BCSS - Forum

... moved to C&S Plant Forum.

3 months later, strong regrowth and vines are sprouting everywhere. They look to have swollen nicely probably due to water retention. Feed and water right through winter, they don't seem to mind temperatures as low as 5 Deg C.

Here's some pictures of mine Mike. It's in a 60 cm bowl and lives permanently now in our unheated north facing conservatory as it is too heavy to move back to the greenhouse for the summer now. The temperature gets down to about 5C in winter but it has survived below freezing on occasions.I grew it from seed purchased from the Rowlands over 20 years ago. I had meant to write to Vivi to see exactly when they listed the seed but haven't got round to it yet. It's male but took 20 years to flower. The flowers aren't much to get excited about. The bowl takes 6 litres of water a couple of times in a week when it's in full growth.

and the flowers, a bit out of focus I'm afraid

I've seen it in Kenya




these plants with pale leaves with darker green veins are sometimes called G.lobatus but this isn't correct apparently. According to the cucurbit expert Joachim Beyenbach G.lobatus is a geophyte with heavily lobed leaves. The original description calls for a semi subterranean tuber and deeply 5 lobed, less often unlobed leaves.

Stunning plant Nick, something to look forward too. The worst thing is the vines; mine will be 20ft+ this time next year which take over much of the greenhouse. In all the plants I've got I never manage to get the smooth rounded caudex.

What a fabulous plant, Nick. Great pics as well. I've never seen the flowers before. I wonder if my Testudinaria would like the same sort of feeding...

Yes you can do the same for Testudinaria (Dioscorea), I add Osmocote slow release fertiliser to the soil mix. One way is to grow them in a pure draining inorganic substrate around the caudex and organic matter in the bottom of the pot. Then you can water them all year round (even if they do go dormant, but water at a reduced rate in dormancy) as it can be better than having to re-root them after dormancy. You may lose a few but the plants will grow larger at a faster rate. It is better if you can keep the temperature in the mid 70s all year round just to keep them growing and they shouldn't go dormant for more than a few weeks. Temperature is probably the most important factor in growth.

Please Mr Phil or Tony can you re-orientate my photos - someone took them as portrait by mistake. Thankyou.

After all the effort of bulking these plants up over the years, I was rewarded at yesterday's Gloucester Branch Show when I showed both plants for the first time. I entered both plants in the "Adenia, Kedrostis or Pachypodium" group which had a significant number of entries due to the breadth of the group.

I was very pleased to take first and second with these plants and an Award of Merit for the winning plant. Makes it all worthwhile.

After their haircuts last year, they have put on about 14 foot of vine which will now be contained on the peony supports to make them transportable. Growth is returning to the caudex as well.

Oh yes, and I got Highly Commended for my Pachypodium succulentum entry. I also managed to sell a large number of his siblings and children at the show so all was good.

Well done Mike, you must be pleased. Its nice when your babies win but often nice just to enter to show 'em off'.