You are welcome!
Actually, there aren't that many different xCodonatanthus. The ones that I can think of off the top of my head are: 'Vista', 'Sunset', 'Barsoom', 'Fiesta' and 'Aurora'.
Usually, Nematanthus just don't have those large, flaring petals. That's the Codonanthe-genes. Also, the leaves on a xCodonatanthus usually are more fleshy and succulent than they are leathery.
November Photos and Chit Chat
Beautiful pictures, everyone!
I have a question, for those of you that use both square and round pots. In all of my hiding spots where I have planting supplies, I don't seem to have a 2 1/4" square pot. I need to know which size round pot would hold the same volume. You'd think 2 1/4", but I think there's extra volume in those corners on the square pots . . .
Round pots of the same size/diameters as square pots hold less mix. That's the advantage of square pots. you don't waste any space. So, I would assume that a 3" round pot should be about the same volume as the 2.25" square or as close as you can get.
I didn't do the math, I'm just guessing...
I was thinking of 2.5" myself, so maybe I will go in between our two guesses with 2.75" . . . thanks for your input! ^_^
I finally, finally found a strep "Curly Shirley" on Ebay. It's my mother's name, I've wanted one since she passed away. It arrived in good condition, I'm so happy. I'll have some photos later, this plant isn't in bloom but looks like it might be soon.
Codonanthe carnosa. Took a while to get started but now it's unstoppable. :)
Sinningia 'Snowbird' x self. This one took a break all Summer but is now back with a vengeance.
Sinningia guttata. One of the seedlings. Full of buds.
Sinningia concinna, 'Lil' Tiger', 'Bright Eyes', 'Star Eyes' and 'Wood Nymph'
Celene,that's great.I'm looking forward to the picture ^_^.
Olaf,those are just precious.
Lynn
Here's Codonatanthus 'Vista', a picture from this past summer. It's indoors now and I'm training it to grow up and around a trellis. It blooms frequently without any special care.
Olaf- I have a large, full carnosa, but it doesn't bloom well for me. Do you hit it with a high phosphorous?
Maria- your unknown codonatanthus is gorgeous!!!
Thanks Jamie, I hope the flowers will get more red tones, maybe in summer with better light. I even didn't know what I was buying other than some goldfish plant, hehe. I'd love to propagate the cuttings to share, are they easy to root?
Vista is lovely, what a beautiful pink color, the flowers look pretty big (or rather long) too
The flowers were what attracted me to 'Vista' in the first place. I'll take a picture of my plant tomorrow and post it. I didn't fully appreciate the maroon splotches on the leaves until I actually saw the plant. :)
Mine hasn't bloomed so far because I was too busy pinching and finding a location that it likes. As it turns out, it wants good light, even a bit of sun and it will grow nice and compact. Watering has never been an issue. It's a tough and happy little plant.
I have two carnosa tubers that are about a year old and in their second growth cycle. They both haven't bloomed yet due to not being in the right spot. This Sinningia needs good light and some morning or afternoon sun to stay compact and bloom well.
It's one of the Sinningias with a determinate growth pattern, which means that on a mature tuber, you'll get one or several shoots with two or three pairs (or whorls) of leaves and then a terminal inflorescence. After setting seed, those shoots wither and the tuber goes into dormancy. So, if there aren't any buds on the shoots pretty much from the moment that they emerge, there will be no flowers on this shoot for this season.
This is unlike the Sinningias with a non-determinate growth pattern like Sinningia speciosa or eumorpha where there's a succession of leaves and flowers from their axils until the shoot is done.
As for fertilizer: I'm only using MiracleGro Tomato, 1/4 strength with every watering as long as the plants are actively growing. I don't fertilize in the height of Summer and through the cold, dark season I cut back to fertilizing every other watering and only if the plant shows signs of growth or buds.
This fertilizer is cheap (about 6 bucks for 1.5 pounds), balanced and widely available. It has been working very well for me for about a year now and I don't see any reason for me to use anything else. :)
Kohleria 'Kapo' x 'Cinnamon Toast'. Decided to open two buds today. :)
Sinningia muscicola. Undomed and loving it. A new batch of seedlings has just germinated and should be ready for sharing (as in blooming size plants) in Spring. :)
Sinningia pusilla. Closeup showing the spurred flower. Of this I have a new batch coming up as well. They too should be blooming size in Spring.
