It’s like a yellow UFO!? It flies softly in the wind.
Misha: This time we’ll try growing Calceolaria. It’s native to Chile, Mexico, Peru, and New Zealand. It certainly has a South American coloring.
Hachibee: I’ve seen a lot of flowers, but the shape of this flower is by far the most unusual!
Misha: Apparently Calceolaria means slippers in Latin. And its Japanese name is Kinchakusou. I see, so they’re all named after their strange shapes.
Hachibee: If I were you I’d call it UFO Grass. Or maybe Hovercraft Grass!
Misha: It gets my imagination flowing even before I start growing it. How exactly do flowers like this bloom!? Let’s get started!
Calceolaria “almost weekly” cultivation report
9/17 Planting
Misha: Calceolaria seeds are as fine as grains of sand, so we often plant them as beret seeds.
Hachibee: The flowers are very showy, but the seeds are rather plain.
9/24 Not yet sprouted
Hachibee: I wonder when those grain-sized seeds will sprout?
10/8 Sprouted!
Hachibee: Wow, after two weeks the sprouts have finally come out!
Misha: They’re quite delicate sprouts. So you have to keep a close eye on them in a pod until they sprout.
10/15 The leaves start to grow
Hachibee: Even though the stem is so thin and thread-like, leaves are starting to grow at the end!
10/29 The leaves start to grow one after another
Hachibee: The leaves are multiplying and getting bigger! And the stems are so delicate they’re almost transparent. I’m amazed they can support such large leaves.
11/5 Leaves grow a little
Hachibee: It’s certainly growing… but it’s already this big after almost two months since I planted the seeds. The stem is really skinny.
Misha: Yes. Being patient with this slow growth could be said to be a method for cultivating Calceolaria.
11/12 The leaves grow slowly
Hachibee: The growth is so slow it makes me sleepy.
Misha: Let’s take it easy.
11/19 Not much change
Hachibee: Not much different from last week. This is going to be a long one.
11/26 The leaves grow a little
Hachibee: I noticed that he’s grown up a little bit, and it’s hard to hate him for it.
Misha: It’s going to get cold soon, so we should take good care of it indoors.
12/3 Only a few leaves growing
Hachibee: It’s gotten so tall all of a sudden. But Calceolaria really does grow slowly, bit by bit.
Misha: It’s reassuring to see that they’re growing, even if only by millimeters.
12/10 Leaves change vertically
Hachibee: I noticed that the leaves are getting a little longer and thinner!
12/17 Take a break
Hachibee: Before I knew it, it was already the end of the year. I guess Calceolaria is taking a break too. It’s so cold!
1/7 The leaves start to take on a more three-dimensional appearance.
Hachibee: It’s starting to get a little fluffy.
Misha: There are also down-like hairs growing on the surface of the leaves.
1/14 The leaves begin to grow
Hachibee: Even though it’s the coldest time of the year, it looks like it’s starting to grow again.
1/21 The leaves start to grow upwards
Hachibee: The leaves are starting to bloom!
Misha: The stems have gotten thicker without me noticing.
1/28 The leaves are more voluminous
Hachibee: It’s starting to come out of the pod.
2/11 The leaves spread widely
Hachibee: The whole thing looks a lot more solid.
2/18 New leaves start to appear again
Hachibee: New leaves have appeared for the first time in a while. I wonder if the leaves can tell that it’s getting a little warmer?
2/25 The leaves start to grow
Hachibee: Leaves are starting to appear one after another.
Misha: It seems that all the energy that had been building up over the winter was released at once just in time for spring.
3/3 Leaves appear one after another
Hachibee: The number of leaves is increasing and they’re getting quite big.
Misha: Yes, you can’t see the soil in the pod anymore.
3/10 Ready for outdoor planting soon
Hachibee: It’s already a fine seedling. I miss how weak it was when it first sprouted!
Misha: The roots are well established. It’s getting warmer outside, so it’s time to plant it outdoors.
3/17 Transition to outdoor planting
Hachibee: It’s gotten bigger!
3/24 Time to adapt to soil
Hachibee: He seemed to be doing much better indoors, but it looks like he’s having a hard time with the change in environment.
Misha: The Calceolaria has lost some leaves, but I’m sure it’s doing well and putting down roots.
3/31 The buds have come out!
Hachibee: Woohoo! That was so sudden! That was quick!
4/7 Blooming!
Hachibee: That was quick! Were they waiting to be planted in the ground?! What happened in those six months from seed to seedling?! I guess she’s just a hard-working .
Misha: I don’t think personality has anything to do with it. I’m sure she was saving her strength during the winter.
4/14 Buds begin to appear one after another
Hachibee: Buds appearing one after the other! I certainly didn’t expect this rapid development. But this flower has a truly eccentric and radical appearance.
4/21 The flower shape is complete!
Hachibee: What! A crest has appeared on the top of the Calceolaria flower! Calceolaria transforms after blooming. Amazing.
Misha: It’s a really strange shape. It looks more like a pouch than a slipper. I think the Japanese name Kinchakusou was well chosen.
4/28 More flowers
Hachibee: Wow, they’re increasing!
5/5 They continue to bloom in succession
Hachibee: I wondered how Calceolaria flowers would die, and it turns out they wither and die just like a deflating balloon. That’s interesting in itself!
Misha: And there will be more buds popping up one after the other.
5/12 More flowers coming out
Hachibee: Flowers are really blooming one after another. The scenery is starting to look yellow.
5/19 There are still more flowers
Hachibee: This is amazing. A mountain of yellow balloons!
Misha: There are still more buds coming out. Calceolaria really does bloom a lot!
5/26 full bloom!
Hachibee: This is amazing! Wow, it’s dazzling! It’s like a lantern procession!
Misha: I was surprised. The flowers bloom so much that I can’t see the leaves and they cover the whole plant.
6/2 End of flower
Hachibee: What’s this? All the flowers have suddenly disappeared.
6/9 From flower to seed cluster
Hachibee: Not only did it start to bloom suddenly, but the flowering also ends suddenly, all at once, Calceolaria.
Misha: It was like watching a midsummer carnival. It really does feel like tropical flowers.
6/16 Seed clusters ripen
Hachibee: Only the seed clusters remain, neatly arranged.
Misha: Considering the strangely shaped flower, the seed clusters are surprisingly normal in shape.
6/23 Seed Harvesting ~ The End
Hachibee: The seed clusters pop and the seeds, really like grains of sand, fly everywhere.
Misha: Just as I was watching the seed clusters fall, the leaves wither and fall away, and there’s nothing left. It was like a midsummer night’s dream.
~A word! Tips for growing Calceolaria~
Difficulty of cultivation：★★★★☆
It is weak to both cold and heat,
and grows very slowly,
so it is quite difficult to grow.
Until the seedlings are strong,
you need to take care of them like you are a baby!
