As we saw in a previous article, the birth and development of a tree it can be diminished by numerous circumstances. Fungi and other diseases are always on the lookout, and they are especially dangerous when the tree is taking its "first steps" in this world.
Today we will know first-hand how to get a higher percentage of germination and survival of the spectacular tree known as Flamboyant, whose scientific name is Delonix direction.
Seeds
The first is acquire seeds as fresh as possible, preferably collected from the same tree or purchased from a trusted site. Once we have them at home, we will have to do the following:
- First we will wash them well with water and a little ecological fungicide (for example, sulfur)
- Next, with sandpaper, we will sand them a little, carefully, until we see that the seed is turning brown.
- Finally, we will put them in a glass of water for 24 hours.
The next day, if everything has gone well, the seed will have started to germinate. We will know because, the thin transparent film that covers it, will have begun to break.
Now we can pass them to the nursery, preferably individually. As a substrate it is important to use black peat with 50% perlite, or perlite alone. If you do not have much experience in seedlings, I recommend that you use only perlite, since the risk of fungi appearing is lower.
Growth
Just a week after the seed has germinated, cotyledons appear (the first two leaves, which are long), and very soon the first true leaves will begin to emerge.
It is important in this phase to add fungicide from time to time, and not to overdo the watering.
This photo is taken only one day after the previous one. As can be seen, the true leaves continue their development.
As there were several cases of seedlings which had fungi, it was decided to transplant those that were healthy to individual pots with perlite previously washed with water and fungicide.
Just 15 days later, the treatment that was done for the fungi gave excellent results, and this seedling did not have to deal with them.
You can see the fully developed leaves, and the cotyledons begin to wilt, since when a plant has true leaves, the work of photosynthesis and keeping the young tree alive falls on them.
A few months later, we will have this: a small Flamboyant that will measure about 40cm tall (depending on the weather conditions and if it is in a pot or in the ground it can grow more, or less), ready to turn its second year of age.
Once the first year has passed, we must not lower our guard. We will continue, at least one more year, with the anti-fungal preventive treatment.
The Flamboyant is a tropical tree of a very high ornamental value. Although it prefers to live in warm climates, it is a species that you can try to have in somewhat colder areas (warm Mediterranean for example) with very light and short-lived frosts. A trick to better survive this type of winters is the following: place the small tree inside a greenhouse -a little open, so that the air is renewed- and fertilize it with Nitrofosca every 15 days (pouring very little, a pinch in a liter of water). It is a fertilizer that will make the roots warm enough so that they do not feel the cold so much.
Originally from Madagascar ... today it can be found in all places with a warm climate.
More information - Birth of a tree, part I
Hi Monica, how are you ? I tell you that I live in Uruguay and I planted 2 Flamboyant last spring, they were small but I was surprised by the rapid growth that one had more than the other, my question is what kind of care do I have to have since winter is beginning and here Uruguay has a temperate climate and frosts occur. When the plants were a bare rod they had no leaves, then with the advent of spring they began to sprout and developed beautifully, I also watered them in summer and that made them grow fast, the earth is very drainable here. Well I wait for your answer, thank you
Hi Ignacio.
I recommend you wrap them with greenhouse plastic. In addition, it is advisable to fertilize them with a small spoonful (of the coffee ones) with Nitrofoska (the fertilizer of the blue balls) once a month. This way the roots will be kept at a comfortable temperature, and they will not notice the cold.
A greeting.
Hello Ignacio, I am waiting for this table.
How have you been with the fertilizer and the nylon? I find myself in the same situation as you at that moment. Thanks.
Thanks Monica, I will try to cover them with Nylon at night when there are frost forecasts, is this fertilizer useful for other plants such as hibiscus or others that do not tolerate large cold much?
Hello again Ignacio.
Yes, nitrophoska is used to fertilize any type of plant in any season.
But you should know that the compost in this case would not be used to feed the plant, but to keep its roots at a comfortable temperature. But once the risk of frost passes, you can continue to fertilize it, this time, so that it grows better.
A greeting.
Monica me again, would triple 15 be equal to nitrophoska?
The concentration of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK) varies according to the fertilizer, but yes, the most used Nitrofoska is triple 15.
Ok great, and do I place that compost directly on the ground, sprinkling it around the tayo or dilute it with water?
You can put it directly on the ground, mixing it a little. Water it afterward so the plant "realizes" you have put it on and begins to absorb it.
Hello, my Flamboyant tree has a sticky liquid on its branches. What is this about?? Is the tree sick or is it normal for it to be sticky? Thanks
Ale where are you from
Hello Ale.
