Hey everyone!
Here's is why you should never toss a Gesneriad tuber unless it's rotten away: This Chrysothemis friedrichsthaliana tuber was dormant for about 4 months. Last week I thought about tossing it but gave it a quick check, found it still firm and decided to keep it. This is how it looks now, putting out two shoots:
I've heard of people finding quite a surprise of gessies growing outside where they tossed their discarded soils and such where tubers, rhizomes and seeds decided to make a comeback. That would be fun but the downside is sometimes the name is lost. My luck is I wait a long time for the tuber to show new growth only to find out there is no tuber.
~tish~
Hey Tish!
On this species I actually was surprised to find a tuber at all. I have read reports where it never went dormant and never made a tuber. I have found that Sinningia seedlings start making tubers at a very early stage. Sometimes if Sinningia seedlings don't grow for a while, they are actually making tubers and quite sizeable ones in a short period of time. Frequent repotting and tickling of the roots helps them to develop tubers early in my experience.
Olaf
The same tuber two weeks later:
Wow, lovely, healthy growth!
It needs to be potted up soon. They hate drying out.
Update:
It looks great!
Thanks Lynn! It's real easy to grow given that you never let it dry out... :)
I took this to heart, and I leave "dead" tubers in my large terrarium to make sure it's terminal dormancy. One of them sprouted today!!
That's great! :) I love to hear success stories like this!
Update: It's now growing in a heavily obstructed and not very bright South window and it's having its first buds.
First buds. Well, actually the calyces. Been there before and blasted the buds. This time I'm more careful with the watering regimen. Hopefully...
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Thanks Lynn! I water it a little every day. This way I won't forget. Maybe...
Getting bigger and bigger. Still no flowers...
