COMMENT RÉUSSIR À FAIRE FLEURIR UN OISEAU DE PARADIS EN POT ? (LE QUOTIDIEN DU JARDIN émission N°30)

The entire NewsJardinTV team, the channel dedicated 100% to plants, gardens, botany, and gardening, is pleased and privileged to offer you this 30th issue of our daily show: "Le Quotidien du Jardin." This program is accessible to everyone for 24 hours, then made available exclusively to NewsJardinTV Le Club members, who can view it at any time, along with all the "Bienvenue au Jardin" programs (since issue 68). Patrick Mioulane, editor-in-chief of NewsJardinTV, presents the show from his small garden in Essonne, while his "Little Gardener," Nicole, takes care of the filming. Patrick answers a question from our subscriber Ismade, who posted the following question on the website www.newsjardintv.com: How do you get a potted bird of paradise to bloom, and how long does it take from the appearance of the flower bud to its opening? The plant commonly called "bird of paradise" or bird of the islands is Strelitzia reginae, described and named in 1788 by the British naturalist Joseph Banks (1743-1820). This complicated name comes from Strelitz, the surname of Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744-1818), wife of King George III of England (1738-1820). A botanist in her spare time, the queen was one of the founders of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew near London. The popular name "bird of paradise" comes from the unusual shape of the flowers, which resemble a bird's head with a pointed beak and a feathery crest. Be aware that another plant is also called "bird of paradise." This is Caesalpina gilliesii, a shrub in the Fabaceae family that thrives in coastal regions. Native to the Cape region of South Africa, Strelitzia reginae is hardy on the French Riviera. It can withstand low temperatures but is sensitive to frost. In its native country, Strelitzia reginae is pollinated by the red-breasted sunbird (Nectarinia afra), which perches on the spathe and feasts on the nectar. As it sucks the precious liquid under pressure with its tongue, pollen is deposited on its plumage or legs. It gave its name to the Strelitziaceae family, which includes only two other monospecific genera, including Ravenala madagascariensis, the traveler's tree, to which NewsJardinTV has already dedicated a video:    • ARBRE DU VOYAGEUR : UN SPECTACULAIRE EVENT...   Strelitzia reginae is a herbaceous perennial with a fleshy rhizomatous rootstock that forms a large clump that can reach 1.5 meters in height and width. In pots, the plant grows to more modest proportions, rarely reaching 1 meter. Due to its voluminous rootstock, the bird of paradise should be provided with as large a container as possible and with good drainage. The leaves of the bird of paradise are evergreen, long-stalked, and a beautiful glaucous green, contributing to the plant's decorative appearance. But we especially appreciate the flowers, with their long, bluish beaks and a crest formed by three orange sepals that protect the dark blue flowers. They bloom from June to September and last a very long time, even in a vase (15 days). The flower bud forms about a month before the flower fully opens, but this time depends mainly on climatic conditions, particularly temperature and light. To achieve this flowering, the plant absolutely must benefit from significant temperature differences between day and night. Therefore, the ideal is to keep the pot outdoors as long as possible (from late April to late October, bringing the pot inside just before the first frost). During the winter, keep the plant in a conservatory (between 8 and 16°C) as it needs a lot of light (indoors, place it in front of a French window) and limit watering to ensure the soil doesn't dry out completely. Strelitzia is a heavy-duty plant that requires a rich substrate, a mixture of equal parts garden soil, sand, and potting soil, and regular fertilization from mid-March to early October. My final tip: for growing in pots, choose the dwarf variety Strelitzia reginae 'Humilis', which is more compact. Thank you for watching this daily program. We hope you enjoyed this short video interlude and enjoyed it, while providing you with useful information. The entire NewsJardinTV team wishes you all a wonderful evening and looks forward to seeing you tomorrow at 7 p.m. for a new program: "LE QUOTIDIEN DU JARDIN" (Garden Daily). It's on NewsJardinTV and nowhere else! Tomorrow, Patrick will answer the following question: Are Lachenalias planted like tulips? I discovered this plant in a book and would really like to have some in my garden.