time for an update.
I have this 6" pot of Alsobia dianthiflora (one of the parents of Cygnet and San Miguel) that has been doing NOTHING indoors. I kicked it out onto the balcony and told it that if it didn't put on a show, I would send it down the trash chute. Well, it has two flowers now. If it does more during the summer, I may give it some of my precious indoor space come winter. A. dianthiflora is known to be a reluctant bloomer, which is why the hybrids are more popular.
I also found buds on a sinningia that has just been doing nothing much indoors. They are only a year or two old from seed so they're not big yet, but the prospects just didn't look good. I stuck a couple in a corner of a window box, and one is doing much better and has buds :-) The other sort of got dug up and the tuber has shrivelled a bit - I just buried it again. I have one more of the same batch of seedlings, and I stuck that one outside today as well. Two columneas are also outdoors now, and so are some Achimenes rhizomes, Streptocarpella, and an Episcia.
Anything happening with the things you put outside?
I am down in zone9 and putting things out only meant they got to come back in fast!!!!!!
My Achimenes are up and about 1-1/2" tall. I've got them in heavy shade and watch so they don't dry out. It's already in the low 80's here during the day and I feel like I may have to bring them back inside soon. We're having very cool nights, hot days and absolutely no rain - not a good time for the plants.
Key - I put my orchids outside every summer under a tree and they get absolutely no direct sun, but a few of them have some dark spots on the leaves that don't look good. Could this be from the cool nights? I checked for bugs and found nothing.
My streptocarpella basket is outside, hanging under a shade cloth. It has been getting lots of rain water, which helped wash al the leaves off. Now I just need to feed it, so it will blook like crazy.
Keyring,
Which one is the one in your lead photo http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=3423142 ?
Joseph
Patti...
How many actual plants are in your basket of Alsobia 'Cygnet'?
I have two rooted cuttings, and was wondering if they will be enough to make a hanging basket or not.
Thanks... Karen
Karen ,
I have no idea how many. I bought this a plant a few months back . It has 50 to 100 plants in the basket and trailing down. I have 4 blooms on it now. Sorry I wasn't much help.
Patti
Only Gessie type plant I have outside is the Goldfish plant ... Nemantanthus Noid. It seems to love it out on my covered deck. It gets very bright light but no direct sun and is blooming. It's way too hot and humid for any AV's or other Gesneriads I'm afraid. We've had temps around 90 the past few days and it's VERY humid! Can't go out the door for even three or four minutes without feeling totally wilted! It's supposed to be mid 90's through the weekend here! Ooooh, I do not look forward to August and September if it's this hot already!
Keyring, Your Alsobia dianthiflora is so pretty. I bought mine a few months back and it was labled Alsobia dianthiflora/ Cygnet. I am so confused now. How can I be sure which is which?
Thanks,Patti
Patti, there is an Alsobia dianthiflora - http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/573/ and an Alsobia dianthiflora 'Cygnet' - http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/103222/ The Alsobia dianthiflora was crossed with Alsobia punctata which produced Alsobia dianthiflora 'Cygnet'. http://www.gesneriads.ca/alsobi2.htm Yours probably is, indeed, A. dianthiflora 'Cygnet'.
Joseph, that's Smithiantha Texas Freckles.
Lin, many gesneriads come from places that are super hot and humid. You just have to pick the right ones to stick outside.
Patti, you'll know for sure when it blooms as you already know it is one of two possibilities. Cygnet has spots, dianthiflora does not. Cygnet: http://gesneriads.ca/alsobi2.htm
Hi Amy, we cross-posted!
As Cygnet is a cross between two species, it would be Alsobia 'Cygnet' without "dianthiflora" in the name. Looks like PF has a little error.
OK Thanks for telling me that. :o) I read somewhere, just a few days ago, a request to change how 'Cygnet' was documented, but I can't recall where. Seems like it was directed to members of a certain group or club. That's going to bug me and I'll have to find it now. I wondered about it as I was typing the name, how they'd decide which species name to keep.
Thank you Rain and Key for your help. I now know it the Alsobia dianthiflora .It has very light spots down the throat only.
I will keep and eye open on the rest of the blooms just to make sure it all the same plant. I need to change to the name tag on this one. Thanks again,
Patti
I got two of these small plants in trades here on DG a couple of months ago. They just weren't doing anything and I finally planted them together in a small, probably 6" hanging basket and moved it out to my deck. It gets very bright light and lo and behold, the other day it had a bloom! So, Key, I guess this is one that likes the heat and humidity cause it's really hot and humid out on my deck! Now, I just need to figure out what other Gessie's like those conditions! Uh oh ... more plants for the menagerie!
I don't know of anyone who sells it yet. I propagated it as much as possible last year and sent some around to people here, so hopefully some of us will have rhizomes to trade in the fall.
Key - I put my orchids outside every summer under a tree and they get absolutely no direct sun, but a few of them have some dark spots on the leaves that don't look good. Could this be from the cool nights? I checked for bugs and found nothing.
Keyring,
my streptocarpella is outside on the front porch ...............she is not as happy as yours are.....
