PlantFiles: Tropaeolum
Tropaeolum sessilifolium

This Chilean Native scrambling Tropaeolum species has its natural habitat on sunny slopes of the Andes Mountains, at an altitude between 2000 and 3000m above sea level.

This herbaceous perennial develops fibrous roots and scrambling stems of some 15 to 25 cm length. They grow very fast from seed, blooming the first year, provided they have high luminosity, moist soil during spring and well-drained soil.

Propagation from seed: during autumn, in individual pots, using a mix of two portions compost, one portion regular garden soil and one portion vermiculite. Cover this mix with a layer of sharp river sand or grit, place the seed and cover it with another layer of sand. If your climate is very rainy, place the pots in a cold frame or a cold greenhouse. If you have snow, place the pots outdoors and let nature do the work. They will germinate during spring. Transplant once the seedlings are 5 cm (2") tall.

Sow in a good free draining neutral or slightly acidic seed compost to which some extra grit has been added, just covering the seed with compost.

After sowing place the seed container in a polythene bag and
leave it for 2 months in a refrigerator at 5C (40F), making sure that the compost does not dry out. Inspect regularly and if any seeds start to germinate during this period prick out germinating seedlings and return the seed container to the fridge. At the end of 2 months move the seed container to a temperature of 20C (70F).

Over the next 8 weeks most of the seeds which are going to germinate will do so. Once they are big enough to handle transplant each seedling to a 20cm (8in) pot, the deeper the better, of a similar free draining compost. As the plants grow, water freely and grow on in a conservatory or cool greenhouse with good ventilation.

As the foliage fades, gradually withhold water, so that the compost is almost dry. Restart into growth the following spring by gradually increasing the watering.