In this tree no, it is not normal. It may have been a pruning wound that has not finished healing well, or it may be being attacked by pests.
My advice is to treat it with a broad-spectrum insecticide, sold in nurseries. If it does not improve, write to us again and we will find a solution.
A greeting.
Thanks for the prompt response. I'll buy the insecticide. Greetings
Hello Ale, what area are you from? I have 2 framboyant, I am from Uruguay and they are peeled without leaves, I was still covering it in this winter and the winter although it has been cool, there have not been many strong frosts. I hope they drop leaves this spring. I go to gifts a lot so they grow fast.
You'll see how it improves. All the best!
Hello Monica, I would like to transplant a flamboyant planted in a playground that is approximately one and a half meters high into a pot, since in the place where the children are, they break its branches and mistreat it. What should I do? What is the best time to do it? I am in Caracas. Thank you.
Hi Adele.
I have deleted your other comment for being repeated.
I answer your questions: the best time to do it is when it does not have a flower. Measuring one and a half meters, it will be relatively easy to remove it, since you only have to make four trenches around it (as if it were a square and the tree was in the center) with a depth of at least 40cm (the more, the better. ).
Then with a blade, which is like a normal but straight shovel, to pry. Another less recommended option would be to cut the roots with a hand saw. As the trench is 40cm deep, the root system of the tree will not suffer much.
When you have it outside, you can plant it in a pot or in the garden.
If some leaves fall off, don't worry, it's normal. He will get over. You can add powdered rooting hormones (found in nurseries and garden stores) to make sure it will emit new roots.
A greeting.
Good morning Monica, thank you for your prompt reply. I still have a doubt, the side of the square is also 40 cm ?.
regards
Hi Adele.
Sorry for the delay.
Yes, it should be about 35-40cm.
A greeting.
Greetings ; I have a Ponciana of 13 months and 2 meters of height more or less, it turns out that it is very leafy (I live in Bellavista, Callao) my 86-year-old father is tying the branches with cable tv wire trying to lift them, now it is very thin its foliage. my question is adequate. I have no peace because while I work again, keep tying the branches damage a solution please !!!!
Hello Jose.
The flamboyan does not need to be wired or pruned (unless you want to make bonsai clear). He only with time develops his characteristic parasol glass.
If you are in a hurry, you can prune the branch a little to bring up lower branches.
A greeting.
Hello, I have a 3-year-old flamboyant tree ... a few days ago I observed that it has a small hole from which it comes out and some white dots are not what it has ... I am afraid that it is something engraved .... What can you have and what is the solution? Thank you
HELLO I am from Mexico, Coahuila state last summer I planted a flamboyan which grew twice as tall, now that it is spring I do not see any new sprout, I do not want to prune it, other flanboyan that I have seen already have new leaves. I am concerned, I hope that the cold does not affect it, he recommends putting the triple 17 is a fertilizer.
Or that you recommend me.
Hi Ruben.
You can water it with homemade rooting hormones (here explains how to obtain them). This will serve to stimulate the production of new roots, which will give the tree strength.
When it starts to sprout, you can start fertilizing it.
A greeting.
Hello, I planted a plant of this one, but by accident my child broke the stem, leaving the other part buried, he asks. Will leaves come out again? Thank you
Hello Omar.
It is difficult, but you can water it one for a couple of months to see.
A greeting.
Hello Monica,
I just sent you a comment about my Cassia Fistula tree.
But I also have a flamboyan (in Mexico they also say Tabachín).
This tree measures approx 1 m 70 cm and I have had to prune it on some occasions; I know this is not recommended, but there are branches that have grown very disorganized. It is planted in a pot about 60 cm in diameter and 70 cm high. It is about 12 years with me, but it has never flowered. I have occasionally fertilized it with chemical fertilizer. In summer it is very beautiful, until winter when all the leaves fall. I ask: Can I put worm compost, or worm compost? and in what quantity?
Thank you very much
María
Hello Maria.
Potted flamboyans often have a lot of trouble blooming.
More than worm humus, I recommend guano (liquid) as it has more nutrients. Follow the directions specified on the package.
A greeting.
I have a question they tell me that my tree can break its roots, you would have it in front of my house, it is medium in height but I am afraid to take it out and transfer it to a pot and I can't stand the transfer
Hello Laura.
Unfortunately the flamboyan is a tree that has very strong and invasive roots.
How tall is it? If it is young, you can make deep trenches (50cm minimum) and remove it with enough roots from the ground.
A greeting.
