Crotons at the local flowershop.
By Stan510
- 1 Jun, 2018
- 3 likes
They spend the day out..the night in..unheated in. Their shed. They've been doing this for 3 or 4 years now.
Comments on this photo
One and the same. Once impossible to grow here.. They now can survive if kept out of the winter's cold rains. Very marginal Penny- but worth the effort.
1 Jun, 2018
I use to have mine as a house plant Stan no room in my garden for any thing else but yes its a lovely plant.
2 Jun, 2018
They look very healthy!
8 Jun, 2018
Its something they have that going year after year. I want to see if I can reproduce that by moving mine to the porch in winter.
I dont see lots of big growth..but dense and compact. I would be happy with that.
8 Jun, 2018
I think it would have to be in an enclosed patio there. They really don't like the cold wind-chill.
10 Jun, 2018
Well,mine this year dropped almost all the original greenhouse leaves Andy. My last try..we had a better spring. It got warm in 2014 in April and stayed warm. This year we had rains,cold breezes and these plants dropped those big leaves.
Still,the trunks are loaded with budding branches. I think it will grow dense and with half sized leaves then they get in Florida. I also notice that these have sort of muted colors out of the greenhouse- get much more vibrant in part sun outdoors.
This summer is not going to break any month records. I can tell there wont be a long run of 80's like we had in 2014. That was the last drought year.
10 Jun, 2018
Yes, Crotons are very difficult in the SF Bay Area outside. It's definitely a shrub for semi-shade or diffused light. I see a lot growing outside here and pretty neglected and they looks pretty good. My Mammy is growing very well. It looks nice and full after loosing all its top leaves after my neighbor's tree was cut to the trunk. I still think I'll have to move it into more shade, though. It really likes a little more shade.
I tried taking cuttings off my larger one in the front yard. They didn't take...it was way too cool in May for them to start rooting. I'll try some more now, as the weather has been in the upper 70's to mid-80's here for over a week.
11 Jun, 2018
The other Croton I bought..that looks like a smaller Mammy? It had dropped most leaves..but its come back much faster and right now has totally filled..with the still green young leaves. Not bad thats it doing that on 72f day and day out..what a cool June.
Petra's are real work to keep alive. A challenge. And...it can be done. I did it once and wish I had put the last one on the porch out of the rains.
18 Jun, 2018
Typically, if the light-levels change Crotons respond by loosing their leaves. I found that out this past January when my neighbor cut the giant bottlebrush back to the trunk. It's growing a lot of new leaves over the last couple of months. The leaves in more shade look better than the ones in full-sun. I'll most likely have to move it into more shade.
20 Jun, 2018
The fiddle leafed type Andy,I have babied..it was indoors at the flowershop so I knew ANY sun would be bad for it so kept in shade the last couple or three weeks. Yesterday,I moved it into the shade of the hot side of the house upping the light levels too. Looks great if greenish. I expect new leaves from this point to be more yellow veined.
I have a piece of 3x3 plexiglass...might make a mini greenhouse cover for them in winter. Cover the sides with sheet plastic. Might work without looking too bad.
20 Jun, 2018
Wow! Sounds like it's going to like its new spot.
I just moved my Mammy Croton this morning before going to work. It's in more shade now. I suspect it should grow better in a semi-sunny spot.
22 Jun, 2018
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Beautiful colours Stan reminds me of a plant I once had 40 years ago it was called Jacobs coat of many colours
1 Jun, 2018