Tropaeolum 2012

[bulborum]

Congratulations
maybe you have some pictures

The Tropaeolum moritzianum seeds you send are over two  meter high now
not a single but to see
but it looks promising

Roland

[Roma]

Jean-Patrick,  I found seed in a box in the fridge of Tropaeolum hookerianum ssp. austropurpureum, collected in 2007.  I sowed the 4 seeds on July 12th and noticed today that one has germinated.  I still have the pot where I sowed a few seeds in June 2007 but none ever germinated.   I think I did notice in the past that old seed of Tropaeolum azureum germinated better than fresh.

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hello Roma,
Your report is also very strange as we might think that fresh new seeds would perform better than old ones. When we get a batch of seeds there's also another problem: are all the seeds viable? One plant might set both. When receiving or harvesting seeds how can we know which ones are infertile and which ones are going to germinate?
Can anybody in this forum give keys to this crucial problem?
JP

[fleurbleue]

Jean Patrick, I'm used to put old seeds in a glass of water for 24-48 h to check their fertility. Good seeds generally fall down and I discard all floating seeds. But I don't know if it's a good way for Trop. seeds 

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hello Fleur Bleue,
Thank you for your advice. Would it be interesting then to sow both kind of seeds in different pots and check whether the ones which kept floating could finally germinate?
JP

[Jupiter]

Last year I added T.peltophorum and T.moritzianum to my collection, and surprisingly both look like they are going to persist through winter and continue this season... is this normal for these species? I expected them both to act like annuals.

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hello Jupiter,
Remember that some plants are considered as annuals. But they're in fact tender perennials. Tr MAJUS for example is grown as an annual and is killed by frosts. It may survive under protection of a cool green house and go on flowering. This might also be the case of Tr PELTOPHORUM & Tr MORITZIANUM.
JP

[bulborum]

It looks as the Tr MORITZIANUM  you send me , soon flowers

Roland

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hello,
Some new pictures for the Tropaeolum topic: Tropaeolum ARGENTINUM is now flowering on my balcony. It has invaded the small space where it has been sown...
JP

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hello,
Here are pics of the tropaeolum grown in Lyon's BG ( in a glass house ).
There aren't flowers yet ( a few on Tr ARGENTINUM ).
The plants all have a huge growth and are checked twice a week to prevent them from invading the roof of the glass house.

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Another photo taken on my plant. The flower buds are really extraordinary.
Seeds are beginning to appear as the flowers are much loved by all kind of bees.
JP

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hi,
I can't resist from posting a few more pics of Tr ARGENTINUM. It is so lovely...

[Paul T]

Jean-Patrick,

It certainly is lovely, and I don't blame you for showing more pics of it.    So very different to any of the Tropaeolums I've seen in person.  Thanks so much for the pics.

[Jupiter]

Hi Paul, have you seen or do you have Tr. peregrinum? I can send you seed if you like.. it's an easy species to grow.

[Paul T]

Jupiter,

I've seen pics here and other forums, but never in person.  I've not had much luck with Trop seeds unfortunately.  I did manage to get one brachyceras to germinate years ago and it grew and flowered a few times before succumbing to the last couple of wet years.  T. azureum never germinated unfortunately.  Not sure whether they're going to work for me, so probably better to give them to a home of someone who'll succeed.