Tropaeolum 2013- 2014

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hi Alberto,
Thank you for your useful comments. In fact one tuber of ssp MEGAPETALUM has just started to grow in a glass house at LYON's BG. And  I'm longing to see its flowers - as you could easily guess!
JP

[Susan Band]

Tropaeolum hookerianium flowering from seed sown in September last year and kept frost free over the winter.
susan

[Clayton]

Thanks for the reply, Maggi. I have been awaiting other responses, but none yet. Does anyone have experience using gibberellic acid to jump-start tropaeolum seed germination? Would love to discuss with you. Please reply of send me a private message, if you prefer.

Thanks!
Clayton

[Susan Band]

I have never really had a problem germinating Tropaeolum seed from autumn sowing. It as always been that summer's seed though. The problem I have is keeping it from getting frosted,  as it is very tender when it starts germinating. Never tried gibberellic.
As you can see they really grow well the first year and sometimes flower producing good tubers, often outside the pot!
The only advice I could give is to wait until about Oct then soak the seeds before sowing them.

Susan

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hello,
Here's one of the Tr PENTAPHYLLUM still in bloom on my balcony.
JP

[bulborum]

First flowers of Tropaeolum austropurpureum

Roland

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

This year again I've been lucky enough to grow successfully Tr ARGENTINUM
 This tricky species has germinated in one of my containers and has invaded its neighbours. Blooming started by mid august and the plant is covered with dozens of wonderful flowers.
JP

[Ezeiza]

Fantastic success, Jean-Patrick. Does it behave as an evergreen or as a warm season annual?

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hi Alberto,
This is considered an annual though the plant - as with other annual Tropaeolum - might be in growth for longer in a glass house. I've never been able to find any rootstock or tuber which might indicate a perennial status. But John WATSON who has seen the species in the wild ( having an enormous developement ) was well inclined to think it might be more than an annual. I really don't know. This species is tricky to cultivate as seed germination is erratic and I don't know what triggers germination. To my own experience it has germinated only from july ( in Lyon / FRANCE ) and it seems best to sow the seeds evenly and wait for those which are going to germinate. Seed viability is of at least 5 years. I've been unable to take cuttings as when I tried all the stems were flowering ones.
Hope this is of help.
JP

[Ezeiza]

The area it comes from is hot subtropical. Rain falls from late spring to autumn, the rest of the year being a long dry "winter". Many plants from this reion are perennials, too short the rainy season to support the life of most annuals. I have found in my dormant /dying plants a thick white living underground stem but no signs of a tuber. Thanks for your observations, useful as always.

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hi,
Another rare tropaeolum species grown from seed and settled at LYON's BG:
Tr Pentaphyllum ssp megapetalum
Only a few flowers at a time
Their shape is quite strange...

[Ezeiza]

Fantastic. Do you see in it any resemblance to T. pentaphyllum proper? This species in your image is from hot subtropical Bolivia and should therfore be dormant for a long frost free winter to resprout when the spring is well advanced or almost over.

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hi Alberto,
This rare species seems to be less floriferous than the "classic" Tr Pentaphyllum. Leaves are quite similar. As are the seeds. I've grown one young plant last year and it stayed in vegetation during  all the winter. But it had germinated in late summer. The young plant withstood temperatures as low as 0°C  on my balcony  with bubble wrap around its plastic pot. It had been kept along with all the Chileans :a balcony shelf protected by plastic cover and added fleece +bubble wrap in order to maintain a minimum 0°C around the pots. The young plant withered in early spring and re-sprouted in  summer. It is now in full vegetation ( but still no flowers ).
This might be a strange report considering  the species' origins. The plant might be hardier than expected.
JP

[fermi de Sousa]

We visited our friend Cathy in Macedon ( a lot cooler climate than ours) and she had this "volunteer" tropaeolum growing through a purple berberis making a lovely contrast. She's concerned that it's the weedy T. ciliatum and will rip it out before it sets seed if that's what it is.
I think it might be a T. brachyceras hybrid (I note the earlier comments about a short s[pur in the true species!)
What do others think?
cheers
fermi

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

This is a typical Tropaeolum Ciliatum
Wonderful flowers! This is a shame some tropaeolum species are considered as weeds and being eradicated as such in some countries. Considering that many growers "struggle" to keep these just alive in their gardens...Tr Ciliatum & Tr Speciosum are two of those " weeds"...
JP