Streps 'Noreen', 'Neil's Freckles', 'Alissa', 'Pink Sunrise and Col. 'Firebird'

Welcome! Today you're in for a treat. Here are some very nicely shot photos of "What's Doin' the Bloomin' Today" sent over to us by guest blogger Janice!

This is  one of my favorites, 'Noreen'. I like the bright yellow and the fact that some of the upper petals show the yellow instead of only the lower three.

 Jealousy is a bad thing, right? This plant never seems to quit blooming for Janice. It's Columnea "Firebird".  I've visited on several occasions and this plant is always doing this. I'm pretty sure if I bought one it wouldn't look quite like this, but if Columneas like growing in your home, try this one out!

 Pretty in pink..... 'Pink Sunrise' has a lot of the bright yellow showing in the throat and nice big flowers.  Now if someone could get either a very, very ruffled edge or a frilled edge like Alsobia show, this would be just about perfect, right?

I think that 'Alissa' was one of the first all-yellow Streps. The flowers are nicely presented with just a hint of purplish white around the edges. 

Here's an offering from (yes, I'm going to BRAG a lot) one of our very own club members!!!! From Miller of Neil's Streps comes 'Freckles'. Love the distinct two-tone and the contrasting colors. I don't think it could get any better with any other color combination. When I figure out how to grow a decent Strep., this is going to be on the top of the list.

Thanks again to Janice. Please leave a little kudos for such nice pix.

Questions????
Comments?????

Project plant 'Noreen' Update ... by Patty

 Here are three pictures of Noreen, it has been in bloom for about 3 weeks. Its flowers came out lighter in color than last winter, and I think that shows what I said before, that cooler temperatures bring us dark flowers from the old leaves and even the new ones.

 I've repotted and wicked it about 2 months ago, I kept it at the same 2" size pot, and it is growing on the same shelf as my violets, but for keeping it a little cooler I placed it closer to the fan, and it is doing great now.

The last picture you can see the difference of size and color.






Questions??

Comments????

Thank you Patty for giving us this post!

A Different Streptocarpus 'Noreen'

 A different 'Noreen' for our consideration!

Patty says, "This is the first bloom from my 'Noreen'. I think it's still sort of small but since it's still alive, I'm improving (on Strep growing)."

"It's not been repotted yet, it's growing in my shelf in the coolest room beside my cold growing orchids and it's not in a dome. I'm bottom watering it once a week and fertilizing maybe every 2 weeks."

My question to everyone was: Does culture make a difference in how the plant looks as far as blossom color and leaf color etc? Patty says, "I think fertilizer may make a difference about the size of the flowers, but I think it has nothing to do with the difference in color. Color is more likely to be changed according to temperature. So, since we talked, I've reset my thermometer so I could see my temperatures in that shelf for the last few days. My lowest temp. was 64 deg. F. and the highest 75 deg. F." She also says, " Now, another interesting fact; I'm attaching a picture that I took today besides the picture I took 3 days ago, and when you look and compare the flowers, you'll see my flower grew and it is less dark too, so it faded a little, and this is something that also happens with some orchids, like some of my tolumnias and aerangis  will open more like a cream, yellowish color and then after a few days will become white... why??? I don't know....

So, again.... comments. Note that Patty's flower has much more defined lines and stripes and the yellow of the throat patch might be darker too. Why?

Streptocarpus 'Noreen' Update

 Another update about our club project plant 'Noreen'!!!!

The ruler on the first photo is 12" long. The plant I took home is now somewhat larger than a foot and has approximately 9-10 leaves. I'm somewhat hopeful that it will be in bloom for the spring show in three weeks.

These are the blooms and in all fairness I tried to select the darkest ones. I'm trying to prove a point that culture changes some of the aspects of how the plant looks as well as how it performs as far as quickness of growth and color etc.

The next post will show Patty's flower that has much darker striping in the lines and webbing of the flower.

I tossed out a whimsical theory about this particular plant's genetics that I would like some comments on. I hybridized this plant some years ago. Most of the seedlings weren't quite this pretty and every other plant from that cross is now extinct as far as I know. I really liked the color of this one personally and enjoyed growing the plant. When I switched plant-rooms and added four foot T-8 lights I had a bit of a disaster. A hot summer combined with a very hot room ruined most of the plants I was growing and indeed killed off the parent to this plant. Fortunately, Dennis had taken just one little leaf and propagated it. I purchased some of the babies back from him and then I got enough of the future babies to pass out as a club project. I don't usually have extraordinary luck with Streps in general... sure they grow, but I forget to water them blah, blah, blah.... but this one - at my house - always looks pretty fresh, grows fast and tolerates some abuse.

I've heard that people find that plants hybridized in their general geographical location do better for them than plants hybridized in very different locations. For instance, Texas hybrids don't really like MN winters.... MN hybrids don't do well in Southern state's really hot weather etc. So, what I'm saying is: Does 'Noreen' do well for me because it was the one to survive my particular set of conditions and my sort of plant-abuse?

