Nicotiana

whats wrong with my nose!!!

 

Nothing!!!

From what I recall the best fragrance is from the tall white nicotiana affinis.

 

As HB I have not grown Nicotiana for a few years now. But I bought a tray that caught my eye outside the local Spar , these were Nicotiana Cuba Mixed . In full flower about 12" tall and a very nice colour mix . What other types do you folk grow ? Ideas for next year.

 

I normally grow N.Sylvestris but was too late this year...thankfully Kristen came to the rescue....fabulous plants IMO....

 

Here's the other that I'm growing.....................


It's a tender shrub or small tree - Nicotiana glauca. It can grow up tp 8 metres in height and will eventually produce these blooms....................

 

Totally agree! Sadly, so do the slugs. I have just one left this year thanks to the slimey critters.

 

All my plants are fabulous Loli

I don't go a bundle on the coloured "bedding" ones. My Mum and I grew "Lime green" and so on when they were all the rage in the 70's ... and Salpiglossis ... what a waste of time they are, lovely colour but just a spindly single stem (maybe they've improved in the last 40 years though!!).

I grow Nicotiana langsdorffii (loads of small nodding green flowers), but its on my list for reconsideration next year. Sylvestris we love. N. alata & affinis are on the list for consideration next year.

 

I only grow N affinis white as I've failed with N sylvestris, and I'm not very impressed with N langsdorfii. The other bedding varieties are either too dumpy or I don't like the colour range or they're not scented.

The big white ones are magical in the August evening garden, pumping out scent and gleaming ghost-like as dusk falls. Assuming the temperature is above the customary 12 degrees, of course.

 

What's gone wrong with them, for you? They seem to grow readily enough from seed here, provided I keep the slugs off the seedlings , but it would be good to know of other pitfalls I need to avoid in future.

 

Oh I don't know. I'm not very green-fingered, actually. I've had several experiences where the seedlings get off to a good start then fail to thrive later, and I think N Sylv falls into that group. I wonder if I over/underwater or starve them, or let the seedlings get rootbound.
I've had big fails with cleome as well. Never sure if it's me or the seeds or the weather or the slugs.
I'm doing reasonably well with seedlings this year, most things are still looking willing (except the basil).

 

Slugs ate my Cleome seedlings this year, and are always hungry for the N sylvestris. The N sylvestris grow large leaves, so I pot them on into 9cm pots "young" so that I can move them apart a bit easily, and they have enough compost to bulk up. Plus the leaves are very brittle, and I reckon I'd damage them a lot trying to get them out of a module - its hard enough to "fold up" the leaves event transplanting them from pot to ground. But I'm sure you know all that stuff