I hope you enjoy all of these Melissa and I want to see what you do growing these that are 10-12" for me under your conditions.

I have just gotten seedlings from the four of mine crossed to other giant ones and the seedlings are already quite big, bigger than I've ever seen it at this stage.

Now as for your lost minds, Bev and Melissa I think it's a good thing! Those are the moments that change our lives!

Kevin

Kevin, what do you make of the xSemponium hybrids?

I have my doubts, mainly because it looks much more like an Aeonium. All the DNA analysis has shown that semps and Aeoniums are NOT closely related. Also the improved hardiness reported is minimal. It certainly couldn't take even my climate. To me it seems as though the semp parent induced an odd gamete to form. Would love to see the flowers as generally it's easier to show hybridity in the flowers.

It is a BEAUTIFUL plant. I might try it because it is pretty. In Riverside it should be happy outdoors.

Kevin

Kevin, I will do my best not to disappoint you and will do my best to exceed your 12".

I am just keeping my fingers crossed that my order actually gets filled because I know that those kinds of things can be iffy with the law of supply and demand and all the other crap that is going on. I couldn't believe my luck, finding so many of your new semps all in one place!

Melissa,

I know Mountain Crest will have all of these available in the spring too in case your other source flakes out.

I'm convinced that you will get the plants bigger than I can grow them as I'm more focused on the new seedlings than the things already on the market.

Kevin

The new cultivars of Chick Charms® Giants and Chick Charms® are now on the market.
Let the fun begin.
On my way to add them to the database so the entries will be ready for your photos.

Ooh lala!!

Chick Charms® Giants

Ooh, that sounds interesting.

valleylynn said: The new cultivars of Chick Charms® Giants and Chick Charms® are now on the market.
Let the fun begin.
On my way to add them to the database so the entries will be ready for your photos.

Looks like I need to get some photos listed then.

Seems to say the Chick Charms® Giants can get up to 10 inches.

Can't wait to see what size they get when @MelissaHopper grows them.
Football size comes to mind.

There are some in the works that are 12-14" in diameter. Probably not until '23 or '24 though.

Kevin

Can't wait for those to come out, Kevin.

Here is a comparison photo from Chris Hansen showing the difference between 'Gold Mine' and it's seed parent 'Gold Nugget'. Pretty impressive difference.

Great comparison photos, Lynn!

Almost inverse coloration!

I got the photo from Chris this morning.

JungleShadows said: There are some in the works that are 12-14" in diameter. Probably not until '23 or '24 though.

Kevin

@JungleShadows
Kevin, I'm curious how you bred semps to be that large. Hybrid Vigor? Selecting the largest seedlings through multiple generations? Thank you.

Evan,

Yes Big X Big and repeat. Luckily there are genes for big in both 'Killer' and 'Jungle Shadows' that are the base of the line. In '20 I put all the big ones in one bed and allowed the bees to cross them and those groups are already showing some very large plants. (Amazingly it was just 3 generations to get the big ones.) The next generation is germinating now that involves a group of hand crosses again.

Most semps are from bee seed so you aren't getting the favorable combinations but rather you're allowing the dominants to stay in play. Of course being BIG and trying to grow in a crevice in the Alps would favor smaller sizes being dominant. By inbreeding I'm pulling out the recessives for size. It's definitely not a single gene, looks like 4+ major genes based upon the segregations.

Kevin

Kevin