Crotons Junior Members

[Sergey]

Just from seeds. I’ve got them as a result of cross-pollination:

“Bravo” x Thai hybrids
“Bravo” x Stoplight
“Pagoda” x Thai hybrids
“Pagoda” x “Bravo”

Hope they will become Real Crotons Senior Members

 

[fawnridge]

Sergey - As you can see, most Crotons from seed are just green with the occasional yellow spots. Every now and then you get lucky and get some color or a weird leaf shape. I have 15 Crotons from seed (volunteers) that are at least 3' tall. There are another 100 or so that have sprouted recently. I watch them for the second and third generation leaves for color. If not, out they go.

 

[Jeff Searle]

Sergey - As you can see, most Crotons from seed are just green with the occasional yellow spots. Every now and then you get lucky and get some color or a weird leaf shape. I have 15 Crotons from seed (volunteers) that are at least 3' tall. There are another 100 or so that have sprouted recently. I watch them for the second and third generation leaves for color. If not, out they go.

Ricky,

Not so fast. True,croton seedlings usually come up with green leaves and some will show a hint of color at first. But don't throw these away after 3 sets of leaves if their still green. I hold on to mine for 2 years (large 1 gallon size plant) because I find they can still turn into something decent. Put it this way, just like Ralph Davis did when he sent hundreds and hundreds of seedlings down to Richard Krukonis from his garden because he didn't think they had any potential,.......bring them all to me, I'll grow them out!

 

[fawnridge]

Jeff - Bring some 1-gallon cans and a couple of bags of potting soil and you can have all the seedlings you like. Honestly, there must be 100s of them. Under Prince Phillip alone, I just pulled out 20 of them. The 3 best of the lot went into 1-gallon cans.

 

[Sergey]

Yes, I agree the major part of seedlings stay green. Others need good natural light to become colorful. My “Stoplight” never shows its true color, always green and dark, though when I got this variety it was excellent and colorful one.

Jeff, I agree with you, it takes time for crotons to reveal their potential. As for these young seedlings I can already say that high percentage of them will be colorful. Many Thai hybrids have green long and narrow first leaves. And those ones with twisted leaves may also have interesting foliage shape in the future.

Also much depends upon parenting plants. To get something distinguished, plants with quite diverse features should be hybridized. The result of spontaneous or self-pollination can be dull. Today we have hundreds of excellent varieties, big work has been already done. It only remains for us to use our imagination in hybridization to get something new and outstanding.

As for me it’s good luck to get seeds under electric light. There are not many opportunities for purposeful hybridization as two different crotons flower simultaneously rather rarely. It only remains to wait for a chance.

 

[Sergey]

One and a half years later…

One of the juniors. Bravo X Thai Hybrid.

The others are waiting in the wings…

 

[Crotonologist]

Very impressive Sergey!
Especially under artificial light...

 

[Sergey]

Thank you, they are a delight for my eye.

The reverse side is that my crotons start blooming when they feel exceptionally good or exceptionally bad. I've got the majority of seeds when the parental plants began to bloom under apprehension of their lives.

 

[Crotonologist]

Interesting - so any advice on how to make them flower?

Have you tried storing pollen in a refrigerator or freezer for later use?

 

[Sergey]

Once I kept pollen in the fridge for several days before crossing, but hadn’t got any seeds then. I haven’t tried ever again.

It seems to me that temporary temperature fall (about 5°C for 1 – 2 weeks) forces my croton dwarves to think over producing offsprings.