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Here comes Rio Negro from Royal Colors, looks interesting....

Comments (22)

  • lenanen
    11 years ago

    Indeed!!! Can't wait to see it open.

    Breeding plans?...

  • berkeleysgr8
    11 years ago

    An exotic beauty, for sure! She'll show her beautiful face as a welcome to the new year!

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Here we are, my Rio Negro and I am very pleased!! Hope you all like her too!

    {{gwi:441110}}

    {{gwi:441111}}

    {{gwi:441112}}

    ..and my kitchen window this morning...

    {{gwi:441113}}

    {{gwi:441114}}

    Just a little note about my Exotic Star. I bought another bulb this season as I noticed that other people's new Exotic Stars on this forum were quite pale in color. I was interested to see if this was prehaps the "new" Exotic Star due to possible tissue culture practaces. Well, the first 4 blooms of my new Exotic Star were equally as pale as everyone elses. But, the 5th and final flower on the second scape looked like a totally different flower, just like my original..much darker background and a deeper more saturated pink!! Happily I was wrong! I guess it was just stress, maybe the way these bulbs were handled this season. We all know what stress does to people...

    {{gwi:441115}}

    Donna

  • lenanen
    11 years ago

    I suspect it's your magical touch Donna :D They all look just glamorous!
    Seriously, you must have ideal lighting conditions for one, haven't seen a pale face grown by you ever.

    Rio Negro looks impressive, especially side by side with Exotic Star, great family resemblance.

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hi Leena,

    Thanks but.. definitly not any magical touch on my part!! I take plenty of pale pictures, I deleted most of the even paler ones from this batch but kept just a few for comparison. Here are two pictures from the same plant both taken with a flash which of course deepens the colors a bit. I just happened to notice that the paler one has frilly edges on 3 petals..wonder why I didn't notice that before?! Hmmmm...

    Donna

    {{gwi:441117}}

    I also noticed the similarities between Exotic Star and Rio Negro. I think I might dab Sweet Lilian on the one remaining Exotic Star and one Rio Negro..what do you think? Trying to keep things in the pink!

    I don't think I'll do a thing with Lillystar....

    This post was edited by dondeldux on Thu, Jan 3, 13 at 17:40

  • berkeleysgr8
    11 years ago

    Your flowers are all so beautiful! Rio Negro is definitely one to add to the wishlist! -Tina

  • bluebonsai101
    11 years ago

    What a lovely window!! I think it would be awesome to have a GH/conservatory where you could spend the morning or evening enjoying the flowers while watching the snow fall all around you......maybe a retirement gift when the kids are all done with college :o) Dan

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    That's my dream too Dan, to have a conservatory attached to the house..maybe some day. It's # one on my list of priorities if I live long enough. I've toyed with the idea of a detached greenhouse and that's fine in the good weather..once winter comes I always know that would have been a be a big mistake (for me anyway). Attached to the house it will have to be! I want to, as you say, sit in a chair with all my blooming beauties around me and thumb my nose at the cold weather and snow. All which are enjoyable as long as you don't have to go outside!!
    I'm happy you like my kitchen window..actually it's a triple window and between the wide sill and the counter top I can fit nearly 30 pots all crammed in!! No sun in the winter though but lots of light, seems to be enough for the winter months...

    Donna

  • bluebonsai101
    11 years ago

    Yeah, I have thought about a detached GH, but then you hear so much about bugs and problems with mold and mildew and such that it just sounds like too much work. I'd like to walk though my French doors and sit down at my table with a glass/cup of whatever and just enjoy the surroundings....maybe a nice banana tree to watch fruit....a nice tree fern and some beautiful flowering plants.....we can dream can't we :o) Dan

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    10 years ago

    Guess mine is just opening and will turn out fine...
    K

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Looks good, maybe you'll have some pollination success. I had none, not one pod on Rio Negro survived.

    What's that huge bulb in the black pot in the upper right?

    Donna

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    10 years ago

    It's my beloved ammocharis coranica....
    K

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    10 years ago

    Donna, your's has much more red. Wonder if the second scape will look any different? 6 blooms and 1 sticking straight up!
    K

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Kristi,

    Actually, mine did have quite a bit of burgundy red in it and someone that saw my pictures commented that they thought that mine was too red. So maybe there are variations? I was pleased with mine though, yours appears to be more on the brown side.

    My Rio Negro however refuses to send up leaves so I may have to buy another next year...

    Donna

    I just noticed the date that I posted this thread so that's over 4 months since blooming and no leaves! I guess I'd better pull it out of the pot and take a look....

    This post was edited by dondeldux on Sat, May 4, 13 at 10:12

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    10 years ago

    Yes, mine are red/brown. BTW those are a few of the 11 H. Reticulatum on the top shelf. They are getting big and are split between 4 pots now.
    K

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Wow! Yours reticulatums are growing so much better than mine!! They must love the humidity in your greenhouse, our house is dry...but my pot is surviving.

    I pulled all the dead layers off my Rio Negro and the bulb was fairly hard underneath and when I pulled it out of the pot I did see 3 roots about 3/8" long, so I think it's on it way! Yay!!

    Donna

  • mariava7
    10 years ago

    Rio Negro is produced for the cutflower market in Netherlands.I have always wondered why the bulbs I get of Rio Negro are so hard to keep and never bloomed like the glorious Rio Negro displays in Keukenhof. It must have a "preferred" growing condition that I can't seem to provide.

    Rio Negros at Keukenhof
    {{gwi:388281}}

    This post was edited by mariava7 on Sun, May 5, 13 at 18:14

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Beautiful! Those appear more towards the brown side like Kristi's...

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    10 years ago

    Donna... my H. Reticulatum have never been in the greenhouse. They have been growing under the lights in the bedroom since I got them. I just moved that bigger pot to the kitchen window.
    K

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    10 years ago

    The one facing straight up is just odd looking!

    This post was edited by kaboehm on Tue, May 7, 13 at 10:50

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Hey, It looks like your picture is upside down!! Could that be why it looks strange..all the blood is running to it's head!

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    10 years ago

    Could be! hehehehe....didn't look wrong on my camera! Dang camera!!l
    Next scape is ready to open...
    K

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