Tropaeolum success

Rodger Whitlock totototo@pacificcoast.net
Sun, 15 May 2005 20:24:31 PDT
On 15 May 05 at 8:35, Mary Sue Ittner wrote:

> ...Has anyone in our group figured out a successful way
> to grow Tropaeolums from seed?

I have successfully grown T. polyphyllum from seed. For the 
life of me, though, I can't tell what if anything the magic 
touch was. IIRC they were subjected to my usual regimen for 
hardy things: sown and the pot parked in a coldframe over 
the winter.

It may be significant that the seed was fresh, off an 
established plant in my garden; they were probably sown 
not too long after they were ripe, but sowing may have been 
delayed until winter.

These seedlings have been grown on in very large pots and I 
will get flowers this year for the first time, so maybe 
there will be yet more seed.

> Does the time you start them matter? Clifton suggested
> day length may have some effect on T. azureum. Does the
> seed need to be soaked first? Obviously a bigger pot
> would be helpful.

I have had reasonable success with *germination* of seed
from the exchanges in the past, but I didn't know how to
grow them on. I always soak my seed for up to two weeks
before sowing.

So: it can be done.

-- 
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate

on beautiful Vancouver Island


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