the Duranta repens, for the intense

shade and humidity, not found everywhere in our garden.

I did my research under rainforest cacti, finding

this and a few others under the botanical name.

that is that.    

  

BARLERIA REPENS POST

 Barleria repens is one of me favorite plants in our garden.  The first, nine years ago,  was just like the photo at left.  It came from the LMM Plantation, by division.  As time went by I noticed its self sown characteristics.

It has never shown diseases of any kind or insect damage. Barleria is drought tolerant and will grow as you can see in the photos with little support.  If you are into hedges, without the pruning and trimming hassles of many, I would recommend it.

Below the technical information from wildifeohawaii.com.
 
Scientific Name: Barleria repens
Common Names: Coral Creeper, Red Barleria, Creeping Barleria, Small Bush Violet

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial, Evergreen
Growth Habit: Subshrub, Vine, Herb/Forb
Hawaii Native Status: Introduced. This naturalized ornamental garden plant is native to South Africa.
Flower Color: Light red to coral, Salmon to lavender-pink, Pinkish purple
Height: 6 inches to 6 1/2 feet (15 cm to 2 m) tall
Description: The flowers are tubular and have 5 round, spreading, unequally-sized lobes and light purple anthers. The flowers are followed by club-shaped seed capsules that explode open when dry, ejecting the seeds a fair distance from the parent plant. The leaves are smaller than the showy flowers and are shiny, green, smooth-edged, and oval in shape. This variable and adaptable plant can grow as low, rounded plants when young, as a spreading groundcover in open, sunny locations, as a tall, rambling vine amongst other plants, or even as an epiphyte on other plants like palm trees. These attractive, but weedy plants are fast-growing and can spread quickly by seed or rooting stems.

Classification

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Scrophulariales
Family: Acanthaceae – Acanthus family
Genus: Barleria L. – Philippine violet
Species: Barleria repens Nees

1. Barleria repens 'Purple Prince' - Excellent ground cover or low shrub for full sun or semi shade. Medium grower. Glossy green leaves with
royal purple flowers. Can be easily pruned to form a low hedge. Prune lightly after flowering. Feed with slow release 3:1:5 chemical or organic fertiliser and water regularly for best results.