Will columnea & nematanthus grow indoors?

14 years ago

Hello, I have some hanging baskets in front of my windows but there are trees outside so I get a little light but not a lot. I keep the blinds open so they will get whatever is available. Do you think these Goldfish plants will grow in those conditions? I have 6 little ones coming mail order in 2 1/2 inch pots so they are babies. What I'm thinking of doing is putting hoya in the big baskets then sitting the goldfish plants in little pots on top of the baskets so they will be potbound and the water can run off into the soil and be used by the hoya. Or do the goldfish plants like to be by themselves. Eventually when they grow big I will give them the pots to themselves. I am thinking of rotating them outside for a month in my tree and trading them with the phals then back inside for a month.

Or should I just keep them inside all the time. Thank you!

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Comments (11)

irina_co
14 years ago
Coyle -

they will grow - but they won't bloom if they won't get adequate light. Columnea - full light east window, Nematanthus - SE or SW.

To make these plants look attractive - you need to cut and reroot the tips until the pot will be full. You can just remove the lower leaves from the cuttings and stick in the same pot. They will root.

You can temporarily host your starters on the top of hoyas, but I would be wary of any pests your hoyas can have. Usually hoyas are the mealy bug magnets - so keep an eye on them.

For your new plants to grow big, beautiful and bloom you need to give them their own real estate with a light soil (1:1:1 - peat, perlite, vermiculite), regular fertilization and good light. These plants eventually will be better in hanging baskets.

Good Luck and enjoy your new green friends

Irina
coyle
Original Author
14 years ago
Oh, didn't know that about the bugs. thanks. Hmm, guess I could put them in with my moth orchids. Thing is I bought 12 big hanging baskets and have 6 hooks inside and 6 outside. figured maybe I could move them in and out sometimes or something, kinda winging it right now. I'd like to temp' sit those goldfish plants out there in the hoya's just so they will get big faster, then perhaps when they are nice and full grown move them inside for good :-)
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Gloriosa started out as a weak plant when I got it, then dried out a few times, and just was weak. Being out on a windowsill tray it was partially covered up, and just didn't get a good start. That can happen around here in the land of too many plants. I put it under lights but didn't repot; and I think the soil was old and not helping it reroot. When I unpotted it I found short but live roots, indicating that it was making a weak comeback. I think my repotting into moss will work, if I didn't set it back by all of this. I have grown gloriosa in the past, and had nice baskets with flowers. It can be one of the most beautiful species if well grown. Once I had a Worst in Show plant of gloriosa in a chapter dog show. It was flowering on long stems that were bare of leaves for the first 30". When gloriosa is grown from seed, the seedlings often have variation in leaf color--some will be all green and some will be bronzy red. The bronzy ones were once called "gloriosa supurba". I don't know why terrariums are being problematic for you. I didn't do well once when I had a large aquarium type with a light on top. It heated up too much. I tried putting a cover between the lights and the plants, but it still was too hot. I would suggest putting your terrariums on a shelf on a light stand, with the fixtures well over head. Or, I would put the terrarium in roomlight that is as bright as possible but not in any direct sun. I have done well with them as long as I didn't totally ignore them. I had good luck growing plants in pots within an aquarium in natural light many. But, I would ignore them, since they didn't dry out. One collection got covered up by a vigorous Begonia 'Buttercup'. That was about ten years ago. Upstairs I have a Nautilocalyx cordatus recovering from a bad spell of drying out. It is coming back but the leaves are very pale, and are very slowly greening up. I am taking care of it now, but need to repot and take leaf cuttings. I am not sure if I should try cuttings of leaves that are so pale. But, I am not losing this one--as long as I don't ignore it. I got back pemphidius recently. I have a little start in a pot, enclosed in a small ziplock and under lights. I looked at it yesterday, for the first time in a month, and it looks happy enough. Its tiny but I am going to take a few leaves for proping. A healthy leaf from pemphidius can send up multiple little babies--I once counted 7 from a single medium sized leaf. I would root it in a 2 1/4" rose pot (31/2" deep) in long fiber NZ moss, enclosed in a bag or in a humid terrarium, and on a shelf on a lightstand in a reasonably warm room. By "warm", what I really mean, it being winter, is not cold at night. I think it is the nightly drop that is a problem with these low elevation tropicals. They want a room as close to 70 degrees as possible (62-78). Here, I have the thermostat set at about 61, but the temperature in rooms is quite variable. Another idea I learned at a recent meeting: A member who grows terrarium begonias is using potting mix on top of sphagnum in her terrariums. But, the mix should be pretty clean--no packaged mix. I would use a mix of peat or coir, perlite and vermiculite in a 2-2-1 type mix (lots of perlite, not much vermiculite), and perhaps cook it for several hours at a low setting, to kill off any spores. Cooking will keep the mix from getting algae, moss, white fuzzy fungus, liverworts, ferns, and molds. Jon, rambling along
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irina_co
14 years ago
The issue with outside - is bugs. When you take them home - you need to treat them with something. You get mites, aphids, and mealybugs - and as I said - if you have hoya outside - the mealybugs will come in droves.

Outside these plants should be in dappled shade. Nematanthus will take more light - I saw Nemathanthus growing in baskets in front of the house in a Bay Area all year around.

So - it depends where you live - if you are blessed to live in a frost free climate - you can keep everything outside.

