New plants in the nursery

New! Swamp Lily (Crinum pedunculatum). The Spider Lily is a beautiful leafy shrub. It grows to around 2m tall and 2m wide and has thick, succulent strappy foliage. It produces gorgeous, fragrant white flowers. Flowers resemble large ‘spiders’. Flowers are followed by round green seed capsules, borne on a long stalk. Seeds can sprout while still attached to the mother plant. Despite the name ‘Swamp Lily’, this Crinum is actually very versatile, and does not need to be grown in a swamp! It is also frost hardy, making it a wonderful versatile plant for gardens around Australia. Perfect for that cold hardy tropical garden! Click to buy now or for more information

 New! Pemba Palm (Dypsis pembana). Fast growing palm from Pemba, a small island of the coast of Africa. It grows up to 12m tall and has beautiful deep green ringed trunks. It is similar to the common Golden Cane Palm, but faster growing. It is most often seen in clumping form. Dypsis pembana is a very rare palm and should be more often grown! The Pemba Palm is quite cold hardy too, but not fully frost hardy. It is best grown in moist but well draining soil, in a full sun to part shade position.  Click to buy now or for more information

 New! Ivovowo Palm (Dypsis lanceolata). A beautiful palm from the rainforests on the Comoro Archipelago. It is a medium sized suckering palm up to about 4m tall with thick, bamboo-like trunks. Trunks are stunning, deeply green ringed. Foliage is short and wide, and very glossy. It is quite fast growing and hardy in the right position. The Ivovowo Palm should be grown in a protected position, in frost free gardens. Best in a spot which received filtered light, or is at least partly shaded. Dypsis lanceolata is a rare palm, which is only just starting to increase in popularity. It is very attractive and should be much more often seen in gardens around Australia!  Click to buy now or for more information

 Special! White & Red Desert Roses for only $7 each – help us clear some stock! The Desert Rose bears beautiful flowers, in many colours. These plants are succulents, and they store water in their roots & stem bases, which is why they appear swollen. The swollen roots and stems are called the ‘caudex’. Adenium flowers throughout spring & summer. For red flowers: Click to buy now or for more information . For white flowers: Click to buy now or for more information

Special! Chamedorea sale on eBay – most Chamaedorea’s 10% off! One Chamaedorea for sale is Chamaedorea seifrizii, the Florida Bamboo Palm. It is a graceful small palm 2-3m tall with bamboo-like long slender stems. Native to Mexico and Central America where is grows as an understory palm. Usually grown with multiple plants in a pot or spot, although the plant itself naturally spreads by offshoots similar to Bamboo. The Bamboo Palm is frequently used indoors; it is tolerant to low-light areas and is low maintenance. Remove old fronds to reveal the attractive light green bamboo-like stems.  Visit our eBay store

Coming very soon!

Triandra Palm (Areca triandra) - From aprox 10th of January

Lipstick Palm (Cyrtostachys renda) - Aprox February

Betel Nut Palm (Areca catechu) - From aprox 10th of January

Travelers Palm (Ravenala madagascariensis) - from aprox 10th of January

Don’t be surprised if we call ourselves National Tropical Plants rather than Cactus Island Nursery – we have now changed our name to better suit our plant range! We hope to see you as a member of our 10% discount club once the new site is up and running!

Mangosteen Fruit plants back in stock!

The very popular Queen of Tropical Fruits is back in stock in our nursery and ready for despatch before Christmas. Be quick as Monday is our last posting day until the New Year! (payments need to be received before 12pm Sunday to be processed)

Here they are on our website at

1-4 for $14.50 each http://www.cactusisland.com.au/products.php?pid=91&detail=true

5-99 $11.50 each http://www.cactusisland.com.au/products.php?pid=91&detail=true

Here they are on eBay at

1 for $25.99 (FREE express post) http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250546057464

3 for $55 (FREE express post) http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Garcinia-mangostana-MANGOSTEEN-rare-tropical-plant-x3_W0QQitemZ250546060041QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Plants_Seeds_Bulbs?hash=item3a55b57b09

Kind regards, El

National Tropical Plants (Formerly Cactus Island nursery)

Order NOW for Christmas!

Unfortunately we will not be sending plants during the Christmas period! Due to unreliable services offered by Australia Post, and postal services taking much longer than usual, our last posting day for plants is the 14th of December. Plants make wonderful present, so place your order now to receive yours in time for Christmas!

Certain things can be sent during Christmas, such as the COCOTAP – a wonderful little gadget to drink fresh coconut water easily. This would be a great present for coconut water lovers – or create a Coconut gift pack and include a fresh coconut as well to entice anyone into drinking this very healthy juice.

All fertilisers, soil improvers & seaweed solutions can be sent – basically anything that is not perishable. Be prepared for longer delivery times however!

One good thing though – we will still be here so all your emails will be responded to as quick as possible, but please do be patient as we’re trying to take it a little easier whilst the weather is at its hottest.

Exciting Nursery Changes

Cactus Island Nursery is soon to be known under a new name. From the start of the new year, we will be known under the registered name of ‘National Tropical Plants’ or ‘National Tropicals’ as is easier to say and remember. Our new name will come with a great new website – not only a brand new look but also many feature which we hope you will enjoy.

As the Christmas period traditionally is a very quiet period with, so it seems, not much gardening going on, we will try and have all changes finished by the start of the new year. If there are any delays or errors, please be patient & contact us. We’re sure you’ll love the new look, and we’re still the same so you can expect the same great personal attention & customer service you’ve been receiving up to now – hopefully with many more exciting plants & accessories.

All the best for the new year & a wonderful Christmas to all!

Cheers – Dan & El

Plants on Special

The plants below are a few plants which are on special until the end of November.

View all the plants currently on special.

	Butia capitata (Wine Palm / Jelly Palm	1 – 3 $5.00 each 4 – 9 $4.25 each 10 – 99 $3.75 each
	Dypsis Pink Crown (Pink Crown Palm)	1 – 4 $3.50 each 5 – 9 $2.75 each 10 – 99 $2.10 each
	Licuala ramsayi (Australian fan Palm)	1 – 4 $3.35 each 5 – 9 $2.99 each 10 – 1000 $2.00 each

Cold hardy & Frost hardy tropical plants

For other great Garden & Plant care tips and advice, visit our Garden & Plant Care page.

Is there such a thing as cold or frost hardy tropical plants?

Yes! We’ve compiled a list below of our plants for that tropical look in the colder areas & regions prone to frost in Australia.

Frost Hardy Plants

Palms:

-         Arenga engleri (Dwarf Sugar Palm) -10

-         Butia capitata (Wine Palm / Jelly Palm) -10

-         Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island Date Palm) -10

-         Sabal minor (Dwarf Palmetto) -10

-         Washingtonia robusta (Mexican Fan Palm) -5

Cycads:

-         Cycas revoluta (Sago Palm) -5

-         Zamia furfuracea (Cardboard Palm) -2

Foliage & flowering plants:

-         Doryanthes excelsa (Gymea Lily) -5

-         Dracaena draco (Dragon’s Blood Tree) -10

-         Xanthorrhoea johnsonii (Grass Tree) -4

Succulents:

-         Agave bracteosa (Squid Agave) -9

-         Agave filifera (Thread Agave) - 9

-         Agave parryi (Parry’s Agave) -9

-         Agave victoria-reginae (Queen’s Agave) -9

-         Yucca’s aprox -4

Cold Hardy Plants Back to top

Palms:

-         Beccariophoenix madagascariensis (Window Pane Palm) 0ºC

-         Caryota mitis (Clustering Fishtail Palm) 0ºC

-         Chambeyronia macrocarpa (Flamethrower Palm + Blonde Flamethrower Palm) 0ºC

-         Dypsis decaryi (Triangle Palm) 0ºC

-         Dypsis fakey (Fakey Palm) 0ºC

-         Dypsis leptocheilos (Red Neck Palm / Teddybear Palm) 0ºC

-         Dypsis lutescens (Golden Cane) 0ºC

-         Dypsis Pink Crown (Pink Crown Palm) 0ºC

-         Hyophorbe lagenicaulis (Bottle Palm) 0ºC

-         Hyophorbe verschaffeltii (Spindle Palm) 0ºC

-         Phoenix roebelenii (Dwarf Date Palm) 0ºC

Flowering plants

-         Lampranthus (Ice Plant) (0ºC - best protected if for a long period of time)

-         Pandorea Lady Di (White Bower Vine) 0ºC

-         Randia fitzalanii (Native Gardenia / Yellow Mangosteen) 0ºC

We recommend you gradually adjust young plants to your climate. Do not suddenly expose them to wind, frost, salt, cold, sun etc.! If you believe one of the plants above is wrongly described, or you believe some of our other plants may be cold or frost hardy, please let us know!

Tropical Foliage Festival

Saturday 14th November 2009
Sunday 15th November 2009

Cleveland Assembly Hall
Smith Street, Cleveland

Sales, Plants, Plant Displays, Guest Speakers, Fully Catered, EFTPOS, Free Parking

Contact Info:

Secretary: Elizabeth Hubbard (07) 3396 9956 Event Co-ordinator: Bruce Roberts (075) 499 2724

New! Randia fitzalanii (Native Gardenia / Yellow Mangosteen)

Randia fitzalanii (Native Gardenia, Yellow Mangosteen)

The Yellow Mangosteen, or Native Gardenia, is a beautiful rainforest tree, native to the North Coast of Queensland in Australia. Randia fitzalanii grows to around 5m tall, possibly a little taller in some conditions, and makes an excellent small tree for many gardens! Foliage is very beautiful and glossy green, and flowers resemble the flowers of Gardenia’s, which is where the name ‘Native Gardenia’ originates. The flowers are highly fragrant.

Not only is the Yellow Mangosteen beautiful and ornamental, it is edible as well, and is appreciated as bush tucker. Randia fitzalanii produces large, edible , slightly sweet yellow fruits. Randia fitzalanii fruits are eaten raw by Aboriginal people

Growing the Native Gardenia

Although Randia fitzalanii is a tropical native, it has been reported growing well as far south as Sydney. It is best grown in warm, moist situations, but can handle very light, very short frost. The Yellow Mangosteen is also drought hardy once established, although it prefers being watered regularly. Select a position, preferably sheltered, in full sun to part shade. Mulch well.

This plant is ideal for containers, close to the house to enjoy the wonderful fragrance, or as a small shade tree in the garden. Randia fitzalanii roots are non-invasive.

View & Buy Native Gardenia’s

New! Murraya Min-a-Min (Dwarf Orange Jessamine, Dwarf Mock Orange)

From the people who created ‘Syzygium Tiny Trev’!

Murraya Min-a-Min is a gorgeous dwarf plant with very fragrant, white flowers. Foliage is tiny, tough and glossy green, and they only grow to around 1m tall.

Murraya Min-a-Min is best grown in full sun to light shade. It is very adaptable and suitable to most condition. They are evergreen and flowers are born through spring and summer.

Murraya Min-a-Min is one of the best plants you can get for hedging, borders and topiaries! To grow Min-a-Min as a hedge, plant them 1/2m apart, and prune lightly in spring & summer, and a little more heavily in autumn after flowering has finished.

View or Buy Murraya Min-a-Min

Back in stock! Desert Roses in Red, White & Picotee! (Adenium obesum)

Common names: Desert Rose, Impala Lily, Sabi Star

Usually a shrub no more than about 1.5 m tall, branching into multiple stems with age. The Desert Rose can reach heights of 4.5 m or more in some of its tropical African races. Its usual habitat is sundrenched rock outcrops. The roots are swollen and succulent, as are the stem bases. Flower colours vary from pink to deep crimson, with a white or paler zone in the middle of each petal, and at least a hint of yellow in the throat. Flowering season varies in response to climate, from late summer-autumn through to late winter.

Requires excellent drainage. In warm-temperate climates they can be grown against a hot, sunny wall, but in cool climates they require greenhouses or glass houses with high light levels. Very drought and heat tolerant, but watering through summer and autumn promotes leaf growth and prolongs flowering.

VIEW & BUY DESERT ROSES BY CLICKING HERE!

Back in stock! Triangle Palms (Dypsis decaryi)

Dypsis decaryi

Triangle Palm

Very unique palm with a triangular shape; leaves grow from 3 distinct points of the trunk creating the triangle look. Spectacular grey-green leaves grow almost upright from the trunk and arch at the top. Originates in Madagascar and grows up to 15 m tall (although rarely seen at this size in cultivation). Very fast growing and very low maintenance. Extremely hardy, drought tolerant & handles light frost. For best results, this palm needs its own space to fully develop the shape which makes it so unique and special. Prefers full sun, but can be grown in semi-shade. Grows best with regular watering. Great container palm, will grow a nice thick trunk with minimal height in a pot.

Propagate from seed, usually germinates within a month.

VIEW OR BUY TRIANGLE PALMS (DYPSIS DECARYI) BY CLICKING HERE

COCOTAP - The EASY way to drink Coconut Juice!

COCOTAP© – revolutionise the way you drink coconut juice!

COCOTAP© is a patented, quality product, made to last. It is made from food grade stainless steel, professionally milled and hand finished in Australia. It is easily resharpened and can be hygienically used in premises serving the public. The T-bar handle is hinged so that the COCOTAP folds to a straight tube for easy use and storage!

COCOTAP© makes the most naturally refreshing drink totally accessible. It eliminates the mess of opening coconuts with machetes, it’s simple, it’s safe, and it’s easier to use nature’s perfect packaging!

See the COCOTAP© in action in the video below!

