Petrocosmea - Your experiences with them...

Have you successfully grown Petrocosmeas? Have you successfully killed Petrocosmeas? ;o) Either way, please post your experiences. A couple of us are trying to grow them and aren't having much success. Anything you know, whether it's something to do or something *not* to do is something we can all learn from. We look forward to hearing from you! :o)

I have very successfully KILLED EACH AND EVERY ONE OF MY PETROCOSMEA!!!! (insert evil laugh here).........they were very small when I got them. And they were so fragile. I don't know what I did wrong, but whoever said treat them just like an AV left something out. I did get one or two chiritas to grow for a long time. But the petrocosmea..........all gone. I am sorry I don't have better news to report. On the other hand, I have some nice blooming AVs, which is good. : ) I would love to hear everyone else's accounts, though. Hopefully, someone has been successful!!!!

Did you see the picture of mine on the other thread? Well, I'll post it here, since it's relevant. Please hold your sides firmly before you enlarge it. It should give you quite a laugh. Nancy thought I might want to go ahead and play Taps for it! LOL I'm not ready to give up yet, though.

I figure if nothing else, we can all compare how we killed them and pinpoint at least a few things NOT to do. I agree totally that AV care doesn't seem to be the correct route at all. I tried mine in a terrarium and that didn't work either. I don't have any trouble with my Chiritas, and actually find them easier to grow than AVs.

What did yours do as they were declining, Pam? How did they look? Did they die quickly or over a period of time? (Am I asking enough questions? I can come up with more... LOL)

We'll know something is really up with those things if nobody here has successfully grown one. I suspect that Snowrose might have a beauty stashed somewhere on her shelves...

I am sooooooooooo happy to find out that other people have let something die.....look at this tiny tiny Sinn (SP???) that sweet Jan sent in a trade....it is hanging on for dear life...it is even has 'life support' on it with a cover....

It still looks like you can save it, Gail. You need to keep the micro Sinningias in a terrarium all the time. If you have a wine glass, cookie jar, jelly jar, or something, just put it in there and put a lid on it. Don't keep it too wet, just damp and it should be fine. :o)

then I have the perfect little clear container for her.....I have been keeping the plastic top on her all the time..

here is the only one i grow, it's wicked & loves it, but don't let it dry out. it has bloomed it's head off, there are only 2 blooms left as you can see.
mrsbonnie

begoniacrazii was recently talking about her pets and apparently some do go ratty during the winter, and recover when spring comes around. I have some babies (from leaf) right now, and some are in longfibre sphag and loving it (I am supplementing with calcium/magnesium), and others in a lighter AV mix. I've killed a couple from not watering, but while I did remember to water them, they grew well. I used a mix that was lighter than AVs and kept them in small pots.

Gail, even if your micro sinnigia loses all its leaves, do not throw it out until you are sure that the tuber is dead. It might resprout.

thanks, Keyring....I have just had it a week and not about to give up!!!!!!

Key is right, I grow about half a dozen or so different species and one hybrid. I did a pet propagation tutorial a wile back on my flickr site if you are interested. I find them easy to grow, and they seem to do better when they have leaves that reach over the edge of the pot so they don't dry out so fast.

A few (the last photos in the set) weren't doing well this winter - mostly due to neglect and cold weather. So I have since put them in a terrarium type environment and they are doing better - They aren't drying out so fast now.

I grow them just as I do AV's. http://flickr.com/photos/begonias-photos/sets/72157594558840137/
I'm no expert though, that's for sure.

Hmmm, I don't think I have a thimble to plant mine in so the leaves hang over the edge... LOL Those are gorgeous! Y'all just kill me with those flickr accounts! Such fabulous pictures! Perhaps I should start one to complement yours, from the opposite side of the spectrum, of course..."What NOT To Do" I could title it! ;o)

Maybe I'll try the terrarium idea again, and I've got some LFS now, so might try that, too. I don't know. It's right there on the cusp between life and death, so I'm almost afraid to do too much. Guess I'll take the leap, though, cause what I'm doing now is most certainly not working.

Thanks for all the info everyone! :o)

This flickr thing is simply amazing!!!!

I just went back to look at your photo and recommend giving LFS a shot. That's how mine have looked...
Knock off soil and wrap moist sphag loosely around the roots....

OK Will do. What do you use to supplement with cal/mag?

