Achimenes --- The beginning of the campaign, Part IV

Achimenes 'Golden Bells' - Serge Saliba hybrid

Achimenes --- The beginning of the campaign, Part IV

 

            Nobody knows which are the best Achimenes hybrids, but we have some very good ones to start with.

 

            Achimenes species are native to Mexico and have been used to make hundreds of named hybrids.

 

            Serge Saliba, living in Romania, is a World-class hybridizer of Achimenes.  Through his dedication and love of the plants, he has created exceptional selections.

 

            I heard of his work through the Gesneriad Society and studied his plants.  It was serendipity --- a happy accident.  He was looking for a United States distributor and I finally convinced myself to try it.  We negotiated and I have the North American rights to his plants.

 

            We have many of his varieties here and expect to have saleable flowering pots this year --- 2023.

 

            We are starting with exceptional varieties, the best in the World.  Over time the best of the best will rise to the top.

 

            Will the flywheel effect carry us to commercial success?

 

            Start small, start now.

 

Comments tell the story !

Achimenes 'Sauline' by Ron

            This comment about Achimenes deserves to be seen.

 

TwoBearFebruary 8, 2023 at 12:41 PM

I tried growing Achimenes back in the 80s under lights with my African violets and other gesneriads. I was moderately successful, but I'm looking forward to trying them outdoors this summer. I think that once I get them established they will be perfect hanging basket plants for my shady front porch and rear deck area.

            TwoBear has described what is the distinctively different feature of Achimenes.  They can be a houseplant in early Spring, then put out on the shady patio/porch/balcony.

 

            The ideal use of Achimenes is outside with morning sun and afternoon shade.  In full shade, they may flower less.  In full sun, the leaves will burn, and the plants may wilt.

 

            One thing that has changed since he grew them 40 years ago is the varieties are better.  Intensive hybridizing by Serge Saliba in Romania has produced strong varieties with bright colors.  We have miniature varieties that flower short for small pots  Upright types fill out hanging baskets and trail down once the heavy flowers cover the plant.

 

            Heat tolerance is a breakthrough and a necessary trait for acceptable commercial production.  Many named hybrids have been identified as very heat tolerant.  With average temperatures moving up, varieties like ‘Blue Swan’ will be needed.

 

            If Achimenes can be known as the houseplant for the shady outdoors, every gardener will want one.

Achimenes --- The beginning of the campaign, Part III

Achimenes 'Red Elf' by Ron

 

Achimenes --- The beginning of the campaign, Part III

 

            A commercial horticultural crop takes a long time to develop.

 

            Impatiens were a weed until Claude Hope and Ball Seed Company created a hybridizing station in Costa Rica.  After many years, Impatiens became the dominate summer shade annual.  Then a devastating fungus, Downy Mildew, crippled Impatiens.

 

            In the meantime, New Guinea Impatiens, which also started as roadside weeds, filled in for the shady annual.  There are national field trials for annuals to compare varieties.  That is a joke with New Guinea Impatiens because there are no bad ones.  They are all superior flowering shade and sun plants.

 

            These are two examples of horticultural innovation.  Achimenes are already beyond the weed stage of development.  Modern day hybrids are already exceptional.

 

            So how many years will it take to establish Achimenes as a popular flowering shade annual?

 

            We need the World’s best varieties, a champion producer and a stable supply system.

Achimenes --- The beginning of the campaign Part II

Achimenes 'Purple Elfe' by Serge Saliba

 

Achimenes --- The beginning of the campaign. Part II

 

            Achimenes (Ah-KIM-en-eez) may make a comeback.

 

            We haven’t seen Achimenes in any quantity for 50 years when it was a commercial crop for a while.

 

            A promotor of the crop --- Mickelson Greenhouse sold rhizomes of a few clones.  I remember a pink one --- Tarantella.

 

            So, if this is such a great plant, what happened?  An outsider always has the reasonable question: Why is no one growing Achimenes?  Does it have a fatal flaw?

