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nz Friday, October 1, 2010 TARANAKI DAILY NEWS 13

GARDENING www.taranakidailynews.co.nz

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Most cordylines or cabbage trees grow a solid, fleshy tap root

3
Shake off the mix. Wash it off if necessary so you can see what is there. The
below the soil and it is easy to increase plants from sections
same steps apply if you are lifting a cordyline out of the garden. We have never

of these roots, commonly called toes. This particular cordyline
is an Australian species, stricta, but it shows similar structure
below ground to our most common New Zealand cordyline, which
is confusingly named Cordyline australis.
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Taking the toes off this cordyline will reduce the size of the root mass and allow
tried taking the toes off a large, established plant while leaving it in the ground,
me to replant it back to the same pot with fresh mix and fertiliser. Container
although you can presumably do it without killing the plant because Maori used to
plants are best repotted annually if possible and will generally deteriorate badly
harvest the toes as kauru – a form of starch similar to root vegetables. Try digging
if you leave them any longer than three years without repotting.
in from one side of the plant only if you plan to try this.

Propagating
cordylines: a step-by-
step guide with Abbie
and Mark Jury.

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Pot the toes fairly close to the surface, either flat or on end

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If you wash the cut section, you are better able to see what (cut side up on the whole toes because that is the top) in

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Because the toes can be very tough, a sharp spade or saw you are doing. Cut the roots off the toes. They will die back seed raising mix (low nutrient potting mix). Do not let them
may be needed to cut the lower section off. We cut around anyway. If you want plenty of plants, cut the biggest toes get too wet or they may rot. Within a few months, they will be
15cm off the bottom of the central root system of the plant. Photos: ABBIE JURY into sections but don’t go much smaller than about 3cm in length. sprouting afresh as shown on this toe of Cordyline Red Fountain.

Spring Clean NEW

SALE In Store
Prices Ar riving
Slashed Daily
Calanthe orchids
Orchids are one of the largest and most
complex groups in the plant world –
fearfully complicated to try to navigate
your way through.
Our interest here is in orchids as
garden plants and one of the star
performers is the calanthe family.
These are called ground orchids or Gifrte Pl an
terrestrial orchids – in other words
they are happy to grow in good garden Wa ts
soil. In the right conditions, you can
plant them and leave them alone for
many years where they just gently
build up and make a better display
with more flower spikes.
There are well over 150 different
species of calanthes and inevitably
some will be better and showier as
garden plants in our conditions than Mor
others. There is a bit of a question Neoerde In e H
Coloot
mark over the correct name for this
M ! St o Pot s
lovely soft yellow one – probably a form
of sieboldii or striata. R oom re ur s
Most of the calanthes come from
tropical and sub-tropical Asia and are
generally evergreen. Presumably the
forms thriving with us are the sub- Cnr Normanby & Devon St East, New Plymouth
tropical types because tropical we are occasional tidy up. The new growth many other specialist groups have gone p 06 769 9363 f 06 769 9364
not. We use them as woodland plants comes in spring and is quite lush so out of existence. They are a friendly e livingtrends.np@paradise.net.nz
and have only once ever had them that every year garden visitors ask us and knowledgeable bunch and if you
tickled up by a vicious frost. Their only which variety the yellow-flowered want to start building up a collection, Locally Owned and Operated
downside is that they are quite leafy hosta is. either joining the local branch or
and the foliage hangs on for grim death
long after it has become tatty and
Probably because orchids are such a
complex plant family, orchid societies
visiting their shows is the best place to
start. EASY ACCESS FREE PARKING
shredded. They benefit from an continue to grow, show and share when – Abbie Jury