The winds are mighty strong out there...........she might have to sit on the step or floor somewhere .....she is up high on a stand....
Wow Keyring, those are beautiful...may I ask what direction they are facing?
My Streptocarpella baskets are not as happy as Key's either... they are awfully tired of being moved in and out, due to the renovations on our building. We are finally (and thankfully) in the last phase of the improvements, as they are now painting the outside of the building, and my balcony! Maybe by the weekend I can put my balcony garden in order once and for all!
Key, your plants, as always, are beautiful. I didn't know there was a white streptocarpella... Wow!
Beatiful plants as always Key.
thanks.
It's possible that I lucked out on the perfect spot. They are on the balcony rail (9th floor) facing east, with some obstruction. They probably get direct sun from 2 hrs after sunrise to about 11 am. I have them in a peat mix with water crystals, and mulched with lava rock (whatever. that's what I had.) The streptocarpellas about double in diameter every month - I should have remembered this and not planted the Achimenes so close.....
My big pot doesn't get any sun.....just bright indirect light............will place it on the end where the east sun comes in..............
My Streptocarpella looked horrible when it was inside. I put it in a hanging basket and put it outside and it already looks so much better. Not nearly as great as yours, Ki, but it's getting better. The might-be-a-Columnea is growing a lot, too. :o) A. Black Pagoda is putting out all kinds of new leaves, but no sign of buds. Being outside really seems to do these plants a lot of good.
I finally broke down and put out several plants...if the rain doesn't stop they are gonna drown & this time it won't be by me.lol
I have a streptocarpella outside & it looks great~no blooms yet.
Also have the Variegated Lipstick plant & Codonanthe I just got...
If I could find a sheltered spot I'd put some of these NOID Av's out there too...
MsC
I am certainly not real knowledgeable but i would never put my African violets outside in our 90+ temperature.....they say whatever is comfortable for you will be great for AVs.....I am hardly comfortable outside down here....
Well,Gail
That's ok you don't have to put yours outside...but you can grow them outside even in our heat & humidity, the key is not to get them too wet so they don't rot and use some circulation..like a fan.
I would have never tried it either but I saw an article in the AVSA magazine a while back & there's a fellow who gardens with lots of gessies outdoors...the main thing is you just don't want to put your prized plants out or you have to be willing to loose them.. ..the ones I'm considering are the Av's I get at WalMart & Home Depot for $1.96... not much to loose...
Oh and did you know many of the AV's we buy are actually grown in greenhouses?? Something to think about...especially since I'm running outta room..lol
MsC
I read in Helen Van Pelt Wilson's book that she put the AVs that didn't perform the way she wanted them to out in her flower beds. That way, she could enjoy them for the rest of the summer, but when cold weather came, that was the end of them. I set one that was full of thrips outside once, but strangely, it didn't enjoy full sun and no water! LOL
Yes, she was a great one for setting a violet straight..she also said to grow them like you like them...if you like them bunchy then they are yours and they don't all have to be grown flat like a show plant....
There's so many way to grow plants and none of them are the "only" way...it's nice that they leave us so much room to enjoy them.
MsC
I have a couple books by Helen VPW and I've read through them several times. She just makes such good, common sense. And you can tell how much pure joy her plants brought her and how she enjoyed sharing what she knew.
I set one that was full of thrips outside once, but strangely, it didn't enjoy full sun and no water! LOL
I love it and it's not even PINK... does streptocarpella come in PINK???
That is an awesome flower box. I could hang on to your feet if you don't wnat to pick that heavey thing up again...
MsC
still not quite as floriferous as I'd like, but we're getting there.....
The white one put on a meagre show last year, but this season it is outperforming the blue. (And it's not because the plant is older - these are both cuttings that I took last fall.)
Another shot of the white.
and for Snowrose, a pic of the blooming Achimenes. This is Purple King which seems to be pretty commonly grown around here.... These are from just 2 or 3 rhizomes I got earlier this year. I'm not all that fond of the flower, but in any event they are relatively big.
I don't think streptocarpella comes in pink. Are you gonna try hybridizing?
The white clone is actually blushed pink in some of the flowers.... but not really pink.
Streptocarpella saxorum has pale pink-ish flowers, but not all that pink either....and defintely not hot pink, lol. http://gesneriads.ca/strept82.htm
Well, the blue and white are really nice...I guess I could widen my color choices a bit.... so what or do you fertilize them with?? I have a blue one and it's looking pretty good but no flowers...it's outside in morning sun/shade....
Hybridize them??? Hmmm not after trying to get a cutting to come true from that silly sinningia...lol
hey, maybe a cutting will come out hot pink!!!!????? LOL.
I fertilize when I remember with whatever is in the water bottle......I think this year I was quite good, starting with a couple of doses of fish emulsion in april and may, and then a balanced one in May, and a dose of Cal Mag, and today they got a shot of a mild bloom booster (mildly spiked, low dosage, and with trace minerals - I needed to be kind to some orchids). Most years I am not this good about fert.....
hey, maybe a cutting will come out hot pink!!!!????? LOL.