Are you aware of the abundance of natural goodness in Coconut juice? It includes growth factors like cytokinins, which are nature's anti-ageing compounds. It has been traditionally consumed around the tropical world for rehydration, refreshment, as a sterile water source, to soothe infants, dissolve kidney stones, kill intestinal worms, facilitate removal of toxins from the blood, boost libido, for healthy skin and hair as well as a laboratory growing medium and an emergency blood plasma substitute. Now, it is also recognized as high in antioxidants and useful in cholesterol control and ophthalmic relief!

Coconuts are simply one of the greatest gifts of Nature, and COCOTAP© allows you to fully enjoy it without danger or drama!

Not only is COCOTAP© the very best for drinking Coconut juice, it is also useful as a survival tool, a de-husking tool for mature coconuts, or as a coconut harvesting gaff hook. Open shellfish with it, piece tin cans, bait crab pots, crack into crab claws or extract tent pegs! Untie knots, splice rope, cut fishing line, play guitar.....

Don’t go Beach, Boat, or Bush without one!

Only $34.99 each! Buy COCOTAP (Opens in a new window)

New! Pandorea jasminoides (Lady Di) (White Bower Vine)

A beautiful climbing plant native to Australia. Pandorea Lady Di™ has beautiful clusters of fragrant white flowers. This Pandorea has wonderful glossy foliage and grows quickly to 3m tall.

Growing Pandorea Lady Di ™

Pandorea Lady Di ™ is best grown in a full sun to shade position. It is best grown in well draining soil. Keep the soil fairly moist, but don’t let it water log. Pandorea will tolerate very light frosts and is fairly salt tolerant. Fertilise with a controlled release fertiliser for natives.

Pandorea uses

Pandorea Lady Di ™ is excellent as a fast growing plant to cover trellises, old fences or ugly walls. It grows well in pots or as ground cover. It would look beautiful growing up pergola’s or carports. Keep it well pruned to maintain shape & flowering vigour.

New! Liriope gigantum

Liriope gigantum – Turf Lily

Liriope is a beautiful, evergreen grassy type ground cover. It bears gorgeous little purple flowers and grows to 50-70cm tall, and 50cm wide. The strappy leaves are dark green, glossy and narrow.

Liriope, or Turf Lily is very tough and adaptable. It thrives without care in almost any garden. It is well suited to growing in pots, as a ground cover or as a border around a garden. Liriope is also often used as a lawn substitute, it doesn’t require anywhere near as much water as the lawn does to look good! Liriope is best grown ‘en masse’, with a whole bunch planted all together for maximum effect.

Liriope is best grown in full sun to part shade. It prefers well draining soil and is highly drought tolerant. Once established, this plant does not require any maintenance or water. You can lift and divide Liriope clumps, and plant the divisions elsewhere to create additional plants.

New! Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island Date Palm)

The King of Palms!

About the Canary Island Date Palm

This palm, surprisingly, originates in the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago just off the North West Coast of Africa. The Canary Island Date Palm is large & imposing, up to 20m tall. It provides a true feature in the garden with its huge, solid trunk, and long, arching feather leaves. Trunks are marked with old leaf scars. This palm bears yellow flowers, following by orange to dark red fruit with 1 large seed.

Phoenix canariensis would be great planted along streets or driveways, as a feature palm in the middle of a lawn, or even as a container palm while small. Although the fruit is edible, like other Date Palms, the size of the fruit is very small, making it hardly worth it.

Growing the Canary Island Date Palm

This palm is very hardy and is quite fast growing, especially once it starts forming a trunk. It gets large and will need to be given plenty of room. Petioles have spines on them, so keep these plants away from walkways. Choose a position in full sun, in well draining soil. The Canary Island Date Palm is frost tolerant to around -10 and also very drought tolerant. Fertilise with a slow release fertiliser in spring and summer. Mulch well, but keep mulch away from the trunk.

New! Gazania Daybreak var. Pink Shades (Gazania rigens)

Gazania Daybreak Pink Shades (Gazania rigens)

A Hot Summer Survivor!

About Gazania Daybreak var. Pink Shades

Gazania Pink Shades is a gorgeous ground cover with sensational colour, suitable to even the most hot & dry gardens. Daybreak Gazania’s have won many awards for garden performance. They come from South Africa and have beautiful light & dark pink 3” flowers. Flowers close every night, and reopen in the morning. Foliage is feathery and bright green, and plants grow to 25cm high. The plants are nice and compact and flower freely.

Growing Gazania Daybreak var. Pink Shades

This is a true easy-care plant. It will produce amazing flowers in even the driest soil, and it’s best grown in full sun. Gazania is very heat tolerant and fast growing. Fertilise with a liquid fertiliser every 2-4 weeks, or apply an organic fertiliser per directions on the packaging. Best grown in a frost free position.

Space your plants 15 - 25cm apart for a nice clumping groundcover. Also suitable as potted plant, for borders or edging.

New! Garcinia magnostana (Mangosteen)

About the Mangosteen fruit

The Mangosteen is the Queen of Tropical fruits! Beautiful, ornamental fruits are purple to red and smooth on the outside. The fruits taste delicious; sweet & tangy, and are described as being similar to peaches. It is often called a ‘super fruit’ due to the said antioxidants and anti-disease effects. Mangosteen Juice is one of the new, very popular health juices. The fruits can be made into jams, and seeds can be toasted.

About the Mangosteen Plant

The Mangosteen is an evergreen tree which grows between 6-20m tall. New growth emerges purplish to red. It is not only a wonderful edible tree, with delicious tropical fruits, it’s also used for medicinal purposes such as Dysentery, skin disorders and cystitis. Some countries also valued it for its wood.

Growing the Mangosteen Plant

Originating in Asia, the Mangosteen prefers high humidity, and would benefit from regular watering, especially during summer. This tree is a true tropical plant, and can only be grown in frost free conditions. It should be grown in very rich, organic soil, with some added sand. Ensure it has good drainage and mulch well. It cannot be grown too close to the coast as it will not tolerate strong winds, salt spray or salty water.

Garcinia mangostana will grow a taproot almost immediately, and you should plant it in its final position before it gets to around 1/2m tall. After this, you may damage the taproot, damaging or killing the plant. Keep the tree in a protected, at least semi-shaded position for the first 3-5 years, before exposing it to full sun. In good conditions, the plants will fruit in 6-9 years from sprouting. Our plants are currently 1 year old.

Propagating the Mangosteen

Propagate from ripe, fully developed seed. Seeds sprout in aprox 3 weeks.

New! Michelia coco (Large Leafed Port Wine Magnolia)

Michelia coco is a member of the magnoliaceae family, and it is a relative of the Magnolia. It bears beautiful, highly fragrant cream flowers during many months of the year. Michelia coco grows to around 4m tall and 6m wide.

The Large Leafed Port Wine Magnolia is suited to use in pots, hedges and general garden feature plant. Michelia coco is also well suited as an indoor plant.

Growing the Large Leafed Port Wine Magnolia

The Large Leafed Port Wine Magnolia is best grown in moist, fertile ground. Ensure soil is well draining and slightly acid. Michelia should be grown in a warm, bright position, part sun to part shade. Fertilise this plant in spring with a good quality liquid fertiliser (such as Miracle-Gro) fortnightly, or NPK slow release fertiliser every 3 months or as directed on the packaging. Water them regularly, and prune to shape after flowering.

Michelia coco is often confused with Magnolia coco, but Michelias flowers generally form clusters amongst the foliage, whereas Magnolias form flowers at the ends of the branches.

New! Lampranthus (Ice Plant) Pink & Mixed

 

Lampranthus (Ice plant)

Lampranthus is a beautiful, ground covering succulent with deep purple flowers. They are native to Africa and are very drought hardy. Lampranthus is suitable for rockeries, banks or pots, and provides a lot of colour in the garden.

Lampranthus belongs to the Ice plant family, or Aizoaceae. Foliage is very succulent and short, and blue green in colour. Flowers come in all colours such as purple, white, red, yellow, and pink. Flowers are produced year round, and they open in the morning and close at night.

Growing Lampranthus or Ice Plant

Don’t overwater your Ice plant; almost the only rule you need to abide by. They are very easy to grow, and are best placed in a full sun position. They will grow in almost any kind of soil including poor, well draining soil. Most Ice Plants will be able to tolerant some very slight frost, but they are best grown in a position protected from frost.

Meaning of the name ‘Lampranthus’

The name Lampranthus comes from the Greek words lampros and anthos, meaning ‘bright flower’.

New! Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily)

Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily)

About the Peace Lily

The Peace Lily is Number 1 in the Top 10 of Indoor Plants! It is ideal for the darker spots in the house, as this plant has very low light requirements. Peace Lily can help clean the air from your home & office environment, as they remove toxins from the air. Foliage is very beautiful, dark green and can be variegated. Flowers are a stunning white spathe. The Peace Lily is a member of the Arum Family, making it family to Anthurium & Philodendron.

Growing the Peace Lily

The Peace Lily is best grown in a darker, shady spot. It will not tolerate direct sun light. Keep soil moist, but don’t leave the soil completely water logged. If you have left your Peace Lily too long and it has started wilting, revive the plant by soaking it in a bucket of water. Apply a slow release fertiliser in Spring & Summer, or use a liquid fertiliser such as Miracle-Gro. Spathiphyllum plants love humidity, so if the growing environment is dry, mist the foliage regularly.

Coconut Palm Myths – True or False

• Coconut water contains growth hormones that can grow almost anything.

TRUE; coconut water contains 4 plant growth hormones or cytokinins and has 3 sets of chromosomes (triploid) it can donate genetic material and stimulate growth in many organisms. Coconut water is the father of our modern tissue culture science and is still widely used in orchid propagation. There is current research into hair loss prevention as well as wide acceptance in anti aging cosmetic products.

• Coconut oil is saturated fat and causes heart disease”

FALSE; unlike animal saturated fats which are long chain triglycerides, coconut oil contains MCT’s median chain triglycerides which metabolise easily, even without the need for bile from the gall bladder. Coconut oil provides ready energy and has an accelerating effect on metabolism. There is no credible link to heart disease but a mass of misinformation has been circulated by other edible oil lobbies in the quest for market share at the expense of lauric oils (palm and coconut), our health, and truth.

• Coconuts are more dangerous than shark attacks”

FALSE; some questionable research findings from coconut plantations, formally noted for scientific irrelevance have been broadcast by insurance interests to extract higher public liability premiums from wealthy coconut owners. Most insurance claims relate to vehicles being parked under coconut palms, which presents more of a planning and design issue than a life risk.

• Intravenous use of coconut water.

TRUE; coconut water is a suitable blood plasma extender (universal donor) it has traditionally been used when commercial IV solutions have run out. There are numerous reports of patients responding quickly to IV coconut water. There are also published findings of coconut water being used in kidney dialysis. It has been poured directly into dialysis machines and shown to dissolve kidney stones.

• Coconuts are weeds.

FALSE; although this attitude makes it easier, in some cases, to remove unwanted coconut palms, it is technically incorrect. The coconuts main method of seed dispersal is by water otherwise they are planted or sprout naturally around the parent tree.

• Coconut oil provides protection against the sun.

TRUE; the old coconut based tanning oils were largely made from highly processed copra grade coconut oil with additives and often just coconut fragrances. Many seasoned sun bakers owe their wrinkles to these products. Fresh virgin coconut oil is very nourishing if applied directly to the skin, especially just after a shower, while the skins’ pores are open. If applied in this manner, and adsorbed before going into the full sun, the skin is well protected. It is still wise to be moderate in any exposure and not allow dehydration.

• Coconuts are not native to Australia.

FALSE; there is much evidence to suggest that coconuts (native to our oceans and coastal strands) have been washing up for thousands of years. There is even fossil evidence of coconut type palms in New Zealand (20 million year ago). Indigenous peoples have prized the developing sprout as an easy food source, devouring the rich cream and haustorium inside, made available after the palm sprouts. Consequently, in areas of high habitation young palms had little chance to establish. To the eyes of Joseph Banks and our early explorers, our coastal coconuts looked very sparse by comparison to most Pacific islands which were well visited and explored by other mariners over the centuries. This distinction weighed heavily to emphasise the newness of their discovery.

• Coconut is the “tree of life” in the tropics.

TRUE; to this day, traditional techniques and patterns of use of this “tree of life” have driven the development, or not, of local coconut industries and led to patterns of discovery of the wealth of the coconut palm. These differ significantly around the globe, wherever and however, the coconut is appreciated. Now, with the aid of the internet, we are much better able to share recipes and explore the unrealised potential and try new coconut products.

CQ Garden & Lifestyle Expo 2009

Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th of September at the Rockhampton Showgrounds.

Contact:  Ashlee Allwood (Marketing and Events Officer) (07) 4922 2855

• Indoor & outdoor exhibits
• Guest Speakers - Question
  & Answer sessions with
  local and visiting garden experts
• Celebrity Chef
  demonstrations
• Children’s entertainment
• Food Stalls
• Market Stalls
• Outdoor Markets

Cactus Island Nursery – Plant catalogue September 2009

It’s been a dry, dry month here at the nursery. We haven’t seen rain for months and can’t wait for the rains to arrive. Forecasters are predicting there will not be any rain until November…. Rain or no rain however, the plants have definitely decided Spring’s here, and all are growing well. We have added quite a few new plants this month, some of which are:

Lampranthus Deep Purple & Lampranthus Hot Pink. Commonly called Iceplants, these are truly tough little succulents, which are great for use in rockeries or as groundcover. Spathiphyllum Rob. Commonly called ‘Peace Lily’. Beautiful foliage plant which is excellent for use in shady positions and as indoor plant. Liriope gigantum, the Turf Lily or Giant Liriope. A staple plant for every garden and suited to pots, or as border plant. Pandorea Lady Di, the White Bower Vine. A stunning climbing plant with gorgeous white flowers. Randia fitzalanii, the native Gardenia with edible fruits. Michelia coco, the Large Leafed Port Wine Magnolia with beautiful white fragrant flowers. Garcinia mangostana, the edible Mangosteen, known as one of the most tasty tropical fruits on earth. One of my personal favourites is Murraya Min-a-Min, it’s fragrance draws me to the shade house every morning, it is delicious! It is very, very tough and suitable for low hedges up to 1m tall, topiaries or just a general garden plant!

