Heliconia bihai brought inside 1st Nov

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Mick C
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Re: Helicania bihai brought inside 1st Nov

Post by Mick C »

Good luck with them, it will be interesting to hear how you get on.
Alexander

Re: Helicania bihai brought inside 1st Nov

Post by Alexander »

I saw that Sunshine-seeds get a nice number of Heliconias. Look at www.sunshine-seeds.de

Alexander
SteveW

Re: Helicania bihai brought inside 1st Nov

Post by SteveW »

Eyesha does a very good selection of heliconia rhizomes on ebay,they don't cost that much either,and if you're doing a big order she allways combines the shipping.
Might be worth while having a look.

Ebay Link
sanatic1234

Re: Heliconia bihai brought inside 1st Nov

Post by sanatic1234 »

Hi i am growing a heliconia latispatha for the first time. I have just been reading your posts. I just wanted to know how hardy these are and also i am thinking about putting mine in the garden. :D
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Dave Brown
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Re: Heliconia bihai brought inside 1st Nov

Post by Dave Brown »

Huge time gap here, but I still have this plant. However, have been told it is not H. bihai, as that is lowland tropical and does not do cool. Now I don't know what I have. Apparently it came from the original Mulu, and was sold to Don as the most hardy Heliconia for the UK, but was named by them as bihai.

Even in this summer without much heat an off cut has grown really well.The pic shows 20th June just before planting out, and 17th Nov immediately after digging out. I had to split into 2 to pot up.
2012-06-24-13-18-04 Heliconia 2012.jpg
Here it was planted out. Pic from 12th Nov 2012
2012-11-11-11-10-22 Heliconia bihai.jpg
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GREVILLE

Re: Heliconia bihai brought inside 1st Nov

Post by GREVILLE »

The only Heliconia I have is 'lutea'. This has been in the same fifteen inch tub for the past twelve years and most of the growth is now concentrated round the outer part leaving a hole in the middle. Divide and repot next year?

I thought keeping it pot bound would encourage flowering :oops:

Mine only came inside two weekends ago and this past week I have given it a warm winter holiday at my local school. After autumn cold induces some dormancy I always get a burst of new growth from the the new year.
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Re: Heliconia bihai brought inside 1st Nov

Post by Dave Brown »

I'm told for flowering treat as Musa, deluge of water and feed. Musa won't flower if restricted :wink:
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Mr List

Re: Heliconia bihai brought inside 1st Nov

Post by Mr List »

got to be honest on thsi one dave, it isn't much to look at atm.

surely it looks just like a canna or a ginger would be just the same effect without the effort.

have you hopes of getting it to flower eventually?
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Re: Heliconia bihai brought inside 1st Nov

Post by Dave Brown »

Mr List wrote:got to be honest on thsi one dave, it isn't much to look at atm.

surely it looks just like a canna or a ginger would be just the same effect without the effort.

have you hopes of getting it to flower eventually?
In the flesh it is totally different :wink:
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miketropic

Re: Heliconia bihai brought inside 1st Nov

Post by miketropic »

ive had a few types before..no flowers..so they were given away. I will try some again I am sure and will mostl likely remain with..no flowers. they do have impressive foliage in our hot summers here but if it never flowers I don't really want it. I have been told it needs over a year of uninterupted growth to flower properly. The large one at the local conservatory flowers regularly so I guess thats about right. I'll give em one more shot before I quit on them though.
GREVILLE

Re: Heliconia bihai brought inside 1st Nov

Post by GREVILLE »

Interesting comment, Mike. If Heliconias are to flower they probably need a minimum of six months heated greenhouse treatment. So, if mine were divided, generously repotted and kept in the overheated school for six or seven months there is the faintest of faint possibilities that it will flower :!:
greenbananas

Re: Heliconia bihai brought inside 1st Nov

Post by greenbananas »

Hi I've got a heliconia schiedeana at the minute, supposedly also known as fire and ice due to its robustness but can it withstand a midlands winter, probably not. I believe its originally from highland Mexico and some sources say its hardy to zone 9 or even 8. I'm certainly not trying it outside this year but maybe when it pups in the future. It'll be in my conservatory this winter but seems to have stopped growing since early Nov.
I'll keep you posted.
miketropic

Re: Heliconia bihai brought inside 1st Nov

Post by miketropic »

GREVILLE wrote:Interesting comment, Mike. If Heliconias are to flower they probably need a minimum of six months heated greenhouse treatment. So, if mine were divided, generously repotted and kept in the overheated school for six or seven months there is the faintest of faint possibilities that it will flower :!:

I have seen the large lobster claws flower in the city conservatory 3 times, mine flowered 0. I think if you keep them really nice and warm all winter in a sunny window and then get a nice summer you may end up with flowers/bracts around oct. I just never had the desire/ place to try the monster I had over winter. I would like to give it another shot though and possibly get some flowers. I think the key with all of us is to get the least tropical type possible. the one found as far north as you can get and we would all have better luck the one I had, live a mile from the equator :lol: I was fooling myself things I could duplicate those conditions.
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Re: Heliconia bihai brought inside 1st Nov

Post by Dave Brown »

miketropic wrote: I had over winter. I would like to give it another shot though and possibly get some flowers. I think the key with all of us is to get the least tropical type possible. the one found as far north as you can get and we would all have better luck the one I had, live a mile from the equator :lol: I was fooling myself things I could duplicate those conditions.
Sounds like you need to find H schiedeana then Mike, as they are the most cold hardy, and from what I have heard the high mountains of Mexico are not the sunniest of places. :wink:
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Dave Brown
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Re: Heliconia bihai brought inside 1st Nov

Post by Dave Brown »

Mr List wrote:got to be honest on thsi one dave, it isn't much to look at atm.

surely it looks just like a canna or a ginger would be just the same effect without the effort.

have you hopes of getting it to flower eventually?
Even Canna musafolia doesn't get near the size of leaves this has, AND I was not feeding it which I have now been told they love. I have been told to treat like a Banana :wink:
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