Does anyone have experience growing the Blue nasturtium (Tropaeolum azureum)? The seed pack says to refrigerate for 6-8 weeks after planting. I'm assuming that winter sowing them will be okay???
Blue Nasturtium
Hi,poppysue,
I am a new commer to Dave's. While searching for Blue nasturtium ,I hit on your thread.
I sowed several species of Tropaeolum including Blue nasturtium last fall ,but only T.lepidum germinated.
They seem to be tough to germinate.
I sowed them in November ,I think I should have sowed them
much earlier.This year I think I'll sow them by early October.
A friend of mine who is good at growing Tropaeolums told me there is not much difference between seeds being refrigerated and not being so in their germination .
This is my T. lepidum in this spring.
Hi TomTom, I'm sorry to say the blue Tropaeolum never did germinate. I refrigerated them like the instructions said but nothing ever came up. I also tried the Tropaeolum coccinea and I didn't have any luck with those either.
The T.lepidum is very pretty!
Hello Tropaeolum-lovers!
Tropaeolum azureum, as well as many other Tropaeolum species, is a Chilean-native-plant. The best sowing method according to Dr. Paulina Riedemann (an authority on native flora) who trialed several methods with her students is the following (also valid for T. brachyceras, T. ciliatum and T. tricolorum).
Seeds should be stratified in Fall, in a mix of 2 parts compost and 1 part regular garden soil. They will germinate in late winter / early spring and should NOT BE TRANSPLANTED until next fall, when they lose their foliage and have formed a small tuber (a mature tuber will measure 1 1/2" / 4 cm).
My own experience was very surprising to me. Between the end of 2002 and early 2003 I collected Tropaeolum tricolorum seeds for trade. When they were dry and ready to be packed, I cleaned the little chaff they had and made a selection of the seeds. A few ones that seemed to small to be viable I just dropped in a pot where I grow Nandina domesticas (also grow from seeds and already 32"/80 cm tall). While cleaning my plant-pots from leaves, etc. during late winter, I realized I have 3 T.t. seedlings growing in this pot. This is a bonus I did not expect! I never covered the seds with soil, but the Nandinas covered them with their fallen leaves.
So far I have never seen the T. azureum, but I found out where they grow and will "pay them a visit" in a couple months.
I already hear the question "Do you have any seeds left?". Yes, I do have two trades of 10 seeds each of a mix that may contain: T. tricolorum, T. ciliatum, T. polyphyllum and T. sessilifolium (the last two are not climbers but scramblers).
If I can be helpful with any info related to Chilean native flora, please let me know.
Greetings from Chile in spring,
Ursula
Thanks for the helpful info, Ursula... wish I had it over the winter ;) Maybe I'll give them another try this year.
Ursula,thank you for your trading me fresh seeds of
Tropaeolum.
As Ursula says they form small tubers after they lose their foliage .
This is the pic of the tubers of T.lepidum.
Wow, I have never heard of a blue nasturium.
Very interesting. I guess I will have to do a google and see what this looks like.
Tom, your T. lepidum is very pretty. I will just never cease to be amazed at all the variety in one family.
Where do you find all these unusual things?
Lenjo, Thompson and Morgan has them (check the link), but I'm sure you can also find them from cheaper suppliers. Good luck!
Ursula
oooops,
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/seeds/us/list_t_17.html
That's the link.
Hello again Lenjo,
I sowed the seeds of blue nasturtium twice before,
None of them germinated.
I sowed them in spring .That's why they didn't germinate,I now think.
T.azureum and T.lepidum seem to belong to the type of plants that are to be sowed in the fall, germinte in early winter, grow in winter ,and flower in spring.
They sometimes even take a year in germination.
So be careful not to dispose of the pots where you sow them,even if they don't germinate. In fact T.speciosum I sowed in winter took eight months in germination.
Blue nasturtiums are exceptionally pretty.
They certainly deserve a try though they're tough.
Ursula ,
I bought the seeds of T.azureum from T&M this year.
Last year I bought them from Chiltern Seeds.
Awfully expensive,though.(-_-;)
This message was edited Friday, Sep 5th 9:07 AM
Hi,Tropaeolum-lovers!
I'm awfully happy to get the tubers of Tropaeolm azureum .
I'll be able to see the flowers in the coming spring,I'm sure.
This message was edited Sep 18, 2003 9:22 PM
Good for you, TomTom! You'll have to keep us updated on how they do. Those tubers look tiny. I thought they'd be bigger for some reason.