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Isn’t it funny how we often know so little about the places near to where we live and yet at the same time know all about some distant location?
Los Silos is a town just a short bus ride away from my home yet I had never been there. So there was only one thing to do – give it a once-over.
Knowing that Los Silos has a strong agricultural past, it hadn’t really dawned on me that most of my visit would be spent by the sea. Where I got off the bus was more in keeping with my vision of Los Silos as a town surrounded by farms. Just up a narrow side road surrounded by banana plantations was a shop selling organic fruit and vegetables, much of which was grown on the land alongside it.
Shelves were laden with tomatoes, onions, peppers, citrus fruit and other healthy organically grown produce. But I hadn’t come to do any shopping and, after admiring the massive Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera deliciosa) that would dwarf any of the best specimens grown in a British lounge, I bought an organic fruit and cereal bar and went on my way.
Above the shop towered the majestic mountains of Teno and there were signposts for Tierra del Trigo and Monte del Agua, both places I want to visit in future, so I made a mental note of the paths leading from there and headed into town.
Los Silos is a charming place with cobbled streets and a typical Canarian square with a bandstand and a café bar, surrounded by streets with plenty of shops.
A walk of a couple of kilometres took me to the outskirts of Los Silos by the sea and there I found a natural swimming pool, a gymnasium, restaurants and a beach. There was also an expanse of coastal land covered in typical scrub and vegetation that thrives in such habitats.
I am always on the lookout for wildlife so I hastened to the beach and the ground that bordered it, reflecting on my recent ‘discovery’of a colony of Leaf-footed Plant Bugs (Leptoglossus membranaceus) in La Laguna, and how according to a book I have they were only supposed to live in Gran Canaria.
In some excitement I contacted La Laguna University to see if the experts there knew about the presence of these insects in Tenerife. Was I about to make a name for myself for discovering them?
A very prompt reply from Dr Aurelio Martín soon dismissed that thought. He informed me that they are, indeed, aware of the Leaf-footed Plant Bug in Tenerife, that it is covered in another book – Insectos de Canarias by Rafael García Becerra and others – and that the bug in question is also known under yet another scientific name, Leptoglossus gonagra.
It was a pertinent reminder that the number of creatures so far identified and classified by scientists and naturalists can probably be reduced (some say) by a quarter – because many are listed under up to four different names!
So it turned out that I hadn’t made any exciting discovery or contribution to science after all, but it is good to know that there are people here keeping their eye on what plants and animals live on the island. I live in hope, though, that one day I will find something new and make a name for myself with it. So I keep looking.
It was pleasing, then, to find a plant growing happily in what the books say is its natural habitat, right on the border of the beach. The endemic succulent spurge known as Tabaiba (Euphorbia aphylla) here is a strange plant with green, fleshy, branching stems and no leaves.
My eye, though, was drawn by the sight of rock pools below and I scrambled down to the rocky beach to see what I could discover there.
In one of the first I looked in I spotted a small creature about half an inch long, gliding across the marine vegetation, and recognised it as a species of bubble shell I had until then only seen in books. I had found my first Miniature Melo or Wavy-lined bubble shell (Micromelo undulatus).
These are a primitive type of sea slug and still have their shells as well as intricately patterned bodies. The Miniature Melo was dotted with white on a bluish violet background and had a shell in the middle that looked like it had blood-red veins.
You can always count on finding some treasure at the seaside, I always think, and this tiny bubble shell proved I was right!
It just goes to prove, you can look at all the books you like to learn about wildlife but there’s nothing to equal just getting out there and seeing these wonders of nature for yourself. I heartily recommend it to anyone.
And you never know, one day you might find something that isn’t in any of the books.

 

