I have two climbing 'nastursiums' blooming in my cool greenhouse. Both are climbing together up a wrought-iron trellis. They can reach 6 feet or more. Unlike our standard nastursiums, these are perennial and arise from tubers. This is T. brachyceras.
and this is T. tricolor.
OOOOHHHHH- PRETTY!
Todd....Thanks for sharing the photos, they are gorgeous. I just potted up a couple tubers I got from Chille. They are the tri color and now I know what I have to look forward to. I didn't know about other colors now I have to hunt for the others.
Do you have any tips for getting them started?
Bea
I grew them from seed, but these have gone through 2 dry cycles now. I just repot each year, water and up they come! I'm on the lookout for T. azureum. a bright blue version! Now that would be lovely!
Ohhhh awwww now that does sound lovely. You have stirred my interest. I will let you know if I run into them somewhere in my searching.
When you say 2 dry cycles does that means you let the pot dry out over the winter or do you dig them up to store? The tubers I have are small (jellybeans)so I wouldn't think one would store those without them drying out too much.
Bea
Todd Looky here! Not cheap but they have them
T. azureum
http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/us/en/product/2045/1
They also have T. speciosum a red one
http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/us/en/product/2018/1
Bea
Might have to order those! I have a thrid species which was sown last year, never sprouted so I left them outside all summer then brought them back in the cool greenhouse in the fall and lo and behold, they are starting to pop up! It's T. sessiliflorum.
By late June my plants will go dormant. I cut them down and leave them bone-dry all summer. I repot in October then bring them back into the cool greenhouse (minimum of 5 C in winter). My tubers are about thumb-nail sized. Mine are on a winter-bloom cycle. I guess I should try to gradually bring them around to a summer cycle. My seeds came from Chile and I started them in December, hence they are still on a southern hemisphere cycle.
Todd, T. tricolorum starts blooming on the second half of Winter in it's natural habitat (Mediterranean Climate) and keep blooming until late Spring if there is any rainfall.
The blooming cycle of T. brachyceras is a bit shorter, from late Winter to late Spring (Mediterranean Climate)
T. sessilifolium is a High Andean species and develops rhizomes instead of tubers. Their natural habitat is an equivalent to a USA zone 6b.
All Chilean Tropaeolum species (incl. the above mentioned and T. polyphyllum, T. azureum, T. lepidum, T. speciosum, T. ciliatum, and others) have quite erratic germination. Therefore, never discard non-germinated seeds or use the soil for something else; they can surprise you after a year and maybe more. Patience is required to grow them from seeds but the reward makes it worth.
I grow mine on my balconies in an equivalent to a USA zone9b. Since I lost some after the first year, I now water the dormant tubers sparingly once a week.
Hope this info helps.
Ursula
Thanks Ursula...that explains why the cool temps in the greenhouse didn't set the plants back....they actually grow during the cooler months in their native habitat. Maybe I'll keep it on its current cycle and continue to enjoy them during the dull winter months in my own area.
Thanks ursula... that is a lot of good info. Nice to have someone direct from the region. They sound like they will be just as tough to germinate as the beautiful Bomarea and lapageria which are also from your region. It is also tough to find a source of fresh seed as I read somewhere that being fresh makes all the difference.
Looks like they will take awhile but oh how they will be worth it.
Todd.... if you were going to change the season how would you do it? If you waited to water them until closer to spring would the tubers make the extended time of dormancy? We have very mild winters but also summers .
I'd have to postpone the repotting and watering as long as possible...I'd have to check to make sure the tubers were not shrivelling and see how long I could push it.
Thanks Todd I may give that a try when I get a pot full of tubers and have some to spare.
Bea
My Tropaeolums are in full bloom now.
Tropaeolum brachyceras originally grown from Ursula's seeds.
T.tricolor
I sowed them in October 14 , 2006.
T.lepidum and brachyceras.
I alsosowed them October 14,2006.
T.azureum are grown from tubers.
Spectacular! Mine are nearly dormant now. That azureum is stunning!
Todd_Boland,
Thank you for your kind comment.
The ones I posted are sowed in the fall and bloom next spring.
I'll show you two other species when they bloom.
Tomtom
Tomtom,
I've never even heard of Tropaeolum!! Are they annuals for you? Did you get them all from Ursula? Do they all make tubers? Fascinating and quite beautiful. I thought I looked at Ursula's seed offerings carefully, but nothing growing wild in Chile was as floriferous!!!! How do you make them put out so many blooms?
XXXX, Carrie
Tropaeolum are just Nasturtiums! I've been growing them all my life, or trying to! I never knew they made tubers or anything like that! Don't I feel DUMB! Well, I do try to learn something new every day - does this cover me for the week???
xxx, Carrie
Hi carrie,
As for Tropaeolum, Ursula’s and Todd’s posts is in this thread talk about everything.Practically every T seed of mine is from Ursula, Only a few were bought from UK.
They are simply exciting and thrilling plants.
Tomtom
