The Contents of My Greenhouse

My large Blow-away greenhouse is bursting at the seems at the moment, lots of stuff growing on or simply being afforded a little extra protection during the inclement weather. The door is always open and I have some shading up too so it doesn't get too hot in there. Here's some of what's in there at the moment;

Melianthus major seedlings just potted up today into 1 litre pots;


A young Tetrapanex


A Paulownia seedling


Young Perennial Foxglove 'Coffee & Cream' plants just potted up today


Erythrina crista-galli, now almost 6ft tall!! from seed this year


Also in there are my Hellebore seedlings in the shady area under the shelves, 2 large 5ft Brugmansias and numerous other bits and bobs. Some of the larger plants are moved out during good weather and then popped back in when it goes 'pear shaped' again

 

That's a fine collection in there Bilbo. Are they semi permanent occupants (except Helebores and Foxies) or are they destined for the garden sometime?
The fox glove - sown this year? To flower next year? Like the sound of that one,
Jenny

 

Hi Jenny, all the young perennials (Foxgloves, Hellebores etc) will be destined for the garden, (extras will be sold or donated), indeed after a few weeks of settling (as most have been potted up today) I will move them out to the outdoors to get used to normal conditions.

The young tender tropical stuff such as the Tetrapanex, Paulownia and Melianthus will be staying in there for this year to grow on strongly.

The Erythrina is moved out during good weather and popped back in when it gets dodgy, I hoping to overwinter it this time and then that will kept in a pot and put in the sunniest spot through the summer next year and then given protection through the winter again.

The Brugs are awkward, they don't like the sun at all and quickly wilt, as soon as they're back under the shading in the greenhouse they're a picture of health, so they spend more time in there than out.

Oh and yes the foxgloves were grown from seed this year

 

Everything looks a picture bilbo.
Like the look of the tetrapanex.

 

Are they getting pot bound? Need to keep potting them on, and letting them grow "flat out", to get them to flowering size [from seed] in their first season (in my, limited, experience)

 

Hi Kristen, they have been potted on, watered and fed regularly, they are in very large pots now that make them quite heavy.....these are Brugmansia arborea and I did read somewhere that they prefer partial shade and are reasonably happy in shade???, one of the plants had some form of problem with its leaves (something I posted in the tropical section) but that has now recovered and is about 5ft tall, the healthier specimen that didn't have the same problem is pushing 6ft now!!!

To be fair the area immediately outside the greenhouse does catch full sun for much of the day and that's probably why they don't like it there??

 

I grew some Arborea from seed last year, and had them in my conservatory (full sun after 12-noon). They did show water stress in the heat of the day, but I just gave them some more water and they seemed fine. They did drink a lot though!

I haven't read up about them needing shade, but this year they are in the garden in dappled shade and are flowering fit-to-bust, so that is probably what they need. Perhaps rig up some drip irrigation during the day for them? a 2L Pop bottle with a small hole in the bottom perhaps?

 

Good tip that, thank you

 

I messaged a company I got some seeds from in the US that specialise in Cannas and Brugmansia about this particular Brug regarding the wilting in heat and got this response;

"Yes, arborea is sensitive to heat. A friend sent two younger arborea plants in May. It got so hot here in the following weeks (100f+), I could not keep keep them from wilting. Into the second week, they were actually laying flat from the pot ); One did not make it, and the other is slowly recovering .. I hope will make it. I lost arborea before in similar conditions. They seem to like shade and more temperate conditions. I am usually fine here with those conditions, but this summer was not usual. I heard this summer the hottest ever since the 1860's when they first started record keeping.
All best and take care"

So its suncream or shade for them I think

 

Lucky for me that I have planted them out in a shady spot this year then ... mind you, no sun to speak of as yet this summer :(

 

Nice plants Bilbo.

On the Brug front, I'm tending to think its more to do with acclimatization to sunny outside conditions, its not been hot by any means this summer, in fact mine would, I'm sure have preferred more sun than they are getting.

Now the Melianthus, I find always wilts in full sun in the afternoons in a normal summer.
Mines not wilted yet.
The Melianthus that is.