Hi Monica, I would like to plant a flamboyant in a pot and give it a bonsai cultivation treatment ... my question is, does the plant grow well in semi-shade? Or it would need rays of sunlight for its growth since it will be in interior decoration where the sunlight is not very strong. Greetings.
Hi Peter.
It can grow in semi-shade, but from experience I can tell you that it does not develop completely well.
It tends to grow a lot in height, without making the trunk very thick; On the other hand, in full sun, from the first year you see that its trunk thickens.
A greeting.
Monica, good morning. Thank you for the excellent information you share with us. My query is as follows: I have 10 seedlings of this tree (currently about 40 cm tall, from seeds that I have managed to germinate at home) and I want to transplant them to an area that is 100% sandy (a mixture of fine, coarse sand, gravel, etc.); I have decided to change the soil for farmland. My question is how big (radius and depth) should the hole be made so that the root system develops and the tree can reach its maximum splendor? Thanks in advance!
Hi Cesar.
The flamboyan has very adaptable and reasonably strong roots. It is enough to make a hole of about 50cm x 50cm.
A greeting.
Hello, good morning, we have germinated three Framboyan trees and I want to ask you when it is convenient to transplant it to a field?
We have germinated them about two weeks ago and they are 20 cm high approx. We are in the northeast region of Mexico (Monterrey Nuevo Leon), the transplant will be done to a semi-desert land located northeast of the city (Los Ramones Nuevo Leon).
What care should we have? These trees do well in the city but we are uncertain how they will develop in open terrain. Thank you for your attention.
Hi Osvaldo.
You can move them to the ground when they grow roots through the drainage holes.
Regarding care, they need very frequent waterings, 3-4 times a week in the hottest season, and 2-3 / week the rest of the year.
A greeting.
Hello, last year I bought two flamboyan seedlings, they gave their leaves in the lower part, then winter came I covered them very well with their little carp, etc., now there are only two sticks that have not yet produced a single leaf, there are no signs of being infected but but they did not bloom what should I do.
Hello Sandra.
It's time to wait 🙂. If the weather is not quite right, they take much longer than normal to bloom.
Now, it is convenient to water them from time to time, twice a week, so that the leaves can sprout again.
A greeting.
I would like to know how it would be possible to convert a flamboyan into a normal size flamboyan but to stay small, I would say 10 ′ because I have seen them in lines and all the same size and being adult trees. My question is possible to modify them to that size. I want to clarify I don't mean Bomsai.
Hello Monica
We live in Mexico near the coast; and we have had a Tabachin for almost 9 years, last year a waterspout came and several branches were broken; my husband had all its branches cut off thinking that they would sprout soon and would become more leafy ... this has been more than a year and nothing ... small shoots come out but they do not progress, as if the sun burned them and you begin to see fungus on the tips of the tree .
When it was pruned, the precautions of the skewed cut were taken and in the end it was sealed to prevent moisture from entering but even when we have fertilized it and sprayed it on the tips of the shoots to protect it from the sun, the tree still does not respond ... any suggestions ... we are very sad he was the king of our garden ...
Hello Karla.
To help your tree, I recommend you pay it, if possible with chicken manure (If you can get it fresh, let it dry for a week in the sun before using it); or else with guano that you can find it ready for use in any nursery.
A layer 3-4cm thick, a little mixed with the earth, and well watered, it will surely not take long to remove leaves.
A greeting.
good night and bought a ponciana tree 3 meters high, I have planted it about 60 cm deep and it is 50 cm in diameter, what happens is that it lost in days the few leaves it had, two weeks have passed and no new leaves come out. they recommend me thanks
Hello Jorge.
I recommend watering it with rooting hormones. This way it will emit new roots and this will give it strength.
A greeting.
Good night, I have a 3-meter-high ponciana, I bought it 2 months ago, I bought it pure trunks, two months have passed and not a single twig comes out, because I can add it to help you, by the way we sowed it 60 cm of depth.
Hello Jorge.
You have to be patient 🙂. Trees need time to produce new branches; some species take longer than others. In the case of flamboyant, it can sometimes take up to two years.
Water and fertilize it (for example, with guano), and it will surely make you beautiful.
A greeting.
Good morning, I just bought a tabachin but I had conflicting opinions that if its roots are very invasive or not, I totally bought it and it is already planted, my question is that if when it grows I prune it constantly so that it does not exceed a certain height, its roots will continue to grow even though I do not let it grow in height? Thanks
Hello Ian.
Yes, its roots are invasive.
If you prune it, it will not develop such long roots, as there will be less plant surface to feed.
