Plants Catching the eye in 2017

[kGarden]

And saving the best until last, Swainsona formosa..............

Been meaning to grow that for years, is it straightforward (from seed)? Seed seems to be readily available ... I'm even more tempted now that you have marked it as a favourite of yours :)

[LONGK]

And saving the best until last, Swainsona formosa..............

Been meaning to grow that for years, is it straightforward (from seed)? Seed seems to be readily available ... I'm even more tempted now that you have marked it as a favourite of yours :)

Once you've cracked it they are easy. Soak the seed for a day or two using near boiling water. Throw any seed that remains floating. I germinate the seed in moistened vermiculite in a bag. They dislike root disturbance so seedlings are then transferred to pots that I have enlarged the drainage holes in quite significantly. When the time comes I drop them pot and all into a deep pot.
As far as the watering goes I guess that it's more about moisture control - I always water seedlings from the bottom (good practice anyway in my book) but as it matures you can take liberties and water from above. The foliage is susceptible to mildew so air movement is essential. Grow in at least 50% sand.

[kGarden]

Thanks

They dislike root disturbance so seedlings are then transferred to pots that I have enlarged the drainage holes in quite significantly. When the time comes I drop them pot and all into a deep pot.

Would you considered newspaper pots for that job? I do that for things that dislike root disturbance; roll newspaper around an aerosol can, tuck in the bottom. When "planting out" I tear off the top bit of paper, so there is no residue sticking out of the ground, because otherwise it acts like a wick drying out the paper underground too.

Not directly related to this, but for general things I sow in 1/4 size seed trays, in JI soil-based potting compost (reused repeatedly, just microwave between use - some risk that a previous inhabitant germinates late, amongst the newcomers ...) and then prick out to small cells - about 1" diameter - and finally pot on to 9cm. They plant out easily because 9cm pots neatly fit my bulb planter :)

But the 1" cell trays are a nuisance. I have industrial-sized trays, they survive several reuses, but they are large and I therefore fill up a tray with different seedlings that pot-up at different times. My thought was to use some "pipe" instead. Open bottomed, so easy to water from below, I assume I will be able to push-out upwards to pot-up (but tapered would be a lot better if I could find some suitable "tubes"), otherwise there is going to be some compression / side-scraping during the push-out. I could then just have a "batch" of tubes/seedlings, e.g. with an elastic band around them, and thus easy to pot-up that batch when ready (or even just the half that is ready). I could also have some sort of board, with holes, so I could stand the cells spaced-out a bit once the plants become congested.

Maybe there are some commercial cell-growing "tubes" that achieve this, without being joined together into an actual tray? I've googled and not found any, but I have bought cell-grown hedging that looks for all the world like ti came out of such things. I've tried Roottrainers, but hate the filling and breaking-open process, it seemed to me they were not streamlined / too fiddly for the numbers that I do.

[kGarden]

Doubt you need them! but I found some photos



I've got proper transparent covers - cling film is far too "air-leaky" as used here



The cell-trays





Forgot to mention that "popping out" of these are not straight-forward. A popper-board is available, a board with lots of pegs, to pop-out the whole tray but apart from the fact that I rarely want to do the whole tray the popper boards are blinking expensive. So I reach under and push up witht he blunt end of a pencil (aka Dibber :) ) That sometimes seriously disrupts the rootball ...

... so I was thinking a "pipe", or tube, which was completely open at the bottom would provide a decent sized surface for the push-out tool

[charlie]

Had a wander around in the drizzle when I got back (what have you been doing to the weather!)

Tibouchina urvilleana 080 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Tetrapanax 074 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Solanum laxum album 082 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Sinofranchetia chinensis 077 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Fuchsia paniculata 078 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Bomarea Fiesta 084 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Vitis Spetchley Red 075 by charliepridham, on Flickr

[charlie]

A few shots around before Ophellia strikes

salvia confertiflora 010 by charliepridham, on Flickr

One of Chads

calceolaria 008 by charliepridham, on Flickr

calceolari pavoni 009 by charliepridham, on Flickr

004 by charliepridham, on Flickr

tecoma capensis 012 by charliepridham, on Flickr

[LONGK]

Love that Calceolaria!

I've grown a few Salvia atrocyanea from seed from Robin Middleton. The first shot shows the variation between plants when grown from seed.............
Salvia atrocyanea by longk48, on Flickr

Salvia atrocyanea by longk48, on Flickr

Swainsona formosa still looks good............
Swainsona formosa by longk48, on Flickr

Swainsona formosa by longk48, on Flickr

Some late blooming succulents;
x Sedeveria (x Pachyveria) 'Blue Mist' is proving to be very hardy..........
x Sedeveria (x Pachyveria) 'Blue Mist' by longk48, on Flickr

Kalanchoe 'Azumi' has grown like boogery from a cutting and is now blooming...........
Kalanchoe 'Azumi' by longk48, on Flickr

Echeveria 'Black Prince'............
Echeveria 'Black Prince' by longk48, on Flickr

[charlie]

Swainsona formosa still looks good............
Swainsona formosa by longk48, on Flickr

Swainsona formosa by longk48, on Flickr

I take it this lives in a greenhouse ? does it suffer much from all the normal pests and disease? is this its normal timing (late summer/Autumn)?

Stunning thing, you have to be chuffed with that :)

[LONGK]

I take it this lives in a greenhouse ? does it suffer much from all the normal pests and disease? is this its normal timing (late summer/Autumn)?

Stunning thing, you have to be chuffed with that :)

I've kept it in the greenhouse when it was cool, out when it was 20°c or more.

As I said to Kristen it is prone to rot when young but once it start growing rapidly it seems bombproof. I'm now RSM free ( :D ) and it was unaffected by any other aphids or nasties. I was conscious of the risk of mildew issues if the humidity was too much so when it was under glass I made sure that it had good airflow.

As far as timing goes it was grown from seed this year so if I can keep it going over the winter we'll find out next year. My gut feeling is that it'll take brief periods close to freezing as I know from personal experience that the Aussie desert does see overnight frosts from time to time, although it will usually be nearer 40°c by lunch over there.

Must admit, I am rather chuffed!

[Chad]

I have a tentative ID for the Calceolaria 008; Calceolaria flexuosa subsp chrysocalyx.

The monograph supports 009 being Calceolaria pavonii.

Swainsona Formosa; green with envy. It needs drier air than my polytunnel can give it, and a hotter summer than it can get outside here.

Chad.