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coyle
Original Author
14 years ago
Yikes! I don't like this mealy bug situation. My goldfish plants should be coming later today and I don't know what to do with them. I can put them in a little bigger pots, soak them in some stimulator and sit them in my big hanging baskets inside but leave them in their own pots with the moth orchids though this will be very low light. Live and learn, I thought having the hoya's there would be ideal because it would be something for them to be around.
I have a light meter coming then I can know for sure how much light I get in here. It's coming from Hong Kong so it'll probably be awhile. I'm in FL, are you sure the mealy bugs will come, even if they are outside in shade?
How low of light can the goldfish plants tolerate minimum?
irina_co
14 years ago
ZZZZ! They are not Fish! They are Nematanthus ;o))!!

I would just pot them up a bit and leave them on a tray on the Northern side of the house. You need to take them home if there is a frost coming - depending if you are north of Sarasota - or south- then you do not need to worry. Water them in a way that they have a chance to dry before next watering and they never sit in leftover water for long. They will take some time to get used to outside - and then they will start growing. I saw them growing in hanging pots inside the lanai just off direct afternoon sun. Same about Columneas, these would like just a bit less sun.

If you keep your plants in shade - they won't die, they just wouldn't bloom. So - the question of tolerance is about your tolerance - why to keep blooming plants unblooming.

I do not know about having hoya for company. Usually plants want their own space and light and do not like competition.

If you want to use the start up fertilizer - or similar product - do not exceed 1/4 teaspoon per gallon. The reason is these plants are epiphytes, they grow attached to the moss-covered trees and rocks in tropical climate - and they are used to get by with a small amount of nutrients let's say from rotten leaves.

Good Luck and hope you will enjoy lush growth and tons of bright leaves and blooms very soon.

Irina
coyle
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for all the info. I am just north of Sarasota (used to live there) am in Brandon about 50miles north and a bit inland. The plants arrived yesterday (yea!) overall they are ok, the columnea gloriosa is in very poor shape and the nematanthus gregarius and chocolate soldier are pretty small, but the yellow dragon has flowers; the black gold and black pagoda are just fine. I just left them in their pots for now. I did water them with that stimulator before reading your post, hope they'll handle it this one time.
They are inside right now, I put them next to some orchids in hanging baskets. My Mom was over yesterday when I got them and she recognized the black gold nematanthus. Seems she got a cutting a long time ago from an aunt up north. Well, My Mom's been growing hers all this time in miracle grow potting soil. She is pretty good about leaving stuff alone and it doesn't rain too much there so I guess it stays dry enough. I won't do it though. Actually now that I know she likes them if accentsforhomeandgarden will fix my order I will buy her some for xmas along with a book and some of the right potting mixes. She's got a huge sycamore tree that they will do great under, I think :-)
irina_co
14 years ago
Coyle -

you have very strong gesneriad and African Violet clubs in your area. You are basically living in a gesneriad paradise.
Think about visiting their meeting and definitely checking when they have a show/sale. You will talk to people, get some specific advice about the culture of the plants you are interested in - and see how gorgeous these plants can be if grown with the necessary know-how.

As far as I know the soil people use in your area is based in Promix Bx with perlite and what not added. Miracle gro soil is not the best for these plants unless you amend it.
If you get in touch with the club crowd - they will give you the recipe.

Good Luck - and I am envious. You can grow sooooo many great plants there...

Irina

Here is a link that might be useful: Sarasota club
coyle
Original Author
14 years ago
Yeah, I might join; it's $35yr and I think they give you a bunch of seeds to get started.
I had to return my order to accentsforhomeandgarden. They wouldn't just replace the dead columnea gloriosa so I had to return everything. I really like these plants and now I am learning more about them. I am reluctant to go to a club because I do not have anything to offer. I really do want a bunch of cuttings though. Once I have some of my own I could join a group and exchange stuff. Is there any place on Garden web (or any individuals) that have cuttings or leaves? I of course have access to a wide variety of plants down here to trade. Thanks for the info!
irina_co
14 years ago
Coyle -

I am thinking you made a mistake returning these plants. Their prices are not really high, so you should just write off gloriosa... But it is done.

The main treasure in the clubs are people, not seeds. And when people belong to the club, they attend the programs, troubleshoot the problems together and share their cuttings. If you grow your plants well - you have to trim them, divide them ... it is much better to share than to trash all this.

It is an amazing and very generous group of people - and I am sure - they will get you oodles of starters and advice just because you are a newbie.

Good Luck

Irina
garyfla_gw
14 years ago
Hi
Have you ever attended any of the swaps in your area??
Check out some on the Florida forum. Take a pickup truck .If you have nothing to trade make it a light pickup lol I guarantee you'll bring home a LOT more stuff then you'll ever grow lol Besides you'll meet a lot of fellow gardeners with similar problems .BTW They often stuff you with cake cookies, assorted drinks and whatnot. Try that at the admission gardens lol gary
coyle
Original Author
14 years ago
Yes, that's what we've always done. My Mom always gives people cuttings and I kinda learned to do it as well. Like you said no reason to waste it when you trim back. I have my own place these days but she lives nearby and brings cuttings over and we give neighbors stuff all the time but just happen not to have these particular plants. Oh well I will join and go to some of these clubs. I really like them. Actually Irina I first saw one in a greenhouse in Denver when I was in college up there. The shop is right off downtown near colfax and the plant was $40 but gorgeous. I can't wait until I have some of that quality.
Thanks for the advice. I'll check out the FL swap forums. And my Mom says we don't have to do all that stuff for cuttings down here; just put them in pots and they'll grow.
Once I get things underway I'll post some pics of them all.

Will columnea & nematanthus grow indoors?

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Will columnea & nematanthus grow indoors?

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