Tropaeolum tuberosum

22/05/19 - now this is interesting, I did an experiment to see if my tubers from my #tropaeolum-tuberosum would be hardy’ish outside, I left half in this pot and the other half in a bag of old compost in the loft - and the ones outdoors have sprouted 😳 so that’s good to know. In future I’ll just keep a couple of backups in the loft as they multiply like crazy like potatoes 🥔 #tropaeolum #tropaeolumtubersumkenaslet #mashua

Just looked up the flower & it’s gorgeous 🧡🧡

This is the one we all saw at Wisley last year Lexi, in the tropical garden, I think when Katie brightcolours was over. I’ll have plenty of new tubers by the end of the year so you can have a few to play with too 😁 @lexijane

Ooh fankoo hun. That’s very kind of you 🧡😘

What am interesting mix! Sweet flowers 😊

How funny. I was just going to say is that the one we saw at Wisley! Then saw response to Lex. Equally when I first saw the front door pots - I thought - that’s the lantana spot! Anyway please may I join the tuber queue! Xx

Hoping for more this year Rach, it’s daylight sensitive and doesn’t start producing flowers until after the autumn equinox and mines usually flowering in October and November, nice end to the year 👌🏼 I’ll see you some tubers 👍🏼 @rachelbrooks

Indeed, well remembered 😄 - I’ll save you some too 😘 I better start writing a list of plants to save for people otherwise I’m gonna forget 📝 @clipperty

Daylight sensitive..? 🤔 does it have to be kept in the dark?

Nah, nothing like that. It’s able to detect when darkness is naturally longer than daylight (think in September some time) and that’s when it starts flowering and producing new tubers @rachelbrooks for the rest of the summer it’s just producing foliage and climbing upwards

Yippee! Thank you Rich, That’d be great. Interesting plant, reading your notes to Rach xx

Ohhhh! Ooh how clever! That would be lovely if you have enough, thank you 😘

Last one tonight. These are the flowers of Tropaeolum tuberosum ‘Ken Aslet’, the same plant as the overwintering tubers I just posted. They are are terrific climber and then in late October they start to flower with these beautiful orange-red blooms (they are daylight sensitive plants, flowering when the light decreases later in the year). They went right through to early December when I then dug them up for storage #tropaeolum-tuberosum #tropaeolum #tropaeolumtubersumkenaslet #kenaslet #mashua

Photo from early November 👍🏼

Very cool!

Nice photo Richard. 👏🏼👏🏼

Beautiful flowers.❤💛

I second @jennlamaye 👌📸👌 Rich

The flowers are gorgeous!!! Have you ever eaten them? The tubers, I mean? @richard.spicer.7906

Splendid photo Mr Spicer 👌🏻😊

@mike.orford.5 glad you like it Mr O 😄

Nah, not yet - I’m worried I might like them and have no tubers left 🤭😆 , although at the rate they multiple I won’t have much to worry about getting more! @kimguy

Thanks everyone - will give them a good start off this year and hopefully will have a wall of flowers. They are great climbers and normally I plant the tubers at he base of a 10ft lilac bush to scramble up 👍🏼 @jennlamaye @leaskp1 @fisherman @Naomi126

Good luck, @richard.spicer.7906

I think I might have to give some of these away to friends this year, the harvest of these tubers this year was incredible! Considering this is only the second year I’ve grown them and I started with only one tuber 2 years ago 😳, Anyway - no that not spuds 🥔! They are tuberous Nasturtiums, otherwise known as that lengthy name on the label 🙊 they are similar to the ones you grow by seed, foliage is very closely related but flowers are quite unique #wintercheck

I forgot to post any pics of them last year (perhaps I’ll make that my final one for the night). These are also stored in a baggie with soil, perlite and air holes to help air circulation. They are also fully hydrated still, so really pleased with the results again 👍🏼👍🏼 - actually, interesting fact is that you can actually eat Mashua tubers, quite commonly grown vegetable in Peru and South America #factoftheday #learnsomethingneweveryday 😀

#tropaeolum #tropaeolum-tuberosum #tropaeolumtubersumkenaslet #mashua #tuber

How interesting! I'd love to know what they taste like.

Ah, yeah 😕 - I could have shared some of these with you Cyndi. If they were seeds it would have been easier to send overseas @cyndi

I’ve not tried eating one yet. Maybe after next seasons crop (likely to have a sackful by then 😆) I might try cooking one - will have to find some instructions online 👨🏼‍🍳 @gjones @JanelleRose

I wouldn't have been able to resist getting one @richard.spicer.7906 but then again, if they were good I might be tempted to eat them all lol

Forgot I also planted out my saved tubers of this Tropaeolum. They kept surprisingly well over winter with very little shrinkage. Kept in a dark box in the roof attic wrapped in tissue paper. Lots of healthy growth so far, but I'm expecting blackfly to potentially move in 😂. I've changed its position this year too - growing through the lilac bush - flowering time is later in the year, probably October ish maybe?

