Seeds

Rubber Tree 'Cone' and seeds

I've been given some great seeds to try. How about the seeds from the rubber plant? I didn't even know they produced seed!
I've also collected a few seeds from the Jacaranda trees that grow in the nearby village. I'm ready to start them off too, plus seeds from pandorea jasminoides, which a neighbour gave me. I'm already seedlings from the pepper tree.
Fascinating stuff!

I've got a couple of baby pandorea seedlings which I will upload photos of soon.

The rubber tree and the Jacaranda seeds haven't germinated to date.

Growing Kiwi

I've been growing kiwi from seed too. I've got a few left out of maybe 100; there is something they don't like here and I'm not sure exactly what it is yet. They grew really well in my Dad's (unheated) greenhouse in Scotland but their growth is stunted here.

Kiwi have male and female plants and, like the papaya, you need both to produce fruit. Again sex cannot be determined until they flower and none of mine have flowered yet, and I think I read it may take years until they do.

However, it's an interesting project if not exactly a money-spinner.

To Grow Kiwi from Seed

Buy a kiwifruit in the shop, take it home and cut it open. Extract a few of their tiny seeds and remove as much pith as you can from around them. I find the easiest way to do this is to lay them on absorbant kitchen paper and place the paper, seeds and all, inside a colander and run them under the tap.

1. Leave them to dry in a warm dry place, and when they are completely dry they can be planted into some compost, just lightly press them into the surface of the soil.
2. Water well, and seal the whole pot inside a sealed polythene bag.
3. Leave in a light, warm place out of direct sunlight and after a couple of weeks you should see the seedlings peeking through. 
4. At this point, remove them from their plastic bag.
5. When they are large enough to handle, after they have grown at least their second set of leaves, gently transplant them into individual pots. 
6. Keep in as bright a situation as possible and water daily, potting on as they outgrow their pot.

In a warm climate like Spain they can be planted straight into the garden, but in cooler climates you will need to keep them indoors or at least in a greenhouse or conservatory, bringing them indoors when frost threatens.
There are varieties you can buy now at Amazon.co.uk that is specially grown for UK climates.

The botanical names for the kiwifruit vines are usually either actinidia chinensis or actinidia deliciosa.

Castor Oil Plant

I'm an awful one for collecting seed I find on my travels. Then at some future date I plant them; and when they grow I haven't a clue what they are!

Extensive searching on google suggests this cute little fella is a Ricinus communis except he doesn't seem to have red leaves yet. I did have three or four others that I potted on and planted out, being fast growers, but they promptly died on me!

Carica papaya

Papaya plants are normally grown from seed. Belonging to tropical countries, I am experimenting to see if they'll grow successfully here in Relleu ( sub-tropical), however, I do not expect them to do too well come the winter storms as their stems break easily. Two are in pots and may be moved indoors. The third is in the garden.

Papaya have separate male and female plants, and both are needed for successful fertilization, though one male can service many females. As I have no way of knowing what sex mine are until they flower, I'm hoping three is enough. With my luck I'll get three of the same!

This one here is approx. 6 months old and 3 feet high.

Cordyline australis

This is my 2 year old cordyline australis shortly after I planted it out earlier this year.
I have another growing quite happily in a bucket, and several dozen seedlings less than a year old.
Another of my experiments, I haven't seen any growing locally. There are plenty yuccas, agaves and palms so I'm hoping this palm-like plant will fit right in. It also withstands strong winds which, of course, is a necessity here.