Another nice hybrid
Roter Vulkan
Very nice Eric
I still can't get a cutting of Roter Vulkan !
Alan
I just sent a batch of these out Alan. Unfortunately, I am also trying to set seed... similar to you and your many seed pods I imagine. I do however have a few aurea ready and a ton of Georgia Peach if you want some of that one. Georgia Peach is one of my favorite earlier hybrids and it is a good seed setter as well as pollen donator if you don't mind color blends and multi-hybrids. I will be sending cuttings and such out on Monday, so if you want in on the hit list send me a quick e-mail with your address as I have two people to send out to on Monday and I could easily make it a third.
Eric you are making me want to move away from Texas lol
Continue to say simply gorgous.
Is your weather still ok to keep them out?
Luzia
Luzia, I had a short scare here as it hailed one day and I thought I was going to lose everything. I have since moved everything I wanted to keep into pots as many were in the ground. I've developed a method that works well over here in Belgium for growing out side and in the ground and also enables me to lift most of them up with minimal damage to the roots when the cold weather threatens. Texas is still prime growing area for many Brugmansia though so I wouldn't be too unhappy with your location. Have you had any luck with arborea? Environmental genetics may actually help you out should you place some red species onto your arborea and get a seed pod to form. Those resulting seed would be more likely to be heat tolerant than a similar cross or seed pod developed up north.
Eric I am glad that you found YOUR way to keep those Angels in good health. I read a few times that hail did so much damage to their brugs. When IKE came. We thought we here in Central TX would get some bad weather too. So I hauled them all in the shed. 2 Days. They did not like that a lot.
WILL take notes on everything you say. GREAT information. Wow that inspires me to do more then just enjoy the beauty of the onces I can get my hands on. Dangerous place here lol
I will start out by practicing making babies rofl. Then I get serious.
Eric do you have a list of all your Brugs?I will go and see. I know it will knock my socks off. And I do hardly wear any lol
Here is my very first flush
Georgia Peach is one of my best babies. Gypsy Queen is another, but rather than talk about my babies, I'd rather tell you about the newer hybrids I've discovered that are worth your time in acquiring. Langenbuscher Garten for instance is the most incredible double orange you could want. Super fertile both ways, she keeps her buds, deep orange that makes you start to drool with her vibrance...she grows fast, roots easy, and is in every way what one would ever desire from a double orange. Now, if doubles aren't your fancy and you like wide open flaring skirts, there is no other like the old Isabella. Still, she needs more substance and where do you get nice thick bodied skirts from... you have to delve into the aurea gene pool or a good candida cross at the very least. Elizabeth seems to me to be the best choice for sheer substance and added to any suaveolens I can't see how her skirt wouldn't hold up as if drawn into the air by invisible chords all day as opposed to all night and only after a good watering. Now, if these species or combinations don't float your boat.... I love the old Milk 'N' Honey created in years past as she is a pure versicolor and you just can't find that many pure species anymore. Add that one to your collection and perhaps Maya as well if you like to add in a smidgen of variegated genes into your versicolor pool. Did I forget to mention that Goldenes Kornett is a pure aurea gold with orange genes hidden in her as well? Now, this last one has the added bonus of hiding variegated genes as well I'd suspect as she also has a sport named Vienna Silver Star which is her variegated counterpart after all. Now, if you want a challenge something a bit easier to find to get your aurea genes from... I'd suggest Peace or Elizabeth as excellent sources in the States as Rothkirch and Goldenes Kornett are just too hard to find right now in your part of the world. Don't get me wrong, people have them their, but they are mostly used by hybridizers who recognize the true value of a pure species...especially aurea or versicolor pure species....
I agree, Georgia Peach is one of your finest Eric!!!!!!!!!
It is going to be my "quest" to get seeds to set on it next spring!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok it may be a little more difficult here in Australia but we do have the advantage of old pure strains ...hybrids are fairly new here ...I will study the Charts for Aurea crosses. someone sent me a yellow versicolor that has been growing in an old greenhouse since the 70's (interesting to know that they are long lived.) I have the Peach Versicolor ...what would you suggest I do with these? cross them to an orange and then cross those seedlings back to each other?
We also have the old Sydney apricot that has been around forever would I cross the yellow and the peach versicolor to that one ? then cross back to the parents? be gentle ...I am just learning and don't have access to any of your wonderful Angels ...only the crosses.This is the Old Sydney Apricot a mix of genes I am told. Always in flower and stays open all day ...tough as old boots.
This message was edited Oct 12, 2008 11:12 AM
Eric all are on my want list now. From reading a lot I KNOW that Rotkirch is one that everybody is looking to get. I still have way to much to learn. Breeding Brugs is a very serious business in my eyes and for that I just do not have the time at the moment. I just listen and learn for the time being. Once I get the work done....THEN I might even have all the great Brugs you just suggested.
