Ti color talk

[Scott Mcintosh]

Dean, Back to Ti color talk. First pic John Cummins Aug 2 2009, second pic today. Same plant, same time of year, same growing location, same care but looks nothing like it did in in 2009 and earlier. The plant has looked like the second pic for 2 years now. It should look like pic#1.

[putu enjula]

Uh... three foot rule?
Is this the same ti? If you look closely some of it has a lot more green on it.

[putu enjula]

I was reading that potash can effect color. Does anyone out there have experience with that?

[Scott Mcintosh]

I was reading that potash can effect color. Does anyone out there have experience with that?

I have also read that "sulphate of potash enhances color". My Ti plants get what is in the balanced palm fert. as I have them growing among my palms. Maybe I need to give the Ti"s a little extra.

[putu enjula]

Never mind! I was wrong, you can't see the one that is almost entirely green except for the edges in that shot... sorry!

[Scott Mcintosh]

Angela, The International Cordyline Society site J.C looks like my J.C in 09.Something effects color, but I do not know what it is. The last 2 years I have not seen the rich colors in alot of my Ti plants. Maybe we have to look back to the winter of 2009-10. The ti's took a hit that winter to the leaves but not to the stems or growing points. I will get some other Summer 2009 pics and summer 2011 pics to post on lost colors for this post.

[putu enjula]

Great idea for a thread! I will chronicle my tis from seed. I have eight tis from a lemon lime parent and I am dying to know if any of them will have stripes. Some of our lemon lime have spouted out totally green sports... which is totally boring. I have had a Princess Leisha lose it's stripes as well. I will also take some comparative pics from different times of the year to see if there is much change in color.

[Scott Mcintosh]

Here is my favorite Ti, (well use to be) Maria. today / Aug 09.

[Scott Mcintosh]

Maria in Oct 09...

[Scott Mcintosh]

Jackie today/ Aug 09.

[Dypsisdean]

I am going to guess that like most things in life it is a combination of things - not to say that there aren't one or two primary factors. The reason I brought up any temperature correlation is because I have noticed this when it comes to the red color on new leaves with my Chambeyronias. Most of the times I see the most brilliant red is when the temperatures have cooed a bit. But not always. And I believe there is a direct correlation between temperature and the red and oranges in the brilliant fall foliage on deciduous trees.

[Scott Mcintosh]

I am going to guess that like most things in life it is a combination of things - not to say that there aren't one or two primary factors. The reason I brought up any temperature correlation is because I have noticed this when it comes to the red color on new leaves with my Chambeyronias. Most of the times I see the most brilliant red is when the temperatures have cooed a bit. But not always. And I believe there is a direct correlation between temperature and the red and oranges in the brilliant fall foliage on deciduous trees.

Dean, Look at this map of the Gulf water temps. The Gulf at St Pete and the Tampa Bay water temps are now in the low 90s. (my pool water temp is 89f).

[putu enjula]

Ugh I had such high hopes for this one from seed! It was so pretty with the red emergent leaves....

[putu enjula]

Scott, here's the one I was talking about... look familiar? Look at the sport!





Here is a lemon lime that lost its stripes...





I think this one USED TO have nice striping... now it is green.

[Scott Mcintosh]

Angela, That sport looks alot like my John Cummins now. Do you have a picture of the taller stalks?

[putu enjula]

Angela, That sport looks alot like my John Cummins now. Do you have a picture of the taller stalks?

Yes in post #2.

[Scott Mcintosh]

Yes in post #2.

It looks alot like J.Cummins.

[putu enjula]

This is only a few weeks later!! I am holding the red leaves in my hand and the new leaves are GREEN again! You can see in the fourth pic that the newest leaves are green in the center instead of red.

[putu enjula]

I threw a bunch of fertilizer on it to see if that makes a difference.

[Scott Mcintosh]

Last summer (#1 &#2) and now, last pic shows smaller plants growing under larger plants.

[putu enjula]

Here is one of my faves...
This photo was taken on June 2



And this was taken Aug. 8


Weird. I guess it is going to keep those new colors. It looked just like cameroon a year ago.
If you look hard enough, you can recognize the same exact leaves... they still have the same shape and placement.

[Scott Mcintosh]

Here is one of my faves...
This photo was taken on June 2



And this was taken Aug. 8


Weird. I guess it is going to keep those new colors. It looked just like cameroon a year ago.
If you look hard enough, you can recognize the same exact leaves... they still have the same shape and placement.

Angela, I came here to post, but after seeing this plant I lost my thoughts. I know that you are really heartbroken that it looks like that. So I will be more than happy to take that one off your hands .