As usual, your sinns are adorable. Olaf, what do you mean by spurred flower on the sinn. pusilla?
Oh, thank you! On all other Sinningia species, the corolla (the whorl of petals) attaches to the calyx at the "hub" of the flower. On Sinningia pusilla, it's off center and the flower has a little "bump" (spur) protruding in the opposite direction from the corolla.
You can see that a bit better in these pictures from Alan LaVergne's "Sinningia And Friends" website:
http://www.burwur.net/sinns/4pusMain.htm
In contrast to this picture of Sinningia concinna that shows the "regular" arrangement:
http://www.burwur.net/sinns/4cinMain.htm
Yes Maria, the Codonatanthus, Nematanthus, ... root very easily off cuttings. I root several cuttings in one pot for a full specimen.
Nymph Fly
...and don't forget to pinch the tips for a bushier plant. :)
Olaf
Oh, and here's my xCodonatanthus 'Vista':
Smithiantha cinnabarina. Finally! :)
thanks Olaf, for the pictures of sin. pusilla's spur, and the info. so much to learn.
My pleasure, Eileen! :)
Beautiful pictures everyone
David Thompson does it again and again and again I love his sinningia sp!
Sinn sp Elizabeth
Wow, what a deep color. Is it a double? Very nice.
My camera isn't doing the flower justice It's a single flower.But Laura is a double flower
Sinn sp Laura first flower.
sinn sp.Marilyn
psst,,,,look on the left.
baby's,baby;s and more baby's.
Wow Jan! Those are beautiful!
I don't know how Dave Thompson does it but he is so good at it! :)
P.S.: The babies are looking great and healthy and NUMEROUS!!!
WOW! Jannich. What beautiful sins. I love the deep colors. And all those babies. Are they streps? I have no luck with them. I can get the leaves to produce babies, but then I have no luck growing the babies. None have ever made it.
Sinningia 'Star Eyes':
Sinningia pusilla, seedlings:
Sinningia muscicola, seedlings:
Loving all this eye candy everybody!
Lynn
olaf, how big do your seedling have to be before you put them into pots? I may try sending for seeds. Another question: how long do they take to germinate?
Digger, I'm glad you asked that! I got two Wardian Cases and I was thinking of growing some from seed to put in the cases.
Well, micro minis grow extremely quickly from seed. They take only a few months from seed to bloom. If the seeds are fresh, germination happens in about 4-10 days. If they aren't fresh, germination can be random and very sporadic.
I have been frustrated more than once after sowing micro mini seeds from ebay, the seed fund or other sources that weren't fresh and not a single seedling came up.
Once they're germinated, just wait for them to have two to three pairs of baby leaves before you repot. The seedlings will be tiny and stay tiny for quite some time. However, they are incredibly tough for their size!
If you want to make them grow faster, just take a tooth pick and "tickle the roots" of the seedlings every two weeks for about 8 weeks.
And if you really are in a hurry, take a pair of small scissors and remove the tiny cotyledons and every baby leaf but two pairs and pot up the plant with the remaining leaves just abouve the surface of the mix. This is tedious and sunds scary at first but gives those seedlings an incredible growth boost!
I grow both S. pusilla and muscicola (aka. "Rio Das Pedras") unenclosed. The former on wicks, the latter on a pebble tray. They grow, bloom and set seeds with no problems at all. My experience is that if you can keep the plants moist and above 50% humidity, they'll do just fine!
They also do well in any high sided glass container or, of course, enclosed.
A Wardian case may be too large for plants that max out at about 2.5" across at maturity. Think along the lines of a brandy snifter or a half-pint mason jar...
However, in a small Wardian case, you can easily put a whole collection of these tiny plants. :)
To give you an idea, here's a picture of Sinningia concinna with my hand for scale.
Oh that is so cute. I have a bunch of thumb pots that I got in a round robin, and now I know what to do with them. Now I'm going to look on line for seeds. Thanks!
Or you simply wait until I have some ripe pods, which should be any day now and I'll send you some seeds. I have pusilla and muscicola ripening right now.