I use a bottle of cal-mag (sold for hydroponic growers) or use fertilizer that includes them. You won't have to worry about it for a while though.....

Keyring, have you ever heard of using epsom salt on many plants so that the magnesium doesn't get tied up???? I haven't done it this year since I started growing again.....but I used to many years ago, especially with bougainvillea....

yup, a dose of epsom now and again is good, especially if your fertilizer doesn't include magnesium.

When I worked in a greenhouse eons ago, our fertilizers had all the trace elements, but we were told that magnesium gets real tied up and won't release in to the soil.....think i am going to try it again....thanks
gail

I got a petro leaf from begoniacrazii. It hasn't grown as much as my other leaves I received from her but it has 7 leaves. It seems to be happy. It doesn't get any special care, the same as my AVs.

Melissa

I bought a Petro mono a month ago during the AV show. I haven't killed it yet. I have it on a window sill over my kitchen sink, and so far it doing well. This is my first petro, so I am pretty much winging it. LOL I wil post a picture later.
Patti

Here is my baby petro. It is the one in the front.

achoogardner..............those are sooooooooo healthy looking...............good grower!!!!! I am impressed!!!
may have to have one of those, too (LOL)

Here is my Petro mono I bought a AV show,so far it is doing well. I have my fingers crossed.
Patti

Patti, that is drop dead gorgeous!!!! Does anyone know a good vendor who sells these???
gail

My experience has been that they prefer not to be under the lights at my house anyway....keep them on the dryer side and they prefer cooler temps than violets.

I haven't killed any yet.....touch wood!!!

Joanne

Thanks Gail :O)


Thanks Joanne I will do that. It only get afternoon sun while sitting on the window sill.
Patti

Well, I have figured out how to grow Petrocosmea! Water it, put it in a wine glass, slap a lid on it, and leave for vacation for two weeks so that it has no light, water or attention! LOL This is the same pitiful little plant that is in the picture in the third post in this thread. Same pot, too. What do you think? LOL I expected to come home to find it completely gone, but instead it has almost doubled in size! Yay!

This is what I said about why I love streps so much............they seem to thrive on my neglect!!!! That plant is perfectly shaped....good growing, too.....
It seems that they all love that humidity!!!

I wouldn't have bet a wooden nickle that Petrocosmea would live, but it sure looks so much better. I'm truly very happy about it. I love the form of a Petrocosmea and wanted so desperately to grow a pretty one. This has given me some hope that maybe I still can. :o) Plants that thrive on neglect are certainly the best kind for me to have! LOL

Congratulations RG. Your Petrocosmea looks great. Can't wait to see your bloom.
Patti

Thanks Patti! I hadn't even thought forward far enough to consider blooms. LOL Hopefully I'll continue to get it right and they'll be along shortly. :o)

I've never tried Petrocosmea plants ... never heard of them before, but they sure are pretty. Does anyone have a picture of what the flowers look like? That Petro Mono of Patti's kinda/sorta looks like a Chirita. And, Rain, your's looks like it has very fuzzy sorta leaves. I really like the looks of these plants. I think I will google and read up on them!

Hi Lin,
My leaves are fuzzy also. I never heard or seen Petrocosmea before until I went to AVSA show here. I have mine sitting on my kitchen window sill,and so far it is doing great. Crossing fingers.
Patti

I've never seen one anywhere .... first I've heard the name, right here! Looks like a neat plant! I Googled and saw some real pretty ones!

I just had to show y'all how the Petrocosmea is doing. It's great! :o) I moved it into a wine glass, actually potted it into the wine glass, not just sitting in it in another pot.

Here's how it started: http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=3444600
After a little while in the wine glass: http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=3544221
And here it is now! Yay! I'm so happy! :o) begoniacrazii gave the perfect advice when she told me to put it in a terrarium. :o) Thank you so much for that!

Wow Rain it looks like it has doubled in size. Congratulations it is beautiful. I am looking forward to seeing it bloom.
I have mine sitting on my window sill over the kitchen sink . It is doing great also.
Patti

Thanks Patti! I'm really happy with how it's doing. I had this one in the window sill over my sink for a while, but I don't think it was getting nearly enough light there. I'd love to see a picture of yours in bloom when the time comes. :o)

Will do Rain. Thanks.
Patti

Nice growing Rain!!