Some pictures of S. leucotricha to show the flowers on a mature specimen.

Showing the whole plant in a 6 inch pot. There were 7 stems with flowers open.
Click on a picture and open in a new window or tab, the larger image above has one flower in focus so you can see the hairs on the flower. The one below shows the hairs on the leaves.


This plant stayed in bloom for two months, from first flower until the last ones faded.
It is at least 5 years old. For the last several it has been in a greenhouse and had spent some summers out on my balcony behind a 40% shade cloth. The balcony gets full sun from around 10 am until 2 pm. In the greenhouse it gets about 50% of full sun in summer. It blooms about twice a year.
See the next post to see seedlings and a tuber being repotted.

December 23, 2010
Chas

I received three comments, here are the
Replies:
I took the photos. Please ask permission to use them. I'm thinking of printing one for an exhibit, to show what the species can do. Hopefully the seedlings will be on the sales table this spring.
I'd like to make this species available for everyone who wants one.
There also may be seedlings of S. reitzii and iarae.

My sinningia potting mix starts with the usual gesneriad mix of equal parts perlite, vermiculite and good Canadian peat moss. I add one part or more perlite and/or turkey grit for drainage, and a little charcoal for good luck. I use both the small and the coarse perlite, it all seems to work.
I put extra drainage material in the bottom of the pot, and sometimes use an orchid pot for the extra drainage holes.
I see the roots growing better in the faster draining mix. Clear pots are just so I can see the root system growing. Clay pots dry faster than plastic.
I prefer to use a pot 1 inch wider than the old pot. When I've gone from a 4 inch to a 6, or a 6 to an 8 inch pot, some of the tubers have rotted. The new soil stays wet a long time, and it takes a few months for the roots to fill the new soil. Once they do, the plant is fine.
That is one reason not to repot until the tuber fills the pot. We water heavily and often, so overwatering is always a risk. If you water only as the pot is starting to dry, you can use a more moisture retentive mix and repot before the tuber is pushing out the sides of the pot.
As always, what works in your growing conditions is best.

RO water has almost all the minerals removed. Jerry Fischer at Orchids Limited tells us to add 10% tap water to add back enough calcium, magnesium and trace minerals. Or add a little fertilizer - he sells his excellent blend as Green Jungle. U of Michigan formulas for RO water are fine. I can wait much longer to repot plants when using RO water. Also you can put a little agricultural lime or dolomitic lime in the soil mix.
I found the species sinningias grew fine with tap water in St Paul or with the RO water. If you're using tap water, I would flush the pot with plain tap water every couple months to remove mineral build-up.