My Tropaeolums are blooming !!

After a few years' failures, I 've managed to have some Tropaeolums bloom.
I'll post some pics to share.

T.azureum

This message was edited Apr 16, 2005 11:13 AM

T.brachyceras from the seeds shared by Ursula.

T.tricolor from the seeds also shared by Ursula.

Beautiful pictures and colors! Thanks for sharing them:-)

These three are displayed this way.

wow those are incredible.

wow so pretty love that purple!!!

Hello, Tomtom. I was so excited to see your thread - you always have the loveliest plants and presentation. I have planted the seeds you shared with me last year and they have sprouted and look very healthy and happy. I will post some pictures when they flower.

Have a happy growing season!
~Angela

Simply gorgeous, TomTom. I luv the color of the T.azureum. Never seen anything like that before...sigh.
:) Donna

Tomtom
All I can say isss Oooooo Ahhhhhh Ooooo Ahhhhhhhh...Good thing you're not my neighbor! LOL LOL LOL You would be able to get rid of me..ha ha ha
Do we get any tips on how to germinate the tricolorum??? hint hint
I'm still patiently waiting.... sigh sigh

Tomtom,

How did you get your T. azureum to germinate? Please share the information. All my attempts have ended in failures.

This message was edited Apr 16, 2005 4:50 PM

wow! my "hat is off to you". You have certainly done a great job with them. I've tried over and over, too, but cannot even get them to germinate. I've tried all three of those with no luck at all.
I am so happy for you!
-T

Clare Ca, I'm so happy that you like them.
Thank you.
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Donna B, imzadi and Perennial Girl, Thanks a lot for you words. I won't forget them.

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Nice to hear from you again. Plant-fiend.
I'm extremely happy to hear that the seeds I shared have sprouted and look healthy.
So have the Alstromeria seeds you shared with me!!
They germinated at an unusually high rate and I was able to share them with lots of my gardening pals.
I'm enormously grateful.
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Hi Kim, T.tricolorum germinates in autumn, grows in winter, and flowers from early spring.
So in my climate(zone 9)I sow them in pots around Sept.20, and they germinate in a month or two.
It is not advisable to sow them in spring since it is said that they lie dormant over 20��.

Be SURE NOT to dispose of them even if they don't germinate.some of those that hadn't germinated last year DID GERMINATE this year !!
Good luck!

Tomtom

bettydee,I think I know how you must feel. For a few years ,I ordered T. azureum seeds from several suppliers and sowed them with no success.
The T.azureum pic above is from the tubers I bought last year. The supplier is this:

http://www.pottertons.co.uk/catalog/index.php
The bulbs are equally whimsical as the seeds, I think.

Last year Dora 99 shared the seeds with me. I sowed them and they're stated to bloom.
The number of flowers are fewer than those from bulbs, still give me far more pleasure.
The pic is the one from seeds.
As a rule of thumb you should get healthy, viable seeds.( How much have we wasted our money, time and energy!)
You should also be careful about when to sow them. Please refer to my reply to Kim which gives datails of this.
You might also use the Deno method . In this case you can place those that germinate one by one out of the fridge.
I wish you good luck !!

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Too bad, seed picker, too bad!
I'd tried over and over and over without success�Aso I made up my mind to be stubborn to keep trying them.LOL
Let's hope we both will be able to see them flower next year.!

Tomtom





This message was edited Apr 17, 2005 10:43 PM

Tomtom...that confuses me so! I'm hoping to get mine to germinate so I can tell these Americans how to do it! LOL LOL. Nothing germinates and grows in the winter here.. Because we have snow and cold.

Ohhhh I forgot to ask you...I don't remember what I sent you...LOL Possibly a mid-life pre-senior moment....he he he he. Can you keep me updated if you get any pretty flowers from them?
HUGS

These seeds are for gardeners that are aware than patience will be rewarded with beautiful flowers. No instant germination as on annuals and the cold period is very important. If you cannot reproduce your Tropaeolum seeds outdoors as we do in zone 9b, place your pots (inside a plastic bag) in the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator until they have germinated. Patience and a cold period seem to be the key!

Tomtom is in a zone 9b the same as I am and where these lovely Tropeaolums are native. In the wild the seeds ripen in mid/late spring and remain on the very hot soil all summer without (close to)any water (although this summer it rained twice!). So far it has only rained once this Autumn (remember I am in the Southern Hemisphere and have the opposite season). For these reasons I conclude it is very important to provide good drainage and not to overwater these seeds. I read once that our Tropaeolum species develop a root BEFORE any foliage growth. In my case, foliage appeared during the second half on winter (uncovered pot on my balcony).

My reference books also say that blooming improves each year, so do not be disappointed if you don't have a beautiful display like Tomtom's on the very first year (they normally start blooming the second year from seeds).

I asked Tomtom in a private DG mail how many T. brachyceras she had in one pot and the reply was 4.

I love the system Tomtom has developed to have the Tropaeolums climb! Maybe she should change her nick to 'TropTrop'? LOL

Tomtom, you are one of DG top 10 gardeners!

Ursula

Kim,
In my zone 9 we have snow a couple of times a year, and the temp hardly goes below -4���DSo I can grow this type of Tropaeolum outdoors, of course in the less cold places , In the coolder climate a cool greenhouse or conservatory would be beneficial to them.

You're so generous in sharing rare seeds with me. I'll never forget to post their pix when they bloom.

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Ursula,
Thank you so much for your ever kind words.
I'm highly flattered. But I think that 's just LUCK. thank you all the same.

The pot is 21cm across. Thank you for the info about T's hybridizing easily . I'll keep observation.
Actually I have four kinds now. T. Lepidum is also is bloom. T. lepdum seems to be the species that never fails to germinate and grows easily even if you sow the seeds bought from suppliers.
I'll post the pic of T.lepidum---with T. brachyceras among them.

TomTom, I am pleased the Alstromeria did well for you. I just adore those flowers for their never-ending bloom. Since our winter was mild this year, they bloomed all but 3 months of the year for me. Let me know if you ever need more.

Congratulations on your beautiful flowers.