Tropaeolum

[Darren]

Thank you Susan - only don't try it with anything precious will you?!

[tonyg]

2) Several years ago I donated loads of T tricolor tubers to a forumist who then distributed them to his SRGC group. This came about because when trying to move my potful of the species (several biggish tubers with lots of shoots on each) in full flower, I accidentally broke off all the shoots by pulling them from the tubers. I quickly stuffed the broken ends back into the pot and watered, fully expecting them to have wilted the next day. They didn't - the shoots re-rooted rather like dahlia cuttings and each made at least one new tuber of it's own. The original tubers also re-sprouted the following autumn.  I have never had the nerve to repeat this in case it was a one-off - my question is has anyone else tried this or had it happen?

I think that you could expect success if you repeat the exercise.  My T tricolor occasionally produces lots of offsets.  Being so fragile in growth I can believe that mechanical damage has triggered the development of offsets. 

[Lesley Cox]

Welcome to the Forum Tazuko. Lovely that we have another Japanese member.

A couple of years ago I broke the only shoot on my T. azureum seedling. I placed it in damp sand and it rooted well and eventually made a small tuber. I've done the same with Oxalis of the branched kind too, such as O. massoniana and hirta. (Not that one needs to, of those, but it's nice to know one CAN. )

[Darren]

Thank you Lesley & Tony, nice to have some evidence that I wasn't imagining it! Like you Tony I do get offsets on tricolor anyway so wouldn't bother with it for propagation purposes but i might be tempted with some others. Interesting that this works with oxalis too, though as you say Lesley - they manage quite well by themselves!

[west wind]

Hi Lesley,

Thank you so much for welcoming me.
I've had the same experience as you with T.azureum.
It bloomed while the plant was still short. To my regret,
it didn't produce any tuber,though.
It's new to me that this is also possible with Oxalis.

Not that one needs to, of those, but it's nice to know one CAN.
[/quote]

To this , I couldn't agree more.
Curiosity is my middle name.

[DORA]

Hi
Thank you, Paul, Tazuko, Jupiter and Jean-Patrick.

Tazuko, keep waiting until your smithii germinate. Trops train us to wait. 
It's lucky for me that two seeds germinated and flowered so quickly.

Jean-Patrick, I have no idea why they flowered so soon. 
I think the weather maybe suited their growth.

Jupiter, a little lady will be a good gardener as she always looks at your work.
Please enjoy to grow Trops with her!

Happiness came suddenly. T.tenuirostre, that I got SRGC seed exchange 2008, germinated.
I sowed them on 8th September 2008. At first I'm looking at the pot frequently, but there was no change, so I forgot about the pot.
I found one germination on 10th December 2009. It took more than 1 year!
Only one thing I did was waiting.

So I'd like to say to all people who grows Trops, "Never give up."

DORA

[Maggi Young]

Tazuko, Emiko, you have given the two most important characteristics  for any  gardener, I think!
 Patience and curiosity!! 

[Lesley Cox]

Absolutely agree Maggi. I've grown oranges, mandarins, kiwi fruit and avocados from their seeds too, just to see if I could. Also tried bananas, but couldn't.

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

I love that T smithii!

I have a couple of questions for you trop experts:

1) Plantworld offer 'T.lepidum', is this the same as hookerianum austropurpureum? They look similar.

2) Several years ago I donated loads of T tricolor tubers to a forumist who then distributed them to his SRGC group. This came about because when trying to move my potful of the species (several biggish tubers with lots of shoots on each) in full flower, I accidentally broke off all the shoots by pulling them from the tubers. I quickly stuffed the broken ends back into the pot and watered, fully expecting them to have wilted the next day. They didn't - the shoots re-rooted rather like dahlia cuttings and each made at least one new tuber of it's own. The original tubers also re-sprouted the following autumn.  I have never had the nerve to repeat this in case it was a one-off - my question is has anyone else tried this or had it happen?

Darren,

I consider now that seeds offered as Tr LEPIDUM are Tr HOOKERIANUM ssp AUSTROPURPUREUM. We could well discuss weither Tr LEPIDUM has a real taxonomic statement. As ASHLEY pointed it earlier in this topic and following SPARRE's monography it could be a subspecies of Tr AZUREUM with broader flowers and longer & thinnner leaflets. The kind of plant we probably all had grown at least once. But That's my own thinking about this. Maybe a new start to discuss if we could have a look and compare a good number of Tr AZUREUM photos...

[Darren]

Thank you for answering that J-P.

My own seedlings from plantworld only flowered last year and I didn't get a chance to take a picture but it certainly did look like hookerianum austropurpureum so thank you for confirming that.

Incidentally - Following advice on here and the bulb log (early repot - not too dry or hot afterwards) I now have shoots on T azureum for the second year! This is the first time I have managed this - it always went into a deep dormancy after the first year from seed. This forum is great!

[Tony Willis]

This is my azureum from last year. I have previously grown it frost free but this year it is being grown up around the roof of the greenhouse and is just having its first freeze. Hopefully it will survive this test.

Seed from my plant has never germinated for me.

[Darren]

It might cope Tony - my tricolor and brachyceras often venture out through the vents and don't get damaged. They also insist on growing between the bubble insulation and the glass where it must get pretty chilly. Tricolor has come up for the second year outside in a bulb frame too (an accidental escape) - and last winter was quite a tough one. I'm told that azureum is more tender though?

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hi Everybody,
Well not much news with Tropaeolum by now BUT I have to report recent germination of one Tr SMITHII ( at last... ) more than one year after sowing!!! Emiko was right: we must have to be more than patient!!
The main problem with this poor little seedling is that it chose the worst moment to germinate ( WINTER!)
and I'm not sure whether I'll be able to keep it safe onto next summer.
Any other reports about this species?
J-P

[ashley]

Well done Jean-Patrick.  Unfortunately nothing here yet, after 9 months

[Giles]

I bought some T.smithii from Chiltern Seeds in September.
Sowed it in 2/3 rds multipurpose : 1/3 perlite; watered it with Cheshunt Compond, put it in the fridge for 3 months, then gave it some bottom heat.
Now have about a dozen seedlings 
(They still list it - perhaps it was a good batch of seed).