'Li'l Georgie' will be back soon

1,000 Sinningia 'Li'l Georgie' ready for pick up at Dan River Plants

Story # 128,

            Sinningia ‘Li’l Georgie’ will be back on the availability list soon.

            The production of the best ‘Mini’ flowering plant for Miniature Gardens is 100% dependent on the success of tissue culture propagation.

            When I lost my source of a lab with the tragic death of Dr Jon Lindstrom at the University of Arkansas, I had to start over.

            Through the recommendation of Matt Taylor, Ph.D., Research Coordinator at Longwood Gardens, I found Dan River Plants in Danville, VA.  Mark Osborne, general manager, agreed to attempt to establish S. ‘Li’l Georgie’ in culture and ship me unrooted plantlets.  We now have the second batch of 1,000 and finished flowering plants will be growing out soon.

            Indoor gardeners are looking for the perfect small flowering plant ---- The supply line is fixed.

'Li'l Georgie' shows up at the Philadelphia Flower Show

Blue ribbon terrarium by Lynn Cook & Troy Ray

Story # 127,

            The area at the Philadelphia Flower Show that displays specimen plants for judging is the most interesting to me.  It’s amazing that so many hobbyists devote the energy required to grow top quality plants and manage the entry process with the hope of a blue ribbon prize.

            This year the challenge class was Sinningia‘Li’l Georgie’.  The plants are distributed through Meadowbrook Farm in the Fall and the challenge is to grow it to perfection for the March show.  15 – 20 were entered and were grown well.

            More ‘Georgie’s’ were shown off in the big terrarium class by Lynn Cook and Troy Ray.  The terrarium had Hemizygia ‘Candy Kisses’, Selaginella ‘Brownii’ and Sinningia ‘Li’l Georgie’.  It earned the Blue as it was excellent.

            Lynn and Troy also had a domed terrarium with a cluster of S. ‘Li’l Georgie’.

            There is a category for returning challenge plants from previous years.  Sinningia ‘Prudence Risley showed up there.  I hope some ‘Li’l Georgie’ can return in next years show.

When can we have water everywhere we want it?

Water when we want it

Story # 126,  O. T.

            The question to the economist was: ‘With the drought in Southern California, will we have to decrease immigration?’, implying that there isn’t enough water for all the people.

            The brilliant answer by Bryan Caplan  was ‘No, just raise the price of water’

            My idea to drain the Ocean, converting salt water to fresh water and pumping it inland can solve water shortages.  The reason it hasn’t happened is because water is often free or distributed at a very low cost.

            Consider if water was equal to gasoline in scarcity and demand, there would not be any water rationing during droughts.

            If water was four dollars a gallon, there would be an infrastructure for water equal to a gas station on every corner and water would not be in short supply.

            If in California, Agriculture uses 80% of the water and water prices go up to insure supply, then Strawberries will cost more but crop failure from drought will not happen.

You're going to miss me when...

Sinningia 'Li'l Georgie'

Story # 125,

            You’re going to miss me when I’m gone!

            This is a ditty that will get in your head.  I’ve found various versions of this cup song but I listen to Anna Kendrick.  She will pep you up.

            Seth Godin preaches to create something of significance, something different.  But how will you know?  He says to make it so the people will talk about it and they will miss you when you’re gone.

            When I did not have plants for sale from 2008 to 2011, did anyone miss me?  I don’t know.  But when I started producing some of the same plants that I had before from Hunter’s Greenhouse, they were easy to sell because no grower had come in to take my place.

            Sinningia ‘Li’l Georgie’ is still unknown to the Miniature Garden market.  It is a leap of faith to say that you’re going to miss ‘Georgie’ when it’s gone.

            2014 will be the year that Sinningia ‘Li’l Georgie’ will be tested with adequate supply.  There will be some demand and Garden Centers will talk about it.

            If there are repeat orders than that could prove that ‘they’re going to miss ‘Georgie’ when he’s gone.’

Flower color is the only thing that matters.

Streptocarpus 'Wow'

Story # 124, Part X, Final in a series,

Flower color is the only thing that matters.

            Nobody buys flowers they don’t like.  Flower color is the most important selection criteria.

            In Streptocarpus, every other variable characteristic needs to be optimized through hybridization and smart selection.

            If Streptocarpus is to become a major plant category it must have pretty flowers and be tougher than it is now.

            It can be done but will need a champion to pull it up!

Is Streptocarpus flowering seasonal?

Streptocarpus 'Harlequin Blue'

Story # 124, Part IX,

            Is Streptocarpus flowering seasonal?

            With modern Streptocarpus hybrids we don’t worry about day length to induce flowering.  They are day neutral and will flower at any time of the year.

            Some Streptocarpus species may be seasonal but it’s hard to know if it’s day length.  It seems to be more temperature related --- like cool nights or drought related --- rainy season.

            My observed conclusion is that ultimate flowering is in months March and October.  They do the best when grown bright and cool.  So grown through the cool winter, they respond to the higher light intensity of March, April.  Grown across late summer, they respond to the cooler nights of October, November.

            There is no reason to have selections that don’t flower year around.

Does anything count more than bud count?

Streptocarpus 'Cape Essence'

Story # 124, Part VIII,

            Does anything count more than bud count?

            The way to get big flower power is either big flowers or with many small flowers.

            Bud count in Streptocarpus is genetically variable.  You can get from 1 to 24+ flowers per spike (peduncle).  Buds are formed in pairs up the stem in succession. 

            Because we know that high bud count is possible, there is no reason to release hybrids that don’t have a reasonable amount (2-4, 4-6).

            The trade-off is flower size which can compensate for lower bud count.  Stem strength and length are variable too but we don’t pay much attention to it.  S. ‘Mary Sakamoto’ is one where the huge flowers are too heavy for the stems, requiring staking. 

            Sometimes you may have a flower with color, shape or size that must be saved.  But the variety should not be release with a bud count of one.

            High bud count is genetically possible so we should move in that direction.

                                      

                                       Streptocarpus 'Mary Sakamoto'