Some of our Azalea’s, including the popular Azalea Magnifica, are ready for sale again as well, as are 2 of our Bougainvillea’s, Bougainvillea Scarlet Glory & Bougainvillea Orange Glory. Bougainvillea Orange Glory comes with tags as it is Trademark protected by ColourStream Growers. All are available in limited numbers only, grab yours soon if you’d like some! Chamaedorea elegans, the very dainty & elegant Parlour Palm has also come up; we’re now selling small seedlings of those as well.

As always, if any of the plants below are not available on the website, just send me an email to set you up an order – I usually respond within a few hours, and can send a PayPal invoice to make it easy for you!

Kind regards, El – Cactus Island Online Nursery

Palms Remember! We offer great bulk discounts, starting at only 4 plants! Size Price Comments Archontophoenix alexandrae—Alexander Palm 50mm 3.99 Archontophoenix cunninghamiana— Bangalow Palm 50mm 3.99 Areca triandra—Triandra Palm 75mm 7.99 Out of Stock Areca vestiaria—Sunset Palm 100mm 9.99 Out of Stock Arenga engleri—Dwarf Sugar Palm 50mm 4.99 Beccariophoenix madagascariensis – Giant Windowpane Palm/Window Coconut Palm 75mm 6.35 Bismarckia nobilis—Bismarck Palm seedling 9.99 Only 2 left Butia capitata – Wine Palm / Jelly Palm 50mm 6.40 Carpentaria acuminata—Carpie 50mm 3.99 Caryota mitis 50mm out of stock Chamaedorea elegans—Parlour Palm Seedling 3.99 Very small plants Chamaedorea Metallica—Metallic Palm 50mm 4.75 Chamaedorea seifrizzii—Florida Bamboo Palm Seedlings 3.99 Very small – multi-planted Chambeyronia hookeri – Blonde Flamethrower Palm 75mm 9.25 Cyrtostachys lakka/renda - Lipstick Palm/Sealing Wax Palm Seedling 4.99 Out of stock – hope to have new plants in December Dypsis decaryi—Triangle Palm 75mm Seedling 5.99 3.50 Out of Stock Out of Stock Hope to have new plants in December Dypsis leptocheilos—Redneck / Teddy Bear Palm 75mm Seedling 5.50 4.00 Dypsis lutescens—Golden Cane 10x 100mm $25 Special! (Postage depends on postcode) Dypsis Pink Crown seedlings seedling 4.25 Howea forsteriana—Kentia Palm 75mm 5.50 Beautiful plants! Hyophorbe lagenicaulis—Bottle Palm 50mm 5.50 Out of stock Hyophorbe verschaffeltii—Spindle Palm 75mm 7.50 Out of stock Laccospadix australasica—Walking Stick Palm seedling 3.65 Latania loddigesii—Blue Latan Palm 75mm 7.85 Only 2 left Licuala grandis—Ruffled Fan Palm seedling 4.25 Licuala ramsayi—Australian Fan Palm seedling 3.35 Phoenix roebelenii—Dwarf Date Palm seedling 75mm 3.50 6.50 Out of stock Out of stock Pinanga coronata—Ivory Cane Palm 50mm 6.50 Out of stock Ptychosperma elegans—Solitaire Palm seedling 4.99 Out of stock Ptychosperma macarthuri seedling 4.99 Only a few left Ptychosperma microcarpum - Clustering PNG Palm 50mm 3.60 Ravenea rivularis—Majestic Palm 50mm 75mm 3.50 4.75 Roystonea regia—Cuban Royal Palm 50mm 5.99 Very tall stock – postage depends on postcode Sabal minor—Dwarf Palmetto seedling 3.95 Veitchia merrillii—Christmas Palm 50mm 5.50 Only a few left Washingtonia robusta—Mountain Cabbage Tree 50mm 4.50 Coconut Palms (inc. Dwarf Coconuts) Price reduction! Online Special…. All Coconuts are supplied as germinated nuts, with roots & foliage shoots. All are supplied with growing instruction. Western Australia can receive just-sprouted nuts only, with shoots up to 20mm in length. WA customers: please check whether just-sprouted nuts of the variety of your choice are available at the time of ordering. Every coconut attracts a $15 postage charge. Three coconuts can be posted for $20. Price Comments Golden Malay Dwarf Coconut 33.99 Golden Spicata Dwarf Coconut 33.99 Green Malay Dwarf Coconut 33.99 Orange Spicata Dwarf coconut 33.99 Red Malay Dwarf Coconut 33.99 Red Spicata Dwarf Coconut 33.99 Yellow Malay/Nias Yellow Dwarf Coconut 33.99 Any 3 of the above coconuts 90.00 + $20 postage Cycads Size Price Comments Cycas revoluta - Sago Palm 50mm 3.99 Zamia furfuracea—Cardboard Palm 50mm 75mm 3.50 8.10 Foliage Plants Size Price Comments Acmena smithii—Lilly Pilly 75mm 5.50 Alpinea ‘Red Back’ - Native Ginger 50mm 4.99 4 available Anthurium macdougalii 75mm out of stock Beaucarnea guatemalensis—Red Ponytail Palm 100mm seedling 9.25 3.75 Beaucarnea recurvata – Ponytail Palm seedling 3.50 Cordyline Hawaiian Sunset 50mm out of stock – can possibly order in Cordyline Pink Diamond 50mm out of stock – can possibly order in Cordyline Pink Tip 50mm out of stock – can possibly order in Cordyline Purple Compacta 50mm out of stock – can possibly order in Cordyline Purple Prince—deep plum purple 100mm 50mm 8.50 4.99 7 available Cordyline Red Edge 50mm out of stock Cordyline Romba—funky pink/ red/purple 100mm 8.50 Cordyline Rosebud 50mm out of stock – can possibly order in Croton Colours of Africa 50mm 4.99 10 available Dracaena concinna – Red Edged Dragon Tree 50mm 4.25 Dracaena draco—Dragon’s Blood Tree seedling 4.50 Dracaena hookeriana 50mm 4.25 out of stock Liriope gigantum (Turf Lily, Giant Liriope) 50mm 4.50 Monstera deliciosa—Split Leaf Philodendron/Delicious Monster 75mm 12.99 Pandanus monticola—Screw Pine seedling 3.99 Pandanus tectorius syn.pendunculatus —Beach Screw Pine 75mm 10.50 Rhoeo spathacea—Moses in a Cradle offset 4.99 Spathiphyllum Rob (Peace Lily) 50mm 5.00 Xhantorrhoea johnsonii—Blackboy/Grass Tree seedling, 40mm jiffy pot 5.50 Out of stock. Hope to have ready in summer Flowering & Fruiting Plants Size Price Comments Ananas comosus—Pineapple fruit plant 100mm 9.50 Back in stock! Azalea Brides Bouquet— double white 50mm 4.99 5 available Azalea Christmas Cheer—Best for bonsai, cherry 50mm 6.50 out of stock Azalea Dogwood—Salmon pink & white seedling 75mm 4.99 8.99 10 available 5 available Azalea Fairy Queen—Magical rosy pink 50mm 75mm 4.99 8.99 4 available 1 available Azalea Glowing Embers—Like fire! 50mm 6.50 out of stock Azalea magnifica—beautiful purple 75mm 8.99 Azalea Red Wing—Best all round performance. Red 50mm 75mm 4.99 8.99 5 available 5 available Bauhinia monandra—Pink Orchid Tree 100mm 19.99 (inc. postage) out of stock Bougainvillea Scarlet Glory seedling 4.50 5 available Bougainvillea Orange Glory (With tags) seedling 4.99 3 available Calliandra tweedii—Mexican Flame Tree 50mm out of stock Clivia Belgian Hybrid 75mm 8.99 Only 5 left Clivia miniata – Kaffir Lily 75mm 4.75 Doryanthus excelsa—Gymea Lily 50mm 4.99 Only 5 left Frangipani Darwin Harney cutting out of stock Frangipani Watermelon cutting out of stock Garcinia mangostana (Mangosteen) 100mm 14.99 5 available Gardenia Aimee Yoshiba/First Love 75mm 7.99 out of stock Gardenia florida 50mm 4.50 Gardenia Golden Magic 50mm 7.99 out of stock Gardenia Professor Pucci 75mm 7.99 out of stock Gordonia axillaris—Fried Egg Plant 50mm out of stock Hibiscus Fantasia—Huge white flowers 50mm out of stock Hibiscus Jayella—Unique golden brown 50mm out of stock Hibiscus landersii—Cherry double pink 75mm 6.50 4 available Hibiscus Maui—huge tropical pink 50mm out of stock Hibiscus Regius maximus—Curvy red 50mm out of stock Hymenosporum flavum—Native Frangipani 75mm 7.99 Ixora Prince of Orange 75mm out of stock Mandevilla Crimson 75mm out of stock Mandevilla Pink Petite 75mm out of stock Mandevilla Red Riding Hood 75mm out of stock Markhamia lutea—Nile Tulip Tree 75mm 7.50 out of stock Medinilla magnifica—Malaysian Orchid 75mm out of stock Metrosideros Fiji—NZ Christmas Tree 75mm out of stock Michelia coco (Large Leafed Port Wine Magnolia) 50mm 5.50 Murraya Min-a-Min (Dwarf Orange Jessamine, Dwarf Mock Orange) 50mm 4.65 Nerium Oleander Dwarf Apricot 50mm 3.50 Nerium Oleander Madame Dubois (white) 50mm 3.50 Nerium Oleander Splendens—double Pink 50mm 3.50 Nerium Oleander Souvenir de Cazalis Alluf (red) 50mm 3.50 Pandorea Lady Di (tm) 50mm 4.75 Pyrostegia venusta—Orange Trumpet Creeper 75mm out of stock Randia fitzalanii (Native Gardenia) 50mm 4.95 Need fertiliser, plants quite yellow Stephanotis floribunda—Madagascar Jasmine 75mm out of stock Strelitzia Nicolai—Giant or White Bird of Paradise Seedling 75mm 4.50 9.50 Strelitzia reginae—Bird of Paradise Seedling 75mm 8.50 out of stock Succulents Size Price Comment Adenium arabicum—Fat Desert Rose Seedling 8.99 Out of stock Adenium Obesum—Desert Rose 50mm Out of Stock Agave bracteosa—Squid Agave Seedling 4.50 Agave filifera—Thread Agave Seedling 4.50 Agave parryi—Parry’s Agave Seedling 4.50 Agave Victoria-reginae—Queen’s Agave 50mm 9.99 Aloe Africana—African Tree Aloe seedling 4.99 Aloe juvenna cutting 5.00 Aloe parvibracteata offset 12.99 Postage depends on postcode Aloe vera 50mm 3.99 Aptenia cordifolia—Baby Sun Rose cutting 3.50 Out of stock Euphorbia grandicornis—Cow’s Horn Cactus seedling 5.50 Only 1 or 2 left Euphorbia Lactea—African Milk Plant 50mm 8.50 Euphorbia millii—Crown of Thorns 50mm 6.99 Euphorbia trigona—African Triangle Plant cutting 4.95 Huernia lavranii cutting 8.99 Only 1 left Huernia schneiderana cutting 6.50 Only 5 left Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi offset 5.50 Not all with roots Lampranthus Deep Purple (Iceplant) 50mm 4.50 Lampranthus Hot Pink (Iceplant) 50mm 4.50 Pachypodium geayi—Purple Madagascar Palm 50mm Out of stock Pachypodium lamerei—Madagascar Palm seedling 5.50 Pedilanthus macrocarpa—Slipper Plant cutting 6.50 only 3 left Plectranthus caninus—Dogbane offset 4.99 Portulacaria afra—Moneypenny/Jade plant cutting 2.50 Sansevieria Hahnii Gold 100mm 9.99 Only 3 left Stapelia grandiflora cutting out of stock Yucca aloifolia—Spanish Bayonet seedlings Seedlings coming soon! Yucca filamentosa Seedlings Seedlings coming soon! Yucca rigida—Blue Yucca 50mm out of stock Yucca rostrata—Beaked Yucca 50mm out of stock Cactus Island Online Nursery can source 1000’s of palms, cycads, succulents, azalea, foliage & flowering plants, exotics & native plants. If you are looking for specific plant species, send us an email, we may be able to help. Cactus Island Nursery is an online nursery / mail order nursery only. We post plants every Monday, payment cut off time is 8am. Orders paid for after 8am will be posted the following Monday. Postage is a flat rate of $15 - for unlimited amounts of plants, excluding coconuts. All items are sent via express post. Coconuts incur $15 postage per nut, or 3 coconuts can be sent for $20. Cactus Island Nursery cannot send plants to Western Australia, Tasmania or Internationally due to quarantine issues. W.A. can receive just-sprouted coconuts. Please review the plant growing information on the back of your invoice for tips and plant care instructions. Kind regards, Dan & El

New! Flamethrower Palms (Chambeyronia macrocarpa var. hookeri)

Chambeyronia macrocarpa var. hookeri is commonly called “Blonde Flamethrower Palm’. It is similar to the standard Chambeyronia macrocarpa, except for the cream to yellow crownshaft on the blonde version. New leaves emerge bright red, and fade to a shiny dark green after a few weeks. Some people believe new leaves on the Blonde Flamethrower Palm are redder than leaves on the standard Flamethrower Palm. This Palm is fairly small which makes it manageable for most gardens; it grows to 7-10m tall. The Blonde Flamethrower’s fronds arch very gracefully, and it is self cleaning as an added bonus! A well behaved palm in general... The Flamethrower Palm grows well in most parts of Australia, including Sydney and Melbourne, as long as the temperature does not go below 0 degrees. This palm is best grown in a shady position, as full sun does tend to burn the leaves. The Blonde Flamethrower Palm originates in New Caledonian rainforests, where it grows in very moist positions. To grow this palm well, keep it in a moist spot, in very fertile soil. Keep them well mulched, and fertilise regularly with a slow release fertiliser or palm & foliage fertiliser. Add lots of organic matter. Some people believe the Blonde Flamethrower Palm may be able to handle the sun better than the standard Flamethrower Palm, but make sure you adjust them slowly if you are going to attempt to grow it in a sunnier spot.