#tropaeolum #advice-tropaeolum #kenaslet #tropaeolum-tuberosum #tropaeolumtubersumkenaslet #mashua

Looks healthy Rich. Hope black flies find another host lol 👍👍

Me too Pearl! 🙄 @fuschia

I've harvested my first years crop of Tropaeolum tubers ready for winter storage. If you are not familiar with this one, it's essentially a nasturtium. It originates from South America, and were developed as a root crops in the Andes. They're also known as #mashua, although I won't be eating them. These will be next years plants and flowers. Like potatoes, they have eyes and this is where the growth starts from each year. I thought this would be a tricky one to grow but so far so good!

Here's a link for a very good website which has some useful history, growing notes and how to store over winter 👍🏼😀 #tropaeolum #tuber #advice-tropaeolum #winterready #kenaslet #tropaeolum-tuberosum #tropaeolumtubersumkenaslet #mashua

https://www.cultivariable.com/instructions/how-to-grow-mashua/

I was going to say they look like potatoes!

This was taken yesterday, the first bloom on my Tropaeolum tuberosum, and very pleased! Not sure how it will fair the next couple of days with the cold snap but fingers crossed. Another plant that produces tubers underground so these will be coming in soon 👍🏼 #tropaeolum #kenaslet #orange #tropaeolum-tuberosum #tropaeolumtubersumkenaslet #mashua

So beautiful - and completely new to me!

I like this one Richard. Unusual flower and lovely colour. Do you always bring tubers in ? 🤔🤔

New one on me too 🤔🤔 looks lovely 😊

@fuschia hi Pearl, yes I will this year until I've got more tubers to play with, then I can experiment with some to see how hardy it gets. I think in mild winters it would be ok if it was covered well with a mulch.

I've been waiting all year for this to flower, and thought I wouldn't see it. But noticed today it's got a few buds on it at last! 😬 #tropaeolum #tropaeolum-tuberosum #tropaeolumtubersumkenaslet #mashua

Oh the anticipation! Fab pic Richard 😍👌

Lovely bud again, (I love buds) 😀

Well worth waiting for 😀👌

Ok, this has gone rampant 😳 - I think I need to make a bigger wigwam before it starts to flower 🌱 #tropaeolum #tropaeolum-tuberosum #tropaeolumtubersumkenaslet #mashua

#wigwam #support

Ooh looks like climbing clover lol 😂

Please add photo when it flowers

...and look at it now? 😁 so chuffed that it even started to grow! I need to move it somewhere now so that it can scramble up and climb. One of today's task I think 👍🏼 #tropaeolum #tropaeolum-tuberosum #tropaeolumtubersumkenaslet #mashua

Looks really healthy Richard! Looking forward to seeing how it comes on!

Yay Richard it looks very happy👏👏

Looking good to go.

That's really coming on. Awaiting updating photos of the

flowers now

Sorry, I need a phone with bigger keyboard lol 😳

Cheers Ian! Just got to keep it away from the pesky snails! 😊👍🏼 @bigemrg

It certainly is so far Pearl! Just hope I can keep it going fingers crossed 🙏🏼 @fuschia

Thanks @lesleys56 😊👍🏼

Will do @LisaCampbell , hopefully budding in a few weeks i reckon 👍🏼

Morning 👋🏼 , I've been woken up at ridiculous hour by nesting crows in the garden so I'm now wide awake - thought I'd add some new plants to the database. I bought this little tuber as a challenge, not really expecting to succeed. It's a climber, like Nasturtiums, and has beautiful yellow and red flowers on it throughout the summer. I planted it back in February under cover in a deep thin pot, about 6 inches, in a moist but well draining compost mix......

(Sorry - just checked and I planted it 6th March, not February) #tropaeolum #tropaeolum-tuberosum #tropaeolumtubersumkenaslet #mashua

How come everyone can write on those tags so neatly and get so much in 😍😂😂😂😂😂 @richard.spicer.7906

@richard.spicer.7906 sorry forgot good morning 😂😂

Morning Rich. You've had a busy start. Have a great day😊😊

Morning Tina @tina

Haha @tina - coincidently my pen run out and noticed the ink coming off on a lot of them. So I've treated myself to a posh electric one for £20 off amazon which apparently the labels last for a good couple of years. I know it sounds a bit overkill, but I've got so many labels in the garden 😂

Cheers Mike, indeed I have 😀 and hopefully the sun will come out and play today too. Enjoy you day too 👍🏼 @mikethegardener

Well I'm trying to label every plant and plus I know that when weeding 😂😂 @richard.spicer.7906

Good morning Michael @mikethegardener 😍

@richard.spicer.7906 early bird ! Good morning !

Morning all , love this plant , cant wait to see it in flower 👍👍