A greeting.
It is the second time I have planted a flamboyan and when it has been over 2 meters. tall and precisely on this day of the year it begins to dry, its leaves turn yellow and fall, this 2nd tree begins to turn yellow, what can I do so that it does not dry out?
Hello Roger.
The flamboyan is a tropical tree. When the temperature drops below 5ºC, it lets its leaves fall, and if it falls below 0º the risk of it dying is very high.
Therefore, I recommend you protect it with transparent plastic and fertilize it every 15 days with Nitrofoska, adding no more than 2 tablespoons.
A greeting.
Hi Monica, Good morning! We live in Miami, and we have bought a flamboyan that measures approx. 2.50 meters, we planted it at the end of November, with high expectations. Since we brought it, it had no more than 6 or 7 leaves and about five peeled branches. 3 months have passed and although the green leaves have not fallen, although they are quite frayed but they are still there, not a single sprout has come out. We are afraid because it looks parched in its branches. Here the strong heat has not started but it is not cold either. We paid it 15 days ago with a mixture that they sold us of micronutrients, but we do not know if it is enough, can you give us any suggestions please?
Hi Lily.
Patience 🙂. The flamboyan is a very resistant tree - and more so when the weather is good - so you just have to water it and fertilize it.
You can throw him homemade rooting agents from time to time so that it sprouts new roots, which will give it strength.
A greeting.
Hi Monica Sanchez.
8 months ago I was going for a walk when I saw a construction inside the clearing and all the waste that they took from there towards a field to a flamboyant crushed by pieces of bricks, wood and other objects, I did not hesitate to approach and rescue it, I was just a few very tender leaves but the stem arched by the clearing seemed to be dying, I took it home and prepared soil with perlite and other organic fertilizers, I thought it would not survive but with patience and many months later I saw that its leaves were sprouting again, although the stem is very arched even though I tried to straighten it reaching a size of approx. 50 cm. Many people who have seen it asked me if it is a bonsai project and I know that Flamboyant is a very difficult plant to turn into bonsai but not impossible, do you think that a plant like flamboyant should be a bonsai or it deserves a more open space despite What has the stem with very pronounced curves?
Greetings from Peru.
Hello Fernando.
The truth that the flamboyan is a tree more of a garden than to make bonsai. Although it can be done, if you have enough space, I recommend more planting it in the ground -away from pipes and others, yes- and enjoying it.
A greeting.
Hello. I have a flamboyant in a pot and I have to decide where to transplant it, which is why I want to know: the adult flamboyant how deep do its roots reach? Thanks
Hello Elba.
The roots can grow up to 60-70cm deep.
A greeting.
Hi Monica, I am Ezequiel, I ask you something, I have 2 small trees of at least 2 years old in pots that came from seeds, they measure around 40 cm. Since they gave them to me I have taken care of them from the cold, but even on frosty nights I entered the house and took them out around noon, my query comes because when autumn began, the leaves fell naturally and now that spring I arrive yet it has no signs of sprouting again, its tips are dry but the trunk is still green. What do you recommend? just in case I live in Parana, an area with a temperate and very humid climate in Argentina.
Hello Ezequiel.
My advice is ... patience.
They can take a long time to sprout, towards mid / late spring.
A greeting.
Good morning Monica, from Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. Mallorca's climate is typically Mediterranean, with mild average temperatures and a seasonal rainfall regime, the dry season coinciding with the warm season in summer.
I have had a Flamboyant for about 15 years, in a 60 cm pot. in diameter by 45 cm. tall, which in winter is bald, but in summer everyone would take it home, how beautiful it is, but it has never flowered. I have only cut a branch once or twice if it bothered and I do not remember ever putting fertilizer on it, since there are plants that do not tolerate it and I was afraid of damaging it. I have read that he accepts the blue balls, I have taken note and my question is: Is it beneficial for him if I prune it a little more and what can I do to help him draw flowers?
Thanks a lot
All the best
Hello Antonia.
I am also Mallorcan 🙂
I tell you, the flamboyan in a climate like the one we have so that it can flourish needs either a very, very wide pot (the kind that measure almost 1m in diameter) or be on the ground.
The regular fertilizer will go very well, especially if you use the guano as I have read that you have done in your other message. But I tell you, if you have the opportunity to plant it in the ground or in a pot of those large, it will thank you.
A greeting.