Cactus Island Nursery now has these beautiful palms available via mail order, or you can find them in the online nursery. Visit Online Nursery. Note the great discounts if you purchase multiple palms!

New! Wine Palm / Jelly Palm / Pindo Palm (Butia capitata)

Butia capitata – the hardiest feather palm in the world!

Butia capitata is commonly called Wine Palm, Pindo Palm or Jelly Palm. It is a beautiful, hardy feather palm from Brazil. Leaves are light green to bluish gray, and the palms are highly variable, every palm is different. It is a very manageable palm, growing slowly to 4-6m tall. They are also suitable as a very graceful indoor plant, in a bright spot. The Jelly Palm is not only very beautiful, it is useful too. One of the hardiest edible palms in the world; Jelly Palms bear delicious, edible fruits, which are sometimes called Pindo Dates.

Butia capitata palms are very cold hardy, making them suitable for gardens around Australia. These frost hardy palms can handle temperatures down to around -10! It is best grown in full sun to part shade, in a sandy, well draining soil. This palm tends to have longer, more graceful foliage in shady spots, but palms grown in full sun tend to be more compact.

The Jelly Palm is very adaptable and drought tolerant. A very good palm for South East Queensland where water restrictions are imminent and frosts common!

Butia capitata palms can be grown fairly close to the coast as well, but may need some protection from salt spray & winds by means of a fence / hedge or similar. Jelly Palms are fairly slow growing, but growth can be sped up by fertilising regularly, and providing adequate water.

Regular watering will improve the yield, just in case the 25kg or so of fruit isn’t enough to keep you satisfied. Fruits are very versatile, and can be eaten straight of the tree when ripe, or made into jelly or jam, or used in pies and cakes. The fruits tends to be fairly stringy (fibrous flesh), which is why it is usually made into a jelly. This is a shame as it would be a fruit which could rival your apples, pears & bananas! Fruits are orangey yellow, and vary in size from cherry to much bigger. Butia capitata fruit is delicious, very tropical, and is described as very strong, apple, pineapple, vanilla and apricot. All mixed into 1 fruit. Seeds contain almost 50% of edible oil, which is used to create margarine.

Butia capitata is sometimes crossed with the Queen Palm or Cocos Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana) to produce the Mule Palm. The Mule Palm is very beautiful, but unfortunately sterile.

Cactus Island Nursery now has Butia capitata for sale, as always we offer discount for quantity as well. Contact us for mail order plants, or visit our online nursery

Queensland Going Green Expo

Queensland Expo - Commercial Halls 1 & 2 (RNA Showgrounds - Brisbane)

Friday  September 18
10.00 am - 6.00 pm
Business Day

Saturday September 19
10.00 am - 6.00 pm
General Admission

Sunday September 20
10.00 am  - 5.00 pm
General Admission

Admission: $ 15.00  
Concession:$ 10.00  Family Ticket: $ 25.00                                                                                                                                  
Children under 14 free if accompanied by an adult.

Make your own Virgin Coconut Oil

Home made VIRGIN COCONUT OIL – Cold process method
For 1-5 Mature brown coconuts (13months or older). Young coconuts do not have
much oil and you need heat to extract it. Mature coconuts have a higher lauric acid
content.

Instructions:
• Break the dehusked coconuts in half using the back of a big knife around the
equator. This should only take a couple of good hits.
• Save the coconut water. Strain this through a clean muslin or cheesecloth filter
into a large bowl.
• Grate the coconut meat finely.
• Place the gratings in a muslin or cheesecloth and wring it tightly to squeeze
out the milk. Do not mix it with water.
• Put it in a wide mouthed jar. Glass is best.
• Put the squeezed gratings into the bowl with strained coconut water and allow
them to soak it up well.
• Squeeze out the second lot of coconut milk.
• Mix both lots well into the large glass jar. (jar should be only half filled)
• Cover the jar and set it aside in a warmed dark cabinet (33- 37degrees is best)
If you are using a light to warm the cabinet wrap the jar in a dark cloth. The
mixture is photo-sensitive and will go yellowish if light gets to it.
• Do not move your coconut mixture once you have mixed the first and second
extracts of milk
• In around 10 hours (right temperature and well matured coconuts) your oil will
be ready. There should be 3 layers. The top is the white creamy layer; if you
did everything right it should be paper thin. This is called the protein cake.
The middle layer is your Virgin Coconut Oil and the lowest layer is your
water.
• Harvesting is the tricky part. Using a perforated stainless flat ladle, take out
the protein cake and put it on a mesh over a separate jar, to collect these oil
drippings, they are often used for massage oils.
• Using a soup ladle, slowly scoop out the white oil; avoid disturbing the water
level below.
• Sometimes there are still sediments of the protein cake, these can be removed
by pouring the oil through a coffee filter ~or 5 micron lab filter.
• The remaining water can be processed into vinegar and is already somewhat
acidic.
Remember, the coconut tree is the Tree of Life. All parts of the tree, from the tip of
the leaves to the end of the roots, to everything else that we get from it, from the
inside of the fruit and the inside of the trunk and from its flower, will keep us
healthier and ALIVE!!
Recipe supplied by Tess Mamangun, VIVIENDO Philippines

Cactus Island Nursery – Plant Catalogue August 2009

Welcome to Cactus Island Nursery’s new plant catalogue. We have added some great new palms this month, including the Blonde Flamethrower Palm (Chambeyronia hookeri), the Wine Palm or Jelly Palm (Butia capitata) and Giant Windowpane Palm or Window Coconut Palm (Beccariophoenix Madagascariensis). Back in stock after many months of sourcing is Licuala grandis, the Ruffled Fan Palm. The Ruffled Fan Palm is one of my absolute favourite palms. It is small, dainty, and the whole leaves are stunning. It is a symbol of tropical palms! Many of our plants are currently marked as ‘out of stock’. We are having an early spring clean in the nursery, and are re-potting a lot of plants which were is 50mm tubes into 75mm to supply bigger, better plants when spring comes. It does mean however that those plants are currently not available.

The weather has been no less than perfect here, a little chilly at night but perfect during the day. We can get work done without breaking a sweat! One of our shade houses collapse when cyclone Hamish came past, and we’re working on getting the roof fixed up. Luckily it was one of the older shade houses, and it could probably do with a touch up anyway!

Many of our seeds are starting to germinate, including a brand new palm called ‘Dictyosperma album var. rubra’. Dictyosperma album rubra is also known as Red Hurricane Palm or Red Princess Palm. It is similar to the standard Dictyosperma album, but rubra has red veins and margins on the foliage, and new leaves can be as red as the new leaves on a Flamethrower Palm! We have not had this palm before and are looking forward to seeing how well it will grow here, and what they will look like once they get older. The red version is highly sought after and not often seen for sale, we are very excited to be able to offer these palms!

Yucca aloifolia and Yucca filamentosa are currently germinating, and so are a whole new batch of Strelitzia reginea and Strelitzia nicolai (Bird of Paradise & Giant Bird of Paradise). We hope to offer the Strelitzia’s at great bulk prices once all have come up, so keep an eye on this blog! Another plant which is completely new is Punica granatum, the ornamental Pomegranate. The Pomegranate’s are still germinating, we hope to offer them in summer.

Below is our list of stock, with the items in green being out of stock. I will work on making all the names clickable so it is easier to go straight to the shop if you’d like to purchase a plant, but for now going to our shop manually is the easiest way. Visit Online Nursery

Palms

		Size	Price	Comments
	Archontophoenix alexandrae—Alexander Palm	50mm	3.99
	Archontophoenix cunninghamiana— Bangalow Palm	50mm	3.99
	Areca triandra—Triandra Palm	75mm	7.99	Out of Stock
	Areca vestiaria—Sunset Palm	100mm	9.99	Out of Stock
	Arenga engleri—Dwarf Sugar Palm	50mm	4.99
	Beccariophoenix madagascariensis – Giant Windowpane Palm/Window Coconut Palm	75mm	11.99	NEW!
	Bismarckia nobilis—Bismarck Palm	seedling	9.99	Only 15 left
	Butia capitata – Wine Palm / Jelly Palm	50mm	7.99	NEW!
	Carpentaria acuminata—Carpie	50mm	3.99
	Carpentaria acuminata—Carpie	75mm double	5.99	Out of stock (Ready in summer)
	Caryota mitis	50mm		out of stock
	Chamaedorea elegans—Parlour Palm	Seedling	4.50	Very small plants
	Chamaedorea Metallica—Metallic Palm	50mm	5.75
	Chamaedorea seifrizzii—Florida Bamboo Palm	50mm		Out of stock
	Chambeyronia hookeri – Blonde Flamethrower Palm	75mm	12.99	NEW!
	Coccothrinax fragrans	Seedling		Out of stock
	Cyrtostachys lakka/renda - Lipstick Palm/Sealing Wax Palm	Seedling	4.99	Out of stock
	Dypsis decaryi—Triangle Palm	75mm	5.99
	Dypsis leptocheilos—Redneck / Teddy Bear Palm	75mm	6.99
	Dypsis lutescens—Golden Cane	100mm	5.50
	Dypsis Pink Crown seedlings	seedling	5.50	Limited stock
	Gronophyllum Pinangoides	seedling		Out of stock
	Howea forsteriana—Kentia Palm	75mm	5.75
	Hyophorbe lagenicaulis—Bottle Palm	50mm	5.50
	Hyophorbe verschaffeltii—Spindle Palm	75mm	7.50	Out of stock
	Laccospadix australasica—Walking Stick Palm	seedling	5.25
	Latania loddigesii—Blue Latan Palm	75mm	7.85	Only 5 left
	Licuala grandis—Ruffled Fan Palm	seedling	5.50
	Licuala ramsayi—Australian Fan Palm	seedling	4.75
	Phoenix roebelenii—Dwarf Date Palm	seedling	3.50	Out of stock
	Phoenix roebelenii—Dwarf Date Palm	75mm	6.50	Out of stock
	Pinanga coronata—Ivory Cane Palm	50mm	6.50
	Ptychosperma elegans—Solitaire Palm	seedling	4.99	Out of stock
	Ptychosperma lineare	seedling	3.99	Out of stock
	Ptychosperma macarthuri	seedling	4.99
	Ptychosperma microcarpum - Clustering PNG Palm	50mm	5.75
	Ravenea rivularis—Majestic Palm	50mm	3.99
	Ravenea rivularis—Majestic Palm	100mm	7.25
	Rhapis excelsa—Lady Palm/Bamboo Palm	50mm	5.50	Order in only – None in stock
	Roystonea regia—Cuban Royal Palm	50mm	5.99
	Sabal minor—Dwarf Palmetto	seedling	4.99
	Thrinax parviflora—Mountain Thatch Palm	seedling		out of stock
	Veitchia merrillii—Christmas Palm	50mm	5.50
	Washingtonia robusta—Mountain Cabbage Tree	50mm	6.50

Coconut Palms (inc. Dwarf Coconuts)

		Price	Comments
	Golden Malay Dwarf Coconut	34.99	All coconuts are supplied as germinated nuts.
	Golden Spicata Dwarf Coconut	34.99	All are supplied with growing instructions.
	Green Malay Dwarf Coconut	34.99	Western Australia can receive just-sprouted nuts
	Orange Spicata Dwarf coconut	34.99	only with shoots up to 25mm. WA customers
	Red Malay Dwarf Coconut	34.99	please check whether just-sprouted nuts of the
	Red Spicata Dwarf Coconut	34.99	variety of your choice are available at the time
	Yellow Malay/Nias Yellow Dwarf Coconut	34.99	of ordering. Subscribe to Coconutters for
	Any 3 of the above coconuts	90.00 + $20 postage	recipes, growing info, photo’s & advice

Cycads

		Size	Price	Comments
	Cycas revoluta - Sago Palm	50mm	4.95
	Cycas taitungensis—Prince Sago Palm	100mm	12.99	Out of Stock
	Dioon edule—Mexican Cycad / Chestnut Dioon	seedling	5.99	Out of Stock
	Zamia fischeri—Fern-like Cycad	50mm	5.99	Only 5 plants left
	Zamia furfuracea—Cardboard Palm	50mm	4.85
	Zamia furfuracea—Cardboard Palm	75mm	9.99