[putu enjula]

I like 1 & 2! The light part is awesome!

[Scott Mcintosh]

I like 1 & 2! The light part is awesome!

I removed that Ti today and repotted it for a little TLC. When I purchased the potted Ti 6 plants were growing in the pot. Of the 6 plants 3 (the largest at the time) looked like the pictured plant. The other 3 plants were small, but those 3 took of in growth this year and over grew the pretty ones. Time will tell but I now believe the pot contained 3 diff. Ti's. The last pic shows the 3 plants left to grow in that spot.

[putu enjula]

Circled are the same leaf....

[putu enjula]

Actually I was very happy that it changed because if I remember correctly (it's been a year since I've seen it) Jerry and Cindy Andersen have that ti. Cindy is always so nice and sends me home with tons of cuttings of tis and other plants but they only had a few of that particular ti so I didn't want to ask for a cutting!

[putu enjula]

How tall are the ones left in the spot? I still wonder if some tis spontaneously morph or if it is just my three/two foot rule? I know for a fact that some lose their stripes which is very annoying.

[Scott Mcintosh]

Angela, The Ti plants left to grow in that spot are 2' tall.

[putu enjula]

When I saw that my seedling was pink and green I thought it was going to look like one we already had... glad I was wrong. There is so much that can vary... like leaf shape.

[putu enjula]

I'm going to chronicle my lemon lime seedlings... nothing yet!
Two pics each... the latest development is that you can see that the mid rib has turned red on the second one. I'm waiting for some stripes!!

[putu enjula]

Here's another seedling that I cut down to propagate two more from.... this tip cutting's new leaf is a disappointment... hopefully the white will return.

[putu enjula]

Here is a Miss Andrea that lost most of the dark burgundy color... it's nearly all green/white/yellow.

[putu enjula]

I cut my green and white seedling to propagate it. I rooted it and potted it up but now it has lost the white color. I think because of the three foot rule... we'll see after it grows taller. The second one is another pic of my lemon-lime seedling.

[Scott Mcintosh]

Here is another interesting color morph. Maria in fisrt 2 pics half killed back last winter, but now looking good like Maria should. My older Maria in last 2 pics, around 7' tall with no Maria looks any longer. I have another 7' plant (Jackie) that also no longer has the Jackie look. I am now thinking that after around 6' they color morph.

[Scott Mcintosh]

I cut my green and white seedling to propagate it. I rooted it and potted it up but now it has lost the white color. I think because of the three foot rule... we'll see after it grows taller. The second one is another pic of my lemon-lime seedling.

Angela, I have noticed that when you cut the top off and root it, color is lost for some time until the plant becomes well rooted. The lemon-lime seedling looks as it will look nothing like lemon-lime. Hope it gets some lemon-lime look with red edges.

[Dypsisdean]

I think they are a little like crotons in that the new leafs differ somewhat depending on the time of year - that is they could differ a little even from year to year. But I haven't the patience to take the pics and keep track.

[putu enjula]

This is from seed.... still waiting to see how it is going to turn out.

[putu enjula]

Still no white

[Moose]

I have no Ti-plants in my garden. That being said, giving the plants sulfur I believe would help you retain, return or develope the coloring. An acid soil reaction is what you are looking for. Adding some peat moss and animal manure composts as well.

I would also refrain from giving these plants any supplemental nitrogen. Let rain water be its source of nitrogen. I use a 7-4-5 fertilizer for acid loving plants on my crotons. Crotons color up better with a soil Ph of 6.8 or less. Nitrogen tends to really green up plants.

By the way, the next door neighbor has some Ti-plants. The last time they saw any fertilizer, Jimmy Carter was the President. They stay pretty damn red. Just my suggestion. Perhaps a few test plants to try my theorey?

[Scott Mcintosh]

I have no Ti-plants in my garden. That being said, giving the plants sulfur I believe would help you retain, return or develope the coloring. An acid soil reaction is what you are looking for. Adding some peat moss and animal manure composts as well.

I would also refrain from giving these plants any supplemental nitrogen. Let rain water be its source of nitrogen. I use a 7-4-5 fertilizer for acid loving plants on my crotons. Crotons color up better with a soil Ph of 6.8 or less. Nitrogen tends to really green up plants.

By the way, the next door neighbor has some Ti-plants. The last time they saw any fertilizer, Jimmy Carter was the President. They stay pretty damn red. Just my suggestion. Perhaps a few test plants to try my theorey?

Ron, No problem for me not to give them supplemental nitrogen. Up here around the bay fertilizers sold can not contain nitrogen.