Pink Passion

Hi Pete - I think I was a bit unclear, I have the P. racemosa. Should the plant bloom (this year, next year?) I shall keep the seeds anyway for anyone interested. We repotted it this year, put 3 or 4 tall bamboo rods in the pot and bound them together at the top, teepee style. However, the plant is getting a bit out of hand, is trying to go everywhere now. I wonder if snipping the tops off would make it bushier and induce buds? Anyone have an idea? Oh, we have it out in our Wintergarten summer and winter. We keep all of our plants in there during the winter, gets rather crowded especially when we put the Christmas tree up in there too! There are 2 heaters in there, set to "no frost" and they go on if the temps get down to 4�°C. No much, just to stop everything freezing. Otherwise, we do not heat in there.

 

I grew racemosa in a pot for a while and its one of those types that has a lot of flowers on one stem, must say, I didn't find it easy or particulaly free flowering in a pot.
Does it lose its leaves at 4C?
As I remember it grows flowering stems from the woody stem, its a bit different from other passion flowers.

 

Pete, my Pink Passion (as I call it) is in a rectangular concrete planter and today we have noticed one whole stem going on the ballustrade and not up and over the shed and trellis has suddenly turned crinkly! :( I've tracked the stem back to the bottom and it's joined to a very fresh stem. Any Idea! I will say I am absolutely induntated with white fly at the moment on half of the garden .... hosing, soapy spray water, flapping my arms around doesn't get rid of this. Could this be the cause! I'm getting to my wits end with this!

PS Thank you in advance!

 

Dont really know L of L what it could be, but unless the stem is covered in white fly I suspect its not them. I'm not familiar with the pests you get over there so it would be difficult for me to say.
Basically I haven't got a clue, sorry :rolleyes:

[ 10. August 2006, 08:24 PM: Message edited by: pete ]

 

Thanks, I'll perserve hosing (or flapping) ... the biggest pest here is probably me! :eek: ... and nobody else say a word! :D :D :D :D

Perhaps I'll just cut that section off for good measure!

 

Pete, true racemosa is a tropical species that needs a lot of room to perform well. It is evergreen with thick, waxy leaves and if forced into dormancy by cool temperatures, takes a very long time to get going again. The flowering racemes develop at the tips of laterals from previous year's growth so if you hard prune, you effectively delay flowering for the coming year. The flowered shoots can be pruned back by a half to two thirds, but that's about it. It's certainly not an easy species to grow and flower well in a pot. The best plants are grown in the soil and trained along roof wires in a moderately heated greenhouse where summer humidity can be kept reasonably high.

 

Well said Dave, I did have some pics somewhere but it was before I went digital, so I cant find them now.

 

Pete my passion flower is now 3yrs old still in a container although basse stems well woody now .

Last yr it bloomed for the first time two buds opended.

So far I have 10 buds ready to burst into bloom.
I bought the seeds myself from Holland while we visited keonhoff Gardens.

So pleased seeds germinated got 6 plants gave three to friends lost one still got my original and have pruned back many times taken cuttings again given away.

I would so like to plant out in a permanent position in the garden.
Through the winter it is kept in my conservitory as its heated my greenhouses are unheated.

I have been told you have to keep indoors for 3rs before hardening off.

Is it advisable to plant now or should I just keep indoors and put out as and when frost is gone?

 

Hi Scotcat,
Have you got a pic of the flower, open?
What variety is it?
The only reliablely hardy one in the UK is Caerulea, which at a guess, judging by the leaves yours might be.
Whats your winter minimum temperatures like up there?

 

Arctic to siberian, normally! Scotcat have seen a few Caerulea outdoors in Ed....are you further north? have 2 indoors just now, trailing out of buckets... too scared to try them on my balcony.

 

It wasn't much of a plant last year, makes you wonder how it even bloomed! - but a few of the leaves stayed on over the winter. Didn't have many to start with in the first place.

 

Remember this beauty from 6 July ...



... here it is today after losing it's battle with whitefly ...



I should say "was" as I've just come in from cutting it all the way back in hopes the roots haven't suffered and it will recouperate. As I was cutting it, swarms flew out into my face! :eek:

 

I'm not really sure L of L but there are some types of passionflower that dont like really high temps. They come from high altitude so like bright conditions but not hot burning sun. yours looks very exposed, to me.
Have you seen that particular type flourishing in full sun around your area?

 

Can't say I have, Pete. To be honest, I've seen virtually none except the racemosa. Then again, one problem is you can't see into people's gardens here like there and if it's on their patio or verandah, you're never going to see it!

The bottom metre of the plant only sees the sun this time of day as it's up against a wall which blocks the afternoon sun and the leaves there were all crispy critters there as well. The Pelargonium in the same planter (60cm x 28cm concrete) is fine (as far as Pelargoniums go with me) but is covered in whitefly as well.

You might be right. I'll go have another look in http://www.passionflow.co.uk/ and see if I can find anything about temps.

 

Oh, Pete ... you're right! Just went on passionflow and it says from New Zealand, heat sensitve, best grown in shade, temps 1-29oC! :eek: I've really crispy crittered it! :eek:

I'm glad I took that picture earlier so you could spot the obvious! Any thoughts of what could go in it's place taking the full sun all day on the top ... must be evergreen! Thanks.

I'll think I'll go have one of these before I try to salvage the root and plant it in the pergola!