gumamela oohlala!

OOHLALA!

You’ll be very much awed by the

captivating SPLENDOR of these flowers.
These are grafted GUMAMELAS that can possibly make a

change with the way you perceive about NATURE and life as well.
Life is really BEAUTIFUL…and so as these gumamelas.

-these are samples of grafted gumamelas-

GUMAMELA

(Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Linn)

Gumamela is a shrub that grows from one meter up to 4 meters high. Gumamela is also known as: Hibiscus, China Rose and Shoeflower. In the Philippines, gumamela is cultivated as an ornamental plant. The gumamela flower comes in many colors: red, yellow, orange, white, purple, pink and other color combinations. BUT mind you, these colors can all come in ONE (yes! in ONE pot) through GRAFTING.

GRAFTING a GUMAMELA

Defining GRAFTING, it is a method of asexual plant propagation widely used in agriculture and horticulture where the tissues of one plant are encouraged to fuse with those of another. It is most commonly used for the propagation of trees and shrubs grown commercially.

In most cases, one plant is selected for its roots, and this is called the stock or rootstock. The other plant is selected for its stems, leaves, flowers, or fruits and is called the scion. The scion contains the desired genes to be duplicated in future production by the stock/scion plant.

In stem grafting, a common grafting method, a shoot of a selected, desired plant cultivar is grafted onto the stock of another type. In another common form called budding, a dormant side bud is grafted on the stem of another stock plant, and when it has fused successfully, it is encouraged to grow by cutting out the stem above the new bud.

For successful grafting to take place, the vascular cambium tissues of the stock and scion plants must be placed in contact with each other. Both tissues must be kept alive until the graft has taken, usually a period of a few weeks. Successful grafting only requires that a vascular connection takes place between the two tissues. A physical weak point often still occurs at the graft, because the structural tissue of the two distinct plants, such as wood may not fuse.

Gumamelas can, actually, be grafted easily. As early as childhood, one can start doing the task. But the safety of the kid must be secured since a sharp object will be used in the process. Here's how it goes:

1. Cut a small growth off a different type of gumamela. The piece you cut off should be roughly equivalent in size to the stock (preferably, a native gumamela).
2. Decide where on the stock you wish to apply the graft. You will then need to cut into the gumamela at that spot. Cut deep enough to get through the outer layers of bark to the nutrient rich inner area of the plant that is actually responsible for the growth of the plant.
3. Notch the stock in your garden in such a way so that the grafting piece interlocks with the scion.
4. Bind the scion and stock together by either string or a cut rubber band. This will hold the cut sides of the pieces together encouraging them to meld together.
5. Apply a light coat of sealant (e.g. a cellophane) to protect the combined stock and scion.

WHY GRAFT?

Aside from the fact that grafted gumamelas can give a sort of happiness of the soul because of its exemplary beauty, here are some other reasons that makes it significant to expand and take care of gumamelas:

1.) It is a medicinal shrub.

Serving of petals of 5 to 10 flowers of hibiscus relieves stomach ulcer, white discharge, hair falling and baldness. Also, it may serve as a treatment to:

*Bronchitis - as an expectorant
*Coughs, sore throat
*Fever - as refrigerant drink
*Treats dysentery
*Urinary tract infection, bladder infections
*High blood pressure
*Prevention of constipation
*Headaches
*Boils, swelling & abscesses, mumps

2.) It is a beautiful, natural decoration.

The gumamela flower comes in many colors: the most common is red, pink, white, yellow, orange, purple and other color combination. Its color variants and naturalist embodies the true beauty of nature, people would have this species of flowers in their homes to have them as decoration.