Tropaeolum

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hi,
Emiko Tsujii has really an extraordinary site. That emphasizes the fact that it might be now so difficult to identify one plant. As Rosemary Wilson does, she grows hundreds of hybrid plants and it might be the very beginning of Tropaeolum hybridization. Lots of flower hues so delicate and so bright... and so attacting we want to grow as many as possible. But she must have a huge greenhouse probably dedicated to Tropaeolum. I'm feeling very humble....
Lesley, wouldn't you really want to grow a white Tr Azureum? an orange Tr Peregrinum ? or own a Tr Incisum collection ( with as many flower colour as possible )? That would be really fantastic!!!
Let's begin to hybridize!!!
( I've croos-pollinated my Brick-orange Tropaeolum with Tr Azureum: 2 seeds gathered. I'll see what happens next year )

[Lesley Cox]

Yes Jean-Patrick, of course I would like a white T. azureum and the others, just as I love my white gentians and other white forms. But why are we not content with the original colours? I suppose it's that urge all mankind has to go further, do something different and more challenging and in my case, a white Tripaeolum azureum is more likely to be achieved that the top of Everest.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

Just think how many little white things with green markings there are, so many so subtly different to each other that you can't tell them apart unless you had the original name..... now a white flower as opposed to a blue flower seems quite "normal" for mankind to look at as interesting, doesn't it?  At least those are two totally different colours, instead of a slightly different shape to the green markings, with perhaps slightly longer/shorter/thicker long white outside bits, etc. 

[mark smyth]

Can I plant my T. tricolorum outside where they can climb in to a birch tree?

[Maggi Young]

You could give it a try, Mark. You don't get TOO cold there and we are finding them hardy enough this last year when a boxful were outside the whole  winter and got well frozwn on several occasions.

[mark smyth]

mine were frozen also because they spent all winter outside in a pot. I could plant them beside the house, south facing, and let them grow up a trellis

[Maggi Young]

I'd give that a try, Mark..... but what about planting the corms under a slab or some  such, where they can be protected a bit but still come out and reach the tree?

[Paul T]

Mark,

How cold do you get in winter?  I have T. tricolor outside in 8 inch black plastic pots with a bamboo "wigwam" arrangement and they've never been affected by cold. Only -8 or -9'C though, so I can't recall how that relates to your winters (I've grown them for more than 10 years, so not just a fluke).  The pot would magnify the cold at tuber level significantly though.

[mark smyth]

Our winter is very mild and rarely dips lower than -4 or -5. This usually doesnt happen until January or February

[Paul T]

Thanks Mark.  I couldn't remember how cold you got, so I had to ask rather than make any assumptions.    You should have no problem at all with -4 or -5 with this Trop tricolor, unless you had a more tropical strain of them or something?  We had a -6'C out of the blue here a month or more ago, with quite young shoots on the Trop tricolor and it didn't even touch them.  This was with no prior frosts at all (a lot of things got messed up by it, because normally there would be minor frosts before we had anything near that major).  I noticed this morning that one of the pots has buds on it.  So cold shouldn't be a problem at all for them, assuming yours have the same hardiness as mine?

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hello,
I have an old problem with Tr Tuberosum. I grow it in a deep pot. As for the previous years it grew in spring but then began to have some stems withering. Many tubers have rot previously ( over watering...) I really don't know what to do with it. I've put it in a sheltered plot in semi-shade protected from strong winds. It is more likely now to be "just surviving" ( one or two little stems with dried leaves ). Am I watering too much? or not enough? It would certainly grow better in the open ground, just like potatoes... Not expecting any flower for this year ( once again...)
Any advice?

[Brian Ellis]

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.

[Steven McFarlane]

Hi

Just a couple of comments on Trop. tuberosum.

I have grown Ken Aslett outside for a number of years and it is only watered when it rains. In the West of Scotland this means it is watered very regularly.  Tubers near to the surface occasionally rot due to frost but those buried more deeply seem fine.

My second comment is with regard to Trop. tuberosum silvestris.  I have also grown this plant, with varying degrees of success, for a number of years.  In my experience it emerges very late (at present two or three 10cm. shoots), never comes up in the same place twice and has no real tubers. I have often wondered how closely related the two forms are.  I would appreciate any thoughts you might have.

Steven

[Rogan]

This is a dumb question as I was a little silly when I planted my T. azureum and T. h. austropurpureum seed - I mixed them up! Now I have one (very) vigorous seedling scrambling everywhere and I have no idea which it is! Now back to my question - is it possible to tell them apart just by their leaves when they are fairly young?   

[fermi de Sousa]

This is a dumb question as I was a little silly when I planted my T. azureum and T. h. austropurpureum seed - I mixed them up! Now I have one (very) vigorous seedling scrambling everywhere and I have no idea which it is! Now back to my question - is it possible to tell them apart just by their leaves when they are fairly young?   

Can you post a pic?
cheers
fermi