Weldenia

[mark smyth]

I bought a Weldenia tuber at Loughborough. When should I pot it and in to what kind of mix?

a fool and his money .....

[Tony Willis]

Gritty mixture in large pot. They make a lot of root and will produce a large tuber for next year. Grit around the crown. Frost free in winter. Mine are already in early leaf

[angie]

I bought a Weldenia tuber at Loughborough. When should I pot it and in to what kind of mix?

a fool and his money .....

One of my favourite plants. I keep my dry through the winter and have it in real gritty mixture. Mine is just starting to show.
Tony you are ahead of me.

Angie 

[mark smyth]

Thanks. I'll pot mine tomorrow.

[Paul T]

Mark,

It will produce a root cluster like the upright Tradescantia varieties.  They can also be grown from root cuttings, as I have found out accidentally in the past.  I carefully coddled mine the first couple of years here then found it was a lot hardier than I ever thought.  I have one in the ground now, and a big pot of it out in the elements all year around now.  It's always easier once you have more than one, so you can experiment!!    Such perfectly pure white flowers.  So pristine.

[mark smyth]

THanks Paul. Do I simply cut off a bit of root?

When potted are the thick roots vertical or horizontal?

[Paul T]

Mark,

Early on (second year I had it?) I had the central connection point rot out, leaving a bunch of roots with no joining.  I discovered this when I checked on it during winter to see how it was going..... the roots were all still there, just no longer joined at the middle.  I had only scraped the top back carefully to expose the crown, which was an inch down.  I left everything as it was and hoped I was just imagining it.  When they did emerge, there were a number of shoots.... each of the main roots had produced a shoot.  I was very relieved (to put it mildly).

A couple of years later I was repotting and everything went fine..... about a fortnight later I got back out to the potting area and discovered a thick white root sitting amongst the remains of the mix.  The root was only an inch or so long, maybe 4cm, but it had a tiny green shoot starting on one end of it (the upper end, it tapered a little the other direction).  I thought that the only thing it could be was a Weldenia so I potted it up and watched it carefully.  Yep, that's what it was.

So, I think that up or sideways isn't going to be a problem either way, they seem pretty forgiving.  They can also be grown from cuttings of the autumn growth (I think that is what mine originally was).  Given the way it is growing for me, I've not bothered to try these cuttings..... I'll likely tease apart the main clump this year and see how it goes from there.  I think if you were doing root cuttings I'd keep them on the dryish side, so as not to rot them.  Was the "tuber" you bought a cluster or roots?  I probably wouldn't mess with it this year, unless something falls off it.  If so, I wouldn't waste the opportunity to try a root cutting.  It certainly surprised me how it did it itself.  If happy, the crown I think should multiply itself anyway, so don't hurry to cut it up.  As I mentioned in the previous message.... it's a lot easier when you have more than one, so you aren't potentially sacrificing everything.  

That a help?

[brianw]

There are several plants in the sand filled raised bed in the alpine area at RHS Wisley. It is covered in winter but must get very cold at times, but are presumably planted quite deep. The cat seems to sleep on 1 plant.
They are generally grown in deep pots as the roots go down so far. I will try some root cuttings as mine have not got going yet even though they are kept at 7C min over winter. If you feed them they get very lush and presumably out of character. In a large clump they seem to flower continuously once they get started and side shoots form.

[mark smyth]

I can plant mine in a 2L long tom. My plant has two noses.

[Paul T]

Mark,

Are the 2 noses connected, or just the roots intermingled?  i.e can they be teased apart carefully without damaging anything?  I'd guess not, or the supplier would have done that already. 

[Lesley Cox]

Weldenia is easy-peasy. Not strictly a tuber but more a tuberous rooted plant, all coming together at the stock, similar to the storage roots on a Juno iris. A gritty/humusy mix is good and I add some loam as well. If you have two noses I'd leave them until you have a decent-sized plant, for effect if nothing else but it is best divided in the early spring before it comes up, and the "thongs" will simply fall apart into separate plants. Forget root cuttings unless you want dozens of plants. It's perfectly happy in the open garden down to about -6C anyway and if you want you can put some bracken or straw over the plant against frost. When the leaves die down the top will come away. Fill this with it's own or some fresh compost to keep water (and woodlice) from accumulating in the hole.

The roots, if it is potted will go to the bottom of the pot then tend to go around and round, and even back up towards the top. If any come out the bottom hole, you could try those as root cuttings but it is well in need of a bigger pot by that time anyway. I only keep potted plants for sales. The main big ones are in the open garden with no protection of any kind, right through the year. We have to about -6C most years.

Stem cuttings are easy too, taken immediately below the node-like rings on new, autumn growth. They make a callus over winter then die away, then in the spring when the plant would normally come up, the little plants come up as well, each with its thick, tuberous root.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

Good to hear info from others as well.  Mine has been a bit of a hit and miss approach..... so far it's done brilliantly with everything. 

Out of interest, how much sun do people grow it in?  The main pot of mine is out in full sun all summer, and seems to love it.  The plant in the ground definitely gets too much shade I think, as it is taller and I think a bit stretched.  How much summer sun "should" this plant want?  I know the straight Tradescantias go fine with anything, and I'm thinking about this plant more and more just like any of the other clumping style Trads.

[Lesley Cox]

Lesley,

Good to hear info from others as well.  Mine has been a bit of a hit and miss approach..... so far it's done brilliantly with everything. 

Out of interest, how much sun do people grow it in?  The main pot of mine is out in full sun all summer, and seems to love it.  The plant in the ground definitely gets too much shade I think, as it is taller and I think a bit stretched.  How much summer sun "should" this plant want?  I know the straight Tradescantias go fine with anything, and I'm thinking about this plant more and more just like any of the other clumping style Trads.

As much as possible for mine. Full sun in the garden and rarely watered except when it gets the run-off from other stuff. Having said that, three I have in larger pots at present have had half shade thru' this dull and coolish summer and are really thriving and have flowered right since late October. Still the odd bloom every couple of days. Really warm plants seem to have a more defined summer flowering, then some more on the new autumn growth.

We are well into autumn now and having better weather than since last October. Today is truly superb, very warm, windless, not a cloud in the sky. And first crocuses out today.

[Paul T]

Thanks Lesley,

I think when I repot my main pot this year, I shall be putting a few pieces about the place. 

[angie]

Wish I had read all this earlier. I tripped over one of my plants and the end of last year and the top broke of so I just threw it away.
Mine are just starting to come through the soil now. Hope I get it to flower.

It would be worth trying a bit of a root to see if I can get it to grow. Such a lovely flower.

Angie