Tropaeolum

[Maggi Young]

Great, Steve, I knew you could crack it!
What a pretty thing this Trop is... puts me in mind of a blood orange. The markings make the colour very quirky

we have found with Trop. azureum that it is a good idea to pinch back the early growth, at about  three inches (8cms) to ensure more bushy growth.... have you tried that with any of the hybrids?

[Brian Ellis]

Welcome Steve and well done, beautiful hybrid.

[Lesley Cox]

A question from someone who has just one clone of T. azureum and would like more.
In the second of the two pics Steve, the flowers seem to have some kind of excerted stigma or maybe a closed bunch of stamens. Is this correct? In which case, would this more obvious apparatus be likely to get pollinated - by hand or insect - than the above flowers which have no obvious stigma or stamens? Sort of like the pin eye/thrum eye arrangement of primulas. I hand pollinate my plant but nothing results.

[Steven McFarlane]

Hi Lesley

I've had a look at both clones and there seems to be little difference between the two except for petal width. I don't know if it's much consolation but I rarely get any seed from azureum either.

[Lars S]

Talking about T azureum, I had a rather different problem with my seeds from the SRGC seed counter. They all germinated almost immediately in my fridge (in a moist paper towel) but after I had planted them in pots the seedlings just stopped growing after a while turned pale and died. Some kind of fungus I suppose, I kept them indoors and rather warm. Rather annoying really since I have understood that T azureum is tricky to germinate.

Actually, I have noticed that for me narcissus seeds germinate much better in a paper towel compared to in soil in a pot. Not that I have run any extensive tests though ...

Lars
Stockholm/Sweden
(where the weather has turned cold again)

[Maggi Young]

Lars,  I think you should not have kept the seedlings indoors and rather warm.......an unheated glasshouse or frame would have been better

[Lars S]

Yes, I guess you´re right Maggi. The problem was that the seeds germinated much quicker than I had expected in the dead of winter. I will do it differently the next time.

Lars

[Susan Band]

An up to date picture of Tropaeolum incisum flowering just now.
Susan

[Lesley Cox]

It's a beauty Susan. Can you tell me something of its growing conditions. Mine is in a deep, sunny trough and though it flowered about 5 years ago, it hasn't done, since. Perhaps if it does well for you (with mecs and cremanthodiums ) it likes a cooler place?

[Paul T]

Very nice Susan.  Another new one to me.

[Susan Band]

Lesley,
The Tropaeolum is growing in a large polystyrene box under a cool shelter along with my Lilium and Trillium seedlings. More to keep it under control  than anything. I know the similar T.polyphyllum can quickly die down if there is a hot spell, this one can as well but usually after it flowers. Yours might be dieing back before it has a chance to flower. I think a cooler place with plenty of summer moisture might be a good idea.
Susan

[Lesley Cox]

I'll try that. Summer moisture, it DOESN'T have! Nor does T. polyphyllum and that doesn't flower either though the leafy branches always look very healthy.

[mickeymuc]

I know that it is not yet TRopaeolum time, but thanks to SueG I decided to buy some seeds at plant-world-seeds, T. brachyceras and T. lepidum. Sowed them (without much hope, but too much to not try it  ) in pots I placed outside - well and there they weere, for months, until it got really cold recently - now I have two nice seedlings of each species & am very happy ! Hope I'll get them big...

Michael

[fermi de Sousa]

here's a pic from Otto of his T. azureum

cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

Thanks Otto and Fermi... lovely plant... interesting to see that the flower form, while quite full and rounded, is actually more an intermediate between the two forms shown by Steven MacFarlane earlier in this thread ......
« Reply #74 on: May 13, 2008, on the previous page....