Tropaeolum

[Tecophilaea King]

Bill, if you were kind enough to tell me the size of that label in with the trop seeds, then I could add those photos to the " seeds to scale" ID project........ ( in metric length, if you would? )

No problem, my pleasure.
plastic label

[Tecophilaea King]

How the devil can one man have so much seed on T. azureum? It's indecent!

Is that a question or a statement Lesley?  Do I detect a hint of jealousy?  
Would you like some Trops seed as well?  you're most welcome.

[Maggi Young]

Bill, if you were kind enough to tell me the size of that label in with the trop seeds, then I could add those photos to the " seeds to scale" ID project........ ( in metric length, if you would? )

No problem, my pleasure.
plastic label

Thanks, Bill!

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Bill,  your trops are stunning! I saw a lot of seeds and was overwhelmed. As Jean-Patrick wrote, the spur shape of your T.brachyceras
is interesting. Where did you obtain the seeds?
DORA in Nagano

Hi Dora, its great to see your enthusiasm and keen participation with the beautiful Tropaeolums in this forum.
The Trop.brachyceras I grow with the short spur, came originally from a good friend and keen bulb grower, who imported the seed from Chile, perhaps 20-30 ago.
Would you like to try some T.brachyceras seed? You are most welcome, the same for T.azureum, no exchange needed, .
Jean-Patrick would you like to try some as well? or any other keen tropoholics?
BTW: could/would any experienced growers perhaps comment on how fresh seed from our Southern Hemisphere would perform in your Northern Hemisphere condition?  The seed being fresh, when sown immediately would they germinate quickly?
Would that be an advance?  What do you think J-P?

Hi Bill,
I don't know much about your climate conditions. Have you already  sown your own seeds? I think Tropaeolum seeds can germinate if they decide to AND if they find the right conditions :I've ordered seeds from Chile ( as Dora did ) and we've got germinations. The seeds even if fresh could take some time to break their dormancy provided they find the right moment in the season. Where they come from is not probably as important as the way they are sown. That's what I think.
I already knew you for the article and photos on Tropaeolum in the Pacific Bulb Society's web site. That's very kind of you to offer so generously some of your seeds. And , yes, I'm interested ( as many growers I suppose...)
Best Regards

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hi Dora,
My Tr MORITZIANUM has grown and flowered very late in the season ( probably much too late to set as many seeds as Bill's plants ).It's my first experience with this one and I've been told seeds had a very short viability.It has only a few seeds-not already ripen- and all the flower buds are now withering. I took 3 cuttings now repotted. I hope at least one of them will be kept alive through winter to produce enough flowers and seeds earlier next year to keep the species in cultivation here in LYON. And maybe share some.
That's really a challenge.

[DORA]

Hi

Bill, thanks for your warm words and your brachyceras information. The ancestor of your seeds came from Chile so long ago.
It's wonderful that the descendant prospers for a long time. I appreciate for your kindness, of course I'd like to have your seeds
and see their spur shape by my eyes.

Jean-Patrick already wrote about our challenge for sowing seeds from Chile. I wonder which spur shape will appear in my brachyceras.
Except brachyceras, I sowed leptophyllum, tricolor and hookerianum var. hookerianum from there this season. It's the first time for me to grow leptophyllum and hookerianum var.hookerianum. They germinated well. Maybe they liked the climate and decided to grow here.
It's easy to grow azureum, brachyceras, tricolor and lepidum during winter in my place(Osaka). This season I sowed all the seeds in Nagano, where it's cooler than Osaka. It seems that they begin to germinate when the 24-hr average temperature is falling down to about 15C.

Jean-Patrick, thanks for the information about PBS website. I went and saw there Bill's wonderful Trops again. 
I think it's mild weather in his place. It might be hard to grow morizianum in your place during cold winter. I hope your challenge for keeping them work well. Next season there will be many flowers and many seeds you can get and some of them will come to me....
I'm always cheering you from Japan. 

DORA

[Tecophilaea King]

Hi Bill,  I don't know much about your climate conditions. Have you already  sown your own seeds? I think Tropaeolum seeds can germinate if they decide to AND if they find the right conditions :I've ordered seeds from Chile ( as Dora did ) and we've got germinations. The seeds even if fresh could take some time to break their dormancy provided they find the right moment in the season. Where they come from is not probably as important as the way they are sown. That's what I think.
I already knew you for the article and photos on Tropaeolum in the Pacific Bulb Society's web site. That's very kind of you to offer so generously some of your seeds. And , yes, I'm interested ( as many growers I suppose...)
Best Regards

J-P,  Dora,   I don't sow my own Trop. seed until our SH late winter early spring  (May-Aug.) when the days are shorter and the temperatures are cooler, they seem to respond better to those conditions with us, and I usually get more than half of the seed germinating.
I still have T.azureum in flower now, of the seed I sown in June and producing seed as well, within 6 months. Not bad don't you think.
It would be interested to see how our Trop seed that i will send you, would react/perform to your NH cooler conditions when sown at once.
Would they germinate quickly or stay dormant? Please let us and the forum know how you got on with the seed from our SH?
Could you and Dora please drop me your full postal address with my own email address. daffodil@xnet.co.nz  Good luck,  Bill

[Eric Locke]

Hi
Following my earlier postings regarding Tropaeolum Tuberosum "Ken Aslet "
After a very good season and a good seed harvest, which I have transported around the globe, I finally got round today to harvesting the tubers. Could not believe that the tubers were growing well above ground after removing the dead top growth. From about 5-6 tubers planted, have a harvest of around two hundred in number of which most are of a very large size of approx 35-40mm dia and around 120mm length.
Photos included of above ground tubers ,harvest from one bulb, entire harvest and a single single bulb.

Eric

[Lesley Cox]

I don't grow this species but the tubers almost look edible. Is this likely?

[Maggi Young]

Lesley, see this PFAF link....
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Tropaeolum+tuberosum

[Roma]

Thanks, Eric.  You've just reminded me to harvest my Trop. 'Ken Aslet'.  I didn't do it last year and thought I had lost it, but one started growing quite late.  It has now died down so I must investigate and se if it has formed any decent sized tubers.

[Eric Locke]

Many thanks for the link Maggi. Have not seen this before.
Not tried eating any though ,but with so many this year might give them a try.

Eric

[Paul T]

Good grief!!  That is some growth!!!! 

[Eric Locke]

Good grief!!  That is some growth!!!! 

Paul - I can only put this down to a daily supply of water via an automatic watering system as this is all that I have done different to past years ,although the longer growth season due to a mild Autumn could be a factor.

Eric

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks for the interesting link Maggi. Looks like you're onto a good thing there Eric. You won't starve anyway.

Regarding the anaphrodisiac qualities, I do think that is really beastly of the Andean men to refuse to eat it while encouraging their women to do so. Talk about discrimination and sexism.