Foliage Plants

		Size	Price	Comments
	Acalypha bronze	50mm		out of stock
	Acalypha Firestorm	75mm		out of stock
	Acalypha Raggedy Anne	75mm		out of stock
	Acalypha Sunset Hue	75mm		out of stock
	Acmena smithii—Lilly Pilly	100mm	5.50
	Alpinea ‘Red Back’ - Native Ginger	50mm		out of stock
	Anthurium macdougalii	75mm		out of stock
	Beaucarnea guatemalensis—Red Ponytail Palm	seedling	5.50
	Beaucarnea guatemalensis—Red Ponytail Palm	100mm	9.99
	Beaucarnea recurvata – Ponytail Palm	seedling	4.99
	Cordyline Hawaiian Sunset	50mm		out of stock – can possibly order in
	Cordyline Pink Diamond	50mm		out of stock – can possibly order in
	Cordyline Pink Tip	50mm		out of stock – can possibly order in
	Cordyline Purple Compacta	50mm		out of stock – can possibly order in
	Cordyline Purple Prince—deep plum purple	100mm	8.50
	Cordyline Red Edge	50mm		out of stock
	Cordyline Romba—funky pink/ red/purple	100mm	8.50
	Cordyline Rosebud	50mm		out of stock – can possibly order in
	Croton Colours of Africa	50mm		out of stock
	Dracaena concinna – Red Edged Dragon Tree	seedling	4.99
	Dracaena draco—Dragon’s Blood Tree	seedling	6.25
	Dracaena hookeriana	50mm	5.75	out of stock
	Monstera deliciosa—Split Leaf Philodendron/Delicious Monster	75mm	9.99
	Pandanus monticola—Screw Pine	seedling	5.50
	Pandanus tectorius syn.pendunculatus —Beach Screw Pine	75mm	9.99
	Rhoeo spathacea—Moses in a Cradle	offset	4.99
	Xhantorrhoea johnsonii—Blackboy/Grass Tree	seedling		Hope to have ready in summer
	Zamioculcas zamiifolia—ZZ Plant	75mm		out of stock

Flowering & Fruiting Plants

		Size	Price	Comments
	Allemanda—Buttercup creeper	75mm		out of stock
	Ananas comosus—Pineapple fruit plant	100mm	9.50	out of stock - ready in spring
	Azalea Brides Bouquet— double white	50mm	6.50	out of stock
	Azalea Christmas Cheer—Best for bonsai, cherry	50mm	6.50	out of stock
	Azalea Dogwood—Salmon pink & white	seedling	4.99
	Azalea Fairy Queen—Magical rosy pink	50mm	6.50	out of stock
	Azalea Glowing Embers—Like fire!	50mm	6.50	out of stock
	Azalea magnifica—beautiful purple	75mm	8.99
	Azalea Red Wing—Best all round performance. Red	50mm	6.50	out of stock
	Bauhinia monandra—Pink Orchid Tree	100mm	19.99 (inc. postage)	out of stock
	Calliandra tweedii—Mexican Flame Tree	50mm		out of stock
	Canna Lily King Edward—Bright Orange	offset	8.99
	Clivia Belgian Hybrid	75mm	11.99
	Clivia miniata – Kaffir Lily	75mm	6.50
	Doryanthus excelsa—Gymea Lily	75mm	8.99	out of stock – ready in spring. Some 50mm left-over's
	Frangipani Darwin Harney	cutting		out of stock
	Frangipani Watermelon	cutting		out of stock
	Gardenia Aimee Yoshiba/First Love	75mm	7.99	out of stock
	Gardenia florida	50mm	5.50
	Gardenia Golden Magic	50mm	7.99	out of stock
	Gardenia Professor Pucci	50mm	5.99
	Gordonia axillaris—Fried Egg Plant	50mm		out of stock
	Hibiscus Fantasia—Huge clean white	50mm		out of stock
	Hibiscus Jayella—Unique golden brown	50mm		out of stock
	Hibiscus landersii—Cherry double pink	50mm		out of stock
	Hibiscus Maui—huge tropical pink	50mm		out of stock
	Hibiscus Regius maximus—Curvy red	50mm		out of stock
	Hymenosporum flavum—Native Frangipani	75mm	7.99
	Ixora Prince of Orange	75mm		out of stock
	Mandevilla Crimson	75mm		out of stock
	Mandevilla Pink Petite	75mm		out of stock
	Mandevilla Red Riding Hood	75mm		out of stock
	Markhamia lutea—Nile Tulip Tree	75mm		out of stock
	Medinilla magnifica—Malaysian Orchid	75mm		out of stock
	Metrosideros Fiji—NZ Christmas Tree	75mm		out of stock
	Nerium Dwarf Apricot	50mm	7.99
	Nerium Madame Dubois (white)	50mm	7.99
	Nerium Single Pink	75mm		out of stock
	Nerium Splendens—double Pink	50mm	7.99
	Nerium Souvenir de Cazalis Alluf (red)	50mm	7.99
	Pyrostegia venusta—Orange Trumpet Creeper	75mm		out of stock
	Stephanotis floribunda—Madagascar Jasmine	75mm		out of stock
	Strelitzia Nicolai—Giant or White Bird of Paradise	Seedling	5.99
	Strelitzia Nicolai—Giant or White Bird of Paradise	100mm	9.50
	Strelitzia reginae—Bird of Paradise	Seedling		out of stock
	Strelitzia reginae—Bird of Paradise	75mm	8.50

Succulents

		Size	Price	Comment
	Adenium arabicum—Fat Desert Rose	Seedling	8.99
	Adenium Obesum—Desert Rose	50mm		Out of Stock
	Agave bracteosa—Squid Agave	Seedling	4.99
	Agave filifera—Thread Agave	Seedling	4.99
	Agave parryi—Parry’s Agave	Seedling	4.99
	Agave Victoria-reginae—Queen’s Agave	50mm	7.99
	Aloe Africana—African Tree Aloe	seedling	4.99
	Aloe juvenna	cutting	5.00
	Aloe parvibracteata	offset	12.99
	Aloe vera	50mm	3.99
	Aptenia cordifolia—Baby Sun Rose	cutting	3.50
	Euphorbia grandicornis—Cow’s Horn Cactus	seedling	5.50
	Euphorbia Lactea—African Milk Plant	50mm	8.50
	Euphorbia millii—Crown of Thorns	50mm	6.99
	Euphorbia trigona—African Triangle Plant	cutting	5.00
	Huernia lavranii	cutting	8.99	Only 1 left
	Huernia schneiderana	cutting	6.50	Only 5 left
	Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi	offset	5.50	Not all with roots
	Pachypodium geayi—Purple Madagascar Palm	50mm		Out of stock
	Pachypodium lamerei—Madagascar Palm	seedling	5.50
	Pedilanthus macrocarpa—Slipper Plant	cutting	6.50	only 3 left
	Plectranthus caninus—Dogbane	offset	5.50
	Portulacaria afra—Moneypenny/Jade plant	cutting	2.50
	Sansevieria Hahnii Gold	100mm	9.99	Only 3 left
	Stapelia grandiflora	cutting		out of stock
	Yucca aloifolia—Spanish Bayonet	50mm		out of stock
	Yucca rigida—Blue Yucca	50mm		out of stock
	Yucca rostrata—Beaked Yucca	50mm		out of stock

Cactus Island Nursery can source 1000’s of palms, cycads, succulents, azalea, foliage & flowering plants, exotics & native plants. If you are looking for a specific plant species, shoot us an email, we may be able to help. Cactus Island Nursery is an online nursery / mail order nursery only. We post plants every Monday, payment cut off time is 8am. Orders paid for after 8am will be posted the following Monday. Postage is a flat rate of $15 - for unlimited amounts of plants, excluding coconuts. All items are sent via express post. Coconuts incur $15 postage per nut, or 3 coconuts can be sent for $20. Cactus Island Nursery cannot send plants to Western Australia, Tasmania or Internationally due to quarantine issues. W.A. can receive just-sprouted coconuts. Please review the plant growing information on the back of your invoice for tips and plantscare instructions. Kind regards, Dan & El

National Tree Day

Sunday the 2nd of August will be national Tree Day. Last year over 312000 people helped plant out trees, surely to be beat this year. National Tree Day is Australia’s biggest community tree-planting event and it is held at sites throughout the country. National Tree Day aims to inspire, educate and recruit Australians to actively care for our unique land and create future generations of commited environmental custodians. To find a planting site near you, visit the National Tree Day website.

Cycas revoluta (Sago Palm) Twin

Here’s what we found today – a Sago Palm Twin! Two plants shot out of the one seed…

Weed Alert - Miconia calvescens

Have you seen Miconia on or around your property?

Miconia is one of the world's most invasive plants, with the potential to take over Australia's tropical and sub-tropical rainforests. The plant has been banned for sale since 1997, but still exists along the east coast of Australia. Locating and destroying these plants is vital to the protection of our tropical plants and animals!

Miconia is a small tree that grows up to 15m high. Leaves are large, up to 70cm long, with a vibrant purple underside. Three prominent veins run along the length of each leaf. Flowers are white to pink, 4-5mm wide and arranged in panicles. Individual flowers are 4-5mm wide. Fruits are 6mm in diameter and turn purple/black when ripe.

Fruit eating birds feed on the plant's berries, spreading them into surrounding forests and gardens. If you thing you have seen miconia call the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800084881, or report a weed online at www.weeds.org.au

The Queensland Home Garden Expo has started!

Qld Home Garden Expo - Celebrating 25 years of gardening magic.
This expo has just started today at the Nambour Showgrounds. It will run tomorrow and Sunday as well. 25000 visitors are expected to attend and see the gardening displays, the gardens, and the latests in containers, tools, fertilisers etc.
Plants are also being offered for sale, aproximately 40000 plants will be for sale every day! If you are visiting, you will be treated to a display of more than 360 exhibitors, including nurseries, garden centres, manufacturers of garden tools, fertilisers, accessories, and many more. Gates open at 8am every morning, and close at 5pm on saturday and sunday, 4pm on sunday. Adult entry costs is $14, or 3 days for $30. For more information visit the Queensland Home and Garden Expo 2009 website.

Online & Mail Order Nursery - Behind the Scenes

Have you ever thought about owning your own online mail order nursery? Funny really, I never did, until I was already up to my neck into it.... Like many other plant people out there, I started out on eBay, selling some left over plants from my cacti & succulent collection. As I sold more and more, I started to: 1. wear myself out due to the fact that I was trying to work both a full time job, and a full time nursery, and 2. run out of cacti & succulents! My name is El, I'm the owner of Cactus Island Nursery, together with my husband Dan. Our nursery is fairly small (a two-person operation), and we focus on growing plants that no one else grows. (here's where the problem starts!) People ask me what it's like to run an online nursery, and well, I would describe it as a 'juggle'.... Juggling time around computers, plants, family, admin.... It's a juggle in the best form of juggle though, I absolutely love what I do. Hopefully this will give you some insight into my world, the world of running an online and mail order nursery.

Wednesday 15.07.09

Dan & I investigated new payment integration option for our online nursery website (http://www.cactusisland.com.au/), and unfortunately this took all day. We found ourselves in limbo between unhelpful banks (I can't help naming ANZ & Commonwealth Bank), uninteresting websites & unreasonably high fees and charges! Ten cups of coffees later, we decided PayPal will remain our payment gateway provider on the website. Even though it takes customers from our site to PayPal's site to checkout which can be confusing, this does allow us to accept all major payment options including PayPal, bank deposit, and credit cards. At the moment, there are still a couple of glitches in the online nursery website, but we hope to have these fixed soon.

Saturday 11.07.09

Our website is brand new, and all our products need to be uploaded into the new inventory. I tackled the Hibiscus this morning, even though they aren't quite ready yet. We have a lot of stuff growing at the moment, which isn't quite ready yet, but will be by the time spring starts. We sold off some tractor implements, and the phone rang all day with prospect buyers. We had great hopes of using these implements around our block, but the ground is rock hard, literally. We have instead decided to go for the heavy artillery, with the purchase of a 1940's Case Loader. She's huge, old, and not going - Dan has rebuilt the motor and we hope to have her going soon. I also printed all the invoices, ready for packing tomorrow. We usually package the plants on Saturday, and box them on Sunday, but in winter thing's tend to be quiet - we can do it in 1 day. Our new website also incorporates our new logo, which I included in a brand new invoice lay out.

Friday, 10.07.09
For simplicity's sake, and structure in my working days, I will now strictly do 'outside' in the mornings and 'inside' after lunch. Outside time is my favourite time. There's always something to do, something to see. Today, I found this magnificient little frog under an old polystyrene box. I checked the Frogs of Australia website (http://frogs.org.au/), and believe this to be 'Litoria nasuta' or Rocket Frog, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I'm planning on sharing more of our nursery companions with you here shortly. Being an online nursery definitely has its advantages. Not having nursery visitors keeps the nursery, and the area around it, very quiet and peaceful, and we are seeing the most wonderful animals around us. Yesterday I was observed by a Kookaburra all morning whilst potting up my Madagascar Jasmine (Stephanotis floribunda). He must have been checking up on me! I start every morning with a healthy dose of emails, the most interesting one this morning being from Gaye, who runs the Queensland Gardening Pages (http://www.calyx.com.au/). We have been discussing the possibility of growing edible palms in backyards around Australia. Visit the edible palms page. I also re-potted our Cycas media. These cycads have been sitting in the same pot for the last 3 years, and I'm afraid to see they have been badly neglected. Before re-potting they took up around 6m2 in space.... now there's only 50 plants left, taking up less than 1m2! I took cuttings of our Mandevilla Red Riding Hood, using a new method with Esi-Root this time. Esi-Root worked well with Mandevilla Pink Petite, and I have high hopes for Red Riding Hood.