 

            One big problem is that cold water plus sun on the leaves cause the leaves to burn and makes the plant unsalable.  Garden centers have learned to have warm water to prevent leaf damage.

 

            Another problem is simple logistics.  If there is no champion specialist maintaining the stock plants and producing the rhizomes, widespread production is stymied.

 

            The answer can be simple.  Nobody is doing it because nobody is doing it.

'Pip Squeek'

'Pip Squeek' - Micro-mini Violet

If you are a ‘Pip Squeek’, you better be good at something.

 

            We have Mini Violets that are equally as showy as their bigger standard African Violets.  Mini Violets are a very desirable category of houseplant.  They have flower power with all colors of single or double flowers and grow easily at a bright window.

 

            Hobby violet growers like to have mini or semi-miniature hybrids because they take less space so you can have more of them.

 

            There are varieties that are half the size of Mini Violets. They might be called ‘Micro-mini’, but they are seldom seen so it’s hard to know.

 

            I have one who says it all --- ‘Pip Squeek’.  It’s full-size leaves are smaller than a nickel, but it loads up with many pink flowers in a 2” pot.  This is not restricted as a bonsai, but genetically tiny.

 

            As with any rare plants, they are hard to find because there is no supply.

 

            ‘Pip Squeek’ has vigor and pretty flowers.  One of the smallest flowering houseplants will attract attention.

 

Achimenes --- The beginning of the campaign - Part I

Achimenes 'DOT' - Hybrid from Romania

Achimenes --- The beginning of the campaign.  Part I

 

            Will Achimenes (Ah-KIM-en-eez) become a major new commercial crop?

 

            No one knows anything about this flowering houseplant that can go out into your shady patio planters.

 

            When these flowering shade plants start showing up in your garden center, will you buy one?

 

            They will be premium priced like other new products.  But new is fun, so try one.

 

            So where to put it?

 

            Achimenes can be grown as houseplants at bright windows or under fluorescent lights.  Hobby growers start their Achimenes by planting their rhizomes, harvested from last year’s pot.  Rhizomes can be planted 1” -2” from the surface, watered, grown in warm, high light.  When you have 2-3 pair of leaves, pinch (cut the top off) to cause branching.  Continue high light until buds and flowers.

 

            But if you buy a finished pot at the garden center, this has already been done for you.

 

            Your flowering pot can be inside for decoration until warm weather of Spring and then moved out into your patio planters.

 

            Achimenes prefer morning sun and afternoon shade.  The leaves will burn if put in full sun.  It’s not like a Geranium, it’s more like an Impatiens.

 

The ending first

Achimenes 'Petite Fadette'

 

The ending first.

 

            Some authors argue that you should write the ending of the story first.  Then the beginning.  It makes it easier to fill in the middle.

 

            How should the Achimenes project end?  The goal is to create a new commercial flowering plant for the shady patio.  What would that look like?

 

            Major crops dominate international horticultural businesses.  They advertise continuously, they have big displays at trade shows, they have research stations introducing new varieties yearly.  But their categories are already established --- Geraniums, Poinsettias, Chrysanthemum.  Gerberas, New Guinea Impatiens, Roses.  The new ones --- Angelonia, Calibrachoa, Bacopa.

 

            Achimenes must start a new category.  Why have a big trade show exhibit if there is no supply?

 

            I see the end game as a regional introduction to a new flowering plant.  Achimenes in flower will be commonly available at Independent Garden Centers on the East coast.  Home gardeners will learn to love their cheery display of colors in the shade.  Achimenes rhizomes will be available nationally from retail eCommerce sellers.  The best Achimenes varieties from the World-class hybridizer, Serge Saliba, will be introduced every year.

 

            There will be one source of supply from the developer of the Achimenes crop --- Gary’s Gesneriad Farm LLC.

 

            After several years of regional success, then it will go bigger or stabilize.

 

            To go bigger requires a lot of muscle.  Competitors will take up Achimenes or the project will be taken over by big players.

 

            Only then, will Achimenes be shown at the big trade shows and gardeners will find their new flowering shade plant everywhere.