Solanum Rantonetti

My wife was rather taken by one of these at the weekend but before we purchase one I wonder if anyone on here can advise on how suitable they are for pot-growing, and if protecting with a few layers of fleece or bubble wrap is likely to see them through a northern (East Yorks) winter? I'm not sure if putting one in a large pot would just contain it's size or restrict it to the point of strangling it? And in the winter, we could put it in the (brick) shed but we have no conservatory etc so not sure if the darkness of the shed would see it off just as much as the cold of the outside.
All advice glady received, thanks :-)

 

It grows well enough and blooms very well in a relatively small pot. Here's mine last year.......................


It was outdoors all winter and is bursting with new growth. So it'll be fine in a shed.

 

Wow, that looks great!

What size pot do you have your in? Does it require re-potting every other year maybe? I was hoping it might live happily in this kind of thing without too much need for re-potting - what do you think?
http://www.diy.com/nav/garden/garde...nd-Pot-Blue-Dia-35-cm-13588588?skuId=14059294

Yours looks like it's supported up a wall maybe? The ones we saw looked more like a standard shape with quite a spherical top - is this just a matter of pruning? How and when do you prune yours?

Sorry for all the questions! Thanks for your help :-)

 

Mine was in a 20cm Malay pot.

Probably, but see next answer................

If you ever want to get it out of that you'll have to break the pot!
I put mine in the ground a few weeks ago. I took a cutting from it last year (they strike easily in water) and I'll grow that one on in a pot just in case.

Nope - just huddles in a group of other plants;

I must admit that I absolutely loath standards, so I can't help. I suspect that to keep the shape and keep it blooming strongly will take a lot of effort though.

Lightly in the spring back to the new growth.

 

I had a humongous one in Bucks and needless to say they grow like wildfire here. However, in saying so, I think they are very strong growers once rooted and perhaps it would be a good idea to put one (a cutting maybe) in the ground in a south-facing environment and see what happens.

To me gardening is always trial and error trying to do tropical in a semi-tropical environment .... a lot of both, especially since I moved here but you have to persevere if you want what you want .... if you know what I mean?

Good luck.

 

Totally agree, apart from here we lack even the semi-tropical bit! Getting one plant to bloom here that shouldn't makes up for the other ten failures!

 

Wow, beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing :-)

I'm not a big fan of standards either but the spot I have in mind won't allow for trellising etc. Does it spread quite a lot? If so I reckon I either need to keep it well pruned or think again.

Why do you say that? Because of the shape of the pot? (Sorry, I really am a gardening amateur!). Unless it will tolerate fullish shade (I'm guessing not judging by your sunny pics) then I won't be able to put mine in the ground, so maybe it's unrealistic to expect to keep it in a pot ad infinitum?

What's the technique for this please? Just take off a healthy shoot, about 6" maybe, and put somewhere warm in some water until it starts to show signs of needing planting?

 

No heed for trellis - it's self supporting in my experience.

Yes.

Not really. Pot up to a sensible sized pot when it needs it and give it a chop in the spring.

Pretty much exactly that. I take semi ripe cuttings of about 6", trim with a very sharp knife to just below a leaf node and stick it in a bottle/glass of water. Remove any large leaves whilst it roots. When there's a healthy set of roots pot up.

 

I had Solanum crispum 'Glasnevin' for a few years , this had a nice show of flowers . Now I have seen Solanum Rantonetti when on holiday in Turkey, never knew it could grow here. Its a lovely plant , I may try one myself this year.

 

It was fine with the last winter, but 2012/13 might have been a different story. But I suspect that a dry shed with a bit of light would be enough.

 

You've convinced me :-) Going to pop out and get one after payday, thanks for all your guidance.

 

They have some nice variegated ones (Solanum rantonnetii variegata) at East Ruston Old Vicarage. I think it looks smashing as a standard (sorry lousy photo, cropped from a photo taken from a distance)


Not sure if they would be OK outside though - even wrapped with fleece. I have one here, came from www.CGF.net (Bob's Score=8 ) for £7 I think.

and these, somewhat large!!, ones (not sure if S. rantonnetii though?)







I also like Solanum laciniatum - this grown (yr 1 from seed) in my garden.





not killed by frost last Winter (first time ever I think??) so expecting it to be HUMONGOUS this year!

You can grow Solanum rantonnetii from seed (not the variegated one though), others worth trying include Solanum laciniatum and also Solanum aviculare, S. hispidum, S. quitoense and perhaps S. seaforthia

 

I like that too!

 

I think you introduced me to it and gave me some seed? If not I am pretty sure it was a kind GC soul

 

Nope - not me.