Kathali Chapa/ Champak: Description, Growing tips and its uses

                                                      Kathali Chapa/ Champak

Kathali champa(in bengali) is commonly known as champak, son champa.This is a highly scented flowering plant that is native to India and tropical Asian region.This is mainly a shrubby vine plant but during its early stage it looks like a shrub. Smooth narrow elliptical leafs are alternately arranged and glossy when young.
Flowers  are green in color which transforms into slight yellowish later. Flowers are extremely fragrant which can smell from a long distance. Even the flower keeps the smell for several days after plucking from the tree.

Botanical name: Artabotrys hexapetalus

Family : Annonaceae

Life cycle:  Perennial

Plant height : 15 to 25 ft

Leaf Colour: Green

Flower Colour:  Green , yellowish, orange

Temperature: 25 to 38 °C

Light: Full sun/ half sun

Soil: Well drained soil

Climate : Tropical, subtropical

Advantage: Easy to grow

Growing Tips:

This plant is introduced as an ornamental plant outside its native area. This can be planted at the gardens or at pot. This plant requires full sunshine. Propagation is done from cutting or from the seeds.
As always take all safety precautions when using power equipment, or when you have to get off the ground for pruning.

Uses:

• This is mainly famous for its highly sweet fragrance.
• The oil from the flower is extensively used in aromatherapy.

Plumeria Flower Seeds Germination

Plumerias are tropical trees famous for their gorgeous flowers which are used to make leis (floral garlands). In regions with cold winters, plumerias can be grown in containers and brought indoors when the weather cools in autumn. Other common names are frangipani and Hawaiian lei flower. 


SPECIFICS

Name: Plumeria
Common Name: Frangipani/ Lei Flower
Scientific Name: Plumeria Rubra
Cultivating Difficulty Degree: Very Easy
Bloom Time: Mid Summer
Climate: Temperate
Style: Perennial
Plant Height: 15' to 20'
Plant Spacing: 6' to 10'
Light Requirement: Sunny to partly shade
Soil and Water Preference: Average


GERMINATION

1. Collect plumeria seed pods in the fall and allow them to dry. Discard mouldy seeds and seed pods. Seeds are viable and ready for germination if you feel a bump in the pointed end of the seed.

2. Soak seeds overnight by placing them between two wet paper towels prior to planting in spring. Make sure the towels do not dry out. This process will plump the seeds with water, preparing them to germinate.

3. Fill a seed-starting tray with sterile cactus potting soil mix or a well-draining seed-starting soil. Soak the soil in water and let all standing water drain out.

4. Insert the seed end with a bump into the soil at a depth of no more than ¼ inch. The feathered end of the seed should be sticking out of the soil. Set the pot under a grow light or in a window that offers direct morning sun. Do not expose the seeds to frost or freezing temperatures.

5. Water the pots to prevent them from drying out, but do not allow standing water. The soil should be moist at all times, but not soggy. Lightly spray the seeds several times a day with a liquid seed-starting fertilizer mixed with water.

6. Transfer germinated seeds to a larger pot once the seed has sprouted leaves and shed the seed shell. Germination will occur between 3 to 21 days. Stop using the spray fertilizer and apply a high-phosphorus fertilizer every 2 weeks to continue seedling growth.