I thank you for taking the time. It is highly apreciated
The problem with Rothkirch is she can be really hard to root. I've rooted a couple in my time ..... but it was hit or miss. I thought I'd found my perfect solution with Air Layering ..... but it took months to get one successful plant. A hybridizer on the East Coast wanted it, and I was determined to make it happen. Very frustrating time of it. If she was easy to root, she'd be spread around much more, because she's a joy when she flowers. She always gets a spot in the greenhouse.
I didn't know Georgia Peach was one of yours, Eric. A belated congratulations. I've had her here in San Diego County for 2 years. She's pretty happy here and just finished blooming.
Mary
Mary, I will post a how to graft Brugmansia picture series or word document if you wish. Later I will post a video series on grafting Brugmansia here as well. This will make it a bit easier, in my eyes at least, for you to share Rothkirch if you wish with others near you. Rothkirch has the same problem overseas by the way as she has a virus hidden in her that makes it hard to root. This is another reason I propose that you cross Rothkirch to Goldenes Kornett Mary as both are pure aurea...you will have pure aurea that exceed both wild specimens in quality as you will have at least a few seedlings that have a blend of pink and orange, pink and yellow, and so forth and all will be easy to root unless they acquire the virus from the mom. The plus to all of this is that you can breed for virus tolerance as well. Georgia Peach, although she is a multi-hybrid, is a similar color cross which is why she starts out such a lovely yellow and then fades to peach or pink.
Chrissy, I would definitely include your yellow versicolor in any of your versicolor crosses as a healthy yellow is rare indeed as many yellows have been breed from suaveolens genes from which there is also a preponderance of unhealthy genes accumulated in the mix. Another reason I like Goldenes Kornett as she carries healthy yellow and orange genes. I would have to say in your case, I would cross yellow versicolor to orange versicolor and peach versicolor to both yellow and orange versicolor. Cross the siblings from each cross that show the best vigor and color to each other as well as back to both sets of parents both ways. This is a lot of work, but well worth it. Decide on the color combination you want to develop if you don't have a lot of space and just do one of these crosses or send the rest of your seed to friends etc. Always keep the best of your crosses, what you personally like the most, for yourself. Rothkirch or any pure aurea will add strength and substance into your crosses as well if you like multi-hybrids. Crossing a pure versicolor to a pure aurea will also yield you a very rare double as well and this is valuable even if it is white as it is a new source for healthy doubles.
Back to Mary,
If you have Rothkirch and would like some pure aurea pollen to place on her I can send you some pollen. Just let me know when you need it so I can get you a fresh batch of pollen. Your seedlings will be among the first pure aurea x pure aurea and be extremely valuable for this reason alone. Especially so if you select out enough to get a few with blended colors to breed back to both parents or better yet...cross two orange pink blended seedlings to each other....
Thankyou for the advice ...I have set aside an acre to work with ...I am on 16 acres of land in a Market gardening area 40 mins outside of sydney. I am lucky enough to be in an area that grows almost anything almost all year round. So growing things out is a bit quicker for me than most gardeners who must contend with very cold winters. I am looking forward to the challenge, I am only a "collecter" and in it for the love of these beautiful plants.The Yellow versicolor is very healthy.
thanks again ...your input and experience is much appreciated.
A full acre of land is more than enough to do these crosses and many more. As you can see from one of my old beds of Brugmansia...you can get a lot in a small spot.
Oh wow that's a killer pic ...I read in some thread that you allow 1ft between each plant when growing them out is that right? and then you can remove the ones that are not up to scratch. Mine will stay in the ground (no winter losses) so would I need more space because they get very big very quick here.
Chrissy, from what you are telling me this method will work fine for you. However, I would like to revise my old method you see above for your conditions and besides all of that... I've learned a lot more since that picture was taken. Personally, I would keep them 1 1/2 to 2 ft apart given your ideal conditions. I can see that your going to have some Brugmansia enthusiasts going wild here in just one or two generations tops with the combination of your ability to keep them all in the ground without winter losses and a full acre to devote. I can only imagine what your capable of creating and seeing in a very short period of time.... Can I say I would love to be there with you even if it were just for a day or two to see your beds in their full glory. Speed of growth was essential to me in the old days which was another reason for planting so close together. My plants had to flower in their first year as they would freeze back during the winter. I lost a great many opportunities with this old method. Everything you select for also selects against something else unless of course you don't select for anything and grow each and every seedling out. Still, you have already selected for something by the crosses you made in the first place. By the seedlings you decide to cross back to mom, dad, siblings, or out-cross. Every choice results in choices not made. If a cross surprises you and takes you in a different direction than the one you intended...yes...it is fun to watch and dream of the crosses and seedlings you are creating.