Growing Hibiscus - How to Grow Hibiscus Plants

Hibiscus flowers - stunning blooms


Tropical Hibiscus trees have beautiful, huge flowers. Many hybrids of Hibiscus (rosa-sinensis) have been developed, making blooms available in almost any colour imaginable. Hibiscus are tropical plants and grow well in frost free areas of Australia.
Growing Hibiscus & Hibiscus Care
Hibiscus are sun lovers, they need to be grown in full sun. They are very drought hardy once established, but may require some additional watering during dry weather periods. Hibiscus plants detest having wet feet, and you will need to ensure the soil is well draining. If you soil does not drain freely, add some sand to your soil, or add some perlite or vermiculite. This may not be as easy if you want to grow your Hibiscus plant in the ground. A solution would be to plant the Hibiscus on a mound to enable easy water draining. Mulching is important for most plants in Australia, to keep moisture in the soil, and keep plant roots cool in hot weather. Be careful however to keep mulch away from the stem to avoid rot. Check the soil and adjust if necessary to be of neutral Ph.
Pruning Hibiscus - How to Prune your Plant
All Hibiscus can be pruned to shape. Pruning Hibiscus plants is a good idea, to encourage blooms and grow stronger, better flowering plants. Usually, pruning is done just before the new season's growth, here in Australia usually in August or September. Prune your Hibiscus plant back about 1/3 all over. Prune again lightly in February. Remember to prune after some new growth (on the branch), or a healthy node, so you don't get 'dead' branches, or branch ends. Make sure you don't prune while there is still a possibility of frost!
Hibiscus fertiliser - Fertilising your Hibiscus
Hibiscus are tropical plants and grow well in the tropics and subtropics of Australia. Fertilise your Hibiscus with 'Hibiscus Food', the fertiliser made by Brunnings, which is recommended by the Hibiscus Society of Queensland. Fertilise around 1 month before you prune your plants, so they are fully ready to take off in spring! Fertilising your Hibiscus will encourage healthy vibrant blooms, and it will also keep them well fed. Like many other tropical plants, Hibiscus are gross feeders, and they require a complete, balanced plant food to enhance blooms, intensify the colour of Hibiscus and promote overall healthy growth. If you would rather use a different hibiscus fertiliser, look for one with an analysis close to: N 15% P 2.2% K 16.6%. Other elements crucial to healthy hibiscus growth:+ Sulphur, Magnesium, Boron, Iron, Zinc & Molybdenum
Hibiscus Pests & Diseases
There are a few pests and diseases to look out for on Hibiscus. Pests and diseases vary from area to area, and I have supplied the most commonly seen pests and diseases below, the ones that most of will have seen on their Hibiscus plants one time or another. Not all insects are bad however! Think before you kill - sometimes killing all insects will be worse than just leaving the pests. Nature is balanced, and most of the time good will outnumber bad. If you do need to lend nature a hand, try and use organic and nature-friendly methods as much as possible.
Good Bugs

- Spiders
- Lady Bugs
- Praying Mantis
- Assassin Bug
- Wasps
Bad Bugs

- Mealy Bugs (Wooly white little insects. Pest Oil works well for these, or use soapy water)
- Scales (come in different colours, round insects with a hard 'shell'. These can be easily wiped off & squashed. If you're on to it, you should be able to get rid of them that way, but if not, pest oil is very effective.)
- Green Vegetable Bug (I see these bugs a lot around the place. They are around 3cm long and bright green with a shell. They love leafy stuff and can't stay away from things like Golden Cane Palms. Although I have not had these on my Hibiscus plants as of yet, I can imagine Hibiscus would be something they would go for. Best thing once again is to squash every single one you come across. If you can't keep up, or the pest has gotten out of control, you may need to look at a bug spray)
- Harlequin Bug (Same as the Green Vegetable Bug, but red)
- Grasshoppers (These bugs eat a LOT for their size! Squash them as quick as you can)
- Any Catepillar (Eats as much as the grasshopper and can do serious damage)
- Black Hibiscus Beetle
- Aphids
- Pollen Scarab
- White Fly
- Cotton Stainer Bug
- Spider Mites (this is the most common problem on indoor Hibiscus plants. Leaves will show light spots, and spider webs are formed around the leaf bases and around the stem. You can blast them off with water, but often you will need something a bit more severe. I have found Neem Oil effective, but only for a short amount of time. Spider mites need quick action from your part, plants go downhill very quickly under a big spider mite infection.
- Rutherglen Bug
Hibiscus uses - How to make use of the flowers & plants

(Wikipedia used as reference)

• Hibiscus is a primary ingredient in many herbal teas
• Hibiscus cannabinus is used in making paper.
• Hibiscus sabdariffa (Roselle) is used as a vegetable, herbal tea and jam.
• Roselle (H. sabdariffa) petals are used to make tea called 'Karkade'
• Hibiscus is used as an offering to Goddess Kali (Goddess of Time and Change) and Lord Ganesha (Lord of Obstacles in Hindu)
• Medical uses in Chinese herbology
• Medical uses in Ayurveda medicine
• Hibiscus flowers can be used as shoe polish
• Fibers are used for grass skirts
• Hair care: growth stimulant, anti-daindruff, conditioner
• Dried Hibiscus is a delicacy in Mexico
• Flowers can be worn behind the ear by women for beauty
• Hibiscus is the national symbol of South Korea and Malaysia

Hibiscus propagation - How to propagate your plants

Hibiscus is usually propagated from seed, or from cuttings. If you have a wonderful hybrid, with the most amazing blooms that you wish to propagate, you will need to take cuttings. Seeds are never guaranteed to turn into the same colour flower as the mother plant, as it can have charactaristics of past generations.

Golden Cane Palm (Dypsis lutescens) - Golden Green

The Golden Cane Palm is one of the most popular and attractive of all palms. It is very easy to grow, and especially attractive due to its bamboo look. Golden Canes are clustering palms, with up to a dozen ringed, bamboo-like golden coloured trunks.
Golden Canes are very adaptable plants, and they are best grown in full sun, in a well draining but moist position.
Golden Cane Palms are drought tolerant, but not frost tolerant. Foliage is evergreen, of fine texture and yellow-green in colour. The root system is non-invasive and can provide some good shade around the pool or home.
These Palms are excellent for screening, they are fast growing, and are very bushy, creating a screen quickly and efficiently. Golden Canes can be pruned to shape & size to form a tidy, dense hedge.
Golden Cane Palms are suitable for container growing, as an indoor palm or out on the patio. Just make sure you use well draining potting mix, fertilise regurly, and prepare to buy a large tub as it gets bigger.
It will reach a height of around 4 meters in the ground. If you are planting these palms in the ground, prepare a spot with fairly rich soil, and water moderately during dry periods. Very easy to grow and great for landscaping!
To purchase mail order Golden Cane Palm plants, please consider visiting Cactus Island Online Nursery

Dwarf Coconut Palms - Backyard Dwarves

Solomon varieties of dwarf coconuts open up possibilities for the backyarder

A recent global survey found 780 described coconut varieties. Many have been developed specifically for certain commercially important traits. Tall varieties represent the majority in commercial production due to a higher copra yield and longer productive lifespan, but the merits of the dwarf varieties are well worth considering, especially for the backyard or small scale production.
There were eight dwarf varieties selected from the Solomon Islands and imported by the Townsville council in the early 1980’s. The original plan was to replace some of the tall palms along The Strand with these impressive compact varieties for foreshore stability and tourism appeal. I won’t elaborate on the perceived danger issue but it is said “coconuts have eyes of their own and have long served mankind”.
The original Solomon collection has been well maintained and one of the originals, the Malay Golden Dwarf found its way to the far north, with thanks to the old Kamerunga research station in Cairns. There are also a number of the shorter palms, known as village dwarfs, growing around the Cape York Peninsula. They are very compact palms – small enough to grow in containers and bear numerous, small, golden orange fruits, with thin husks and great flavour. Others are the Red Spicata Dwarf, which has a stalk-less fruit attached directly to the main stem of the bunch, a Malay Yellow dwarf which is also very thin husked with medium sized light flavoured fruits, and a Giant Green dwarf, which has a full size crown but extremely compact trunk.
In general, dwarf coconuts are self pollinating, precocious, high yielding, easy to harvest, and tolerant of diseases such as ‘Lethal Yellowing’ and poor soils. Many will fruit within four years in a moist tropical climate and reach full output by 6 years, often with coconuts touching the ground. The productive life is considerably less for the dwarf palm varieties which have life spans of approximately 40-60 years, as opposed to 80-120 years for talls. Dwarfs reach heights from 5m to 12m, depending on variety, although at a much slower pace than talls, as generally all the palm proportions are smaller.
Plantation production of dwarf coconuts has been most successful in Brazil where the market is for drinking coconuts rather than oil production. It is estimated three billion coconuts are consumed by Brazilians annually and there is a growing demand for tetra-pak coco juice export products from USA and European markets. They are the wealthiest coconut farmers in the world and their product is easily harvested at only 8 months maturity, for peak sugar and electrolyte concentration, and at 12-14 months being fully mature and oil ready.
A coconut palm produces a new inflorescence every month, beginning the long ‘pregnancy’ for each fruit. Some dwarf coconuts can bear up to 250 fruits per year, though 160 is common with good conditions. When a coconut palm self pollinates; a recessive gene is able to produce very high sugar content. This is why dwarf coconuts tend to be sweeter. Regardless of the conditions of pollination, in all coconuts, sugar levels peak around day 220. This is considered the ideal time to harvest a bunch of coconuts for drinking. Once picked, a fresh semi-mature coconut will remain sterile inside and continue to deposit flesh for up to 8 weeks, if not bruised or allowed to dry out.
Another major product from the dwarf coconut is toddy, or coconut sugar, extracted directly from the unopened inflorescence. Coco sugar has an extremely low glycemic index, with a GI of 35. The end of the inflorescence is cut with a very sharp blade, morning and evening, removing a minimum of crystallized sap, which encourages and maintains the sap flow. Usually a litre per day can be collected and boiled down for sugar, or drunk directly as toddy or later, arak. Fresh, it is considered an elixir in many island villages, and this has been attributed to very high vitamin C content (263% of daily requirement). This is considered especially valuable among elderly villagers, hence the practice of breeding very compact dwarf varieties and planting them at the base of composting pits to ensure easy reach and strong output in ones latter years.
The wisdom of planting dwarf coconuts below ground level is manyfold. There is a tendency for a short palm to become top heavy and not withstand strong winds as well as a more flexible tall palm. Lowering the root ball in a pit which can collect water and hold plenty of mulch gives the best results as well as nice low coconuts for more years to come and not to forget, tsunami proofing.
If you would like to help spread this collection for our future, or perhaps it’s time to replace some of your tall coconuts with shorties, please be in touch.
Dwarf Coconut Sales – Cactus Island Nursery
Written by Paul Richardson - COCOTAP® (The nifty little tool to open & drink your coconuts easily)
Article originally published in the Australian Rare Fruit Review 2008

Cordyline Propagation - How to Propagate Your Cordylines

Ever wondered about propagating your Cordylines? Unsure how to go about it?

Well, here's how I propagate mine, step by step.

1. 1. Select your Cordyline. I've chosen to propagate my Cordyline Pink Tip. I have choses this specific plant, as it is a branching plant. A branching Cordyline is a plant with multiple branches, or stems. Selecting a branching plant will make it easier to strike your cuttings, at least until you're fully confident & succesful. Eventually, you can take cutting by chopping the whole plant in half, it's as easy as that... but for starters, choose a branch so you can't go wrong.

See the little black arrow in the picture? That's the cutting I'm going to take. I'm going to leave the biggest part of the plant alone, so that, if anything goes wrong with my cutting, I still have my beautiful mother plant.

1. 2. Sterilise your cutting tool. Whether it be scissors, secateurs or a knife, cleanliness is the key. We don't want diseases, rot or any other nasties getting into the freshly cut end of your cutting, OR your mother plant! Always take all precaution to look after your mother plant. You'll always have cuttings to give a go that way!

3. Prepare to cut! Take your cutting as close to the main stem as possible, without touching the main stem. A sharp, clean cut is what we're aiming for here!

4. Clean your cutting. Remove the bulk of the foliage, but leave 1 or 2 nice, healthy leaves. The amount of leaves you leave depends on the size of the cutting. You always want to select a cutting with at least a little bit of 'hardwood' on the bottom. The hardwood is the brown barky part of the cutting, at the end where I cut it. The longer the barky part, the easier it will be to root.

5. To wound or not to wound. Some people like 'wounding' the cutting, as I've shown in the picture here. All it involves is to remove a slice of the bark, at the base of the cutting. This can increase the amount of surface the cutting can grow roots from. Roots are only grown from a very small part of the stem, which is the outer ring just under the bark. Cutting the cutting on an angle is also beneficial, for the same reasons. I tend to use the 'angle' method more so than the 'slicing' method. It takes less time, and is easier to do!

6. Enlist help! To make it easier for yourself, always use a rooting hormone. It's not always necessary, but it increases your succes rate AND fights diseases, rot etc. I only use 1 rooting hormone, and it's called Esi-Root. It is not what most people imagine a rooting hormone would look like. Most hormones are either powder or gel, but this is a liquid, in concentrated form. We buy it in bulk as I tend to go through a bit, but you can get is in small amounts. Succes rate, I find, is very high with this hormone, on almost ANY cutting I take. Any rooting aid will help however, so if you prefer the powder, don't let me stop you. Read the instructions on your rooting hormone, it will tell you exactly how to use it. All I do, is leave the cutting in the Esi-Root liquid for at least 15 seconds, before planting out.

