Sinnigias !!!!

I love Sinningias, and since MsC posted her gorgeous Cindy-ella on this thread, http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/568737/, and I posted some pictures of various minis at the U.S. Botanic Garden towards the end of this set of photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/ki/sets/1460725/, I thought I'd get on my little soap box and talk about them some more.

In my book, there are 4 sizes of Sinningia:
- huge (grow outdoors!)
- compact (4-5" pots)
- minis (human hybrids between the compacts and the micro minis - grow next to AVs)
- micro minis (they actually grow this way in nature, on cliffs and crazy places like that !!! Grow in terrariums.)

Well, okay, there's a fourth, which is the Florist's Gloxinia - it's really a heavily bred form of a compact Sinningia, Sinningia speciosa.

The Gesneriad Reference Web has a great info on Sinningias: http://gesneriads.ca/gensinn.htm It's the best place to start. Check out those massive tubers!

and a brand new website dedicated to Sinningias: http://home.earthlink.net/~sinnvenner/sinns.htm

Here at DG, we've had other threads on Sinningias:
- micro minis: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/476871/
- Florist's Gloxinia info/description/culture: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/560690/ and http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/533334/
- Florist's Gloxinia photos: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/562435/ and http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/526247/
- Sinningia Stranded (that's the name of the hybrid): http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/547097/
- Sinningia cardinalis (a compact species): http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/545088/
- Sinningia Purple Crest (a mini): http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/548365/
- more micro minis from MsC: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/573439/
- Sinningia Cindy-ella seed pods !! from MsC: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/573412/

Sinningias grow fast from seed. They can also be started from cuttings, but if you want a plant that will flower exactly like the parent, you should take a whole new shoot with a little bit of tuber attached. They take drought and some are cold hardy down to the 40s.

I'm seeing more of the larger ones being made available in retail catalogs now. http://www.plantdelights.com added one or two to their catalog this year, and http://www.yuccado.com has quite a few. (Please check GardenWatchdog before ordering....)

As for the smaller types, some of the gesneriad growers carry them, and the AGGS seed fund has lots and lots of seeds.

Now, for the dormancy question. Some grow better when allowed to go dormant, but many of the smaller hybrids are more random. If you have stable conditions year-round, they might not go dormant, but if your growing area is cooler in the winter, they will probably slow down or die back. I try to keep mine from losing all their leaves because they sometimes don't resprout. (I have one sitting around right now that hasn't resprouted in over a year.) Once a new shoot starts to appear, I cut off the old scraggly growth.

I've said this before and yes, I'm going to say it again. Everyone should have at least one Sinningia!


This message was edited Feb 3, 2006 6:30 PM

This message was edited Jun 29, 2006 8:22 PM

I really like the one I have - it's in full bloom right now, and blooms periodically throughout the year - very nice plant.

Lorry how is the one you got from Rob's doing !

so much to learn...they look wonderful.....

(laugh) so far it is doing alright Allison! it is my first Sinningia so I am hoping I don't kill it!
I have killed a florist Gloxinia or two in my time though!

there's an incredible hybridizer of florist's gloxinias in Australia called Charles Lawn. Seeds from his crosses are usually available through AGGS or GHA.

He manages incredible spots, as well as double flowers. Truly amazing.

Some of his: http://gesneriads.ca/sinni189.htm

Now when I read up it sounds to me that Siggs and Gloxinias are same family ? I have had great luck with Gloxinia but they grew and bloomed so well for me I was always giving them large plants in bloom to Nurses..I gave them all away.lol
Has your's bloomed ? I'd love to see a picture of it
sounded so pretty on Rob's websight I hope it does good for you :))
Allison

It has not bloomed yet :) When it does..I will post a photo!

Florist's Gloxinia is a COMMON NAME for a particular type of Sinningia speciosa. That means that Florist's Gloxinias are not a member of the genus Gloxinia - Gloxinia is a separate genus in the gesneriad family.

For more info, see the two threads on fl's gloxies - the 5th and 6th links in the first post on this thread.

So confusing ;-)

WOW, I never knew! Well, since I'm a new member of the AGGs, I'll hopefully get some in the seed mix. Then asap I'll order some seeds from the fund.

Are they as easy as those Streps seeds you sent?

They are so beautiful! I so enjoy reading what all of you have to say about the different varieties of gessies!

Most sinningias are really easy from seed - I find them easier than most streptocarpus. (Of course, older seed will probably have lower germination rates.)

You've seen photos of the Florist's Gloxinia type of Sinningia speciosa. Here's a link to a natural form of S. speciosa. http://gesneriads.ca/sinni139.htm

bumpe this is alsp in our sticky :))

another bump to announce a brand new website on Sinningias!

http://home.earthlink.net/~sinnvenner/sinns.htm

It's really well put together - nice pages on the species, some interesting taxonomical info, great photos of the tubers (!!!!) and cultivation tips.....

