Tropaeolum

[Steven McFarlane]

Hi Rogan

Perhaps these two pictures will help.  As you can see the leaf shapes are quite distinct.

T.azureum

T. hookerianum austropurpureum

Steven

[Rogan]

Thanks Steven, that settles it then - I've definitely got T. h. austropurp. I enjoyed your pictures too - thanks.

[Brian Ellis]

This is a dumb question

...but the good thing about this forum Rogan is that it doesn't matter, we all ask them at some point and someone is always kind enough to answer.  Hooray for the forum 

[Paul T]

Steven,

Your azureum has much more spidery leaves than some of the others posted within this topic.  I haven't checked the whole topic, but the first few of pages show a variance in leaf forms.  In particular there is a pic taken at Otto's place.....
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=1463.msg58305#msg58305
... that shows leaves much more like those you have shown as the definition austropurpureum.  I also note that some of Ian's pics in the bulblogs (some links on page 3 of this topic) show much more rounded leaflets etc.  So depending where Rogan got his seed from may determine what sort of leaf form he has?  Of course if Rogan got his seed from you then he can be pretty certain which is which?  

Sorry to raise this, but I had a clear "picture" in my mind of Otto's from when I was down there visiting last September, and I didn't recall spidery leaves like in your pic.  This either means that Otto's and some others shown elsewhere are hybrids, or else there is variability as to leaf form.

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hi everybody
Yes Paul, I totally agree with you. I personnally had Tr Azureum seedlings which had very different leave shape and I have one tuber which produces the "usual" rounded leaves. The  flower shape is also a bit different. But maybe the leaf shape might change on one plant depending on growing conditions? Could this be possible Steven?  That makes me get back to the problematic species Tr Lepidum which is probably one of the Tr Azureum forms but has yet to be botanically described.
In fact the most beautiful Tr Azureum are -to me- those with very thin leaflets.

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hello Jean-Patrick,

My Tropaeolum tuberosum 'Ken Aslet' has made lots of tubers over the years.  It grows in the shelter of a Garrya and last winter quite a number rotted, but it still came up in the Spring and is now flowering.  I have one in the glasshouse for insurance every winter just in case!  Left outside it is never watered, except by rain so I guess that yes, you may well be overwatering - or need a more free draining compost.  Are you unable to put a tuber outside?  I can certainly let you have a couple of tubers of 'Ken Aslet' next year if you would like them.

Hope you can get it sorted out.

Thanks Brian & Steven for advice
Yes I can't help from watering plants-always thinking or fearing they're about to get dried out. What do Tr Tuberosum look like when they get thirsty?
I'll try to save what can be saved and NOT water when I would like to...

Regards
Jean-Patrick

[Rogan]

Well, thanks guys (I think...) - now I'm really confused! I'll just have to wait for the flowers - a mystery till the very end! Hopefully a few more will germinate in the foreseeable future giving me seedlings of both species. The seeds came from Jim and Jenny Archibald - and it's the first time ever I've been able to germinate either of these two species.

[Maggi Young]

Rogan, thegood news is that you should not have to wait too long before you get the flowers...... once they are growing they get into flower quite soon! 

[Rogan]

"...once they are growing they get into flower quite soon!"

Thanks for that good news Maggi, the little thing's growing as if its life depends on it! I suppose it feels the approach of our hot summer and wants to get all its growing done during the cool winter weather. Hopefully a flower bud or two will be the reward for my patience - are they capable of flowering in one year from seed?

[Maggi Young]

are they capable of flowering in one year from seed?

 They don't always... but they can do! 

[Paul T]

Rogan,

I think my T. brachyceras flowered in it's first year from seed, and given my conditions were probably far from ideal I would imagine that it would have done it far earlier and far heavier for others growing it.  I don't know for the species you mention, but they do grow very quickly their first year, so I think the answer should be Yes.  If not, they should the next season.  

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hi Rogan,
Most Chilean species-as Maggi wrote- are capable of flowering in their first year. BUT they are not all able to produce seeds or tubers. It depends on so many factors( the bees the weather ... ). This year I've got a good number of small tubers from seedlings and this hasn't been the case last year...
Maggi gave us some useful advice earlier in this topic.
Good luck with your Tropaeolum!

[Rogan]

"Rogan, thegood news is that you should not have to wait too long before you get the flowers...... once they are growing they get into flower quite soon! "

Yes! They are flower buds - still very small though...

[Maggi Young]

yippee! " Progress... she is being made!"

[Jupiter]

Hi ladies and gents. I'm new to the forum and am very happy to have discovered this place. I'm making my first post in this thread because I'm an aspiring collector of the genus Tropaeolum. I am currently growing five species and am waiting on germination of four more. I'm in Southern Australia so it's late winter here now. It's a nervous time checking the pots daily for signs of germination. I've been very successful germinating Tropaeolum and maintaining the tubers year after year.

Species I have growing now are:

T.tricolor
T.brachyceras
T.peregrinum (annual)
T.pentaphyllum
T.azureum

Species I'm waiting for germination from are:

T.ciliatum
T.speciosum
T.lepidum
T.polyphyllum

I'm attaching a few pictures taken last spring of my plants. Sorry these aren't hosted off-site, or nicely coded for thumbnails. I'm just learning, be patient with me.  

pix are :
T_tricolor.jpg
 T_brachyceras.jpg
 T_pentaphyllum.jpg
 T_azureum.jpg
 T_peregrinum.jpg