ONE of the most popular plants in houses and gardens these days is the yucca. In the space of a few short years it has become almost fashionable to have at least one in your garden, on the terrace or even indoors.
Rustic-looking and elegant, it adds an exotic touch wherever it is kept and produces beautiful white flowers at this time of the year.
Originally from South America, this genus has around 40 different species, all very adaptable to mild climates and even resistant to temperatures below zero (but not for long).
These evergreens are also the ideal plants for gardens close to the sea as they are unaffected by the salt in the atmosphere.
They are excellent in gardens when planted as focal points or sited at the corner of a border. Yucca look like little trees and have spectacular white flowers if they live outdoors.
As a matter of curiosity, you might be interested to know that the cultivated plants don’t produce seeds as they can be pollinated only by a butterfly that lives in their native country.
Not all the species are able to live inside the house but one of the most popular that can is yucca elephantipes. This, along with yucca aloifolia is the most popular, although the aloifolia do grow larger and have leaves which have sharp and dangerous points, so beware.
Watering
Yucca are very strong plants and can resist very dry situations. Nevertheless, in order to guarantee a healthy growth, they like to be watered two or three times a week.
If kept in a pot, clean out any excess of water on the plate underneath the pot. It is always good practice to feel the soil for dampness before watering.
Yucca also very much appreciate a light sprinkling once a week.
Place
The yucca prefers a sunny situation and even more a spot in the open air. As mentioned before yucca elephantipes is the best one for indoors. If your yucca lives inside your house, give it a treat by taking the pot outside during the summer.
Cleaning of leaves
Because the leaves are long and narrow it is not necessary to clean them very often and then all you need is a piece of clean rag dipped in tepid water. Never use polish.
Be very careful with the sharp and dangerous leaves of yucca aloifolia.
Pruning
Simply remove dead or damaged leaves.
Change of pot
As with most plants, spring is the best time, although in the south of Tenerife you can do it any time of the year.
To help you out with this task, here is a step-by-step guide to follow:
1. Water the plant before starting.
2. Prepare a new pot slightly bigger, with some picon on the bottom (drainage is very important) and some peat mixed with horticultural sand.
3. Hold the old pot with one hand covering the peat and the trunk between your fingers. Hit the base and, if necessary, the sides of the pot with the other hand. The plant will slip out quite easily with its surrounding soil. Once again, though, be very careful with aloifolia’s sharp leaves.
4. Use a pen or small stick to carefully remove all the old soil from around the roots, taking care not to damage them.
5. Place the plant in the middle of your pre-prepared, slightly larger pot.
6. Add a mixture of peat and sand until the pot is filled and be careful not to compress it too much. Leave the plant in a shaded place for two days without watering in order to stimulate development of the roots.
Change of surface soil
If your yucca lives in a pot and it doesn’t need to be changed, it is very important every three or four years to change 2.5cm of the superficial soil coat. This, like changing pots, is best done in spring.
Just remove the soil to a depth of 25cm and replace it with peat. Press the peat all around the trunk, making sure all roots are covered. Leave the plant in a shaded place for two days without watering in order to stimulate root development.
Propagation by cutting
Yucca elephantides can be reproduced by cutting of the trunk. It is possible to do so using an already grown plant.
All you need is a sharp knife, a seed tray, picon, peat and sand mixed in equal parts, and rooting powder.
1. Prepare the seed tray with picon as a drainage base and cover it with the mixture of peat and sand.
2. Take the plant out of the pot, put the trunk on a hard surface and cut it in pieces of at least 10cm.
3. Put the base of each cutting into rooting powder and shake off the excess.
4. Put each piece inside the peat and sand until it stands on its own. Make sure it doesn’t touch the bottom of the tray.
5. Keep the cuttings at 25-27C, assuring that the mixture of peat and sand is always kept damp.
6. In about 21 days the new plants will have some leaves. This is the moment to take them out from the tray and plant them in new pots.
Common diseases
1. Leaves turning yellow. Your yucca is not getting enough light. Cut off the yellow leaves and move it to another place with more light.
2. Lower leaves are falling. You’re hiding your yucca away in a corner which is much too dark. Do it a favour – move it to a brighter spot.

 

THERE’S nothing quite so enjoyable in those hot, lazy days as just relaxing in the sun or shade.
But hold it! What about your plants? They’ll be feeling the heat and could still do with some attention.
On your feet, now, and here’s how to make the most of your plants in summertime
CLEANING – Keep the leaves clean. Dust doesn’t let the leaves breathe and makes it harder to absorb humidity in the air so it is especially important at this time of the year.
FERTILISER – Water the soil before fertilising the plant in order to avoid burning the roots. If fertiliser gets on the leaves remove it with a rag as they can be burnt, too. Don’t fertilise ailing plants or those you have just bought as it will only cause forced and weak growth.
HUMIDITY – Increase soil dampness for all your plants, including those that normally don’t need it much. This is extremely important for plants with flowers.
POSITION – If your plants are near a window, cover the glass at least with a light curtain to let the light go through but keep out the direct sun.
Avoid air currents even if the air is warm as they are always dangerous for your plants.
If they are living indoors, take your plants outside but keep them protected from the sun.
PRUNING – Prune any plants that have grown too much. It is a good way to reduce energy consumption of your plant, helping it to grow stronger and with a compact look.
SOIL – Introduce some air to compacted soil in order to let the water get to the roots. Over time water makes the suurface soil quite hard. Just remove it with a simple fork.
WATER – Use water of atmospheric temperature. Cold water can be a dangerous contrast with the warm soil. Remove any excess of water from the plate beneath the pot to protect the roots from rotting. Check the base of the trunk for signs of excess water. It will be darker than the rest of the trunk.

 

 

 

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