Read the thread below on this forum on Kohleria 'Longwood'. I wrote a long post about culture. I've also written many long posts on this forum on kohleria culture. All you need to do is read the posts on this forum and you will be an expert in no time.

Also, I note that you live in the SF Bay area. We have an excellent local chapter of the gesneriad society here, where you can bring your plant and get hands-on advice on its culture. Also, members always get new plants when they attend meetings. At a typical meeting everyone goes home with at least three or four new varieties. The club meets on the third Sunday (1 PM)of every month in the Garden Club room at the meeting building located at the entrance to the Strybing Arboretum in Golden Gate Park. There is a parking lot behind the building, entrance from Lincoln Way at 10th st. Consider this an invitation to attend, though visitors are always welcome. Last Saturday we held our annual plant sale. I belive we will still have our regular meeting on the third Sunday this month. We will also have our annual show (with another gesneriad sale) on the last weekend in August. Our members are very enthusiastic and happy to share information as well as plants. I regularly bring in half a dozen plants for the raffle table, just to make sure that everyone has plenty of plants to choose from. We also have a very interesting show and tell session at the meetings where members bring in their gesneriads for a general discussion. We often get treated to several dozen beautiful plants to see and discuss.

Jon Dixon

Jon - I thank you for the lengthy advice - I have left the sucker where it is, and when I have time I may trim off some of the branches, but it appears to be entirely happy, and I am sure that it will eventually bloom. Now that I know its habits, and the fact that I do not have to pamper it, or be scared of it, my approach is, if you feel like flowering, go for it. I don't have the time to play with you. I am fascinated by the fact that it has not fallen over with all of its branches - as the summer progresses and I get my other plants under control, I may put it outside under a tree with half a day of sun - just because it's a gesneriad does not mean that it has to stay inside! there's always the compost heap! Now that it is warmer, it will probably leap into action.

Cheers,

Ellery