Good afternoon Monica, I am glad that we agree on being Majorcan, I will think if I put a bigger pot, I would like to, but we are on a 7th floor and I would like to see it with a flower, but not much higher, because although I have it protected, when we have a north wind, if they are too high they have a hard time and I feel sorry for them. near him I also have 2 stretlizias or birds of paradise and they bloom all year round, in addition to an olive tree, an apple tree, an almond tree, a lemon tree and an orange tree, in small quantities, but they all bear fruit. For now I will continue with the guano and we will see what I do. Thank you very much for answering. A hug
The guano will help you to be much more beautiful 🙂, but also to grow more.
To prevent it from growing too tall, you can trim the branches a little in early spring. This will bring out lower branches and in time you will have a more compact and rounded crown.
But it is important to know that the flamboyan should not be pruned, because with time it acquires its parasol glass by itself. But things change when it is grown in a pot and the option of planting it in the ground is not possible.
A greeting.
Good morning Monica and thank you very much, pretty girl, let's see what we do, is that next to the flower, which I also like its parasite shape, if you don't mind, I'll ask you for advice. A hug.
Antonia
Unclear. Ask what you want 🙂
A greeting.
Good morning Monica, again I am Antonia from Mallorca, reading your answers, I have decided to put guano on it today, anyway, I hope you answer me as far as it comes to flower.
Thank you very much and greetings.
Hello Monica, I am writing to you from Cuernavaca Mexico, they call it the City of Eternal Spring, it is a warm but very pleasant climate almost all year round, around an average 24 ° C and the coldest at night about 15 ° C and it rains for the nights for almost 6 months, so the framboyan is wonderful, we have streets that with their foliage make beautiful tunnels and dress their floors in a beautiful orange, but I have had two for 7 years and for more they do not flower and they They cut the branches as if they were cutting them with a saw, one of them we rescued from a garden where they did not want him to grow and they always cut his branches, I thought that was why he did it, but I have already been with him for 7 years and then Its branches do not finish spreading because the other one is splitting I bought it and I thought it would grow fast It has water good space to grow in a field surrounded by other trees but it has already started to cut branches the same, and suddenly they do not break but they dry up , other branches are green and look healthy but suddenly the whole branch dries up and falls off.
What do you recommmend me to do??? Or how to take care of them ???
Hi Ani.
Sometimes it happens that no matter how many times you buy a certain type of plant, you don't quite like the area.
That happened to me with a fern of the species Blechnum gibbum. After several attempts for two years I have one, and for the moment it holds
My advice is not to spoil them too much. That is, knowing that they are good around, do not be too aware of them. Water them from time to time, and fertilize them once a month with natural products (mulch, herbivorous animal manure, etc.) to make them stronger, but nothing more.
Surely the less you expect it, they will flourish.
Hello!!! I have several flamboyant that I brought them from the coast to a hot and arid place ... where I have also seen several of these .. my question is at what time they give their first flower .. ??? They already have several branches and main trunk about 6 to 8 cm in diameter ... and they will be about 2 years to 3 years. Thanks .
Hello, it depends on the crop, but in principle about 4 years at least.
Greetings.
How about Monica ??? !! Well, my question with Ani's previous one solved ... I just have to wait ... I have several that I transplanted from the Pacific coast of Guatemala ... and they are already somewhat large ... about 2 and a half meters. And about 6 to 8 cm in diameter with several branches ... very beautiful because it has already started to rain ... but the guardian told us that some logs are still unloaded ... and it turns out that it is a bug with little like an elephant ... I will try to take it. .. they only come out at night ... Greetings.
Hello Evelyn.
If you can, send us a photo to our P so that we can see it and help you.
Greetings.
Hello. I'm new to planting. I have started with two flamboyan. Cut the pod from the same tree. I germinated them myself and of the 3 seeds that were given, there was one that grew super fast. I see that they talk about perlite, I put it directly in a pot with soil. So far it is going well and I have already planted it in a very large pot because I plan to plant it in the backyard when it is delivered. I also have some seeds of a yellow flamboyan that have not yet germinated. Will those seeds make a yellow tree?
Greetings and thank you very much for this chat.
Hi Edgar.
Congratulations on those germinations.
Yes, if the seeds that you have not yet sown come from trees that give those flowers, yes, they will give yellow flowers.
Greetings.
Hello Monica, I have a framboyan planted on the ground, it measures about 2.5 meters but it is very thin, it barely has leaves, I want to see it leafy and with flowers, what can I do to accelerate that stage
Hi Ime.
It's time to be patient 🙂
Don't worry, sooner or later it will take out branches and form its crown. You can help him by fertilizing it once a month with guano or herbivorous animal manure, but with plants it is not good to be in a hurry.
Greetings.