Firmiana/Sterculia colorata.....growing tips, suggestions, etc.

[BronxFatty]

Bought a nice, fat, juicy Firmiana colorata caudex, that will be delivered within the coming weeks. My growing season has commenced, here in the USA, and the Firmiana "bulb" and I'm told by the grower -located in Singapore- that buds are breaking, and new leaves will soon be sprouting from the caudex. I'm looking forward to start my next horticultural adventure growing this new plant in my challenging climate.

I have been growing, successfully: Uncarina peltata; Bursera fagaroides; Opercuilcarya pachypus; and Pseudobombax ellipticum. All of my desert climate, caudiciform trees are grown in containers, all are planted in a gritty, fast-draining substrate having very little organic material. I feed/water infrequently using Dyna-Grow Foliage Pro (diluted) mixed into water. Plants are grown in full heat and are exposed to full-sun throughout the growing season (Zone-7b New York City).

PLEASE....school me. Give me cultural tips for growing my new Firmiana colorata. I'm hoping to grow the Firmiana, containerized, using the same culture that I use for growing my desert dwelling caudex plants, but I will give the Firmiana additional water when/if needed. All my plants go into quiescence/dormancy as the weather cools down around the last weeks in September/early-October. These plants are moved into my house at this point, and spend the winter months with no water at the roots, but I do some occasional misting of the trunks and branches after all the leaves drop. Around the beginning of April, I start hydrating the plants by slowly increasing the frequency of the misting, and giving the dry root-zones some moisture. Usually by the end of April, buds start to swell and turn green and the plants are ready to start the new growing season. Weather and temperature permitting, the plants are moved out into the full sun during the day, and then back inside the house at night. This PITA in-and-out shuffle continues, until nighttime temps are warm enough to not damage, or set back the plants. I do what I can to extend the growing season. So far, I've been lucky.

[Stan]

Sounds like you have it down. I would just advise to not keep plants under potted Bonsai style. If you want a fat base,give the plant root room. Once it gets to a pleasing size,then I guess you could start to Bonsai it.
I lost some branches on my Pachypodium saundersii due to this winters constant rains. Even with a fast mix. So..cold and wet even if not frosty is a bad combo.

[BronxFatty]

Thanks!...Stan.

And thanks for the tip to forget the "bonsai" culture, root restrictions, small pots, etc. This is exactly opposite of what I was planning. I'm always puzzled regarding pot size vs. caudex formation, grow it hard, give it water, add organic material to potting mix, perched water table worries, yada, yada, yada. I'm appreciative for your added comments and admonitions. Thanks. The Firmiana caudex will now be planted into a much larger "training" container, that's filled with a quick-draining gritty mix

Thanks again for the interest, and helpful suggestions.

Frank
NYC Zone-7b