Achimenes, The Beginning of the Campaign, Part VIII

Achimenes 'Petite Fadette' in small pot by Kerri

 

What if we could get Achimenes to flower short in a small pot?

 

            Our hybridizer, Serge Saliba, has varieties selected that are considered to be miniature.  The varieties, ‘Petite Fadette’, ‘Little Lulu’, and ‘Petite Marquise’ have small crisp flowers.  They appear to flower quickly so we hope we can have flowers before the plant gets too tall for a 2.5” pot.

 

            An Achimenes in a 2.5” pot is horticulturally sound when you want a cute little spot of color.  Long term as a summer plant, it can be repotted into a bigger pot so it can go longer between watering and maintain itself better.

 

            Achimenes are not known and, for sure, a miniature Achimenes has never been seen at a U. S. garden center.

 

            We know that small flowering houseplants are scooped up quickly.  Our newly added plants of Mini Cyclamen, Mini Violets and Exacum are special treats for indoor gardeners.

 

            If Mini Achimenes can be perfected, everyone will want one.

Vietnamese Violets are here !

Metapetrocosmea tamiana by Dibley's

 

Vietnamese Violets are here for the World to see.

 

It’s not often that a species can be a commercial crop without any hybridizing improvement needed.  A species is how a plant is collected in the wild.  By definition it is true from seed, as all the seedlings look like the Mother.

 

            Why it has been overlooked is baffling, because it has it all as a flowering houseplant.  It can be grown in quantity from seed, prolifically generated from self-pollination. 

 

            We have a believable common name in Vietnamese Violet.  It’s native to Vietnam and grows like an African Violet with clusters of bright white and purple flowers.  Culture is the same as African and Asian Violets – Bright window or under florescent/LED lights.

 

            The botanical Genus name keeps changing from Primulina to Deinostigma to Metapetrocosmea.  But that won’t matter with the strong category name – Vietnamese Violet.  There are other Metapetrocosmea species but it’s unknown if they are commercial.

 

            It’s a nice plant.  Pictured are multiple seedings growing at Dibley’s Greenhouse, U.K.

 

            It will be accepted as a flowering houseplant, if the supply and distribution get better.

Achimenes - The Beginning of the Campaign, Part VII

Achimenes 'Petite Fadette' - Miniature

 

The Beginning of the Campaign, Part VII

 

              The development of a new commercial crop is absolutely a ‘startup’.

 

            One of the best definitions of Entrepreneurship is creating something out of nothing.  Are we creating something out of nothing?  Yes.

 

            Some startups are criticized for getting their sales and marketing ahead of product supply.  People want it but we don’t have any.

 

            Producing an acceptable commercial crop of Achimenes is proving to be harder than it looks.  The techniques for stock build up are being learned as we go along.  There is no protocol to follow.  Hobbyists grow their prized Achimenes yearly with their own system.  They grow when they grow.  They flower when they flower.

 

            But it’s not the same as growing 1,000 4.5” pots uniformly to flower as fast as possible. They must withstand the rough treatment of delivery and retail display.

 

            We will get it right.  It’s just going to take time.  If it were easy, everyone would do it.

 

            The clock is ticking.  We need something to sell this year.

What is a new flower worth?

Achimenes 'Blue Swan'

 

What is a new flower worth?

 

            I read a lot about innovation and found this story in Inc about a product that solved a pain point.

 

            “… Fivetran, which is today a fully managed data integration provider valued at over $5 Billion.”

 

            I have no idea what this is or does.  Nor, how it can be worth five billion dollars.

 

            If I have a new flower, Achimenes, what is it worth?  Everybody can understand --- New Flower.

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

Achimenes SRG 'Limoncello'

 

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

 

            The production method for Achimenes must be perfected.

 

            Propagation is either by top cuttings or rhizomes or tissue culture.  Tip cuttings require hundreds of stock baskets.  Rhizomes are produced after a long Summer’s top growth.  Tissue culture protocols have not been worked out.

 

            All of these are very expensive and time consuming.  The breakthrough may be the technique of shelling rhizomes into scales.  Every scale has potential to grow into a plant.

 

But, if this works, large quantities can be produced the first year --- 2023.

 

            So far, I have not been able to determine all the reasons that Achimenes failed as a commercial crop the last time it was tried. Production costs to build up stock may have been the killer.

 

            We’ll see.

I need 1,000 'Pip Squeek's

'Pip Squeek' - Micro-mini Violet

I need 1,000 ‘Pip Squeek’s

 

            Since we’ve discovered that the micro-mini African Violet – ‘Pip Squeek’ is a solid plant, what to do?

 

            How do you get 1,000 ‘Pip Squeek’s fast?

 

            They propagate from a leaf, just like the big violets.  Will we get 1 or 2 plantlets per leaf or zero?  The leaves are small and there may be losses.

 

            So, if we get 100 plants from 100 leaves, grow for 4 months to get 500 leaves to make 500 plants, then grow for 4 months to get 2500 leaves, etc., etc.

 

            In less than one year, I could have 2500 plants to sell.

 

            Life’s rule: “Everything takes twice as long and costs twice as much”

 

            Watch for ‘Pip Squeek’ sold in flower next Valentine’s Day.

 

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

 

                                                    Achimenes 'Yellow English Rose'

Achimenes --- The beginning of the campaign – Part V

 

            What marketing is required to promote a new flowering plant to retail garden centers?

 

            What is needed to introduce Achimenes to the gardening public?

 

            There is such a hunger for new colorful flowers they will sell themselves.  But, they say:  “Falling in love with your product is the doom of many sure things”

 

            The sequence of events is grow a crop, tell the garden center buyer you have something new, deliver to store and they immediately sell out.

 

                        But nobody knows what Achimenes are and what to do with them.  Horticulture trade magazines have no mention of Achimenes among the hundreds of color pictures showing the newest clones.

 

            Big budget brands promote what’s coming ahead of a big bang introduction.  Can a slow roll out work?  Put Achimenes in the store and hope for the best.

 

            We’ll see.