How do these plants handle heat and humidity? Do they flower late in the season or will they flower though out the summer.
Thinking about ordering some.
Thanks, Kristi
For those that grow Iochromas
I got the wine red one from Kartuz last year. It flowered most of the summer for me. I had it in a container and it got lots of water and fertilizer when I watered the brugs.
Thanks Sue, I was going to order some from there (don't tell my husband, LOL). How did you winter it? It wasn't bothered by the summer heat? Did you like the one you got?
Sorry for so many questions, just want to be sure I know what I'm getting myself into.
Kristi
There's a couple other threads that have been about ichromas. I think it was Brugie that said hers never bloomed for her. It's a pretty plant but kind of gangley. They grow big too and the flowers are small. I was thinking it might be worth trying to keep it trimmed into a standard.
I have mine in the basement with my brugs. It looks awful. All the leaves fell off and it keeps trying to put out growth. But the new leaves are yellow and sickly looking. It really needs some light. I just hope it can hang on until spring. It's too big to bring it up and let it grow.
If I was going to order another ... I'd go for one of the deep blue ones.
I had a purple, blue, and red. The red one did the best. All were in full sun. I was disappointed in them because they were not showy at all and got rather leggy. Someone told me that they will bloom better when the nights are cool and toward fall, they started setting lots of buds, just in time for frost. I won't grow them again. They took too much space for the amount of enjoyment I got from them. JMHO.
Here is a photo of one I had bought from Kartuz last summer.
Deb, did yours get tall? Mine got tall and had very few blooms during the summer. Maybe I should have pinched them back more than I did. I really did like the colors of them and thought they would be more showy for me. The red one was in a pot and the other two were in the ground. They all got about 3-4 ft. tall. The wind was hard on them a couple of times and they were pruned at that time. :-)
Shirley . . yes it did get tall after fighting to keep it alive. They were really small plants when I got them Towards fall it bloomed alot like in the photo. I sent it down to Calla so she could hopefully get cuttings going from it. Mine was in a pot also. I have one in the basement yet hopefully in a dormant stage and not deceased. I believe it is the wine colored one. Did not bloom. It did get kind of scraggley looking as they got taller.
Glad I wasn't the only one having the growth problem. Maybe this plant just likes tropical conditions with cool nights. I don't know and probably won't try again to see if it would grow any differently the next time. Have enough brugs, ears, and bananas to fill up all the space and then some.
Thanks for everyones post. This is what I was looking for. I think I'll pass purchasing these this season.
Kristi