There's no excuse not to be growing at least one Sinningia - in fact everyone here should have a Sinningia (absolutely)!!

[edited to remove the offer as I'm out of extra sinningias.... glad to see we have more sinn growers on this forum!]

This message was edited Jul 29, 2006 11:42 PM

Well, cause I didn't know I was supposed to dmail you about them, Key! LOL Look for a dmail from me soon, cause I don't have either, and that was quite a sales pitch you just gave! :o) I've been foaming at the mouth for a Sinningia for ages! Don't know that I have the right "home climate" for an Episcia, but Allison has offered to send me a couple to try and I have a couple aquariums I am going to eventually get around to turning into terrariums. Maybe they'd be happy in one of those.

they are my all time favorites, i have a great collection & really love them

so glad to see this thread! i just got my first sinnigia a few days ago from keyring! i needed to see this link.

kelly

Hi Bonnie Welcome ! Please share pictures with us !

I'm with Raingazer// I didn't know we were supposed to LOL

Janis

Hi there; i will post some pictures as soon as i figure out how. lol, just tried to post a picture, if it took this baby is coral freckles.

here is a micro mini sinningia

i have alot of pictures but don't want to post to many.lol

mrsbonnie! don't be shy, post away!!! Please. I love coral freckles! So pretty.

mrsbonnie love your sinningias ! coral freckles is adorable love the color ! Thanks for sharing them !

ohhhhhhhhh coral freckles is amazing!!! we all enjoy pictures so as april said post away Please!!!!

kelly

Bonnie hello welcome to the group

you left off Ozark Coral Freckles

David

That's an awesome site & I love the humor on it as well.
Very enjoyable.

MsC

Nice sites. I am a little confused- can all sinningia be propagated by leaf cutting?

yes they can, but:
- if it's a hybrid, you won't get the same flower unless you propate from a stem cutting that includes a bit of the tuber as well
- if you prop from a leaf, it will form a tuber, but sometimes that tuber will never sprout


I've got a couple more photos. This is Sinningia Country Crocus.

and this is White Lightening.

With a leaf cutting you get about 40% to live, with a few leaves sometime you get lucky get do a few more and get better % but if you put down 100 leaf you see what I'm talking about. Some will sprout others you get a stump tuber and never do anything others might take form 6 month to years to sprout. While with a crown you have a pencil size tuber in about 5 to 6 month.

Remember only Species and strain will produce true from seeds. HYbrids from selfing will be a little different just like people having kids the kids close but not the same.
So with Hybrids seed you collect alway tags the plant name x self.

David

This message was edited Jul 1, 2006 11:09 PM

Thank you Ki and David- I don't know why I am so confused by these things, but I am. It helps so much to get feed back. Now I am just wondering if you can direct me to a page, site, etc where there are photos of showing how to take a stem cutting w/ part of the tuber. I have never done that, is it like cutting up a potatoe for planting?

Thanks April

no pic, but yeah, like a potato (not that I've done potato prop before!). http://tinyurl.com/epru9

Ki me neither but I have read about it and I figure w/ so many potatoes in the world it can't be too hard! LOL. Thanks.

oh, and I should have been clearer with my comment about hybrids. If I remember right, you do not need a piece of tuber for most hybrids, although it's the most reliable method. I think it's only those with an unusual trait (like peloric flowers?) that have to be propped with a piece of tuber.... I haven't been hybridizing Sinns so this isn't something I know much about.

You can put down a crown (a top of the plant) and get a new plant with a tuber in time.
But if you cut the tuber like a potata make sure you do one thing let the cut dry overnight.

David

David,
I'd really love to get your info on growing sinningias well ,outside of a terrarium. Things like what type of potting soil you like, fertilizers ,etc..
It would be a great help to me& others.

Thanks so much,
MsC

This is stand of mine micro sinningia with the plastic wrap around the stand I let it down from time to time the front panel is like a door. I keep it close in winter around the micro to keep the humility in and this time of the year I keep it close when I have the Air condition on other wise cold will blow in on them. The slastic loose wrap you see on other picture what I'm talking about this let air flow in and out side of the side.

david

This is another stand in the back breezeway you can see the front is open the room this time of the year is around 72-76 degree 45 hum. you can see the side is loose wrap for air can flow out the side.....One thing keep good flow in the rooms.

david

Then i wanted to show you this picture this is the ozark series sinningia grow out in the open no plastic around them. So you can see you really don't need anything also.
I'm be moving them next couple days back in the breezeway and move other sinningia out to these shelf.

david