The meeting started out with some interesting show and tell. There was a Columnea ‘California Gold’ brought that was blooming although potted in a quite small 2” container. Columneas will bloom from a very young starter plant. Petrocosmea ‘Momo’ and another Petroscomea was brought to show how they could produce a large abundance of bloom. It was suggested that stress (such as under watering) may increase their “desire” to bloom. The two Sinningia reitzii, one from Mauro and one from another local showed differing patterns of coloration on the leaves. One had a much more striped and red colored appearance. It was suggested that they be crossed (in both directions) when they were both in bloom and that was possible.
All the reitzii will lose the colorful markings after a few years, they all go to the mostly green leaf pattern after three years or so. Give this plant plenty of light and don’t let it get too dry. It was stated that the plant never goes dormant and always has flowers year round. E.O. says it does indeed go dormant for a long time. She gives it sun directly in an east window. She cut the top back and rooted it. They will fill out and get full, but more of a windowsill plant than a light garden plant. It seems to prefer to be potbound and when repotting it, only move up one pot size at a time.
C.A. brought a rather newly identified plant called a Chautemsia calcicola. This plant is featured on the current issue of Gesneriads. It is a small plant, which won’t grow much larger than a mini Sinningia. It was stated that if any of the club members getting this plant would be so kind as to try to set seed on it to send to the seed fund. This plant apparently self pollinates, so it should be easy to get pods?
The seed pods lie flat and then split open across the top surface, remaining this way for quite a long time. C.A. took this pod from the plant and dried it. the article in Gesneriads say that this plant comes from a forest situation that varies during the year from being very lush and dense and wet, to very dry and barren. The plants, who originate in Brazil, sit on limestone outcroppings where there is little humidity. Both dry and wet conditions are present depending on the season. This population was spotted with their tubular white corollas and yellow throats above a care entrance with dripping water nearby, but growing out on the surface of the limestone rocks. It seems that this plant would like “perfect” drainage. It is apparently rhizomatous.
This plant was planted in a series of three soil/soil-less mixes to see what it preferred. One mix was the sphagnum, one was the usual gesneriad soil mix and one was in what it was originally growing on. It seems that the plant preferred the sphagnum. We thought about whether the plant would follow it’s seasonal pattern based on it’s geographic location south of the equator or if it would switch if grown north of the equator.
We then had more group discussion about using RO water on our new Chautemsia calcicola plants, which is what C.A. uses on them. R.E. had “pregnant onions” for distribution and stated that Episcia cupreata simply doesn’t do well outdoors if the temperature falls below 50 degrees. Fahrenheit. It is apparently quite deceased.
We looked a S. pusilla from J.O. which turned out to be very nicely grown featuring only one tuber. E.O. described how to take the leaves off and get the plant to restart it’s growing of foliage (and hopefully flowers) when the original foliage starts to decline.
More discussion of this Sinningia found that it did indeed have a large tuber for the size of this micro-mini plant.
We had a lovely presentation about starting Streptocarpus by S.J. First it was noted that hot summer temperatures are very hard for streps as they prefer cooler conditions.
S.J. grows all her streps in a 3 parts Sphagnum, 2 parts perlite, 2 parts vermiculite mix. She makes her own and is quite particular about the size of the vermiculite, noting that the very small powdered sort stunts the plants growth. This was also confirmed by a chat with Dale Martens who does a lot of hybridizing of Streptocarpus.
She also wicks all the streps no matter what stage of life they’re at. The amount of water picked up will depend on the thickness of the wick. Finding the perfect wicking material, is difficult but S. J. found a large quantity, which along with a lifetime supply of Rapid Grow, will happily be the only types of these two materials she uses. S. J. also uses one drop of Superthrive to one gallon of water. It was stated that Lino Lakes has water that is alkaline and streps like their pH to be on the alkaline side. R.E stated that Streptocarpus don’t seem to grow if you do not water them at all.
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It was brought up that noted columnist for the AVSA magazine, Jeff Smith, say s to water them when they show signs of wilting. We aren’t sure of his reasoning behind this argument, but the consensus of the club is that actually wilting the plant causes too much stress on it. Water just before the plant starts to wilt.
We all learned how to use a scrapbooking shears to make the edges of a strep look natural after trimming away dried portions. Using the juice of a cut portion of another leaf rubbed on the edge of the shears will stop the leaf edge from browning. It could be an effect of something called P-Protiens or perhaps a latex substance in the leaf’s natural sap.
When starting new streps from a leaf there was discussion about removal of the midrib and setting the cut leaf sections down so that the veins are in contact with the soil’s surface. Small plantlets will start all along the leaf section where each of the leaf’s veins are in the soil. This produces an abundance of babies, where as starting the leaf in a way more like starting an African violet leaf seems easier but yields fewer starter plants.
The starter plants are grown in covered boxes that are placed about 8 to 10 inches below the fluorescent tubes. This terrarium like condition seems to work for the plants. Grower David Thompson, hybridizer of amazing plants, says to move the small streps right into a 4 inch pot. Everyone in the club seems to feel that this is bad advice as over wet soil will definitely kill a strep.
Old strep, plants unlike old African violets, do not seem to thrive after about three years and are hard to “split” or divide by usual methods. S. J. likes to re-root and pot newly acquired plants in her own mix. Other growers feel that this is hard on the plant and do not follow that advice.
When asked about which varieties grew best or were favorites, Rob’s ‘Party Girl” was mentioned as the easiest to grow with leaves that don’t burn and which bloomed well. This was noted as a bad year for spider mite on plants (streps) as well as other outdoor plants including dandilions.
Other interesting comments include the fact that furnace air exchangers are difficult to work with with regards to growing African violets and their companions. That tomato fertilizer really makes banana plants and Bird of Paradise plants grow well.
And finally, when growing out all the Streptocarpus babies or other types of plants for propagation, save only three of any one variety. One for the show, one for the sale, and a spare one. Grow for at least three months to see what effect any particular newly added routine does to the growth and look of the plant.
The club also talked about getting noted hybridizer, Dale Martens, to come to the Twin Cities for a seminar/program and lecture. The club is very excited to have her come in the reasonably near future, perhaps sometime as early as next July. She is the hybridizer of ‘Gator’s Tail’, a rather heat and drought tolerant strep. Leaves and leaf sections of ‘Gator’s Tail were offered at the sales table.
One more interesting show and tell was passed around which was an Alsobia
‘Cygnet” growing in a very, very chunky mix of chips, sponge rock and perlite. The new plants were thriving. After all this the official business meeting took place, as noted above.