7. Planting time! Plant your cutting into a small pot, in well draining soil. I use 50mm tube pots for anything that will fit into it, even Frangipani cuttings. Small pots dry out nice and quick, avoiding rot. Rot is one of the main causes of rooting failure. For the same reason, ensure you are using potting mix which drains freely. Add vermiculite, perlite or sand to your mix if it is not well draining. If you aren't sure, buy some cacti & succulent mix from a nursery, garden centre or hardware. Plant the cutting halfway into the pot. You don't want it moving or wobbling, so fill the pot up with soil, and compress it firmly. Now water it in well to get rid of air bubbles & leave it to be.

8. The mission continues... After a few weeks (anywhere between 2 and 4, sometimes longer) your cutting will start forming roots, which will eventually show through the bottom of the pot. When this happens, it's time to repot. Repot into 4" pots (don't go much bigger than that, you want to increase the size of the pot slowly to establish good root systems, and avoid problems due to waterlogged soil), but take care to CUT the tube pot away from the roots. Don't just pull them out, as they may still be a little bit fragile.

Well, there you have it. Time to go do some cuttings now! Good luck....

Gifts of Nature - Coconut Juice or Water

Coconut water contains an abundance of natural goodness including growth factors like cytokinins, which are nature's anti-ageing compounds. It has been traditionally consumed around the tropical world for rehydration, refreshment, as a sterile water source, to soothe infants, dissolve kidney stones, kill intestinal worms, facilitate removal of toxins from the blood, boost libido, for healthy skin and hair as well as a laboratory growing medium and an emergency blood plasma substitute. Now, also recognized as high in antioxidants and useful in cholesterol control.
The Coconut has been called "the milk bottle on the doorstep of mankind" ...facilitating the spread of our civilizations from day one!

A handy little tool is now available to help you open & drink your coconuts, called COCOTAP®, made by Paul Richardson. COCOTAP® makes the most naturally refreshing drink ever, totally accessible. It eliminates the mess of opening coconuts with machetes, is simple, safe and now easier to utilize nature's perfect packaging.

For more information visit COCOTAP®'s website

Cardboard Palm (Zamia furfuracea) Cycad

My favourite cycad! This one is called 'Cardboard Palm', but it's not an actual palm, it doesn't even really look like one. The Cardboard Palm is part of the Cycad family, and it is native to Mexico.

This is my favourite cycad as it has a very tidy growth habit, it doesn't grow much taller than 1m, and only spreads a little, to just under 2m. It is extremely tough, being able to handle drought, heat, frost & salt! This is one of those plants that goes well anywhere, whether it's in sand or clay, cold or hot, as long as it is in a full sun position. It will grow well in coastal areas as well as inland gardens. They do not need any additional watering once they are established in your garden, natural rainfall will do just fine. This cycad stores water in it's trunk, which means it has its own water reserve. Propagation of the Cardboard Palm is usually from seed, although I believe you could seperate the offsets once it starts clumping. I have not tried this as of yet, so I cannot guarantee this would work. Cardboard Palms need a male and a female plant to produce viable seed, and the difference shows in the cones. I have included a picture of female Cardboard Palm cones on the right hand side. Once the female cone is ripe, it will break and reveal a heap of bright red seeds. The Cardboard Palm produces very interesting cones from a very young age.

I highly recommend the Cardboard Palm (Zamia furfuracea) as an addition to your garden. They will outperform your expectations and survive whatever you throw at them! To purchase these plants, visit Cactus Island Nursery
Written by El - Cactus Island Nursery

How to Care for your Mail Order Plants

Purchasing your plants from an online nursery, or via mail order is a very convenient way of gardening! Here's a few important things to help you succesfully grow your new plants.

On arrival
All our plants are sent via express post, to ensure the fastest delivery possible. It is always our aim to have plants in transport as little as possible, and it is very important to unpack your plants as soon as possible when your plants arrive. We soak all plants in Seaweed solution in our nursery before sending to reduce transport stress.
Unpack your plants carefully, and soak them immediately in seaweed solution. (We do not recommend soaking for Dracaena draco, cacti and succulents. Rather just dip them in the seaweed, and plant immediately)

Seaweed solution has many uses as outlined below:
- Seaweed stimulates root development
- Seaweed reduces transplant stress
- Seaweed enhances flowering & fruiting
- Seaweed increases resistance to heat, drought, frost, pests & disease
Due to the fact that Seaweed Solution is not a nitrogen based fertiliser, it is safe to use on all plants. Soak your plants for a few hours or overnight. We do however recommend you do NOT soak succulents, cycads and caudex plants for any longer than 30 minutes. We have various seaweed solutions, including Seasol available for purchase.

Choosing a pot
Once your plants have had a good soak, it is time to choose an appropriate pot size. Choose a pot as small as possible. It is a common misperception to plant plants in a huge pot, thinking plants will grow quicker because they have a bigger pot. The truth in fact is totally the opposite. Plants need oxygen in the soil, and big pots make it harder for soil to dry out. Without drying out, soil becomes logged and oxygen is destroyed. Roots will not develop properly and the plant will stay too wet, being a major cause of root rot, and possibly plant death.
Small seedlings, with a small root system should go in a 50mm tube pot. Small seedlings with a big root system or big taproot, such as most cycads and some palms (common for palms like Triangle Palms, Bismarck Palms, Dypsis Fakey, Latan Palms) could not possible fit into 50mm tubes. These types of plants are potted into tubes called ‘native tubes’ which are very tall, but still only 70mm wide. These native tubes are the pot we use the most in our nursery, they are very handy for a lot of palms and cycads. We can help you get some of these tubes if needed.
Another option would be to use a pot called a ‘SuperSaver’, 4” diameter, but much taller than a standard 4” pot. Bigger plants, or plants with big root systems will need a bigger pot; choose a pot which will fit roots comfortably without squashing, and without excess room. Some plants, such as succulents or cacti, would be good in a terracotta pot. Terracotta is porous (unless it is treated with a waterproofing compound) and will allow these plants to dry out quicker and easier.

Soils and potting mix
Always choose a well draining mix. For potted plants, the easiest (and often the best) soils are premium potting mixes, available from hardware stores, nurseries & garden centres. Read the back of the bag to ensure it is suitable for your plant, and check whether the potting mix incorporates fertilisers and soil improvers, or whether you will need to add these yourself.
Specific potting mixes, such as ‘cacti and succulent mix’, ‘orchid mix’, or ‘Azalea mix’ are the easiest to use, and these potting mixes ensure you will get the right mix for your plant. It is always a good idea to add some soil improver, such as ‘BioBrew Soil’, which encourages soil activity and insect numbers (such as earthworms), increasing available nutrients & oxygen for the roots.
Things like Seaweed Solution, Dynamic Lifter, Organic Xtra etc. are also excellent to mix in with the soil. Be sure to read the packaging for the right amount of solution or fertiliser.
Some plants, such as Azalea, Gardenia & Camellia, prefer a more acidic soil than other plants. These plants will need a specific potting mix, or you will need to adjust the Ph of the potting mix to suit these plants. Sweet soils can kill these plants, or will impair their growth.

Watering In
It is vital to water your plants in well. If you do none of the other things, please do this one, it is THE most important thing about potted plants. Without proper watering in, the soil or potting mix will have air pockets, causing roots to die back, or die completely. Water in well, then leave to dry out to let the soil create oxygen for the roots, then water regularly to suit the plant.

Planting in the ground
If you are planting straight into the ground, be sure to prepare the planting site well. Dig your hole much bigger than the plant’s root system, and dig through lots of organic matter such as Blood & Bone, Manure, some people even use dog food. If you are lucky enough to have a compost pile, this would be the time to use some! Please do check the Ph of your compost – last time I checked ours the Ph was 3, which is not beneficial at all to any plant! If it is fairly neutral, or slightly acidic, it would be great to dig some through the soil at the bottom of the hole, and the soil which is used for back-filling the hole.
We always soak the hole with water first, to make water penetration easier once the plant is planted. It would depend on your soil too however, as the soil around our nursery is very dry and rocky. It is very important for us to dig a huge hole, and fill it with water first. Plants would have a hard time getting their roots through the soil, at least for a start. If your soil is more of a clay soil though, you would more so build up your soil to form a mound, and you would plant your plants on top of the mound to improve drainage. Clay can be very heavy soil, and retains water a lot, meaning it would get too cloggy for a lot of plants. It's important to determine what type of soil you have before purchasing your plants, and before planting them. Press soil on firmly without being rough, and water in well once again.
Fertilise around the base of the plant, but do keep it at least 10cm away from the base to avoid trunk rot. This is not vital for all plants, but without listing every plant, it's best to be safe than sorry. Mulching is always good in the conditions we’re dealing with in Australia, but it is absolutely necessary in areas of drought, areas on water restrictions, or areas without much natural rainfall. It will keep the soil moist, and directs water to the roots without run off. In hot parts of the country, mulching is necessary to keep soil & roots cool, in cold areas it is used to keep roots warm. It works as a natural insulator, and while the mulch composts, it provides nutrients for the plant as well. Please note that if you would like to fertilise your plants, try and get the fertiliser in under the mulch. It will work much better that way.

Watering
Watering is one of the things most people worry about. If you follow our instructions on pot size above, your plants will be a lot more forgiving than they used to be. All plants prefer a soil which is well draining and free flowing, and pots of the right size will allow the soil to do so. A good rule of thumb is to water when the top inch of soil is dry, in summer this may be every day, in winter this may be no more than once every 2 weeks.
Plants in pots will need to be watered more frequently than plants in the garden. In the nursery, our plants in 50mm tubes are water daily in summer, every 2 days in winter. Due to the pots being so small, overwatering is not an issue. Plants dry out quickly, and quickly establish root systems whilst having adequate watering applied. All 50mm tubes are however under 30% to 50% shade cloth in our nursery, meaning they won't need watering as much as if they were in full sun. We always recommend keeping your plants in small pots out of full, harsh sun until you pot them into at least 100mm pots.
Plants in standard 100mm pots are watered every 2-3 days in summer, once every 4-5 days in winter. Plants in bigger pots generally fend for themselves, but during dry times they get additional watering. Some plants, such as bamboo, some palms and things like Azalea, Monstera, Orchids or Medinilla’s, appreciate being fairly moist at all times, and will grow much quicker when watered regularly. Once they are ready to go into the ground however, most are able to completely look after themselves with just natural rainfall.
When you water, water well. Most plants do not appreciate always being wet and receiving little amounts of water often. It’s best to water well, leave the plant to dry out a bit, and water well again. Some plants that like high humidity are different, they prefer being moist most of the time, and they will also benefit from regular misting to increase humidity.
Many helpful products are available to increase water retention and stop water runoff, such as water crystals and soil wetter.

Position
It is very important to read as much information on the plant you purchased as you can, to learn about what they like and dislike. All plants have different requirements, like people really.
When you receive your plants, you will need to slowly adjust them to the position where they are to grow eventually. If your palm is to grow in full sun, you cannot place it in full sun immediately, especially not with seedlings. Seedlings are best grown in a shady, brightly lit position until they have established themselves in their new pot. Once they have, you can slowly adjust them to full sun. Take them out into the sun for an hour or so a day, and slowly increase until they are completely sun hardy.
Obviously, some plants are not suited to growing in full sun, and these can be established in their pots and planted out immediately afterwards. You will need to think carefully about the position for your plant, make sure you know exactly how big the plant can grow, whether roots are invasive or not, whether it needs shade or full sun, does it need acidic soil, how much water does it need etc.
As you may have recently seen on ‘Better Homes and Gardens’, someone planted a nice little pot plant along a fence, and before they knew it the ‘little pot plant’ was 8m tall and going strong. This was a Ficus, which is known to be a great house plant, but can reach up to 50m tall in the garden! This is just an example, but it really pays to look into it, as removing a tree of that size can cost a lot, and you are left with an empty spot in the garden which may take years to fill.
We do have some plants in our nursery (under 'indoor plants') that are great as indoor plants. Place these plants in a brightly lit position, under a Skylight or close to a window is great.
Check whether the plant can handle air conditioning if your house is air conditioned, and keep it away from draughty winds. Air can be very dry inside, so keep an eye out the plant, water it when needed, and mist it regularly if it likes humidity. You will need to wipe the foliage free of dust every week or so, with a damp cloth. I take my house plants outside regularly for a little TLC, they get a hose off and an application with liquid fertiliser every two weeks. Liquid fertiliser are great for indoor plants, it’s easy to apply and feeds through foliage as well as soil.

If you would like further information please contact us, or take a look at Cactus Island Nurseries Mail Order Plants.

Very special Double-headed Dwarf Coconut

Here's a double headed coconut baby, grown by Roger Goebel up in North Queensland. I could only find information on 1 other double header, in Tonga, and a three-header in Africa. The three-headed palm in Africa is for sale for 1 million dollars - better start saving! Usually, multi headed palms have their branching occur due to insect attacks etc., but this one? Let's hope we will see it develop into a beautiful palm, it may yet become a tourist attraction!

Soil Improvers, Fertilisers & Fertilising your Plants

Fertilising your plants is necessary for good, healthy growth, but with so many fertilisers on the market it can be pretty confusing to know which to choose. Below I have outlined the essential nutrients plants need to grow, with an overview on organic fertilisers, soil improvers, compost, mulch, manures & chemical fertilisers.

