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Marmalade Bush

Streptosolen jamesonii

Please be careful removing your plant from it's packaging.

Getting started -- Your plant was grown in filtered light, not direct sun, so it should be acclimated to direct sun slowly. I recommend starting your plant in a 1-2 gallon pot, so you can slowly move it from shade to sun over a period of a few weeks.  Plan on giving it filtered sun for the first week, and then increase the sun by an hour or two every week.

Soil -- The Marmalade Bush does best in well-draining soil.  Most all-purpose potting soils should work.  You may use garden soil eventually, however i would use potting soil until your plant has rooted through a 1 gallon container. Transplant carefully to avoid damaging the roots.

Watering -- This plant prefers soil that's consistently moist but not soggy.  Don't allow the soil to dry out.  I recommend using a moisture meter probe, which you can buy at garden shops for about $5.  You simply stick the probe down to the root level and read the dial.  Water whenever the needle is 1/3 to 1/2 across the dial.  For the first month, ensure that the original soil ball does not dry out.

Planting out -- Once your plant has rooted through a 1 gallon container, it can be planted out in the ground in frost-free areas.  If you keep it in a container, repot to a 3-5 gallon pot.  Repot again to a larger pot whenever it becomes root bound.  The size of the final pot depends on how large you choose to let it grow.  A full-sized bush should have 20 or more gallons, although a small plant can be kept in a 5 gallon pot if pruned regularly.

Climate - The Marmalade Bush can probably take only a light, brief frost, so it needs protection from all frost.  I don't know how much heat it can handle. If it shows signs of heat stress, give it shade during the warmest part of the day.  Normally it appreciates full sun to part-shade.  You may grow your plant indoors in a sunny spot.

Fertilizing -- During periods of active growth, give monthly feedings with ordinary vegetable fertilizer that contains micronutrients.  Follow the label's recommended dosage carefully.  It's normal for some of the older leaves to turn yellow and drop throughout the year, but if it's excessive, it could be from not enough fertilizer, particularly nitrogen.  It could also be from inconsistent watering.   

Pruning -- Feel free to prune your plant to shape it.  You may remove side branches on the lower part of the plant to encourage upward growth.  If you want the plant to spill over a wall or hanging planter, trim away the upward growing branches.  Flowers appear on the ends of the new growth, so do most of the pruning from fall through spring.  You may tie the plant along a trellis or fence, or over an arbor.

Bugs to watch for -- Spider mites (tiny "dots" under the leaves), Aphids (green ones are hard to see), white mealy bugs, and scale (brown discs on the stem - hard to see!).

If you have any questions or problems, please email me.

Enjoy your plant!

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