In this section, we will answer the question of the month. The customer chosen to ask the question of the month will receive a free one gallon sized pot of your choice!!
Last months winner, Glen Gentry of Mountain View , asked a common question concerning the Abutilon genus, also known as the Chinese lanterns or flowering maples. This popular morning sun to shade loving subshrub is found in many Crescent Hill family gardens. Glen asked; "How do i give the plant a bushier look? The flowers appear on the tips of the branches, but the foliage on the bottom third is sparse." The answer to this question is sometimes painful to gardeners ears. Due to environmental stress, such as drought, transplant shock, or lack of sun, flowering maples can have the tendency to lose their main leaves on the flowering stalks. Gardeners want a fuller look, but don't want to cut off the hummingbird attracting blooms. The unfortunate recommendation is to cut back sooner rather than later. Once a year, usually before winter to avoid untimely unsightliness, I cut back my Abutilon's hard. Usually i will go down to the lowest green leaf on each stem, above the node. Although this gives a barren look for a while, the bounty you will receive in spring will be reward in itself. Now if the problem has been let go too long, and the only green leaves are located just below the tips, the cutback may have to be done in increments. First cut to the node where the last green leaves are emerging, then wait for the plant to respond from the lower third before eventually cutting to these developing branches. In extreme cases, i have even experimented with bending leggy branches after cutback to try to encourage basal sprouts. In any matter, a little cutback mixed with a touch of patience yields a healthy, full plant with flowers placed in perfect sight lines for the "hummingbird theatre" about to unfold.
Note on Abutilon
When purchasing flowering maples, the old adage does apply."If it looks too good to be true, it usually is." Be cautious of Abutilons sold directly from a greenhouse environment, without being properly "hardened off." Although these greenhouse specimens look "cartoon quality" good, with an amazing number of blooms and almost gaudy-large leaves, this may not be what you end up with in your garden. Unless you can mock the constantly ideal temperature and moisture regimen of a modern greenhouse, your plant may end up with a more "earth quality" realistic good look. And coming from a greenhouse certainly does not help with transplant shock, and the incurring symptoms discussed above. Crescent Hill is proud to feature 10 species of Flowering Maple, all grown in the dappled shade of Watsonville, California. All varieties are transplanted directly from cutting to our outdoor shade houses, which insures an easy adaptation into local gardens.