Essential plant nutrients
Every plant needs a number of essential nutrients to grow. Essential nutrients are nutrients that are required to enable a plant to complete their life cycle.
There are 13 essential nutrients, and each has its own critical function. Essential nutrients are divided into macronutrients (plants require a large amount) and micronutrients (plants require in smaller amounts). There are 3 others very important for plant growth, Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen, but these are not considered nutrients.
Macronutrients:
(N) Nitrogen (necessary for plant protein & phosphorus uptake)
(K) Potassium (Increases drought tolerance, transports iron, essential for protein formation, growth & flowering)
(P) Phosphorus (important for plant growth & seed and flower formation, essential for root development, disease resistance & cold tolerance)
(Ca) Calcium (regulates transport of nutrients within the plant & strengthens)
(Mg) Magnesium (essential for photosynthesis & activates plant enzymes needed for growth)
(S) Sulphur (Improves root growth & fruiting, assists growth, increases resistance to cold weather, promotes enzymes & vitamins, essential for protein production)
Micronutrients
(Fe) Iron (Necessary for photo-synthesis)
(Cu) Copper (important for photosynthesis & plant reproduction, helps protein uptake)
(Mn) Manganese (essential for carbohydrate–breakdown and metabolism)
(Zn) Zinc (Transforms carbohydrates, helps with consumption of sugars, regulates plant growth) (B) Boron (Needed for sugar transport & cell division, regulates nutrients, essential for seed & fruit)
(Mo) Molybdenum (helps to make nitrogen available)
(Cl) Chlorine (helps plant metabolism)
Other nutrients: Silicon, cobalt, Vanadium, Selenium, Sodium, Nickel, Aluminium

Most fertilisers are based on an NPK structure (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium), and include secondary plant nutrients (Calcium, Sulphur, Magnesium) & trace elements. With ‘trace elements’ the micronutrients such as Iron and Copper are meant. On fertiliser packaging, you will find all the percentages of nutrients available in the fertiliser.
It is especially important to look into these plant nutrients if your plants are showing signs of deficiencies or disease.

Organic fertilisers
Organic fertilisers are made from organic materials such as blood, bone, mushroom compost, manures etc. They are derived from plant and animal material. Organic fertilisers are increasing in popularity due to their effectiveness, relative loss cost and for health reasons. These fertilisers are generally very environmentally friendly, and break down slowly so they do not burn plants.
Organic fertilisers do not just feed plants; they are beneficial for soils as well due to increased soil life & insect activity (just have a sniff – you’ll understand why insects are attracted!). Organic fertilisers are available in solid form (such as Organic Xtra, Dynamic Lifter & Gardenia Food) and Liquid Form. Organic fertilisers are generally safe to use on all plants, including natives.
Disadvantages of organic fertilisers also exist. They tend to be very smelly and messy to use. Most organic fertilisers have a pungent smell of manure and some can be overwhelming. Nutrient levels are generally low, and the growth rate achieved by using organic fertilisers does not nearly compare with growth rates on chemical fertilisers.
Large quantities need to be used to feed the plant enough nutrients to grow, and effectiveness highly depends on the micro biotic organisms which break down the organic matter. During cold weather for example, or when soil is too hot or too dry, micro biotic activity is absent, meaning fertiliser is not released. This may be exactly the time when plants need the fertiliser most.

Other beneficial organic products include:
Seaweed Solution
Many seaweed solutions are available, and all have similar ingredients and benefits. Seaweed solution stimulates root development, promotes healthy growth in all plants, reduces transplant stress, enhances flowering & fruiting and increases resistance to heat, drought, frost, pests & disease. Seaweed solution is not a nitrogen based fertiliser, and contains virtually no nitrogen or phosphorus. It is therefore safe to use on all plants including natives and acid-loving plants. Seaweed solution is great for soaking new plants before potting up, and for fortnightly foliar and soil applications on all your plants, in pots & gardens. Seaweed is excellent for use on seedlings. Use some in your compost piles too!

Soil improvers
Soil improvers such as ‘BioBrew Soil’ improve the soil’s natural organic cycle and are rich in beneficial soil biology and plant food. They often contain things like fish emulsions, seaweed, zinc, copper, humic and fulvic acid. Soil improvers are designed to promote insects and soil organisms which help increase the soil’s water holding capacity, increase the conversion of organic matter to active humus, and strengthen plants. Results are improved crops, better fruiting & flowering, increased resistance to disease, and increased frost & drought tolerance.

Manure
Manure has been a widely used fertiliser and soil conditioner for a long time. Various manures are available with different NPK ratings. Approximate ratings are listed below.
Cow manure N 0.57 P 0.23 K 0.62
Horse manure N 0.7 P 0.25 K 0.77
Pig N 0.49 P 0.34 K 0.47
Sheep N 1.44 P 0.5 K 1.21
Rabbit N 2.4 P 1.4 K 0.6
Chicken N 1 P 0.8 K 0.39
Ensure manures are always well rotted before usage!

Other beneficial things are mulch (directs water to the roots of the plant, keeps roots cool in hot weather, keeps roots warm in cold weather, breaks down to provide organic nutrient), compost (always check the Ph of your compost, it could be very low, or high, depending on what items have been added to the compost pile. Ensure a good variety of things is added to the pile including leaves, grass clippings, veggie scraps, newspaper, manure etc. Keep the pile moist to ensure it keeps composting, and regularly feed your compost pile with a Soil Improver such as BioBrew, Blood & Bone and Dynamic Lifter. Mix through regularly) & Potash (Australian soil is naturally low in potassium. Potash is necessary for fruit, flower & veggie growth.)

Chemical fertilisers
Chemical fertilisers or made of inorganic materials. Chemical fertilisers do not depend on micro biotic organisms, and therefore tend to be more reliable and precise. Chemical fertilisers are very affordable due to the fact that very small amounts are needed to feed the plant with the nutrients it needs. These fertilisers generally do not smell and are very easy to use. Chemical fertilisers are available in solid and liquid form.

Liquid fertilisers
Liquid fertilisers mix with water, and are usually applied with a watering can or a spray bottle. They generally feed both foliage & soil, and last around 2 weeks. Liquid fertilisers are very easy to apply and are generally suitable for most plants. Some plants, like Adenium, prefer liquid fertilisers over solids. Many people prefer using liquid fertilisers as it is generally safer to use and less likely to burn plants. It is also easily washed out by flushing the soil repeatedly, if there is evidence of over fertilising. Repeated watering will rinse all traces out of the soil. Fertilisers such as Miracle-Gro & Nitrosol start working within minutes, and both feed leaves & soil. Miracle-Gro also contains a wetting agent which helps the fertiliser stick the foliage, making it a more effective foliar feed, and also aids in the penetration of the soil to ensure nutrients and water reach down to the roots. Soluble fertilisers are very gentle and can be used at any required strength. They are excellent for cacti and succulents at about 1/8 of the usual strength, and foliage plants will greatly benefit from the foliar feed.
Controlled-release fertilisers
Controlled-release fertilisers are generally a long-term fertilising solution. Some can last up to 24 months, which makes it a very easy, convenient way of fertilising. These fertilisers generally come in pellet form, little balls coated in plastic-like material. Controlled release fertiliser often consists of quick-release nitrogen pellets, and slow-release pellets, ensuring the fertiliser starts working immediately, and keeps working over time. Controlled release fertilisers are very cost effective, generally only a teaspoon is needed in a 4” pot (depending on the plant), and nutrients are released slowly. Controlled release fertilisers release their nutrients in tune with the weather; during hot days for example these fertilisers will release more nutrients than cold dark days, providing more nutrients when the plants need it more.

Slow-release fertilisers

Generally the same as controlled-release fertilisers, but slow-release fertilisers do not work in tune with the environment. Nutrients are released at a steady rate, whether it is sunny or not.

For further information please contact Cactus Island Nursery. We have a range of fertilisers and soil improvers for sale via mail order, just contact us for more details.

Licuala naumanii - Fan Palm or PNG Fan Palm

Some information regarding Licuala naumanii (Fan Palm, PNG Fan Palm)

This Licuala is rarely seen in cultivation and can be hard to get hold off. It is as beautiful as both the Ruffled Fan Palm (Licuala grandis) and the Australian Fan Palm (Licuala ramsayi), and has similar circular, huge bright green leaves. Licuala naumanii tends to have divided foliage, being the main difference with the Ruffled Fan Palm.

This palm is only small, growing up to around 1.5m tall, and is best suited to warm, tropical conditions. Licuala’s are generally fairly slow growing, but Licuala naumanii is known to be the fastest of the Licuala’s, when grown under the appropriate conditions.

I have found Licuala’s to be very hungry palms (or 'thristy' would be a more correct term), due to their huge green foliage, and I highly recommend using a good quality NPK fertiliser (look for high N (Nitrogen)) to keep them looking shiny and green, and kick start growth. Licuala naumanii is best grown in shady, humid positions (this palm is an understory palm, meaning it always has overhead cover from taller trees) with plenty of water.

If you have further information regarding this palm, please leave a comment!

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Coconut care - Some hints on establishing your palms

A care guide to Mail Order Coconuts - how to look after your palms on arrival
When you receive your Coconuts, they have been in the post for a couple of days so it will pay to get them out of the packaging and into a tub of half strength mix of liquid fertilizer or at least water, in the shade, as quickly as possible. The nuts were growing in filtered sunlight so will handle full sun when settled in but need at least 50% sun for as much of the day as possible.
The nuts are the most advanced that packaging or State requirements allow. They will gain nutritional benefit from attachment to the nut for about 18months and even longer in sub optimal conditions. Coconuts have a fibrous root system. Each root will develop with equal importance both feeding the plant and anchoring it. No tap root develops. The sprouted nuts have roots but in most cases most of the roots are removed for improved health and quarantine reasons. Damaged roots are less useful than new undamaged ones.
In tropical locations the sprouted nut could be planted at its site or potted. In cooler locations it is recommended to plant the nut in a large container of 10 to100 litres for at least a couple of years.

Before sending, the nut has been watered, root pruned and cleaned. New roots are already growing through the nuts husk. In any case newly transplanted nuts will suffer some set back which will be evident in the next two fronds being less vigorous than current fronds. It is important to nurse these new plants to reduce this set back as much as possible.
Coconut palms prefer:
· Warm soil – above 20oC
· Warm air – between 20 and 300C
· High humidity –above 70
· High light levels especially when temperatures are warm
· Free draining soil – no water ponding on surface and good pot drainage
· Regular watering with potable or near potable quality water
· Surface mulching with wood chip or stone
· No weed competition especially grassy weeds
· Freedom of pests like ants (ants farm mealy bug and scale insects) and leaf eating insects
· Adequate levels of fertilizer, particularly nitrogen and trace elements
By meeting these requirements your plants should thrive.
Further notes on growing coconuts are available by email from Roger Goebel.
Current July 2009, Roger Goebel.

Malaysian Orchid (Medinilla Magnifica) Plant

Medinilla Magnifica 01, originally uploaded by chanicy2000.

One of the most spectacular flowering plants available, with exotic pink flower trusses reaching up to 50cm in length, which hang down from the main plant. Leaves are very large, up to 30cm long, glossy dark green and oval.
Medinilla magnifica is an epiphyte (like staghorns, orchids & Bromeliads), and is often found growing in trees in native habitat, where they reach a height of 2m. In cultivation, it will more likely be close to around 1m. Fantastic plant for tropical gardens, or stunning as potted specimen in conservatories down south, or indoors!
Water regularly when compost dries out slightly. Malaysian Orchids benefit from liquid fertilizing every 2-3 weeks, and is best grown in rich, organic, well draining soil. Add lots of peat, vermiculite, humus and mulch to your soil mix. Read & view more at http://cactusisland.com.au/

Lipstick Palm / Red Sealing Wax Palm (Cyrtostachys renda)

Cyrtostachys renda, originally uploaded by tanetahi.

It wouldn't be right to start this blog with any other plant than the Lipstick Palm. This truly is our favourite!
The Lipstick palm (or Red Sealing Wax Palm) is a stunning feather palm with a brilliantly, almost unbelievably vivid red trunk & crown shaft, found in lowland coastal swamps in SE Asia.
(It is also known as 'Cyrtostachys lakka', which has now been included under 'Cyrtostachys renda'.)
It’s a medium sized, to about 6m, clumping palm. One of the most spectacular and colourful tropical palms and extremely popular as garden and landscaping plant.
Cyrtotachys renda is very cold sensitive and should not be grown in the garden outside the tropics, but I still recommend you give it a go if you aren't in the tropics. Find a nice warm place inside your home, or in a conservatory or glass house. Take it outside in summer & love it like it deserves. It makes for a wonderful and spectacular potted specimen for the house and patio (on warm days). It should not be exposed to temperatures under aprox 10 degrees, preferable above 20 degrees.
In the tropics it’s very easy to grow, provided it gets lots of water and sun/overhead light. Soil should be rich, moist and loamy, and plants should be fed monthly with a tropical plant or palm fertilizer.
Definitely worth the effort and a must for every palm lover/collector! Red Sealing Wax Palm recommendations: I recommend you soak them in some seaweed solution on arrival, for up to a couple of hours right before potting up. Water in with some Fungicide like Fongarid & leave to dry out for a couple of days, then water regularly.
Keep in high humidity in bright light, but no full sun. Add some slow release fertiliser for tropical plants or palms, and keep up regular foliar sprays with seaweed solution. Read & view more at http://cactusisland.com.au/