Cindy's Heart

[Doll]

Actually my CH has been the fastest growing cultivar for me. I'm always a little surprised when you say it is a slow grower. Maybe it just likes the heat here in Texas.

[Charlie]

I agree, it does seem to be a heat lover. I'm glad to hear yours is vigorous.

Charlie

[blupit007]

Hi Charlie,  Thought I would give you an update on the seedlings.  They are happy and I haven't lost any.  I do however have some interesting leaves that I though you should see.  As I have never done this, I don't know if this is just normal?  Or maybe it is something I should be worried about.  The big one is the biggest of the 3 CH seedlings.  The other is the funniest looking red leaves from a Saffron X Belle.  Check it out.

[Charlie]

Hi Kristin. The leaves are pretty, aren't they? Their appearance is entirely normal, nothing to worry about. It would be quite interesting if hibiscus would continue to make these colorful leaves as they mature, but they don't. As the seedlings grow older the colors will become all green and with very few exceptions the leaves will change in shape to the type you are familiar with. This happens most of the time before the first flower is seen.

You probably noticed that we were excited over the last couple of years by discovering that offspring of Creme de Cacao will sometimes retain the unusual leaf forms that they have as juveniles. The leaf color becomes all green but the interesting leaf form remains even on adult clones of some varieties with Creme de Cacao as parent. We will be featuring several of these on a special page in the online store starting January 1 - called Fascinating Foliage. The flower colors can be anything on these varieties, but browns and blues are heavily represented along with a few pinks and even bright reds.

I'm glad your Cindy Heart offspring are looking nice and healthy. Next summer give them the warmest, sunniest location you can find and you might get a first flower before the end of summer. I think seedlings grow best in 2 gallon pots when they are making the final burst of growth before blooming but you could try other sizes, too, once you are able to put them outdoors next summer.

Charlie

[helixturnhelix]

Cool Charlie!  How many fascinating foliage varieties will they be? 

Kristen, awesome leaves, I had one that did that and returned to normal as usual

[blupit007]

Thanks, I can't wait.  Im excited.  Charlie, I also have some more seeds for you.  Just got a few off of my Baja Breeze pollinated by Simple Pleasures.  I was going to hold off sending you them as I have some more pods going right now.  Another on Cindy's Heart by Voodoo Magic, don't know if it is going to make it or not, and another by saffron, too soon to tell.  But I have one on Voodoo that is doing great by Cajun blue and also one going the other way.  Also on Cajun blue I have a Saffron, Space Oddity, and itself... and on Saffron I have a Tiger's Eye due any minute, and I just tried a Cindy's Heart (I have been getting more and more pollen off of her the more she blooms, which is weekly) Last but not least, I have Space Oddity on a Tahitian Taui, Simple Pleasures, and Albo... as you can see, I will need your green house and conditions along with skilz to pull this off!

[Charlie]

Way to go, Kristen! You're in the full swing of it now. Making seeds is fun and addictive! I like the crosses you are going for and will enjoy growing them out. With the cold weather it is safer to wait until a warming trend since seeds can freeze, too. To keep them fresh place dry seeds in air tight container in the crisper or somewhere in fridge until ready to send them. By dry I mean not wet with seedpod moisture but air dried for a few hours up to a day outside the pod. If placed in storage wet they will almost certainly be killed by mold.

Charlie

[Doll]

Charlie, the seed pod on my CH has started to turn color. Is this what it should look like as it starts to mature?
It is 10 weeks old now.

[Charlie]

Yes, it's ripening up fast now. It should crack open any time. The seeds usually won't spill out at first crack but you should check it twice a day or more until it opens. It's best to leave it on the plant as long as possible but you can take it off early if you save some of the stem (peduncle) and then place the stem in water until the seeds turn black inside.

Charlie

[Mike]

Hi Charlie
 I was wondering about when would you have some Cindy's Heart's ready to sell again I'v bean watching for that one since last summer. I'd like to kinda get an idea when to expect them. 

[Doll]

My first CH seed germinated today. Hopefully the other 2 will germinate in the next day or two.

[Charlie]

Cindy's Heart plants won't be ready until mid to late summer.

Nice going, Doll! Seeds can vary in the time they take to germinate so don't worry. 100 percent is very rare anyway but with fresh seeds you might get it!

Charlie

[Doll]

My CH seedling isn't showing any red in the leaves. I guess some do and some don't.

[Charlie]

Hey Doll, the seedling is healthy looking. Won't be long before you can drop that whole pot into a larger pot and put it outside in the full sun. It will really take off then and hopefully give you a first flower before next winter. I suggest a 2 gallon size pot for growing them to maturity. Smaller pots are possible but the tall seedlings tend to tip over or blow over in the wind in smaller pots and grow slower than when in the 2 gallon pots. Do you know the other parent in this case?

Kristen's red leaves will almost certainly disappear as the seedlings grow. Would be nice to get that variation but I've never seen it continue to maturity.

Charlie

[Doll]

I had 2 seed pods on CH. One was pollinated with Voodoo Magic and one with Cile Tinney. But I didn't label them and one seed pod didn't make it. So I don't know which one this one is.