Andre. You have a couple of questions here.
The temps you describe are fine, but I assume that they are ambient temps. You might want to check the temps at plant & flower levels, since your lights are so close to the plants (& therefore the flowers).
I was thinking of starting a thread for C walkeriana growers to provide feedback on when their plants initiated growth this year & where they lived. Maybe next season.
I believe that day length (or rather the shortening of the day/lenghtening of the night) is the key stimulant for initiating C walkeriana flower spikes. I believe that the gradual change from a 14 hour summer day to about a 10- 11 hour autumn day is what triggers the spike initiation.
I know that temperature plays a key role in flower development & flower quality, but I think that a shortened day is the prime determinant for initiation.
Your C walkeriana 'Choujou' is a coerulea form & I'm not surprised that it is blooming ahead of the other color varieties. For some reason, the coeruleas seem to produce more growths & seem to be more "flexible" in blooming requirements. So they seem to be quicker to initiate.
However, since you are in a northern area & should have been experiencing shorter days more than 2 months ago, I would also guess that you have been running long hours with your lights. This would explain why your coerulea is only now blooming & your other color forms have not yet initiated.
Your 'Tokutsu' is another issue. This plant will bloom fine under your conditions. However, the unique coloration, for which it is famous (almost semi-alba, with rich red ribs on sepals & petals), will only occur under fairly cool blooming conditions. Maybe 20 C days & about 10 C (or lower) nights. With higher temps & high light, the flowers will be a light pink blush with whitish ribs on the petals & sepals.
Even the owner of the original (in Japan) experiences this phenomenon with both his original & his mericlones. I have a batch of his original mericlones & only manage to bloom the blush with the light ribs. So I asked him about it & he told me he also noticed that when it was a bit warmer, his flowers bloomed with a less pronounced red rib & a bit of a blush.
|
Linear Mode
