Non-veg query - cuphea
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
Hope you'll excuse a non-veg question. I went on a garden society trip to Savill Gardens last autumn and was very impressed with several varieties of cuphea (Mexican cigar plant) they had in their perennial borders. Books say it is a tender perennial, grown in this country as an annual. I managed to get a packet of seeds, which germinated well, but the plants are very small and growing slowly, and I can't see them reaching flowering size this year. Do you think the professional technique (e.g. Savill Gardens) might be to start them in year one and over-winter in a frost-free environment before planting out in year two? Or keep them going with cuttings or divisions?
Hi Ken,
This plant is strictly an annual so I have great doubts that what you suggest is the way to go.
Being a plant that is widely grown in Hawaii it is used to a far greater light level and certainly more sunshine than we are getting at the present time.
I would think that the garden that you visited have the right facilities to grow them quite large before planting out.
I certainly wouldn't give up on them and if you manage to get them to flower this year this would in itself be a very great achievment.
I think it a case of right plant but wrong year.
Best of luck in your endeavour.
JB.
This plant is strictly an annual so I have great doubts that what you suggest is the way to go.
Being a plant that is widely grown in Hawaii it is used to a far greater light level and certainly more sunshine than we are getting at the present time.
I would think that the garden that you visited have the right facilities to grow them quite large before planting out.
I certainly wouldn't give up on them and if you manage to get them to flower this year this would in itself be a very great achievment.
I think it a case of right plant but wrong year.
Best of luck in your endeavour.
JB.
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FelixLeiter
- KG Regular
- Posts: 830
- Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 12:18 pm
- Location: East Yorkshire
Cuphea ignea is the species usually grown. It is a perennial which we treat as an annual; it's almost a shrub — a sub-shrub, as it's known in the trade. Like many tender perennials which we treat as annuals, it requires sowing very early, much like Geraniums which we used to overwinter from cuttings but are nowadays (mostly) raised afresh from seed each year. The seeds are sown as early as January. I expect that indeed Savill Gardens do propagate their plants from overwintered cuttings. You could maybe do this, too. I should continue to grow on your seedlings and they have every chance of flowering this year, it just might be rather late in the season. Retain the most robust of your plants and keep them frost-free over winter. You can then take cuttings from these for a display next year.
Allotment, but little achieved.
Hi Felix,
Strictlly speaking in it's natual environment Cuphea Ignea is a perennial.
It is most certainly as a grown plant in this climate an annual.
Savill Gardens may have the facilities to take cuttings and from those over wintered cuttings take further cuttings and plant them out in this climate when all fear of frost has gone.
If you were to leave that plant out during our winter it would not live.
So in this climate it is classed as strictly an annual.
Most gardeners in this country do not have the facilities to accommodate such a plant.
JB.
Strictlly speaking in it's natual environment Cuphea Ignea is a perennial.
It is most certainly as a grown plant in this climate an annual.
Savill Gardens may have the facilities to take cuttings and from those over wintered cuttings take further cuttings and plant them out in this climate when all fear of frost has gone.
If you were to leave that plant out during our winter it would not live.
So in this climate it is classed as strictly an annual.
Most gardeners in this country do not have the facilities to accommodate such a plant.
JB.
JB.