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.

Anthurium 'Small Talk' - The Experiment

Anthurium 'Small Talk' Pink

Anthurium ‘Small Talk’ --- The Experiment

            An experiment involves asking a question and testing a hypothesis.

            The question is:  Can Anthurium ‘Small Talk’ be produced here and sold at a profit?  This is not an off-the-wall trial.  Anthurium ‘Small Talk’ is an established dwarf variety produced by tissue culture by Oglesby in Florida.  The varieties of Pink and Red are selections from their own hybridization project.

            Anthuriums were always thought to be uneconomical to be grown in the North due to long crop time.  But now there is major production in Ohio and Southern Canada.  I wanted to find out if they can be finished in my 6.5 cm pot for my ‘Mini’ plant mix.

            The secret that needs to get out is that Anthurium flowers last for months making it a good value.

            The first group is starting to show first flower after 6 months.  They have been in 6.5 cm pots and could be sold that way.  But the Pink has gotten bigger leaves and proportionately looks better in a 3 ½” clay pot as shown.

            The first 8 have been sold.  We still don’t know if this is going to work??

The Mosquito is an Endangered Species.-- O. T.

Make mosquitoes extinct

The mosquito is an endangered species.

            This should be the World headlines.

            Why can’t we eradicate mosquitoes from the face of the earth?  Mosquitoes transmit diseases that bring death and disability.  They have no redeeming qualities.

            Species are saved by environmental outcry.  Let’s do the opposite and find a way to make mosquitoes extinct.

Another Historic Day for Primulina

EIGC Booth - Primulina will be a common houseplant !

            History by definition is everything that has happened previously.   The significance of events is what people remember.  Ancient history is mostly guesswork and only comes to life if some enterprising author weaves a story from fuzzy facts.

            Computers with infinite storage have changed that.  Now, every event will be recorded forever.  The only thing left is:  ‘Does it matter?’ and ‘Does anybody care?’

            On July 26, 2016, Ellen Wells reported on Asian Violets (Primulina) as a possible new houseplant.  The original story in Tropical Topics is copied here:

Gary’s “Next Big Thing”

I keep asking about what folks think will be the “next big thing,” the next tillandsia or succulent trend. “Asian violets,” says Gary Hunter of Gary’s Specialty Plants in Drumore, Pennsylvania. Gary is in the miniature plant business and is a regional grower of small houseplants. His biggest business with small plants is through Longwood Gardens’ plant shop, where they sell hundreds of mini plants each week, all year long.

Gary’s latest project is working with these Asian violets, the common name for Primulina, a genus in the Gesneriad family. “Primulina are like African violets, but better,” writes Gary. “Primulina species and hybrids have been in the hobby world for years but have never been grown commercially.” The reason, he continues, is that these plants take up to a year to flower, eliminating them as a commercially viable flowering plant. “What I was missing was that they could be sold as a small, variegated foliage plant in 6.5-cm pots and fit with our assortment.”

That's Primulina Loki pictured above. Precious! Gary likes these Asian violets so much that he believes they’ll become as popular as African violets, if not more so. Not convinced? Check them out yourself at next week’s Eastern IGC Show at the Valley Forge Casino Resort outside of Philadelphia, where Gary will have a booth. Or check out Gary’s BLOG, which is full of great information.

            The significance is that this is the first known reference to Primulina in a commercial horticultural trade magazine.

         The commercial barrier has been broken and has been recorded here as a historic event.  The facts are preserved.