Buddies, O T

Big Cats

         A borrowed picture, but too good not to show you.

Another Asian Violet Success!

Primulina 'Loki' grown by Scott in Office

            If Scott, a very casual houseplant grower can do this , what is the World waiting for?

Lipstick Plants for Christmas

Lipstick Plant with many Flowers and Buds

Lipstick Plants (Aeschynanthus) are notorious for random flowering.  This has made them difficult to be commercially produced in flower on a predictable schedule.  This unidentified variety is spectacular right now.

This one will be worth propagating to see if this success can be duplicated?

Sinningia 'Esther' Project

Sinningia 'Esther' with seed pods

Sinningia ‘Esther’ flowers were easy to pollinate and Sinningia cardinalis-types give you hundreds of seeds.

With S. ‘Esther’ being a hybrid of uncertain background, the seedlings will be variable.  But, hopefully, they will give a showy cluster of red flowers on upright branching plants.

            Since seedlings will be plentiful and cheap, I can plant 2-3 in a 4” pot for a reasonably priced novel flowering houseplant.

Is this all we need?

Primulina 'Loki' at the windowsill.

              This Primulina ‘Loki’ has been growing at the West kitchen window for three years.  It’s in a 2 ½” pot, has never had fertilizer and has wilted many times.  Yes, the foliage is perfect.

            This flowering randomly occurs two or three times a year.  Most casual houseplant growers would consider this one of their easiest flowering houseplants.

           

            Why doesn’t everyone have one?

Is this a Flowering Plant that you would buy?

Sinningia 'Esther' grown by Gary's Specialty Plants

            I’ve been waiting for the bright red buds to open on Sinningia ‘Esther’.  Mel Grice shared this interesting Sinningia cardinalis-type hybrid with me at the National Gesneriad Convention in Delaware this year.

            Is it good enough to propagate for sales?  Red is always a good color to have.  The drawback seems to be only one flower per leaf axil.

            This plant is from a side shoot tip cutting.  There looks like a lot of pollen, so a seed pod may be a good method of getting a lot of plants that should be similar.

            Worth a try?

Sinningia 'Esther'

Anthuriums are positioned wrong

Anthurium 'Small Talk' Pink

            Very few flowering plants are sold commercially without flowers.  In fact, the production goal is to induce flowering as quickly as possible and sell them at their peak color.  ---- Cyclamen, Chrysanthemum, or Poinsettia would not sell without full color.

            Anthuriums want to be flowering plants but they take a long time which makes them cost more.  What if they were positioned as a durable foliage plant with shiny heart shaped leaves which may flower occasionally. 

            Lower expectations for flowering because that’s what happens anyway.  Anthuriums are just as pretty as Philodendron and can serve as tough low light foliage plants.

            One of the most recognizable common plant names is the Lipstick Plant (Aeschynanthus).  Flowering is unpredictable but many indoor gardeners will keep them for years in the hope of an occasional burst of red flowers.

            That’s where we’re at on Asian Violets(Primulina), also.  Be happy when it flowers.

            Anthurium hybridizers will strive for flowers but foliage will carry them.