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judyj_gw

Question on Trailers: Pinching buds?

judyj
9 years ago

Over a year ago, I discovered trailers. Fascinated, I ordered two right away. These were Rob's Boolaroo and Gallwinku. Then, smitten, I ordered a few more last April.

The first two are blooming, and Boolaroo is growing well (Gallwinku also, but it's tinier), but it seems they grow so slowly. Should I be pinching the buds on them to get the crowns to grow more quickly? I must admit I have kept the flowers because they're so cute, but I would like to get them larger(trailing more widely), sooner if possible. My Amadie Trail trailers are also getting ready to bloom, as are my Cireldas.

I do keep them groomed to allow new crowns to get light. They are being grown under lights, using capillary matting. They are quite healthy, and are currently in three inch azalea pots.

It does seem to me I'd read something that says we do want to pinch the buds, but can't find it and thought I'd ask the experts here.

Thanks for any insight-I'd really appreciate it!

Best,
Judy

Comments (14)

  • perle_de_or
    9 years ago

    judyj, I am assuming you mean by pinching that you disbud the bloomstalks. I have done that when mine were very tiny to give them time for growing, but I have found trailers are very free flowering. I have Booleroo and Galliwinku too. They were rescues from a friend so they took some time to recover. Mine all took a while to start branching out, but worth the wait. I have also found that most of them prefer natural light. Some great ones are Kissaway Trail and Pixie Blue. Rob's Jindalee is also very nice. Optimara Little Crystal grows like a trailer and never stops blooming. My favorite trailer of all is Fiery Trail, a chimera.

  • judyj
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Perle, how long did it take for them to really start branching? I'm definitely getting new crowns for the grooming effort, but still in three inch pots...:-) I'll try to be more patient. The Booleroo and Galliwinku are over a year old already! :-)

    Thanks!
    Judy
    PS Yes, I meant disbudding! Got to get the terminology down!

  • Karin
    9 years ago

    I recently got a few trailers. The first one was pixie runaround sport, which I got end of April. I chopped all the crowns apart and rooted them separately, which gave me some 7 (I think) plants. None are past a 1.75" pot yet, but they are branching and blooming freely. The ones I put on wicks practically exploded with growth.
    {{gwi:372420}}
    My new trailers, I am going to separate as well, so I can "shape" them as they grow. Never occurred to me to disbud, the ones that do well, do well :-)

    Cheers,

    Karin

  • perle_de_or
    9 years ago

    Judy, its hard to say because they were given to me as mature plants, but other ones that I started from leaf took a long time. I try to use shallow, wide pots. I either buy trailer pots at my club or improvise with various plastic storage containers, etc,. that I burn holes in with a soldering iron. The wider pots make it easier for them to spread.
    Karin, that Pixie Runaround is just great. I have a similar one called Pony Ride. I think you are right about wicking them, I recently wicked one of mine and it seems to have taken off.
    Another one I am crazy about is Champagne Pink. It takes a very long time from leaf, but it is very worth the wait. If I had known that before, I would have purchased a plant of that one.
    Here's a picture when it was still small, its pot is an applesauce cup:

  • quimoi
    9 years ago

    That is very pretty variegation!

    I got my pan pots from Cape Cod Violetry. I can't say I've ever used them but maybe some day. However, they have nice smaller ones.

    Violet Barn has a lot of information that pertains to Rob's trailers, possibly it doesn't work as well for the old standard types.

    Diana

  • judyj
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    That variegation is gorgeous-almost like a caladium. What does one call it?
    I was reading on Rob's again, and he mentioned runners... I'm not sure these have runners. Seems like a zillion crowns all off the two main stems, a couple developing quite nicely with possibly stems of their own, but they don't look like "runners." Is there something I may be doing wrong? I'll try and post a couple pics this weekend.

  • Karin
    9 years ago

    I bought champagne pink leaves this spring, but they rotted near instantly. The person I got them from said their plant is ailing, but when it gets back to normal, she'll give me a leaf or cutting.
    In the meantime, she gave me a cutting of pacific pearl, which has rooted successfully. It is supposedly quite similar to champagne pink, only it is blue, which I actually prefer.
    I am getting pony ride from her in September :-)

    Karin

  • PRO
    Whitelacey
    9 years ago

    Judy,

    Patience.

    Linda

  • perle_de_or
    9 years ago

    Judy, I think the variegation is called "mosiac". I am not totally sure though. I wouldn't use the term runners, its like the stems kind of branch out, but maybe thats what they mean by runners.
    Karin, Pacific Pearl sounds lovely I will have to look that up. My plant was started from leaves and they took a very long time to produce. Its one of those plants that you aren't sure will make it, but then later suddenly starts taking off and becomes a very strong plant. If I ever lose mine, I will buy a plant to replace it rather than waiting for leaves. As with any variegated its best to try the greenest leaf you can get for putting down.

  • judyj
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    OK Linda and Perle, patience it will be and maybe I'll quit looking at them for a little while! :-)

  • quimoi
    9 years ago

    If you were asking about the variegation on Champagne Pink (very pretty indeed!), that is called crown variegation, occasionally called Champion Crown variegation because Ethel Champion had many plants with it.

    Champagne Pink (7945) 10/08/1993 (S. Sorano) Double light pink pansy. Crown variegated green, white and pink, plain, ovate. Semiminiature trailer

    Mosaic variegation is different does not just appear in the crown area. Ethel Champion had some nice mosaics too. It's not a Champion, but Witch Doctor is an excellent and common example of a plant with mosaic variegation.

    Pacific Pearl is listed as longifolia. I had it at one time but don't remember anything about it. Maybe there was something wrong with it; I did get some bad things around that time. It's also a miniature.

    My search in FC2 for a trailer with mosaic foliage only found 2 and I've never heard of either of them. I was curious because I couldn't think of any. (Lisa Logan and Queensland Blue)

    Diana

  • judyj
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Diana, is that what my NOID has, is Mosaic variegation?

    Best,
    Judy

  • Karin
    9 years ago

    Huh, I never noticed it said longifolia in the description for pacific pearl - for a minute there i thought maybe my plant was mislabelled, but none of the pictures I am able to find show anything I would call longifolia either....

  • fortyseven_gw
    9 years ago

    Karin and Perle,
    Beautiful plants. Thanks for posting their photos.
    Joanne