The one baby that went to the CBS greenhouse is reportedly exactly the same size as when it was passed out. Others have said that their plants aren't really growing all that well. I am thrilled that my plant is jumping out of the pot and is over a foot across. I do know that I'm trying pretty hard not to humiliate myself and kill off the project plant that I thought was such a good experiment, but I'm not really babying it either.

Comments!!!!

Club Project Streptocarpus 'Noreen' update 3

Sue sent in this shot of 'Noreen' which is looking good! It was a small plant when she received it and look now.... getting larger leaves and blooming well.

I'm curious to know if conditions in each person's growing environment will alter the color of the blooms slightly. All of the plants acquired from Neil's Streps. were propagated originally from only one "mother leaf", so they should be pretty identical. I've noticed that some show off the yellow as more "yellow". It will be interesting to compare more club member's pictures as this project grows on.

Check out the wide range of lovely Strep offerings that Neil's Streps hybridizes. Got to eBay and type Streptocarpus in the search box!

Comments???

Streptocarpus 'Noreen' Project Plant Update 2

This is J O's project plant and the photograph doesn't do the plant justice. This, as you can see from the regulation tray it's sitting on is getting to be wonderfully large and long. It threw out quite a few blooms and it going to have two more bloom stems open soon.


The next three pix are of my plants. This is the one plant from the first update. it's out of bloom now but it's definitely filled in with more leaves and it's looking a pretty healthy shade of green although before I repotted it, it got quite dry in it's smaller sized pot and lost a couple of it's baby leaves.

 You might be able to spot it as the second plant on the left hand side. It's sister plant is the front one and it's in bloom as well. I'm mostly posting about just the specific plant I chose to follow through the photos, but curiously enough I was interested in what another of the 'Noreen' plants was doing.

This is a third (separate) 'Noreen' that I got about three weeks before I got the project plants. I crossed 'Guidelines x Emily' long ago (I think) and 'Noreen' is one of the seedlings. Neil's Streps (which you can find on eBay) was growing out some of the plants and agreed to supply the club with the "project plant babies" we started with. Neil's Streps also was a vendor at the AVSM Northtown Fall Show and Sale and this is the plant I acquired earlier in the month. Just those three extra weeks, or the fact that I repotted rather soon after acquiring it might have made the difference but this plant is (judging by the tray size again) getting HUGE!

I'm curious about a couple of things regarding this particular plant. I generally don't have a ton of success with my streps. They frequently are left to get too dry and my growing room is sometimes a bit on the warmish side (especially in summer). As we all know, Streps frequently seem to hate warm conditions. This is a plant that does happen to do well for me. Is it because I'm trying harder and paying more attention to it because it's one of my hybrids? Or because I don't want to be the first to kill off my project plant, with photo evidence and documentation of the crime, so that the club finds out what really happens to some of my plants.... or....

Or, is it because this is one of the seedlings that actually survived in MY conditions and therefore is somewhat adapted to dryer and more harsh conditions than some other hybrids? I'm wondering if there is a way to find out?

Streptocarpus 'Noreen' Project Update One

 This is my Streptocarpus 'Noreen'. I am keeping it in a dome on one of the middle shelves with the lights at least high enough to leave room for one of the high domes.

I have been so busy with December things that I haven't been paying much attention to it, I've not re-potted it or done much but fertilize when watering all the other plants. It has sent out this nice bloom though, which makes it look pretty festive. Some of the leaves have damage from bringing it home in a "none-to-gentle" manner.

This is a shot of Mike's plant. He says that it's not gotten out of it's original take-home bag but it's
"still very much alive and growing"!

Thanks so much for sending a shot of the plant.

If anyone else is taking out the camera, email me a photo of how it's going and I'll get it put up on the blog! Anyone's gone and died on them yet??

Club Project - Streptocarpus 'Noreen'.... Let the Fun Begin!

Meet 'Noreen'. She's a pretty little Streptocarpus who is going to make us famous!!!!

Uh, well.... at least we're going to try to learn something about the differences in amateur-grower's methods of cultivation and care.

Here is a whole box of little 'Noreens' that are going to be adopted by club members.

Our club has members who grow only in natural light, members who have a greenhouse environment to keep their plants in and members who use fluorescent lights in various combinations and locations. We also have a commercial member who is serious about growing them! The goal is to get a starter plant of the same size and variety out to all the members who want one and then periodically check in on the plants to see what's going on with them.

Most people have tried growing a Strep or two at one time or another but it's not possible to compare and contrast what's happening with the plants unless everyone starts out with the same plant at the same time. This project isn't about who can get the largest, most handsome plant just dripping with flowers (although we will all be anxious to hear about how to do that) but about seeing if we can identify any aspects of cultivation and care that seem to really be beneficial to a hybrid Strep.

We'll also be looking for things that aren't necessarily beneficial. What killed it, stunted it or made it into a potential winner at next Halloween's "Night of the Nearly Dead" competition. *Sales pitch here* It's worth the cost of admission just to see the entries for 'Most nearly dead without "crossing over"'

These last two photos are examples of what this plant looks like when it's an "adolescent". I'm really anxious to see what members will share over the next few months. We'll have photos to post from time to time and in 6 months and one year we'll all attempt to bring what's still alive to a club meeting and take a couple of group shots! Wish everyone luck!