I am begging for help here!
I do want to keep this beauty for many, many years....chances of finding another one here are very, very slim. How do those in lower zones do it????
Thank you for your help in this matter!!!
Overwintering C. ugandense
Pam, take some cuttings now and start rooting them in a glass of water. Also, watch the spent blooms for seeds. My friend Renee found a couple of seeds just by chance last year and she let them dry and then shelled and planted them and they grew. That is what she has for her only plant this year. Mine is in full bloom right now. Sure is a favorite of mine. I will say that mine did over winter in the basement, but it didn't look very good this spring.
Thanks Brugie! :D I'll do what you suggested and try the big plant in the dining room window. When I purchased it I was hoping it would be like my plumbago.....I've overwintered it in front of the window for 4 years now. I really love the blue butterfly and thought I'd better check...rooted cuttings are an excellent idea and will increase my chances. :D Seeds would be a wonderful find....I will be keeping an eye open for them.
Do you put anything on the stalk or in the water when you are rooting your cuttings?
Is the Yellow Allamanda and the Ruellia difficult to overwinter?
Pam, where did you acquire an Allamanda, please??? Elaine
DH found it in Regina Elaine. They only brought in one of the large vining variety though they have many, many of the smaller flower/bush type yellow Allamandas for sale. It was in a fancy planter with a trellis attached....looked to be one they were going to keep for display. He spoke to the owner and they sold it to him. The shipment, the only one I've ever seen from a U.S. company, came from Florida (the first time I've known them to order from down there and I don't know if they will ever do it again). :S
Pam, I don't treat the water, but I do watch it and change it fairly often. It takes quite a while to root a piece and would probably go a little faster with some bottom heat. I held my plumbago over in the cold basement, under light, last winter. It did very well.
I forgot. I don't have good luck holding over mandys and allamandas. If I keep them in the warm windows, I can do a fair job, but anything else and they are dead.
This message was edited Aug 14, 2004 9:15 PM
Thanks again Brugie! :D I'll give window space to the Allamandas, Mandevillas, Clerodendrums, etc. and put my Plumbago and Brugs in the basement. Though the basement is warm here I found the Brugs did well even a bit away from strong light....prob. because their soil dried quickly and since the floor is cement, and is leveled to drain into the hole, I've never used pot saucers with them.
Does the C. ugandense only bloom on new growth like the Plumbago?
Just a guess, I'd say yes. Never watched it that close before though.
Do you trim yours back Brugie?
Not usually, but by spring I have to because a lot of the newer growth dies back. I keep mine in a 50-55 degree basement, under light, but not encouraged to grow.
That's what I do with my Plumbago....I usually cut it back in Feb. Good news, they sound somewhat alike!! :D
Both of mine made it through, so I'm going to try to hold them over again. I also have a red plumbago that hasn't bloomed yet, so I've got to try to save it.
That one sounds unique! If it is like the blue it will be lovely to see in bloom.
I just hope I can out wait it.
Is it a young plant or newly rooted cutting?
I bought it this spring and it got lost in my flower bed. Didn't get enough sun. I'm going to see if I can get in there tomorrow and get it out and potted. I either bought it at Logee's or Kartuz.
Guess what? I just looked it up and it is a winter flowering plant. I wish I had seen that when I bought it.
This message was edited Aug 15, 2004 9:18 PM
Ouch......another one for the window! If I'm juggling for window space it must be really interesting at your house!! ;)
You don't even want to know. Last year I didn't feel like I was living in a house....
LOL and chuckling here....with your collection, and zone, I can picture it! ;) I know the disappointment of discovering a plant is a winter bloomer. I've drooled over many and gone through withdrawal symptoms when I realized they wouldn't do well here.
Having a greenhouse would solve a lot of problems, but I'm not sure the $$ it would take to heat it would be worth it. Now, it is time for me to go watch the news. Have a good night.
Good night :)
Lilypon, I live in zone 9 and this plant has gone wild for me, I have broken off numerous pieces to keep it in check and so have several rooted. If there's a way to get your address, I'll send you a nice big one next spring. I saw one in a nursery here in Houston area that had been trained into a tree looking thing, it blooms on new growth so it was in full bloom and oh so beautiful. Let me know maybe we can do it in the spring.
Thank you Texas007!! I'll try to root some off mine as well......will certainly keep your generous offer in my notebook. My DH will be very frosty if I lose it....here it cost $39.99 so I know, if it dies overwinter, I won't be getting another one from a greenhouse (even *if* they carry them again).
I'm going to try to catch some of the seed off of mine. My friend did this last year and has a full sized plant from seed this year. Sure would solve the overwintering problems for me if I could grow them from seed each year.
I'll keep an eye out for that as well but I'm not sure I have the time left for it to develop. Frost is in the forecast later this week and next (hopefully they are wrong).......I'm in town (usually stays warmer) but am eyeing my daughter's porch if we have to pull them in quickly. :(
Texas007, I am also in zone 9, but we get frost in the winter. Are you in a frost free area. I bought this plant this summer and am wondering if I need to dig it and put it in the greenhouse or if it will come back next Spring.
Patricia
I'm in zone 8a. I mulch mine heavily with pine straw in the fall. It dies completely back but comes back every spring. 'Hope this helps.
Thanks, I will do the same and hope for the best.
Patricia
What month does yours start growing again Gaylams?
Brugie, I saw your post about the seeds and went out and checked mine for seeds, but nothing there. I will keep watching for you and I will tell Marie, my friend to do the same. Mine came back from last year, though it came back later than I wanted, but it is a big bush now. I will try to root some in water too. Maybe Kyle will know about the seeds and if they all make seed or just some of them? Do they have to be pollinated or something?
The seeds are just here and there on the plant. I probably couldn't find six seeds on mine now and it is loaded with flowers. I'm sure going to try to catch them though.
texas007tornado
I'd love to get one if you still have some available?
Will do trade or postage
PLMK
Thx, Carol