We recently purchased a Goldfish Plant to hang in our kitchen. It has lovely glossy foliage and will receive medium light. Can anyone tell us how to care for this plant - watering, fertilizing, etc.? Thanks!!
I think we can assume this is a Columnea sp. or a Nematanthus sp. Both are called goldfish plants because the flowers resemble goldfish. Angmering, do you know which plant you have? You can post a photo if you have one. Or try a search of the two to see if one looks like your plant.
I love goldfish plants and would further love more discussion on this subject. A friend has two thriving nematanthus plants in a north window. They bloom year-round. She has allowed me to take cuttings which I have tried to root with little success. I bought my own plant in a hanging pot very reasonably and was thrilled only to see it drop leaves and die. Last year I purchased two sets of three seedlings of nematanthus varieties and columnea varieties. I was nursing them along and owing to a broken ankle which interfered with my regular houseplant tending, I did manage to have three survivors: columnea california gold columnea fujiyama nematanthus rio I have potted them all up and all are thriving, the nematanthus is doing especially well. I have started taking cuttings and am attempting to root them. One sprouted roots and is now in the soil and growing. What astonishes me is how well I have done with these seedlings while failing utterly with the hanging pot and the goldfish cuttings. Since my successful friend keeps her plants in a north window, I am keeping mine there as well. Can anyone suggest how long it takes to coax blooms out? Any care tips would be gratefully received!
Goldfish plants, at least what I have tried and found to work: like to get watered and dry out, in a light porous mixture, that can let go of the water - so "no wet feet" or the roots will die (and so will the top, starting with the tips). I have as well had most luck with the plant in a non-southern exposiure, but I think the key to flowers is the watering - or lack of water........ like many other plants either they grow or they bloom....... just my 2 cents Enjoy them, E.T.
Thanks, E.T. I will try to follow your suggestion and I think you may be on the money. Meanwhile I have taken a new batch of cuttings from my friend's goldfish and most of them sprouted roots, I am trying again! The ones I am coaxing along from the seedlings I got last summer are doing pretty well. I make little cuttings and plant them as soon as they root. They are doing pretty well. If and when I ever get blooms, I will report back!!