Rojasianthe superba

[charlie]

This tree daisy has been flowering here since 26th March, and looks as if it may now have finished for this year, so two and a half months. I have to say I was to start with thinking it was just a curiosity but I have become quite fond of it, I am thinking I will now chop it hard and put it out for the summer. It topped out at about 10' feet so its manageable, it presently has lots of seed heads but I suspect as its been in the tea room the pollination may have been poor (anyway its very easy from cuttings!)

001 by charliepridham, on Flickr

The Podachaenium has better leaves and is less stressed if it gets a bit dry but has yet to flower, I followed Chad's lead and chopped it hard a while back and it is just coming back into leaf

[AndyC]

That is lovely. I'm getting rather smitten by these tree daisies especially since my swap with Chad. The Podachaenium stem cuttings he gave me have grown some leaves but as yet no roots. I found with my Montanoa that it took along time to produce roots. Any tips for speeding them up?
The Montanoa cutting I originally brought back from Madeira is back out in the garden and has put on all the height I had to take off to get it in the Polytunnel, up to 2M again. Chad also gave me a seedling of Tithonia diversifolia which is growing like the clappers, already 40cm high and bushy. :D

[Chad]

I have a cutting given to me that is still alive of the Rojasianthe. I seem to be very good at killing it!

The Podachaenium is easy though. Cuttings iI took at the same time as those I posted to you have been potted on. Soft growth and old hard both seem to root easilly; both in a propagator and on an open bench. Open compost and never allowed to dry out [on the open bench they have stood in 1cm of water].

I planted a Podachaenium out in the poly tunnel and it looks happier than it managed ina pot.




Chad.

[charlie]

Thats alot more leaf coverage than the pot grown ones, I notice the positioning of the chair so that the plant will gently shade you and the gin&tonic (I wont point out the obvious flaw in your plan :)

[AndyC]

Thanks Chad, I don't think I've been giving them enough moisture, enough to keep the cuttings alive but not enough to allow them to root quickly.

[Chad]

Well I’ve killed the Rojasianthe again!

The Podachaenium has started to push the polytunnel out of shape though.



Drastic action was needed.





Chad.

[AndyC]

Well I’ve killed the Rojasianthe again!
Chad.

Bad luck!
The Podachaenium cuttings you gave me are now 1M high and growing fast. The Montanoa hibiscifolia are doing well and the Tithonia diversifolia seedling is in a 7.5L pot and over 2M tall. I'm going to need a bigger polytunnel.

[charlie]

That Podachaenium in the ground is so much more impressive than mine in a pot but it has the look of a plant that would throw in the towel sometime around November?

I have a small Rojasianthe superba if you want to try again Chad?

[Chad]

I have a small Rojasianthe superba if you want to try again Chad?

Yes please.

I want to try it in the soil in the tunnel.

Rob Senior overwintered both it and the Podachaenium outside last winter and he is only 15 miles away! I'm hoping that the tunnel will compensate for me not having moved the extra [but so critical] miles west!

Chad.