Dwarf orinocco flowering in Britain
 

So at the end of last year I was really hoping to get a flower this year on either my dwarf orinocco or dwarf namwah. I grow in an old commercial tomato greenhouse on Guernsey in the British Channel. Anyway we got served notice by the people we were renting from at the end of the year and had to move these in March. It really knocked them back and I gave up on fruit for the year and just took solace in getting them through winter well and keeping all my varieties through the move. Checked in for the first time in a week today and noticed something I’d missed!!! Any tips on getting the best fruit from here gratefully received!

Re: Dwarf orinocco flowering in Britain
 

That's really great! Congratulations!

Re: Dwarf orinocco flowering in Britain
 

Nutrigrow ‘Revive’ 15.5.30 is a high potash water soluble fertiliser which I find is excellent for bananas, citrus etc.
Available from www.agrigem.co.uk

Re: Dwarf orinocco flowering in Britain
 

I hope they finish.....for you....!!

Re: Dwarf orinocco flowering in Britain
 

Congratulations, unless you can provide heat those Orinoco fruit will not ripen after September.

Re: Dwarf orinocco flowering in Britain
 

Thanks Mushtaq; I remember you from threads on Hardy Tropicals many moons ago. Do you still have your huge collection?

I’m hoping I might get slightly longer than September - the sun does so well for us down here and these vineries really hold the heat, someone managed to keep cavendish pushing leaves all winter on an allotment near mine last year! Time will tell if it’s enough (particularly given this stem isn’t particularly strong post move)

Re: Dwarf orinocco flowering in Britain
 

Hi tai haku

Unfortunately those days of growing huge collections are long gone. I only grow what i can manage now.

If someone managed to keep a AAA genome Cavendish growing, which requires day temperatures of 25c to do well and minimum 14c over winter months, then a ABB Orinoco shouldn't have any problems.

If the p-stem is not strong enough, you most likely will have to support it.

Re: Dwarf orinocco flowering in Britain
 

The Orinoco and namwah flew through last winter. In a different greenhouse this year though so will be interesting (concerning) to see how we go.
In terms of strength I’m most worried about it having the strength to fill out fruit. I was very confident they were fruiting size but having moved them I’m pretty sure I weakened the pstem a lot by removing green leaves etc for the move

Re: Dwarf orinocco flowering in Britain
 

Cut the flower bell after the female flowers, so all strength goes into the fruit, also keep adding potash.

Re: Dwarf orinocco flowering in Britain
 

An update on these as at a couple of days ago

Re: Dwarf orinocco flowering in Britain
 

Nice job done!
:woohoonaner:

Re: Dwarf orinocco flowering in Britain
 

Hi tai haku

Congratulations on getting those Orinoco fruit to fill out. I was very doubtful the fruit would survive, what min/max temperatures have you been getting in the greenhouse. Did you add additional heating.

Re: Dwarf orinocco flowering in Britain
 

Thank you! I can’t hear it - and I haven’t monitored max - min temps (as much out of fear of what I might see as anything) but we’ve only had one frost so far this year outside so still very mild and I would guess not much below 9deg on the greenhouse. My passiflora cincinnata is looking rather sorry for itself to the extent that is why kind of guide. Dwarf Brazilian is absolutely flying growth wise at the moment.

Re: Dwarf orinocco flowering in Britain
 

Those are looking good.
It looks like the plant has some new leaves to pull it through till spring.

Re: Dwarf orinocco flowering in Britain
 

Wow they are looking great! Congrats! Keep us posted on the progress. How’s your Namwah doing?

Re: Dwarf orinocco flowering in Britain
 

Taking this as an opportunity to update on the full collection:
The flower won’t progress (it’s literally flowering 6 inches up from a cut stem) with no leaves) but the bigger stems are looking good but not growing as fast as they were in the old greenhouse. Their pups are doing very well though. The smaller pups I transplanted separately have not gone so well which I think bizarrely is due to ant nests in the roots. The pups on the flowering plant (which is on a big pot) are in my other greenhouse and look great.

Dwarf Brazilian is really enjoying itself growing well, good spacing between leaves and one sword sucker.

Rajapuri is not doing a lot but I think has finally got its roots settled in the greenhouse and ia ready to go.

At home and not yet transplanted:
Red Dacca (suspected) is sulking a little bit but pushing suckers
Dwarf Cavendish is doing ok
Superdwarf cav is a bit pointless; and
Grand Nain is flying in its pot